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Tours

London to Edinburgh – 2024

£1,535.00

TOUR REF: LE24
TYPE: Road Cycling
LEVEL: Regular
DATES: 
20 July – 29 July 2024
DURATION: 10 days / 9 nights  (9 days cycling)
ACCOMMODATION LEVEL: Standard 

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    Optional extras

    • 495 £
    • 85 £
    • 85 £

London to Edinburgh

The perfect option for anyone who does not yet feel ready to tackle a full Land’s End to John O’Groats, or perhaps for those who have completed LEJOG and would like another epic ride through Great Britain! 

This one, which was new for 2021, takes you the 530 miles between the UK’s two great centres of finance over 9 days.  Our route favours the flatter, eastern side of the country with a mix of riverside paths, converted railway lines and quiet country roads, as well as  an occasional city centre. 

The average daily distance is 60 miles with an average of fewer than 2000 feet of climb, making this ride very accessible for riders of all abilities and experience.

If you would like to read other people’s comments on our holidays then check out the Customer Comments page.

Itinerary:

Day 1 – London to Cambridge – 59 Miles

The ride starts in Stratford, East London, in the shadow of the Olympic Stadium.   Thanks to major development works in preparation for 2012, Stratford is very well served by public transport and there are several nearby hotels for those wishing to arrive the previous evening.

We skirt the Olympic Park as we head out of London on the traffic-free banks of the River Lea, which we follow until we are past the M25 and safely out of the city.  Beyond this we leave the river but retain the Lea Valley on quiet country roads through Essex and into Hertfordshire, then approximately track the M11 motorway all the way to Cambridge,  famous university city and one of the most cycle friendly cities in the UK.   Our entry to the city is greatly eased by cycle paths and a superb shared-use ‘busway’. 

Day 2 – Cambridge to Boston – 69 miles

We leave Cambridge as we arrived, on the dedicated cycle path beside the busway,  which we follow for some 15 miles to St. Ives.  From here we join the road network to begin our crossing of  the ‘Fens’ – Britain’s own very modest version of Kansas.  The Fens is a naturally marshy region that was drained several centuries ago and is now a rich, fertile, low-lying plain given over almost entirely to farming.  As we pass from Cambridgeshire into Lincolnshire our route is dictated by the tiny roads that follow the line of the drainage canals and prevent the area from flooding.  Our destination is Boston, a small port serving the large east coast bay known as ‘The Wash’.

Day 3 – Boston to Gainsborough – 55 Miles

Leaving Boston we strike northwest with more lush, green (and FLAT) farmland, via the city of Lincoln to the small town of Gainsborough, where we join the banks of the River Trent.

Day 4 – Gainsborough to York – 57 miles

Today we follow the banks of the River Trent north to the River Ouse, crossing in the small town of Goole.  For the afternoon we track slightly westwards, away from the river, before rejoining it in the magnificent walled city of York.  Our final miles into the city centre are on dedicated cycle paths of the Trans Penine Way.

Day 5 – York to Middlesborough – 58 miles

We leave York by an indirect route in search of the quietest roads possible, but for about 5 miles we must contend with some traffic.  After that we head out into beautiful rolling Yorkshire farmland as far as Helmsley, gateway to the North Yorkshire Moors – an upland area containing one of the largest expanses of heather moorland in the UK.  The area was one of the first to be granted National Park status in 1951.  Development in the National Park is strictly controlled and there are few choices for crossing it other than the main highway.  Traffic may be a little heavier than we have become accustomed to but the stunning views will more than compensate!  Leaving the park via Stokesly, we head for Middlesbrough and the north east coast.

Day 6 – Middlesbrough to Whitely Bay – 55 miles

The north east  has a proud industrial heritage dating back to before the Industrial Revolution.  More recently, as the UK has transitioned to being a provider of services rather than manufactured goods, the region has experienced some difficult times, exacerbated by the dramatic decline in local coal mining.   Our day starts with a crossing of the River Tees after which we thread our way through many small ex-mining communities to the outskirts of Sunderland, where a mix of rail trails and quiet urban roads carry us into the city to cross the River Wear and pick up a coastal route bypassing Newcastle, often on a seafront cycle path.  Any day on a bike is brightened by a sea voyage so we cross the River Tyne using the a pedestrian ferry before continuing along the coast to the resort of Whitley Bay.  We are now following the ‘Coast and Castles’ cycle route, a 200 mile stretch of the 3,700 mile North Sea Cycle Route.  As the name implies, our route passes countless castles of all vintages .

Day 7 – Whitley Bay to Seahouses – 54 Miles

From here we follow the famous Sustrans ‘Coast and Castles’ route.  We are now beyond the northern industrial areas and continue to track the coast all the way to Seahouses, a large village within the Northmberland Coast Area of Outstanding natural Beauty.

Day 8 – Seahouses to Melrose – 66 miles

From Seahouses we head west, ticking off a few more castles along the way.  This is our most demanding day, with a greater than average distance and some hills thrown in for good measure, but the rewards are many.  For those willing to forego their full quota of castles an alternate route between Bamburgh and Kelso is available, at a saving of 9 miles and some climbing.  Probably the high spot of the day comes at the halfway point when we cross the River Tweed into Scotland and we remain beside this great salmon fishing river all the way to Melrose.

Day 9 – Melrose to Edinburgh – 53 Miles

Our first 17 miles are spent continuing beside the river, working gradually upstream, to Innerleithen  where we turn north for Edinburgh.  As we approach the outskirts of the city our route becomes more convoluted, as we thread between the population centres.  Beyond Dalkeith much of route is on dedicated cycle paths, eventually passing through Holyrood Park and the amazing Innocent Railway Tunnel.   We finish in the centre of the city, a short walk from the castle.

Holiday Details:

The Tour: This is a fully supported holiday with a tour leader (who cycles with the group to ensure nobody is left behind) and vehicle support to carry all the luggage and provide additional assistance if necessary.  The daily mileage is between 52 and 69 miles a day, and there are no rest days.

Accommodation & Food: This holiday uses B&B/Hotel accommodation.  B&B accommodation is generally graded 2-3* or similar, we usually book en-suite rooms if possible but this cannot be guaranteed. Single people travelling alone will be booked into a twin bedded room with another single person of the same sex – unless you have paid the price for a single room (please note that there are only a limited number of single rooms available on this holiday). Breakfast will be provided at the accommodation each morning. Evening meals are available at nearby pubs or restaurants.

Start: The ride starts in Victoria Park, Stratford  at approximately 10:00 on Day 1. As this is a full day’s ride, to enable us to get a prompt start you will need to arrive no later than 09:00.

Finish: The cycling ends In Edinburgh & the holiday price includes accommodation In Edinburgh on Day 9. Transport is provided

Cycle Transport: If required we offer a cycle transport service to return your bike from Edinburgh to anywhere in the UK (additional fee payable), to save you the hassle of getting your bike home by train or plane. Using a courier service we can also have your bike transported to Stratford.

Documents: Insurance is optional for this holiday for UK residents. Participants from outside the UK must have suitable travel insurance.

Bikes: All types of cycle are suitable for the trip. The most important thing is that your bike functions properly and that you are comfortable riding it. However you should make sure that it has suitable gears as there are some very steep hills on parts of the route, notably in Yorkshire.

Tour Price includes:

TOUR PRICE INCLUDES:

Hotel/B&B accommodation

Breakfast

Vehicle support

Services of leader/mechanic

Local transfers

Route information

TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:

Lunches or evening meals

Any snacks or drinks required during the day

Transport to Stratford or from Edinburgh

The cost of any optional excursions, entrance fees etc.

Get In Touch

If you have any questions about any of our trips, please call us on 0800 002 9559 or send us a message below.