Belfast to Rotterdam, 2023

This was my first bikepacking trip, so I might as well jump in at the deep end: Belfast to Rotterdam and back, with my work laptop in the bags. It was a “working holiday”. I’d cycle out, spend a week working remotely from Rotterdam in the middle, then cycle home, which saved me burning a ton of holiday on the whole thing.

I could have gone straight across Scotland, or across England. I wanted a longer trip though, so I decided that cycling south to see the cliffs of Dover would make a really interesting challenge and adventure!

Lesson one: book the cabin

The first mistake came before I’d turned a pedal. The overnight ferry from Belfast to Liverpool (Birkenhead) had all its cabins booked out, so I slept in a seat. I hadn’t realised that all the best spots get sniped pretty quickly, so I spent the night stretched between two chairs, with a sore back to show for it.

Lesson two: list your food stops

On Day 1, after leaving Birkenhead and heading onto the country roads, I found out that these routes have long “supply deserts”. After a long, very hungry stretch, the classic English pub was a genuine blessing.

A different kind of stress came with the first place I stayed. I was told I couldn’t bring the bike into the room, and that it would have to stay outside, at the bottom of some very “secure” stairs. No chance.

They must have seen the fear in my eyes, because they offered their shed instead. Much better.

By Day 2 the lifestyle had clicked: lovely places to stay, great roads, and a proper lunch stop.

On Day 4 I was treated to peaceful little villages and took what is still one of my favourite photographs from any bikepacking trip. It just looks really pretty to me, even though I found out afterwards that the tower is a windmill that has lost its sails. The further south I went, the more Land Rovers came flying down the country lanes.

Lesson three: plan the route, not just the destination

Entering London, my route planning ran out. I ended up on effectively dirt tracks, on a bike with 28mm slick tyres that was not built for any of it.

I made it, and the rest days in London were well earned. Leaving, I nearly slipped on some wet cobbles, then made for Canterbury. The cathedral was under maintenance, but I did get to see some creepy statues at least. It was also properly chilly in the evening, which I’d pay for shortly.

Three countries in a day

The next morning was an anxious rush to Dover. It was all in my head: I arrived with plenty of time to admire the cliffs.

After a very short ferry I was cycling in France for the first time, then Belgium later the same day: three countries on one ride. The cycling infrastructure was already a treat after English roads. Another well-deserved rest followed in Bruges, where I’d find out whether it really is just like a “ferry tail”.

While I was there I bought a coat, because Canterbury had been so chilly in the evenings and I didn’t own a lightweight one. It’s a Patagonia: light, packs down small, and is super sturdy. I still have it, and it comes on every bikepacking trip for the same reason.

Then, after plenty of Belgian beer, a monster day into the Netherlands to finish the first leg, and a week of remote working in Rotterdam. Also pancakes.

I couldn’t work the whole time, of course. I planned a 100 mile loop to Utrecht and back, without the bags. Utrecht is beautiful, the cycle lanes are an obvious treat, and the weather was perfect.

Lesson four: the way back is a second trip

The return had to start some time, so I rode deep into the Port of Rotterdam for the ferry to Hull. This time I’d booked a cabin. Shortly after we left, an announcement said one of the engines wasn’t working, so the other engines were overdriven to compensate and the whole crossing shook.

Hull was super foggy, a great reintroduction to English roads… though it was pretty cool to see. It cleared into a beautiful day (the shot at the top of this page), and I got to repeat the route-planning lesson on some more gravel. The Peak District made up for it.

A day off in Manchester, then home to Northern Ireland via Liverpool. No punctures, no mechanicals, just a slight cold at the start.

What I’d tell myself before the next one

Plan the routes properly. Think about food stops and the distance between them. Take better pictures and video. Pack less clothing: I brought too many T-shirts, too much underwear, and even jeans, but no lightweight coat for the colder evenings and rainy days, so I had to buy one halfway through.

But some things worked. The routes were well paced, with rest days. I saw some really cool sights, and mostly avoided nasty roads, even if that sometimes meant gravel and dirt tracks. The bags were the right size, with spare room for supplies on the road, food or otherwise. It even fitted some tasty Belgian chocolate as a present for the friend I was staying with in Rotterdam.

Overall, a great first outing that just sold me on doing more!