If you haven’t heard about the U.K.’s heated debate on cutting ties with the European Union—dubbed a “Brexit”—you certainly will this week. Britons headed to the ballot box on Thursday and made the historic decision to leave the European Union.
21.07.2023 - 08:14 / roughguides.com / Portia Jones
What Britain might lack in urban cycle lanes, it more than makes up for with scenic cycle routes on rough mountainsides, through dappled forests and along windswept coastlines. Here, Rough Guides writer Portia Jones shares a selection of brilliant bike routes in the UK.
Jumping on a bike is an eco-friendly way of seeing some of Britain's beautiful landscapes and improving your fitness at the same time. Thankfully, the cycling revolution is truly underway in the UK, with more cycle paths, mountain-bike routes and cycling holidays being developed across the four home nations. Each bike route has different challenges, distance and ability requirements, so whatever your level, you’ll be well catered for. Many of the routes have great facilities along the way, too, including cafés and toilets – plus varied accommodation options if you are looking for a longer cycling holiday. From hardcore cyclists to families and biking beginners, there’s never been a better time to start discovering what’s on your doorstep on two wheels.
Length: 18 miles
Difficulty: Easy
This traffic-free Cornish trail is the perfect day-cycle for families with older children – inject a little pedal power into your family holiday with some fun exercise and exploration. Following an old railway line, the Camel Trail runs through the upper Camel Valley and offers gorgeous views of wooded countryside and the Camel Estuary.
It's a largely flat route divided into three sections, each around five to six miles in length. The trail runs between Wenfordbridge, Bodmin, Wadebridge and Padstow, and you can start at either end. With easy terrain and gradients, it’s ideal for families and less-experienced cyclists. Pedal at a leisurely pace through moorland, woodlands and past the estuary. This route is also popular with walkers, joggers and birdwatchers, so you'll need to be aware of your surroundings on this path.
Visitors can easily hire bikes in Padstow, Wadebridge and Bodmin, and you can also explore off-trail if you’re after a more challenging cycle. There's also plenty of accommodation options in and around the trail including campsites, hotels and traditional B&Bs.
Iron railway bridge on the Camel Trail, now used as a leisure route for cyclists and walkers © Gary Perkin/Shutterstock
Ready to explore England's glorious southwestern coast? Don't miss our guide to the best things to do in Cornwall or our guide to the best things to do in Devon.
Length: 298 miles
Difficulty: Moderate to challenging
The Kingfisher Trail is actually the first mapped and signed long-distance cycle route in Ireland. It’s a long route (almost 300 miles in total) made up of two main loops that stretch over Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It is named after the
If you haven’t heard about the U.K.’s heated debate on cutting ties with the European Union—dubbed a “Brexit”—you certainly will this week. Britons headed to the ballot box on Thursday and made the historic decision to leave the European Union.
Bike sharing has become a way of life for many Americans—a quintessentially Northern European trend that took hold of our hearts and wallets in recent years, and that grows each time someone moves to a city and opts for a two-wheel commute. Trendy and sustainable, bike sharing is now a major presence in every major U.S. city.
Looking for a new museum to add to your travel to-do list? TripAdvisor (SmarterTravel’s parent company) has released the Travelers’ Choice Top 25 Museums of 2018, including the top 10 worldwide and the top 10 in the United States, with some surprising frontrunners. The findings also highlight bookable ways to see each winner—think VIP tours and scavenger hunts—with some offering the added perk of allowing you to skip the lines to get in.
Summer, also known as high season for travel, is almost here. And according to AAA just about everyone is poised to hit the road. The organization predicts two-thirds of what it categorizes as “leisure travelers” plan to take vacations this summer, meaning millions of Americans will be hitting the road.
With rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft taking over, you might be wondering where in the world it’s still possible to take a cheap taxi. Cabs aren’t dead, yet: These countries still heavily rely on them.
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For the sixth year in a row, Finland has claimed the top spot in the World Happiness Report. The annual report, compiled by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, surveys residents in over 150 countries to determine which nations are the happiest.
In Willemstad, the capital city on the island of Curaçao, the waterfront is dotted with buildings the color of tropical fruit: mango orange, banana yellow, kiwi green. Paired with the bright blue water in nearby bays, it’s almost a full kaleidoscope of color. Originally, the structures were limestone white, but an 1817 law forbade white facades on buildings to protect islanders’ eyesight from the bright reflections of the Caribbean sun – but locals joke that it was a money-making bid on behalf of the island’s only paint supplier.
It may be hard to believe, but there’s a place in England where the sand is fine and white, the sea is turquoise blue, and the sun shines more than just about anywhere else in the country. In this dream-like place, you can surf, you can sunbathe (and even get a tan), you can hike coastal paths, valleys, and moors, and you can stuff you face with cream teas and pasties. You guess it, Cornwall, England, is a must-see when in Britain. Lucky for you, it’s only a direct train ride away from London.
The rugged landscapes of the Outer Hebrides, off Scotland’s west coast, may be sparsely populated, but there’s a deep human history here, from ancient stone circles to traditional Gaelic culture. These interconnected islands have shaped a distinct way of life, not just in the Harris Tweed and whisky distilleries that travellers encounter, but also in the daily routines of remote fishing communities. Spanning over 150 miles, this island chain is stitched together by causeway, bridge, road and boat, meaning visitors can pick their own method — car, bike, bus or ferry — to make the most of this extraordinary destination.
Up on Cornwall’s Penwith Moors time takes a strange quality. Here the landscape is a morass of knotted bracken and bristly gorse, a soft marigold tinge signalling warmer summer days. A grey smudge of cloud sags on the horizon and the wind whirs like white noise, a low and disorientating murmur. The topography is a palimpsest, with working farms etched over ruinous mines and prehistoric settlements. And at its heart is a scattering of ancient stones, the enigmatic quoits, barrows and stone circles that have captivated and confounded societies for millennia.
The 6th June 2019 marks the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings in Normandy. To mark the occasion, in this Rough Guides podcast episode we take a look at how the Second World War is memorialised across Europe, and the importance of doing commemorating such events.