South Coast & Forest mini break

This arrangement 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 arrangement are small, so are suitable for novice cyclists and children. This is our only package where you 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 of either 2 days or 4 days with either 3 or 5 nights of accommodation.

Route Summary:

Lyndhurst Tour - Forest (1.5 hours of easy pace cycling):
From Brockenhurst the route takes you towards 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. By midday you reach Milford on Sea where you can stop for a lunch with great views over the Needles of the Isle of Wight. In the afternoon you head for the scenic harbour of Lymington by a traffic-free path along the Solent estuary. 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)::
The most demanding route we offer on this arrangement should only be cycled by people with a good physical condition. Novice cyclists should only embark on this route if they coped well with the other routes above. 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. By midday 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, but keep in mind the ride back to Brockenhurst, mostly on gravel tracks in the forest.

You can start this arrangement on any day you like except arrivals on Wednesday for the 3 nights package and Monday for the 5 nights package. Check in is available from 4 pm onwards.

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 the Bikeability Level 2 of the National Standard. If you are unsure, please contact us.

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

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 for your convenience. The use of a helmet is also included in the rental price.

Prices:

Prices - 2 cycling days/3 nights accommodation:

Booking for 1 person: £ 379
Booking for 2 people: £ 259 per person
Booking for 3 people: £ 249 per person
Booking for 4 people: £ 239 per person
Booking for 5 people: £ 229 per person

Bicycle rental for 2 days: £ 27 per person (including helmet)

Prices - 4 cycling days/5 nights accommodation:

Booking for 1 person: £ 529
Booking for 2 people: £ 339 per person
Booking for 3 people: £ 329 per person
Booking for 4 people: £ 319 per person
Booking for 5 people: £ 309 per person

Bicycle rental for 4 days: £ 54 per person (including helmet)

Prices are based on people sharing rooms. On a booking for 3 people or more we expect at least 2 people sharing a double bed.

Included are:

- 3 or 5 nights Bed & Breakfast accommodation in Brockenhurst
- Route Book and maps
- High visibility vests
- Emergency assistance when required
- VAT

Not included are:

- Entrance fees for museums and attractions
- Lunch / Dinner / Additional Drinks and Snacks
- The return journey between your home and Brockenhurst
- Single Train Fare from Lymington to Brockenhurst (optional)
- Entry fee to Buckler's Hard nautical village (optional)
- Travel and Cancellation Insurances
- All extra costs related to emergency assistance

Cycle hire is charged separately (see above)

Travel Information:

By train: We encourage 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. For Cross Country Trains it is advisable to make a reservation for your bike(s) by phoning 0844 8110124.

By plane: If you travel from further afield, Southampton Airport is the airport to fly to. The airport is a major hub of carrier FlyBe and has a direct train link with Brockenhurst.

By car: Brockenhurst has easy access from the M3/M27 corridors. During the arrangement you can park your car on the Bed & Breakfast on-site car parking. Note that overnight parking in the car parks in the surrounding New Forest is not permitted.