1 week tour around UK
 

I am planning on touring the UK this summer (mid/late July). I need recommendations for the budget minded adventurer. I'd like to rent a bike for a week and tour England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland (in one big loop). How should I go about collecting information on this possible adventure?

a week...that's not long. UK's a small place but there's a lot to see. I do trips around the UK whenever I can. I have found that something like a lonely planet is really good to tell you what there is to see, where it is, how to get there and where to stay. It gives good info for travellers on a tight budget as well. With a book like that and a good map...you should be fine!

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A week isn't long at all, so don't try and do too much. Presumably you will fly into London. Depends what you want, but if you want good biking country as opposed to seeing towns, I would suggest probably Wales (the Brecon Beacons) and then the Lake District. Alternatively head straight for Glasgow and then ride the West Coast of Scotland, making sure to take in Applecross which is probably the most impressive road in the UK for biking.

Charlie

I would echo the comments that your plan sounds over-ambitious. Forget the Ireland bit, perhaps - I'd love to go biking there myself, but you just haven't got time.

One thing that I've found great is a map of Britain's best roads (to be used in conjunction with a normal map) that was published as a supplement by the British motorbike magazine 'Ride' in 2002 (around about the April issue, I would guess). It doesn't seem to be available on the web, and I'm not currently in the UK so I can't be more precise. There are some phone numbers at http://www.emapbikes.com, and another publisher link is http://www.emapmagazines.co.uk/motorcycling.shtml. Maybe someone in the UK could help you out getting hold of one - excellent for route planning.

James