Irish Sunday Mirror

9 OF THE BEST cycle tours

Cycle-touring comes in all shapes, sizes and destinatio­ns. Here’s our selection of some of the best, for all levels of ambition...

- BY ANDREW EAMES

1 LA VÉLO FRANCETTE, CAEN TO LA ROCHELLE, FRANCE Six days from €395pp France, with all its rural byways and its respect for “cyclisme”, is a paradise for cycle holidays. And this route (cycling.lavelofran­cette.com) was named European Cycleway of the Year in 2017. The judges described it as “a beautiful route through varied landscape predominan­tly over greenways, ‘voies vertes’, on former railway tracks and towpaths along rivers and canals. The path is fully marked, easily accessible by train, provides plenty of good accommodat­ion.” With much of it traffic-free, it is particular­ly good for families. The thing, at 390 miles, could be easily done in two weeks, although local tour operators tend to zero in on the beautiful marshlands of the Marais Poitevin, where a six-day route costs from €395pp, with B&B 2 and planning. bicyclette-verte.fr

BOAT/BIKE AROUND THE IJSSELMEER, NETHERLAND­S A week from €542pp The Dutch love their “fiets” (a confusing word for bicycle), and their web of signposted cycle paths spread out across a landscape completely without hills, with lots of gorgeous little details that you’d miss if you were in a car. Combine that with their equally gorgeous river and canal network, and the result is the sort of place where you can easily lose track of time, especially dawdling through the half-timbered Golden Age towns like Hoorn and Enkhuizen, on the banks of lake Ijsselmeer. Base yourwhole self on a converted barge which reposition­s itself every day and provides calm respite for anyone who wants a rest day. A week, including breakfast and dinner, from €542pp. 3 freedomtre­ks.co.uk PROVENCE, FRANCE Five nights from €1,188pp Bucolic Provence, with its roadside auberges, vineyards and lavender fields, is perfect for getting your knees in the breeze. Warm days and tipsy nights are par for the course in a region celebrated in the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh, with its fine cuisine and chateau hotels. This Starry Nights holiday allows relaxed hedonism by not defining an endto-end route, but instead providing two distinctiv­e bases, Arles and St Remy de Provence. Rides emanating out from each are designed to sample the best of the surroundin­gs. Five nights, B&B plus three dinners, from €1,188pp. cyclingfor-softies.co.uk 4 LAKE CONSTANCE, GERMANY/ SWITZERLAN­D/ AUSTRIA 10 nights from €1,477pp This giant, limpid freshwater lake in central Europe is shared by three countries, and lassoed by a 160-mile cycle path. Its north shore is counterpan­ed in vineyards and health

resorts, its water is busy with yachts and steamers, its islands known for orchards and flower gardens, and its southern shore has abbeys and waterfalls. In between, the cyclepath ticks off a procession of postcard-pretty villages, whose café-lined waterfront­s offer a magnificen­t view of the distant Alps, and there’s always somewhere for a quick dip. Accommodat­ion is a mix of old coaching inns and luxury lakeside mansions. Ten nights to complete the circuit, with five different hotels and eight dinners, from €1,477pp.

5 headwater.com THE JULIEN ALPS, SLOVENIA Six nights from €907pp It has not been a great decade to be a bee... except if you live among the wildflower­s of the Julien Alps in Slovenia – the central European country lays claim to be a nation of beekeepers. It’s a region that is rich in calm lakes cupped in mountains, and this itinerary begins on the shores of Lake Bled, with its castle and spectacula­r Vintgar Gorge, before heading off through timeless landscapes of meadows dotted with traditiona­l beehives and hayracks. This is organic, rustic cycle-touring at its best, with a few climbs and lots of fabulous views on the sunny side of the Alps. Six nights’ B&B with three hotels and four dinners, from 6 €907pp. inntravel.co.uk

THE DANUBE, GERMANY/ AUSTRIA Seven nights

from €494pp The Danube towpath is one of the most popular cycle routes in Europe, and it can get incredibly busy. It is obvious why: the river links several key cities – Passau, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest – and is lined with handsome villages, vineyards and abbeys. The cycle path threads its way eastwards and is well supplied with little cafés and wayside B&BS dedicated to cyclists. You can easily go selfguided and unbooked – outside the main season, of course – and there are good boatbike options for those who’d like their bedroom to move, too. The first section in Germany is interestin­g, and far less crowded than the most popular part, from Passau to Vienna, which is doable in a week. This classic route with seven nights in seven hotels, plus breakfast, from 7 £435pp. macsadvent­ure.com

LAND’S END TO JOHN O’GROATS, UK 16 days from €2,564pp

This is the iconic British journey for sponsorshi­p rides, endurance efforts or just for good mates together. How quickly, or slowly, you cover the 874 miles is up to you, but the record is just 41 hours, and the average around 15 days. The Cornwall/devon and Scotland sections are the toughest, and the biggest decisions are whether to follow the more direct and therefore traffic-heavy routes, or whether to deviate via side roads, adding several days. LEJOG by bike is easily enough done independen­tly (try sustrans.org.uk for informatio­n and resources) although it can also be done as part of a group, with a guide and support vehicle. Sixteen days, B&B and some lunches, from 8 €2,564pp. skedaddle.co.uk MOUNT VENTOUX, FRANCE Three nights from €908pp This challengin­g bike ride up the Giant of Provence is legendary – tens of thousands test themselves against the 1,912 metres beast every year. The slow ascent – usually a couple of hours – is particular­ly gruelling, and still regularly features on the Tour de France, so it remains a mecca for ambitious road cyclists. Try two different famous routes to the top on a three-night B&B break from €908pp, 9 including flights from London. exodus.co.uk BANGKOK TO PHUKET, SOUTHERN THAILAND Nine nights from €1,901pp

Exotic cycle trips in far-off lands are increasing rapidly, and they’re an excellent way of meeting the locals and feeling the fabric of the landscape. Places like Burma, Bhutan, India and Vietnam and many South American destinatio­ns now have cycle-touring, although the roads can sometimes be tricky and the temperatur­es sweaty. But where better to try than friendly Thailand, on a trip that connects the capital city to one of its most popular beach destinatio­ns, and threads through a couple of national parks en route. Expect quiet backroads through rainforest and tiny villages, with some tough days in the saddle, although this is a guided trip with a support vehicle if you need a rest. Nine nights on full board (apart from three meals) starts at €1,901pp. Flights are not included. freedomtre­ks.co.uk

 ??  ?? Caen to La Rochelle – Cycleway of the Year 1
Caen to La Rochelle – Cycleway of the Year 1
 ??  ?? 2 Dawdle through Hoorn on banks of Ijsselmeer Base yourself in Arles for rides in Provence 3
2 Dawdle through Hoorn on banks of Ijsselmeer Base yourself in Arles for rides in Provence 3
 ??  ?? Enjoy rustic cycling in stunning Slovenia
Enjoy rustic cycling in stunning Slovenia
 ??  ?? Go through three countries around Lake Constance 4
Go through three countries around Lake Constance 4

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