Do you like your off-road and your urban bike rides nearly as much as you like roaming the country by caravan? You'd be forgiven if you did, because there are over 14,000 UK cycle routes to explore, and many family-loved saunters to be had. So, if you plan to discover the country on two wheels as you set off on self-guided cycling tours along these UK cycle routes, you'll be spoilt for choice. Let's strap your bikes onto your Thule Motorhome Bike Rack, and hit the road, then! Here's our selection of family-friendly routes, along with some of the nearby watering holes and campsites.
Monsal TrailThe massive Peak District National Park, with its limestone dales, quarries, viaducts and tunnels, is a prime destination for caravanning bikers. But it's the
Monsal trail, in particular, a traffic-free route along the Midland Railway between Bakewell and Wyedale, that cyclists enjoy most out of all of the local UK cycle routes. Stretching across 8.5 miles, National Route 680 runs adjacent to the A6, crossing four tunnels that are lit during the day. You couldn't miss the Monsal Viaduct if you tried, but before you speed off across the rolling hills, make a note to check mills like the Cressbook and the Litton on your map, along with those elusive lime kilns. There are several campsites en-route, and one such nook for camping and cycling enthusiasts is a stone's throw away from Bakewell, at Greenhills Holiday Park.
Pentewan TrailFrom wooded hills to pebbly beach, the Pentewan Trail in Cornwall takes you across yet another disused railway line through crushed stone paths. Known as Route 3, it's a flat and accessible traffic-free route that runs from St. Austell to the Mevagissey fishing village. It's nearly 8 miles long, but the splendidly restored
Lost Gardens of Heligan links to it, with a restaurant offering refreshments and meals for the peckish. There are various caravan sites en route, such as the Pentewan Sands Holiday Park, and several others to the north and closer to the
Eden Project, where you can continue your camping and cycling journey on the Clay Trails.
Cardiff Bay TrailAnother traffic-free trail that the entire family can enjoy is the
Cardiff Bay circular on tarmac. Route 8 is little more than 6 miles long and it starts at Mermaid Quay, linking the best attractions Cardiff Bay has to offer, and ends at the Barrage. You'll come across the Wales Millennium Centre and the Dr. Who Experience venue along the way, and after you've crossed Pont y Werin Bridge, you'll be able to round off your leisurely cycle ride with a stroll along the bay. There are several caravan parks in northwest Cardiff, at Poncanna Fields, and several south of the bay, such as the Spinney Holiday and Leisure Park.
Marriott's WayNational cycle route 1 combines tarmac and stone surfaces along a former railway path over a distance of 15 miles from Norwich to Reepham. At
Marriot's Way start by the bank of River Wensum and carry on through colourful meadows, lively woodland and farmland. Rail sculptures are sprinkled along the way, as are benches inscribed with poems and concrete slabs marking the railway's history. If you haven't brought your bikes along on a
Thule motorhome bike rack, Reepham station's cycle hire shop will pair you up with a fine, stone-road-worthy bike. While you're in the area, the BMX track at Sloughbottom Park would make a fine place to try out your skills before you burn some rubber on your next UK cycle routes. And when it's time to rest, you'll find that the coastline is teeming with caravan parks.
Peregrine PathAnother one of the shorter UK cycle routes accessible to caravanners, Peregrine Path, or NR 423, is mostly traffic-free tarmac. It connects Monmouth to Goodrich as it straddles the English border with Wales, It starts in the town where Henry V was born, Monmouth, and it makes its way through castle ruins, time-forgotten pubs and quaint village shops to a massive parkland with vistas aplenty. As you cross over River Wye and roll through Symonds Yat East, you'll come across a canoe hire centre. If you're up for a climb, Symonds Yat Rock is accessible through here, promising rare glimpses of Peregrine Falcons. After King Arthur's Cave, you'll be able to spot Goodrich Castle, have a short pit-stop, and then return to your caravan site - possibly the King's Orchard Caravan Park in Mansons Cross.
