Details:
* Start/finish: Starts daily with a transfer service from Dover Ferry Port; finishes London.
* Bed & Breakfast: Small hotels near Dover and Rodmersham and in the heart of Canterbury, a village inn in Sandwich, a private house within Chatham Dockyard and a superbly situated hotel near the London Eye.
* Cycling mileage: 5 days of cycling. 17 -26 miles (27 - 41 km) per day.
* Skill level: Novice.
* Terrain: Flat with an occasional slope on days 5 and 6.
* Traffic free: Very largely.
Much of the route follows the ancient Saxon shoreline so old ports, smuggling, maritime history, castles, beaches and oysters all feature. So do the churches and settlements established by the early settlers and pilgrims.
Add to those a sunny and sheltered landscape whose bountiful fruit and vegetable farms earn it the description of 'The Garden of England' and your adventure to the outskirts of London will be a fascinating one. The finale of the tour leads you right into the heart of London along the traffic free banks of the River Thames, past the old warehouses and docks and the trendy new city developments.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Dover.
As we meet you at Dover Ferry Port, you have no need to bring your car. We will transfer you to your cosy hotel in a nearby village that sits on top of the cliffs. Settle in and enjoy England!
Day 2: Dover to Sandwich - 10 miles (16km) or 20 miles (32km).
Your host will meet you after breakfast with your cycling equipment and run through your tour itinerary. Then you are off - to freewheel down to the characterful old ports of Deal and Sandwich.
Cycle adjacent to the shore, take in the castles, and explore the fascinating history of these Cinque port towns. Detour if you wish to explore the old mining villages of the area. Your overnight stop is an old inn in the heart of beautiful Sandwich.
Day 3: Sandwich to Canterbury - 17 miles (27km).
Pedal through orchards and pretty villages today and you will discover wonderful pubs and Roman antiquities. Your route leads you traffic free into the heart of Canterbury where your hotel for the next two nights awaits you.
Day 4: Canterbury.
Take a day to explore this astounding heritage city with its magnificent cathedral, its abbey ruins and ancient city walls and its four museums. Enjoy too its cosmopolitan vitality - street cafes, a thriving arts scene and its maze of side streets and specialist shops.
Day 5: Canterbury to Rodmersham - 26 miles (41km).
This is a fascinating ride that sets out along the old Crab and Winkle railway line to Whitstable. Enjoy the harbour there, sample its famous oysters and ip into the craft shops of its high street.
For the rest of the day, you follow some of the Old Saxon shore with its often remote atmosphere and rich maritime history. Enroute is the outstanding market town of Faversham and its creek lined with barges. A warm welcome and a relaxing swim await you at your hotel.
Day 6: Rodmersham to Chatham - 17 miles (27km).
Pedal inland this morning through pretty villages and valleys dotted with orchards and market gardens. Then cycle adjacent to the coast to reach Chatham and its 400 years of maritime heritage at the historic dockyard. Once home to the Royal Navy, many of Britain's finest ships were built here. You will stay overnight in the old Master Caulker's house within the yard.
Day 7: Chatham to London - 16 miles (26km).
A short train hop at the start of the day takes you to Greenwich on the south bank of the River Thames. Greenwich is another fascinating world heritage site where you can stand astride the prime meridian line, visit the National Maritime Museum or explore the clipper ship The Cutty Sark.
You then head up river and traffic free along the banks of the Thames past the old wharves and docks now largely transformed into trendy new city developments. Your hotel is adjacent to the London Eye and across the river from the Houses of Parliament.
Day 8: Depart London.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price: £895 per person based on two people sharing a room.
Price Includes:
- Accommodation
- Breakfast every day during the tour
- Comfortable and impeccably serviced bikes
- The services of our friendly hosts to coordinate your travel and brief you on your route
- Emergency support provided by your host
- Luggage transfers between hotels
- A tour brochure
- Safeguarding of your payment
Price Does Not Include:
- Airfares
- Travel to and from the tour start and finish points
- Cycling helmets
- Entrances to attractions unless specified, boat trips, lunches, alcoholic beverages, mini bars and meals pre and post the tour
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
England
Bicycle Touring
Cultural Journey
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