cycle touring

The pier at Derrysheridan on the Meath shore of Lough Sheelin is a good spot for wild camping. It’s well off the road and there is a barrier to block cars getting down to the lake (regular fishermen have a key for the barrier). You will have to lift your bike over the barrier, but it means you won’t be disturbed at night by passing trouble makers. So far as I know the land is owned by Coillte. There is a small piece of open ground right next to the pier, suitable for pitching a tent.

You could also try the Sailors Garden which is a few miles west on the Westmeath shore. No barrier here but access is down a long lane and there is plenty of open ground for pitching a tent. Not sure who owns the ground but the surrounding land is bog, on which lots of people have turf cutting rights.

Google Lough Sheelin and you will get plenty of maps of the lake which will show you both locations.

Flying to Lisbon and cycling to up to Santiago this June over 8 days, probably via Finisterre. In the autumn flying to Almeria and cycling over to Faro possibly via Gibraltar over 8 or 9 days.
Using road bike with saddlebag and handlebar bag and staying in cheap hotels/pensions. Hoping to average 100 to 110km a day..

brownian wrote: »

My 2 cent

- route: don;t bother with the middle part of France - quite a bit of it is surprisingly dull, and you'll find yourself biking just to get past it. Spend your time in Languedoc, Provence, Burgundy and the Pyrenees, all of which are lovely for biking. Then take the train to cherbourg. Recent changes to TGV rules mean that many of them finally do take bikes, which makes a long trip much easier/faster.

Hi,

You seem to know a bit about this, so hopefully you can help. I'm cycling in France right now, in Limousin at the moment. I'd like to go further south, but I need to get back up to Cherbourg for Saturday 26th, and I wouldn't have enough time to cycle back up, if I were to go to the places you suggest. I'd love to be able to stay down south until Friday 25th, but do you think I'd be sure of getting a train back up to Cherbourg, for me and my bike, from one of the cities down in the south? Not sure exactly where I'd be looking to get a train from yet. But would any one particular souther city be more likely than another? Should I book this online? Or would it be safe enough just turning up at the station the day I want to travel?

Thanks.

had missed this thread before now, am hoping to do mizen to malin in mid to late june. if it goes ahead it will be light touring using a recently acquired cyclocross bike but would be aiming to do in 4 to 5 days as am struggling for holidays!

Smurphy2014 wrote: »

Hi all,

My boyfriend and I are heading on our first camping holiday this June to France for 3 weeks and we would be grateful for any advice offered here! Flying into Nice, planning on heading towards the Pyrennes then up noth back to Cherbourg

1. Is it tue that many campsites are not open / fully functional in France until late in June?

2. Is it worth having a Camping Key Europe which acts as a form of identification and offers discounts at campsites? It costs €16.

3. Do campsites need to be booked far in advance? We would prefer to book as we go along rather than being stuck to a strict itinerary.

4. We are a very active couple and we would like to do hiking, walking and cycling (we will have our own road bikes with us). Any recommendations on good area to go for these?

Thats all for now! New to camping holidays so a lot to learn!

Thanks ��

Hey! I think you'll love the trip. It's a great way to spend time over the summer.

With regards to your questions,

1. Most are open from May onwards from my experience. The first time I went, I couldn't get over how big into the camping the europeans are. Not just students etc, but you see families driving and camping along with the backpackers. I think you'll be fine at this time.

2. I agree with others in that I don't think you should bother. You'll have your passport anyway so I don't see how anything else would be needed in terms of ID. No vacant campsite will refuse you crisp € notes, regardless of what card you produce. However, I am open to correction on why this card might be needed. I have yet to come across a need for it.

3. I agree with booking along the way. I've never booked in advance on any of my nights in campsites. I've been caught in a similar ratio as @brownian, but only in Spain during a regional festival and in France clashing with a nearby music festival. A few times in peak season we've had to cycle to another campsite, but that's not the end of the world. Worst case scenario you can always cry in the reception office and hope they squeeze you into the worst plot! Just make it a habbit to ask the people in the office when you check in if there was any reason to book ahead in your next campsite. This worked for the last trip I was on in Italy. While it was only a short trip, this saved us on a few upcoming nights as we had no idea of an upcoming event about 150k onwards on our route. The campsite were able to book ahead for us, so no harm in asking them.



4. I assume you are travelling by bikes? If so, then you can go where you like! Cycle touring doesn't really hold you back so you should aim to travel to areas where you want to tick the hiking/walking/beach boxes etc. If you're planning on heading off for a day and leaving your bikes behind, then ask the campsite office to mind them for you. Even still, I've always brought some sort of a lock with me when cycle touring and I imagine most others have too. One U-lock and 2 cable will do for two bikes.. but everyone has there own opinions on security. We locked our bikes to fences etc beside our tents at night, or left them in rooms in B&Bs/cheap hotels.

To copy brownian, my general advice would be 100% get the Ortlieb panniers. You can pick them up cheap enough online. I bought mine from Wiggle and saved even more for being a Gold member and using a discount code. Keep an eye on the sites and you'll find the deals.

There are some great resources online about cycle touring. http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/ is a popular one, however the website is a bit prehistoric, but bear with it and there is some useful info. Chances are, someone has cycled the route you are planning on doing!

Tent should should be light, but don't break the bank of one of the super lightweight ones. Realistically your boyfriend will be carrying it anyway! I will double check the model of mine, but it was very affordable and is a competitive weight for the price.


You will have a great time. 3 weeks is brave for your first trip camping and cycling, but if you are both up for it, then no doubt it will be a great trip!! Enjoy and ask any questions you have. I got plenty of advice from here so no doubt the experts will gladly help.

Planet X wrote: »

I see you've named the bike...

I hate midges - ruin scotland for me.

Anti-histimine tablet will help with that lot.

I know I'm asking my grandma about sucking eggs, but is the front of that saddle not a tad high?

My indulgence on short trips is a mini portable bbq - smoke gets rid of midges/things, food is nice and then I can gather wood and have a proper little fire through the evening without worrying about leaving a mess. 5 mins with a shovel in the morning and I'm ready to go.