Cotswolds, Brecon Beacons & Snowdonia, 10 Days

It begins with your own journey to Hoek van Holland. Boarding follows in the evening and the ferry casts off for Great Britain at around 10 pm. The night is spent on board in the two-berth inside cabin, with the machine crossing the North Sea alongside.

After arriving in Harwich early in the morning the road heads west. Via the venerable university town of Oxford, which you explore in more detail on the way back, you reach Gloucester, the starting point for the Cotswolds loop the next day.

Today the ride is luggage-free through the Cotswolds with their limestone cottages and gentle hills, one of the most English regions on the island. The well-surfaced country roads keep the loop relaxed. The night is again spent in or near Gloucester.

On into Wales: the route crosses heath and moorland around Pen y Fan, at almost 900 metres the highest peak in the Brecon Beacons, before running down to the southern Pembrokeshire coast. Cliffs and secluded bays shape the afternoon, with the night in or near Pembroke.

The short stage follows the coastline via Fishguard and Cardigan to Aberaeron. Numerous viewpoints invite a stop with the Atlantic in sight. In the evening a stroll along the colourful houses of Belle View Terrace is worth the time.

Today the way leads into Snowdonia National Park, named after Snowdon at 1,085 metres, the highest mountain in Wales. Bare ridges, waterfalls and an appealing hill landscape accompany the partly winding route to Betws-y-Coed.

Winding roads again lead south to the popular spa town of Llandrindod Wells. Changing landscapes and brisk combinations of bends make for an entertaining riding day right through the Welsh backcountry.

Via Gloucester and once more the Cotswolds the stage runs to Oxford. If you like, the ruins of Goodrich Castle near Ross-on-Wye can be visited on the way. In the university town, Carfax Tower, Christ Church Cathedral and the Radcliffe Camera await a stroll.

From Oxford the way runs back to Harwich, where the ferry to Hoek van Holland waits in the evening. It casts off at around 11 pm, and the last night is again spent on board in the inside cabin. Until disembarkation the next morning there is time to look back over the stages just ridden.

At around 8 am the ferry reaches Hoek van Holland, and the ten days end where they began, with some 1,630 kilometres through England and Wales behind you. Times and schedules may shift slightly depending on the ferry timetable and traffic conditions.