ABOUT NATIONAL FOREST EBIKE HOLIDAYS
PHOTO CREDIT: DIANA JARVIS
Award-winning cycling and walking holidays
Welcome to our luxury self-guided EBike and walking holiday business, based in the heart of England's National Forest. Proud holders of a Green Tourism Gold Award and winners of Leicestershire Tourism's 2022 Sustainable, Responsible and Ethical Tourism award, we're passionate about creating the perfect walking or cycling holiday for all of our guests, in an undiscovered corner of England. We've lived in the National Forest for over 30 years and are personally responsible for all of your holiday arrangements – no dealing with third party agents.
Our Story
Our story began with a love for exploring areas off the beaten track and experiencing gentle, yet active, cycling holidays away from the crowds. We're fans of Slow Travel. Rather than clocking up the miles, we relish the opportunity to take our time, savour delicious local food, and soak in the sights and sounds of a region (preferably way from mass tourism), at a leisurely pace. We also enjoy our creature comforts, wanting somewhere delightful to stay each night, with somewhere close by to enjoy delicious local food.
At home in the National Forest, we love exploring new trails, especially if there is a pub or cafe along the way! Sue also leads a walking group, so is an expert on all the local footpaths and best picnic spots. As the National Forest developed, it became clear that the region has all the ingredients for a perfect EBike or walking break, without the crowds. Therefore, in 2019, we decided to set up our own family-run, self guided EBike and walking holiday business, offering fellow gentle adventurers the same level of personal service and luxury that we like to enjoy on our own holidays.
We believe that the best holidays are organised by passionate local businesses that love sharing their knowledge of the area. We love being able to deal directly with our clients, listening to your requirements and putting together bespoke itineraries to suit your needs.
We love creating memorable experiences for all of our guests and work together to ensure your holiday runs smoothly. Sue takes care of the logistics and bookings, ensuring you have delightful accommodation each night and an itinerary to suit you. She also does most of the daily luggage transfers during your holiday. Alan is chief mechanic and bike fitter and also gets involved in checking the routes. He'll make sure you have the right sized bike, talk you through the controls at the meet and greet and is always on-hand to help with any bike-related issues on the road. We do the meet and greets for EBike holidays together. Sue generally does most of the walking holiday meet and greets alone.
Whether you choose to explore the National Forest on an EBike or on foot, we're here to make sure you have a wonderful holiday. We look forward to welcoming you to our little corner of England.
Sue and Alan
PHOTO CREDIT: DIANA JARVIS
Cycling and Walking Holidays - Planned to Perfection
Every self-guided walking and cycling holiday follows a carefully planned route. We know the best tracks, where to enjoy the view, places to see, best local outdoor cafes and even who bakes the best cake! Travel at your own pace. Mileages are kept low on both our walking and cycling holidays, ensuring you have plenty of time and energy to explore. Set off when you are ready and stop when and where you wish along the route.
We'll come and welcome you, once you have settled into your first hotel, deliver and fit your EBikes, if you are cycling, and answer any questions about your holiday and the route you are following. You will receive a comprehensive guide to follow along the way, full of things to see and sharing our favourite places for lunch or a cup of tea or locally brewed thirst quenching beer! Our luxury electric bikes are fitted with GPS and we can provide walkers with a GPX file when required, for you to follow on your own mobile phone.
Explore undiscovered England
Our cycling and walking holidays are perfect for guests who enjoy exploring less discovered parts of England. The National Forest is full of peaceful country lanes, tracks and paths, through the ever changing English countryside. Expect varied woodland, canals, agricultural land, rivers, pretty villages and gently rolling hillside. Most of our cycling and walking holidays criss cross the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire.
The National Memorial Arboretum, Bosworth Battlefield, the breweries of Burton-upon-Trent, Ashby Castle, Twycross Zoo, historic Calke Abbey and of course the glorious National Forest itself are just some of the sights you can enjoy on a National Forest electric bike or walking holiday.
Enjoy a rest at the outdoor cafes, canalside pubs and restaurant gardens along the way. Or pick up a picnic of delicious local produce, to enjoy at your own secret stop.
Peaceful villages and market towns are perfect for an overnight stop. In most cases, there will always be a choice of places to eat and drink. Some routes include a visit to larger centres, such as the lovely little city of Lichfield or vibrant Leicester, home to the resting place of King Richard iii.
PHOTO CREDIT: BEN HALL
Why choose us for your luxury self-guided walking or Ebike holiday?
Daily luggage transfer
Your walking or cycling holiday includes a daily luggage transfer service.
Each day we will collect your bags and deliver them safely to your next hotel.
No need to try and cram everything into a small pannier or rucksack and no worrying about bringing that extra fleece or pair of shoes.
Personalised
Itineraries
As a small, specialised cycling and walking holiday business, we are able to personalise itineraries to suit you. Start your holiday on any day. Daily mileage and routes can be tailored to suit your specific needs and interests.
We've lived in the area for over 30 years, so know it well. We can advise the best places to eat and drink for those with dietary requirements, select accommodation that is especially suited to those with allergies and provide travel advice if you are arriving by public transport.
Choose how you arrive
Most of our routes are circular and you can leave your car at the first hotel.
We encourage guests to arrive by public transport and are members of Good Journey, encouraging car-free travel. We’re proud to hold the Good Journey Mark for welcoming car-free visitors. We offer a 5% discount on any holiday if you travel to the National Forest by train, coach or bus. You can plan your car-free journey here.
Shop Local
Lovers of retail therapy will find plenty of opportunities to check out fabulous independent shops. The small towns of Melbourne, Ashby de la Zouch and Market Bosworth are perfect for a bit of shopping, alongside sightseeing.
Combine a coffee stop with some shopping at the canalside marinas at Barton under Needwood and Mercia. Pop into one of the fabulous craft centres, specialising in locally made items, on your journey.
The shop lined pedestrian alleys and lanes in Lichfield and Leicester are perfect for those who want to combine a little more hustle and bustle, alongside the peace of woodland trails.
Glorious Gardens
Garden lovers can combine a walking or cycling holiday with a visit to some of the many fabulous gardens in the area. Our favourites include glorious formal gardens at stately homes, hidden walled gardens, spectacular arboretums, historical knot gardens, medicinal herb gardens, colourful cottage gardens and dahlia walks.
In the summer months, many of the villages are home to an Open Gardens weekend. Combine it with your EBike or walking holiday and peep behind the scenes in some of the prettiest villages in the area.
Wonderful Woodland
Of course, you can look forward to plenty of woodland colour too. The snowdrops and bluebells in the National Forest create a spectacular display, as they carpet the woodland floor. Trees full of blossom marks the start of Spring and the promise of warmer weather. Catch the scent of wild garlic, as you walk or cycle through the woods.
Early summer visitors can look forward to wildflower meadows and colourful wild roses and woodland plants. Wild orchids can be found in some parts of the National Forest woodland. As the weather warms, look out for juicy wild cherry trees on your walking or cycling break. They make a delicious dessert for a woodland picnic.
Autumn spreads a colourful tapestry over the National Forest woodland, as trees begin to display their autumn colours. Expect to see plenty of squirrels, racing to gather the beechnuts and walnuts as soon as they ripen. Look out for the community orchards, where you will find rosy red apples to pick and enjoy straight from the tree. Woodland trees glow with berries, many continue to add colour into the winter months.
Stop and smell the larch, as they glow orange before dropping their needles. Whilst much of the woodland sleeps through winter, frost caught spider webs and berries shine in the morning sun.
PHOTO CREDIT:MARTIN VAUGHAN