Birmingham to Den Haag

[nikki]

I would say that there are a couple of downsides in cycling to Dover - mainly crossing London

I may have solved this problem by changing which home I depart from; currently considering the parents' place and a ride along the sahf coast* along NCN2. If nothing else I'd be well practiced with ferries before arriving at Dover. If I decided to get a train down from Birmingham, it wouldn't need multiple changes. Down side: I'd have to go through some place called Brighton 

* I noticed I was feeling decidedly less apprehensive about this than the LF1 bit, even though the whole coastal wind thing might be similar. Suspect I might just be scared about touring abroad for the first time. Anyhow, this way I'd get a few days to find my groove first.

Currently also favouring Dover out and Harwich back. There seems to be a well-regarded canal based route from Dunkirk port to Ostend before picking up LF1 proper.
 
Returning from Harwich...
I've not really explored any of the East at all, by whatever mode of transport. Maybe looping around on NCN 1 and 6 then peeling off around Milton Keynes to somehow link up with known stuff between Long Itchington and Birmingham. MK could also be a bailout point if I felt the urge to hop on a direct London Midland train back to Birmingham.

Has anyone any experience of doing these in touring mode?

NCN 51 Harwich - Colchester
NCN 1 Colchester - Lea Valley
NCN 61 Lea Valley - Welwyn Garden City (looks like it might involve canals)
NCN 57 and 6 Welwyn Garden City - Luton (looks like some off road and an old railway?)
NCN 6 Luton - Milton Keynes
Then I'm not really sure how to tackle the bit from MK to Leamington Spa or Stratford-upon-Avon sort of areas

I don't mind hardpack towpath or railway path, but it would be good to minimise singletrack, mud or anything too too silly.

[Auntie Helen]

Hi Nikki,

NCN51 from Harwich to Colchester is fine. There's a hill at the start but otherwise it is fine as far as Great Bromley (where I used to live). After that I think the route may take the Wivenhoe Trail which is scenic but not asphalted but I guess this is fine for most bikes. I can always draw you an optimised route as there is also an alternative via Manningtree which is more scenic and gives you the chance for breakfast in Manningtree.

[nikki]

Oh, should have said before - thanks for the extra info, Veloman!

Auntie Helen - thanks for the NCN 51 info too. I'd be interested in the Manningtree route if you've time to share it. (I should probably also doublecheck what factors you're optimising for, but scenes and breakfast sound like a good start!)

[Veloman]

Oh, should have said before - thanks for the extra info, Veloman!

My pleasure!

We spent a couple of days in Rotterdam and stayed in the Cube Houses IYA.  Good fun and a great city to explore on the cycle.  Fantastic cycle route back to ferry port via estuary and would return in the blink of an eye.

[Auntie Helen]

Hi Nikki,

This is my Manningtree route - aiming for the bit of Colchester where the NCN1 heads south (on an off-road section, no less!)

http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=wkymyjfsxkjzwfke

And this is my version of the NCN route - a bit different at the start (no need to faff around going to Dovercourt) and also in Colchester (no need to faff around cycling by the river):

http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=jivslbzxdpyizhtk

It's actually further because the NCN track avoids the dual carriageway A133 into Colchester (a good idea, it's horrible) but sends you on a vast detour to Wivenhoe. Which is nice, but a detour.

The first route is optimised for my cycling, which means reasonable road surface, not stupidly laney (no grassy strip in the middle of the road) as I am a recumbent triker, plus no gratuitous hills. I am not afraid of traffic so there are a few sections where there might be a busy road but it's generally not bad at all.

The route via Manningtree gives you a chance to stop for breakfast in Manningtree (at the railway station, surprisingly, or a couple of cafés), although of course there are plenty of options in Colchester.

I would not recommend the expensive breakfast on the ferry. Better to get some miles under your belt and then enjoy a relaxed breakfast in some interesting town or hamlet. But that's just my opinion!

[Kim]

I may have solved this problem by changing which home I depart from; currently considering the parents' place and a ride along the sahf coast* along NCN2.

If you're doing that, Portsmouth-Le Havre or something becomes an option.  The north coast of France is massively more pleasant than the south coast of England, if only due to the quality of the road maintenance and the patience of the drivers.

[Kim]

I would not recommend the expensive breakfast on the ferry. Better to get some miles under your belt and then enjoy a relaxed breakfast in some interesting town or hamlet. But that's just my opinion!

Seconded, if only because with queues and timezones it's far too early in the morning to be digesting real food.  For the Fridays' tour I spent an extra hour in bed (if not actually asleep, thanks to the cheery music they play over the PA at retail o'clock) then forced myself to eat a sandwich to keep me going into the mild headwind for a couple of hours.  Was fine.

I did eat an expensive evening meal on the ferry, because BloodyTrains had scuppered the original plan of going for a traditional British curry in Harwich while waiting for the later groups to arrive.  It seems that it's marginally less eye-wateringly expensive if you pay in Euros.

[nikki]

Many thanks, Auntie Helen: I'll add them in to the multiple lines on maps at this end! 

If you're doing that, Portsmouth-Le Havre or something becomes an option.  The north coast of France is massively more pleasant than the south coast of England, if only due to the quality of the road maintenance and the patience of the drivers.

True, but doubles the amount of time during which I have to negotiate gluten and lactose avoidance in an unfamiliar country. Four days from Dunkirk and then a long weekend with friends who can help me navigate foodstuffs is a manageable first foray, I think. (Hope.)

Food decisions on the ferry will depend on how much it is ^r o _l l ⁱ n _g f ^r o _m s ⁱ d _e t ^o s _i d ^e

[Kim]

Yeah, that's fair enough.  A country whose main culinary appeal (for a non-drinker) lies in baked goods and - at least on a theoretical level - cheese isn't likely to make that straightforward once you venture away from proper supermarkets.  Especially once you factor in the notorious French approach to opening hours.

(The magic Google Translate OCR app on your phone is a massive win for decoding ingredients labels in foreign languages^[1], but it's only useful for things which have labels.)


_{[1] Weirdly, although I'm far more proficient in German than French, the reverse seems to be true when applied to food.  At least when it's not written in decoy Dutch (lots of bilingual labelling to catch you out / make things easier depending on whether you're in France or the Netherlands).}

[mmmmartin]

^G o _sh ^! T _ha ^t i _s ^c le ^v e _r

[Veloman]

Best place (IMO) for early breakfast after docking in Harwich is in Brewers Fayre Mayflower (open 0700).  Next to Premier Inn and Lidl, off A120 and very near and easy cycle along the road from the Port exit (we did not bother with cycle path and just went main road).  We also used it for evening meal the night before the crossing.  Post code CO12 4NX should highlight it.

[Auntie Helen]

Hmmm, I ate there once and didn't find it very exciting (evening meal). It's directly after you disembark from the ferry. If you want to get a bit of riding in first, Manningtree or Colchester both appear after an hour or an hour and a half's riding which works quite well.

[nikki]

(The magic Google Translate OCR app on your phone is a massive win for decoding ingredients labels in foreign languages

*nods* I used it a lot in Japan for operating the baths...

^G o _sh ^! T _ha ^t i _s ^c le ^v e _r

14 years training in the visual arts, me 


Thanks for food recommendations. Will have to see whether I arrive in time for breakfast or supper, but good to get a feel for options.

We spent a couple of days in Rotterdam and stayed in the Cube Houses IYA.

Just googled the cube houses! Wow! They look pleasantly bonkers!

[bhoot]

Best place (IMO) for early breakfast after docking in Harwich is in Brewers Fayre Mayflower (open 0700).  Next to Premier Inn and Lidl, off A120 and very near and easy cycle along the road from the Port exit (we did not bother with cycle path and just went main road).  We also used it for evening meal the night before the crossing.  Post code CO12 4NX should highlight it.

An interesting breakfast option we have used coming off the ferry was the 'Spoons in Colchester, which is well worth a visit as it is an old art deco theatre which retains a lot of original features. Not great for cycle parking immediately outside - we just put the tandem at the entrance and figured no-one would make off with it and we could just about see it from our table - but I am sure there is some around.

I did eat an expensive evening meal on the ferry, because BloodyTrains had scuppered the original plan of going for a traditional British curry in Harwich while waiting for the later groups to arrive.  It seems that it's marginally less eye-wateringly expensive if you pay in Euros.

I don't 100% agree that the ferry food is expensive (although the current exchange rates will be sending it that way) - maybe it's because we are from "that London" but I'm sure we've enjoyed curry and such like for around £8-9 which seems to me like pub price. That's from the cafeteria option not the restaurant.

[arabella]

Is it too late to mention that I have
(i) 300km route from Birmingham to Ipswich via Leicester, Stamford and I can't remember where else.  (I ought to have a 200km one to BSE too)
(ii) 190-ish km route from Ipswich to Ringwould near Dover using the Tilbury ferry.  I'd want to revise the Kent part of the route before I use it again as even the not-M2 bits af the A2 are a bit busier than I'd like if spending loads of km on it.  If you approach Dover from the North/Ringwould etc. then it's the docks side and you can either go past the castle or follow the main route.

fwiw I also have Cambridge- Peterborough- Mildenhall- to Ipswich and so on
probably best pm me if you want further thoughts on routes I have in east anglia and beyond, so  I notice in a timely manner
you're welcome to stop over too, proviso of unless younger guy has an exam upcoming, forgot to notice when it might be.

[nikki]

hmmm, not sure I could get all the way to Colchester on an empty stomach. Second breakfast, maybe

Is it too late to mention[...]

Not at all!

*sends a PM*

[Wowbagger]

You have breakfast on the ferry!

[nikki]

You have breakfast on the ferry!

I probably won't; "a mouth-watering range including full English breakfast, fresh pastries, cereal, yogurt and fruit" not being overly Nikki-friendly. If I feel the need for a full English at that time in the morning I'll probably wait until I'm on terra firma and see where the truckers are heading!

[Cudzoziemiec]

I thought truckers normally ate on the ferry, their tickets including a free breakfast/other meal. Maybe I'm out of date though, haven't been on a ferry since 2006!