First International Bike tour

With a week off, it was my time for a bit of an adventure. The adventure I planned was my first international bike tour. This was the first time I took my bike abroad and it was going to test me, but I was up for the challenge. I caught the over night ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland which arrived at 8am (CET) this means after a good night sleep I could get straight out on the bike.

The dutch cycle ways are amazing and it was amazing riding made so easy by great segmented paths and no hills. The wind was the hard part, being on the coast and heading west in to the wind it was hard work for most of the day. The beaches in this area were really nice and it was like island hopping across causeways and bridges.

I found a nice campsite to setup for the night just near the Belgium boarder. The next morning it was wet so I got up early and started riding at 7am. It was not long and I was in Belgum, the great cycle ways started to get a bit more fragmented but it was still good riding along long canals. I made it to Bruges for lunch which has to be loaded Pom Frits. It was a long day of 70miles but it set me up for what was due to be the wettest day.

Again I was up early to miss the rain. I was only 5 miles from the French boarder which I crossed early in the day. It was then head down in the wind and rain to get though France to Calais. I got to the ferry port for 1pm which was great going as I covered 52 miles.

The scariest part of the journey was cycling in Dover ferry port, the paths were really bad and you had to follow a red line that came and when. Rather that battling English traffic, I caught the train from Dover up to London and on to Milton Keynes.

Overall it was a great journey and proved to myself I can have good adventures abroad on the bike and be self sufficient.