There is a small group of us based in Norfolk that like to get away on the odd trip abroad for bikepacking trip once a year, last year we did this route in Ardennes:

https://bikepacking.com/routes/ardennes-arbalete/

And were lined up to do a route i'd found in Sweden, but the rest of the group have mutinied and have decided they want somewhere warmer...

I have a few ideas in Spain, but anyone got any ideas, Morocco, Italy etc?

Ideally somewhere not too expensive to fly too, where route doesn't take a hire car or too longer trek to get to the start, decent weather and a testing route?

Thanks

Paul

I'm going to assume Spanish Lapland is on the list...?

It is the list, along with Morocco, Dolomite Tour and Provence at present...

Just wondered if any had any other ideas, or areas we'd not thought of that would go well with being able to go first few weeks of September??

First half of the Tuscany Trail might work. Lovely and warm and good riding. Go as far as Pienza maybe, or Radicofani, or wherever suits for distance/logistics.

If the lads are game/fit you could do the lot of it in 5 days tbh.

Provence or Maritime Alps would definitely fit the bill.

I rode the Grande Traversee Haute Provence year before last which is doable with a week to play with - logistics to the start took a bit of figuring out.

Have been thinking about heading back out to ride the Trans Verdon trail in the Autumn, or either the Montanas Vacias or Burrally routes.

Rich3rd will have to forgive me for sharing this, but it looks too good to keep quiet.. You can vary the route to suite your time constraints and likely daily mileage. Simply brilliant.

https://montanasvacias.com/

Barcelona to Alicante

My version of the Burrally Route.

Cheap flights in and out, great route, a bit longer than five days.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1475206928

By pure chance the "Lapland" link has made my day. I'm going to fly to Menorca, do the four islands and then get the ferry across to Valencia. From there I'm taking the green route to Teruel. From there to Santander was still up in the air but half of Lapland route will take me most of the way and looks fun.
Mucho grassy arse

pb, I've got a route that will get you the rest of the way to Santander, dependant on your choice of bike. When are you planning this epic?

Cheers PnB - I aiming to fly out around the 26th Feb, target return date to the UK is circa 18/19th March. No fixed ETA for Valencia, I am just taking it all as I find it. This will be my first solo bike packing ride so I really appreciate your offer of help.

Ps bike is a MK2 Tripster ATR running tubeless ,42mm WTB Resolute's

Sounds an excellent trip, 1st thing I'd do if you haven't already done it is to subscribe to and download the Wikiloc resource to your phone. It's the best routefinding app for Spanish trails and will give you hundreds of route choices. My user name is DMELLOR and I've uploaded lots of stuff. I'll pm you the specific roite I've got in mind, should work on a gravel bike.

OP - what about Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia - check routes at Bikepacking.com

What about?

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=15485&p=192965&hil ... ry#p192965

See https://www.bikepackinghungary.com/?lang=en for an outline of this years routes. Hungarian trains are usually very accomodating of bikes so getting to start or from finish to Budapest shouldn't be too difficult.

Or this? Have heard good things about it.....

https://bikepacking.com/event/vosges2bl ... -v2b-2020/

Thanks all, sorry not replied til now, been away for weekend, i think we're going to give this route a go (despite the abundance of plaid shirts on show) :

https://bikepacking.com/routes/bikepacking-abruzzo/

https://www.montanuswild.com/thewolfslair20

Anyone ridden or been to Apennine mountains?

Some of the scenery looks spectacular.. just need to work out how difficult it is to get to start from Rome by train, anyone got any tips on travelling on train in this part of Italy with bikes?

My experience of bikes on trains is generally pretty relaxed in Italy, you'll need to pay an extra fare.

You'll have a great time Abruzzo looks a great area, and the Montanus guys have done a very good write up!