On Your Bike! The Best Bike Routes in the UK and Channel Islands

With the Tour de France 2021 just around the corner, now is the time to dust off a bike and start planning a two-wheel getaway. From riding through Mallorca’s forested hills to pedalling around charming English towns, we pulled together some suggestions to inspire the next cycling holiday, with different budgets and fitness levels in mind.

BEGINNER: PEDAL AROUND LONDON’S ROYAL DEER PARK AND ENJOY A HOMEMADE PICNIC 

London tourists can spend the day cycling and enjoying the capital away from the crowds on a scenic bicycle tour. Cycling the River Thames route, the tour then enters Richmond Park for some deer spotting from a distance, before heading to a protected garden and pub for a refreshing drink. Tourists will then enjoy a local ferry trip across the River Thames to Twickenham and sit down for a delicious homemade afternoon picnic by the exotic riverside gardens. Ginette, a guide at ToursByLocals has lived in south-west London all her life and has been granted a license to run bike tours in Richmond Park.

ToursByLocals offers the 5 hour 30 mins London Royal Deer Park Bike Tour from £230 per person, for up to ten people. Includes guiding services, helmet, ferry trip and afternoon tea picnic. 

BEGINNER: EXPLORE SARK IN THE CHANNEL ISLANDS ON TWO WHEELS

Cycling is a popular mode of transport for exploring the car-free island of Sark – a 40 minute ferry from Guernsey. A cycle along Sark’s La Coupee, which is an 80-metre-high strip of land joining Big Sark with Little Sark, is a real highlight, as well as a visit to its Boutique Caves, a long tunnel-like cave network with side entrances. La Valette Campsite offers cycle friendly accommodation and is tucked away on the east coast of the island with panoramic views towards Alderney and France. It is a family campsite where children can enjoy the wide-open site to play games.

Campers can either pitch their own tent for £10 for adults and £5 for children per night or alternatively hire a pre-erected tent (different sizes available) where everything is provided for home-from home comfort – all guests need to bring are sleeping bags and lighting. Pre-erected tents are priced from £36 per night plus the site fee of £10 per adult per night / £5 per child per night.

Sark images for Visit Guernsey – Chris George Photography – Coast Media –

INTERMEDIATE: EXPLORE LINCOLN BY BIKE ON THE CASTLE TO COAST CYCLE ROUTE  

For cyclists who are looking to enjoy the best of both city and coastline, Lincoln’s Castle to Coast cycling route is highly recommended. The 100-mile round trip offers a blend of quiet country lines, stunning coastline and a scenic view of the city of Lincoln from the perspective of its iconic Castle. The route begins in the centre of Lincoln, marking the beginning of the trip with a visit to the 11th century castle. Continuing through the picturesque villages of Lincolnshire with beautiful views of the Lincolnshire Wolds, the route reaches the endpoint of Chapel St Leonard’s by the North Sea coast.

For more information on the Castle to Coast Cycle Route, visit www.visitlincoln.com

INTERMEDIATE: CYCLE THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS WITH EXODUS TRAVELS

Keen cyclists can experience authentic Scotland while taking in the wild and dramatic beauty of the Speyside region with Exodus Travels, beginning and finishing in Inverness and passing through Duffown and Scotch whisky country. Cycling through the Highlands, guests will pass through Carrbridge, home to “The Golden Spurtle” World Porridge Making Championship. The Carrbridge – from which the village gets its name – dates from 1717 and is the oldest in the Highlands. The trip ends with a visit to the prehistoric burial cairns of Bulnuaran of Clava, which have long been a source of interest and have gained international fame recently, having featured in Outlander.

Exodus Travels’ seven-night Cycle the Scottish Highlands trip is priced from £1,499 per person. The price includes accommodation with breakfast daily, all transport and activities as listed in the itinerary and a tour leader throughout.

INTERMEDIATE: DISCOVER THE MOST CHARMING ENGLISH TOWNS WITH HEADWATER

For the ultimate staycation experience, this gentle cycling tour starts along the Oxford Canal and then goes all the way through to the villages of the southern Cotswolds and Bath, home to Roman baths and stunning Georgian architecture. The self-guided route passes through some of the best of the Cotswold villages including Minster Lovell with its Cotswold stone and thatched cottages on the River Windrush, the medieval town of Burford, and Bibury, ‘the most beautiful village in England’ according to William Morris.

Headwater’s eight-night self-guided Oxford to Bath Cycle is from £1,529pp including accommodation with breakfast, bike hire, GPS route maps and navigation app and services of a local representative.