The route

Plans and actual maps

Green: done. Blue: plan

Nothing is set in stone and here are the places we hope to see along the way (or skip to what we actually did).

Note: This page, just like me, relies a lot on Garmin. Sometimes I find that maps fail to load. Use the ‘Open map’ link in those cases.

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To come

Italy

Slovenia

Croatia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Montenegro

Albania

Kosovo

North Macedonia

Bulgaria

Greece

Turkey

The route changes every time I talk to anyone about it. So many nice places to see. If we get suggestions along the way, everything might change.

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What we actually did

Day 1: Oxford to Cambridge

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Day 2: Cambridge to Old Hunstanton

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Day 3: Norfolk loop

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Day 4: Ely to Harwich

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Day 5: Hook of Holland to Antwerp

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Comment: the paths are amazing and even the ‘industiral’ part out of Rotterdam are pleasant to cycle through. Towards Antwerp the tree cover increases - very welcome on a hot day.

Day 6: Antwerp to Ghent

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Comment: A very efficient way to get from A to B, short of taking the train - we tracked the tracks most of the way. And still, a pleasant ride.

Day 7: Ghent to Bruge

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Comment: Along some lovely wooded bits and generous canal paths.

Day 8: Bruge to Lille

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Comment: More shops than we have seen on all previous days combined. Who buys all these cars?Some really nice stretches under trees.

Day 9: Lille to Felleries

I have yet to work out how to upload a new route onto my Garmin Edge without ending the activity and starting a new one. Anyone knows? Tell me. I currently have a tedious process of merging fit files of activities.

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Mostly quiet roads. Towns felt a bit dead and the main business seem to be funeral services. Near Limont-Fontaine we had to divert, due to a car rally, but if anything that made the last bit better.

In the last 30km we encountered the first hills of our trip so far. They look dramatic in profile. So far nothing was more than 2 or 3 meters up or down, so 100m look like a massive climb. Nice to have a bit of undulation at last.