Resort to a double
ENJOY two Caribbean islands in one holiday with a tennight two-centre trip to Grenada and Barbados. You stay four nights room-only at the Coyaba Beach Resort in Grenada, then six nights B&B at the Ocean Two Resort on Barbados. The hayesandjarvis.co.uk deal, flying out of Gatwick on June 28, costs £1,249 each, saving £523. Call 01293 762 456 to book. HOLIDAYS by bicycle are booming, and many tours take advantage of Europe’s superb network of cycle routes. It is not just for the super fit and you get a great view of the sights on two wheels... A riverside towpath is about the most idyllic cycle track that exists – no cars, no hills and plenty to look at. And in the case of the Danube, that means castles, monasteries, vineyards and elegant riverside villages. This makes for great cycling but the only problem is lots of other people think so too, so it is hugely popular in midsummer. A highlight on this Austrian section is the Wachau Valley, with the very pretty village of Durnstein and plenty of informal riverside heuriger – wine-maker’s terraces. GO FOR IT: A nine-night self-guided Passau to Vienna trip, with B&B accommodation and luggage transfer, costs from £578 per person excluding bike hire. See freedomtreks.co.uk. The Dutch love their fiets – a confusing word for bicycle – and the country has an incredible web of clearly signposted cycle paths that spread across a landscape completely without hills. Combine that with a cycle-equipped floating hotel that keeps moving – and you can set off each day to explore, or relax on deck if you are feeling too weary. GO FOR IT: This eight-day trip from Amsterdam to Bruges includes the key cultural cities of Antwerp and Ghent. The £819 per person price includes full-board accommodation, bikes and a guide. See whereaboutsholidays.com. The chain of Scottish islands that stretches from Lewis in the north to Barra in the south contains some of the most outstanding scenery in Britain. There are standing stones at Callanish on Lewis, Caribbean-style beaches at Luskentyre on Harris, the Whisky Galore island of Eriskay and the as-seen-on-TV’s Island Parish final destination of Barra. Expect changeable weather and lots of wildlife. GO FOR IT: A nine-day Freedom of the Isles itinerary demands you make your own way to the Outer Isles by ferry either from Ullapool or Oban. Included in the £615 price are cycle hire and B&B accommodation, and panniers to carry your luggage. hebrideanhopscotch.com. Avoid the danger of summer traffic by exploring Cornwall via its disused railway track beds, back country lanes and coastal paths. This gentle 11-day tour starts on Padstow’s Camel Trail before bearing south to Falmouth, checking in on Charlestown where the spectacular port was a location in Poldark, and staying in the fishing village of Mevagissey. At Penzance cyclists hop on the Scillonian ferry and spend the next three days discovering the sandy white beaches and Bronze Age ruins of the Scilly Isles. GO FOR IT: The price of £1,155 includes B&B accommodation, detailed route map and luggage transfers. Cycle hire is available from £15 per day. cornishcycletours.co.uk. The three cities of Bamberg, Rothenburg and Nuremberg have differing claims to fame. Bamberg is known for its breweries and smoky beer, medieval Rothenburg for its fairytale appearance on the Romantic Road, and Nuremberg for its war history and wurst. To travel between them on Germany’s brilliantly organised cycle network is to unravel their individual stories and relish the laid-back ambience of the quiet Franconian countryside. GO FOR IT: The six-night self-guided Bavarian Beer Trail costs £620 per person, including bikes, maps, bag transfer and B&B. Utracks.com. This long-distance Vélo Francette was named