The Carter Company

The forests, heaths and pasturland of the New Forest provide the back drop for the first few days as you ride to Brockenhurst and on to Beaulieu and Lymington. Here is a wealth of maritime history to explore before you cross to the Isle of Wight and continue the wonderful traffic free pedalling which shapes much of this trip. Back on the mainland, the itinerary leads you along quays and cliffs with sand spit and beach side cycling and a couple of ferry crossings to the loved Isle of Purbeck. Not an island proper, but rather a tucked away chalky coastal corner of Dorset, you can enjoy its unspoilt beaches and inland its woods, rural charms and the small characterful town of Wareham. The trip offers huge variety with time to enjoy other activities such as walking, fishing, boating and horse riding to name a few.

5 days of cycling 15 - 24 miles (24 - 38 km) per day and 2 days of optional cycling. Flattish terrain. 75% traffic free.

The graceful contours of Cotswolds lanes and bridleways provide the route for much of this undemanding itinerary whilst the tranquil Oxford Canal leads to Blenheim Palace. Stop and explore Cotswold market towns enroute, thatched inns, and marvellous vistas. Discover the history of Oxford and relax and soak up the atmosphere of Cotswolds country.

3 days of cycling with one further day of optional cycling. 10 - 23 miles (16 - 37 km) per day. Mostly flat, some slopes. About half traffic free, very low traffic on the rest.

Starting in the historic university city of Oxford you visit many of the best loved villages and valleys that have made the Cotswolds so memorable. See Chipping Campden, the Slaughters, Bibury, and Tetbury as you ride through the Windrush and Coln valleys. Stay overnight in Stratford on Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare and if you wish enjoy one of his plays at the theatre. Absorb the Roman influence in Cirencester, the film backdrop of Lacock and the engineering feat of the Kennet and Avon Canal. In just 10 days, this tour encapsulates so many of England's historic landmarks - no mean feat!

8 days of not so gentle cycling 25 - 41 miles (40 - 66 km) per day. Country lanes; up and down rolling hills. 25% traffic-free, with relatively low traffic on the rest

Ride beside the sea, through lush green valleys, dip into Dartmoor National Park and enjoy gorgeous scenery and grand views. Pedal along former railway lines, through tunnels and across breathtaking viaducts and bridges. Enroute you will discover magical villages and cream teas you can't resist. Essentially rural but peppered with characterful towns, we have designed the tour with a leisurely tempo, balancing mileages and slopes to ensure as gentle a cycle each day as possible - that's the way we like to do things. And of course, every night you'll relax in our hand picked inns and hotels with a castle stay and gorgeous boutique hotels with spas and award winning restaurants included in our luxury tour.

Much of this route is traffic free as it slices through Devon from the north to the south. It includes the bike paths of the Tarka Trail, the Granite Way and the Plym Valley.

4 days of cycling and 2 days of optional cycling 15 -26 miles (24 - 42 km) per day on the classic tour. 5 days of cycling and one day of optional cycling 18-30 miles (29-48km) per day on the luxury trip. A few slopes most days and one or two steep hills some days. 70% traffic free.

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On this gentle self-guided cycling tour, discover for yourself the details that make this region so beloved by locals and visitors alike. There’s a wonderful variety of scenery, from cultural cities to tiny fishing villages, and gorgeous stretches of countryside in between. The luxury hotels are pretty stunning too!

Freewheel along the shores of Loch Ness, stopping as you please en route to catch a glimpse of the elusive Nessie and for a hearty pub lunch at local favourite, The Dores Inn. Immerse yourself in history with a visit to Culloden battlefield, the site of the last full-scale battle to take place on British soil. Learn about the local legends at the castles of Cawdor and Brodie, stuffed to the turrets with antique furniture, paintings and ceramics. Ride through pine forests, past sweeping sandy beaches, under a monumental viaduct, and amidst verdant rolling hills dotted with grazing sheep. Of course, any trip wouldn't be complete without sampling a local whisky at a traditional Scottish distillery en route. It’s all part of the magic of a Highland fling!

3 days of cycling 16 to 32 miles (26 to 51 km) per day. Undulating on day 3, otherwise mostly downhill or flat. 10% traffic free with the rest on very quiet lanes

It's an area of superb natural beauty with a wealth of picturesque villages, an unspoilt coastline, a plethora of castles and small railways and a colourful local history. The area is steeped in distinctive culture.

We are thrilled to have created this special ride which embraces all these wonderful and varied elements as it transports you from Mid Wales to Mount Snowdon and on to the island of Anglesey in North Wales. Stay in artful Portmeirion, view Cader Idris close up, visit castles from royal and grand to relic and haunted, freewheel along coast and estuary past weird and wonderfully sounding villages and towns and reward yourself with a final night's stay chateau style on Anglesey.

Of course, Wales is hilly, but our careful route planning and delightful use of local railways, coupled with E bikes means the ride is an utter dream. With plenty of traffic free miles on disused railway tracks and a couple of forays aboard steam trains, from the summit of Snowdon to the depths of a slate mine, this is a unique journey and a real adventure. With 2-night stays in gorgeous boutique hotels and a castle stay for the luxury option, as well as characterful Inns and small hotels for the classic version, you will steam through this glorious Celtic landscape.

5 days of not so gentle cycling of which 2 optional 14 - 22 miles (22 - 35 km) per day. Some hills most days. 20% traffic-free, rest on back lanes

Awash with boats and beaches, forest tracks and sinuous estuaries, quirky pubs, wildlife and seafood galore, this is a tranquil sometimes remote area perfect for flat leisurely cycling, much of it traffic free.

With a characterful collection of hotels and 2 nights at each stop, you have the choice of relaxing on alternate days with a variety of boat rides on offer or exploring on foot or by bike with the routes we include. Each overnight location offers you something different - the Deben estuary at Woodbridge, the spit at Orford, the town at Aldeburgh and the pier and sandy beach at Southwold - with a great deal more in between!

3 days of cycling 18 - 22 miles (29 -35km) with 3 days of optional cycling or 4 days of optional walking. Almost no hills. 30% of cycling is traffic free. Otherwise quiet back lanes and 0.2 mile on a main road.

All are country houses in beautiful settings with tip top service. All have excellent restaurants and a number have spas. In fact you might want to relax for a day or so and leave your bike idle. Tailoring the itinerary and distances for you, this is the perfect way to enjoy the magic of the Cotswolds. If you like to have a knowledgeable local guide to lead you, we will be delighted to provide one. And if you prefer to have a support vehicle, we are very happy to include one. We have no doubt that we can create a really rather special Cotswolds experience just for you.

The itinerary outlines all the hotels we feel fit into this tailor made tour and the sample price given below is illustrative and includes 5 nights accommodation and breakfast at Estelle Manor Oxford, Foxhill Manor Broadway, Lords of The Manor Upper Slaughter, Cowley Manor and The Pig in the Cotswolds at Bibury, 4 days of self-led cycling of your chosen distance with all biking equipment, route notes or GPS, maps and transfers where required, airport transfer at the start of the tour and return to Oxford at the end of the tour, all luggage transfers, host briefing and entrance to Blenheim Palace and grounds.

The Cotswolds have some hills although we are adept at avoiding as many as possible

This tour can be tailor-made to your requirements.

Among these, the Outer Hebrides are some of the most remote which gives them their special character. With astonishingly beautiful white sandy beaches and isolated dwellings, the islands of Barra and the Uists reveal their crofting legacy and a flat terrain for cyclists. Linked by a string of ferries, the tour includes the inner Hebridean island of Skye and its notable hills which you will soar across with your driver guide for the day before returning to civilisation in Fort William aboard a steam train along one of Britain's most scenic stretches of railway.

You might think that, alas, this is not the place for gentle cycling. But thankfully with the canny use of cycle paths on disused railway lines and a plethora of ferry hops there are almost no hills. We are thrilled with the itinerary we have designed and its close historical links with the infamous Bonnie Prince Charlie, its blend of castles, local crafts, fishing culture and seafood and its unsurpassed landscapes.

We have chosen delightful and characterful small hotels and cosy inns for the classic trip and outstanding boutique luxury hotels on the mainland for the luxury tour. We guarantee you will be blown away - in the nicest sense!

5 days of cycling 6 - 31 miles (10 - 49 km) per day and 1 optional day of cycling. Almost no hills. Minor roads with little traffic or cycle path.

Smell the sea air, taste the cream teas, see the green hills, touch the gentle way of life and almost hear the sound of trains as you ride along the disused railway tracks. Both days on this 2 night break allow as little or as much cycling as you fancy - perfect for any age and any ability.

2 days of cycling up to 20 and 50 miles (32 - 80km) per day. More or less flat. 97% traffic free.