Hi. First post and an introduction.

I'm planning my first bikepacking weekend this weekend, and most of my kit is ready. I just need to find somewhere to go.

Usually, I tour by road and must have done about fifty tours in Europe. But it's always by road, and that's easy: just decide on a town and point the bike in that direction.

I live near to Sidcup in Kent (or SE London, depending on your POV), and am at a loss as to where to go. The North Downs looks tempting, but how does one find a route? I'm so used to roads, but how does one find an off-road route?

Any and all ideas most welcome.

Oh, and I forgot: I'm going to be wild camping, so a route that has some nice shaded woods would be nice. :)

Hi David,
You have the South Downs Way in Kent. There are ample woods to camp along the route but a word of caution, there are downhill steps sometimes around blind bends where if you’re cycling fast, you could end up a cropper.

Technically, the South Downs way is in Hampshire & West/East Sussex, but it's close enough to to Kent to make it viable.

Not as much tree cover as the North Downs Way, but nicer views (IMHO) and much more rural.
(There are still plenty of places to hide away your tarp/tent/hammock)

Apart from the PITA of crossing the river Medway somewhere, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding the North Downs Way. Canterbury might be a suitable destination I guess but it might end up being a there-and-back Route.