South Coast & Forest mini break

This holiday combines the fantastic New Forest National Park experience with its great location in the vicinity of the Hampshire Coast. You are not only able to cycle along superb traffic-free forest tracks with potential pony and deer encounters, but you can also enjoy safe cycling along the Solent and the South Coast, taking in great views over the Isle of Wight and the Needles. Distances on this holiday are small, so a warm welcome to novice cyclists and children. You will stay in one accommodation over the whole length of your holiday, so you only have to unpack your bag once! You can do this arrangement as a mini break with either 2 or 4 cycling days with either 3 or 5 nights of Bed & Breakfast accommodation.

Route Summary:

We have four circular rides available which you are free to use and to combine at your leisure. Below you'll find a summary of these routes.

Lyndhurst Tour - Forest (1.5 hours of easy pace cycling):
This route takes you to the wide views of Whitefield Moor. You can have a break here before you enter the thick woods of the New Forest. You may well encounter some deer on this forest stretch before you arrive in the picturesque village of Lyndhurst. You can have a long break there, enabling you to enjoy lunch in your own style and to explore the lovely shops or to have a look in the New Forest Museum. In the afternoon you head back to Brockenhurst by another scenic traffic-free forest route.

Milford & Lymington Tour - Country Lanes & Coast (2 to 3 hours of easy pace cycling):
This route starts with a nice ride on a dismantled railway, which brings you to the edge of the New Forest. From there you join quiet country lanes into the sleepy Hampshire countryside. You can stop for lunch at Milford on Sea with great views over the Needles of the Isle of Wight. Head for the scenic harbour of Lymington by a traffic-free path along the Solent estuary after lunch. From Lymington you take the train or cycle back to Brockenhurst. You can decide on the day whether or not to take the train back to Brockenhurst (which explains the difference in cycling times above). We recommend the short version of this tour for novice cyclists.

Burley Tour - Forest & Moors (2.5 hours of easy pace cycling):
This Burley Tour is designed to allow for a long lunch break halfway in a pretty village; Burley! The route follows some very rewarding forest tracks before arriving in Burley with its nice cafes, pubs and shops. In this village the New Forest ponies roam the streets - not to mention the cows and donkeys! The route back to Brockenhurst starts with gravel tracks through a remote and wild part of the New Forest and finishes with a ride on the scenic Rhinefield Ornamental Drive.

Beaulieu Tour - Country Lanes & Forest (3 hours of easy pace cycling):
Novice cyclists and children should only embark on this route if they coped well with the other routes, as it is most demanding of the set of routes. The first half of this route consists of nice country lanes. You'll be able to enjoy various views towards the high hills of the Isle of Wight on the horizon. Halfway you arrive in historic Bucklers Hard, the nautical village on the banks of the Beaulieu River. You will reach Beaulieu by cycling a nice bridleway, partly along the river. Besides having lunch in a lovely setting you can also visit the National Motor Museum here. The ride back to Brockenhurst is mostly on gravel tracks in the forest.

Check your Cycling Profile:

This arrangement is designed for people who like to take their cycling easy. The New Forest National Park and the surrounding area are reasonably easy going. Although you will encounter the occasional short climb most of the time cycling is easy. Large sections of the routes are traffic-free and therefore extremely suitable for novice cyclists and children . Note that children should be supervised by an adult at all times. We also expect them to be able to cycle according to Bikeability Level 2 of the National Standard. If you are unsure, please contact us.

Our bike hire partner has aluminum frame comfort bikes available with semi-slick tyres, ideal for off-road and on-road usage. All rental bikes have at least 18 gears, mud guards and luggage racks are fitted on adult bikes for your convenience. The use of a helmet is also included in the rental price.

If you bring your own bikes , bear in mind the route is not suitable for racing bicycles with narrow tyres as there are long sections of gravel tracks. It is wise to use a bike with at least 18 gears. This makes it possible to deal with the occasional steep climb.

When can you start:

You can start this arrangement on any day you like except arrivals on Wednesday for the 3 nights package and arrivals on Monday for the 5 nights package. Check in is available from 4 pm onwards. You'll need to book this arrangement at least three weeks in advance.

Prices:

£215 per person for 2 cycling days and £330 per person for 4 cycling days (*)

Included are:
- 3 or 5 nights Bed & Breakfast accommodation in Brockenhurst
- Route Book and map
- High visibility vests
- Emergency assistance when required
- VAT
(*) Price is based on people sharing rooms, minimum 2 people per booking. On a booking for 3 people or more we expect at least 2 people sharing a double bed. On a booking for 4 people or more you'll get 2 rooms.

Not included are:
- Entrance fees for museums and attractions (like Buckler's Hard nautical village)
- Lunch / Dinner / Additional Drinks and Snacks
- The return journey between your home and Brockenhurst
- Single Train Fare from Lymington to Brockenhurst (optional)
- Travel and Cancellation Insurances
- All extra costs related to emergency assistance
- Bicycle rental

Prices extra options:
Cycle hire is charged separately. The additional charge is £28 per bicycle for a 2 day rental and £56 per bicycle for a 4 day rental. You'll collect your rental bikes yourself from a rental within a 10 minute walk from your accommodation.

Travel Information:

By train: We recommend you travel to Brockenhurst by train. South West Trains runs a direct link with London Waterloo and the journey time is approximately 90 minutes. Cross Country Trains also serves Brockenhurst station with a good connection to Reading and the Midlands. Both companies carry bicycles for free, but reservations are recommended. Total travel time from London to Brockenhurst: approximately 2 hours.

By plane: If you travel from further afield, Southampton Airport is the airport to which to fly. The airport is the hub of carrier FlyBe. The airport has a direct train link from Southampton Airport Parkway station to Brockenhurst. Total travel time from Southampton Airport to Brockenhurst: approximately 30 minutes.

By car: Take exit 2 from the M27 motorway and follow signs with the freight route to Lyndhurst to avoid long delays on arrival in Lyndhurst. In Lyndhurst follow the A337 to Brockenhurst. Total travel time from London to Brockenhurst: approximately 2 hours.