Looking at mini tours from London that are train and or ferry. 3-4 days riding, not mega distances, credit card touring - so light loaded. Did the Isle of Wight recently and that went well, so maybe try further afield.
So far, have come up with..
Cherbourg to St Malo - about 250km, mostly greenways https://en.tourdemanche.com has some interesting routes, could use the ferry into Portsmouth from the start and finish in France - but the schedule is very seasonal.
Amsterdam > Utrecht and then where ever time allows.
Direct train to Amsterdam then heading into the countryside, see some friends in Utrecht. The new train service is ££££. Need to wait for a sale!
Your experience may differ, but I found cycle touring in NL boring as hell - too flat and the cycle lanes (which you have to use) can be a pain, although they're obviously very safe.
It's more that I want to ease my other half in who is relatively new to riding. This is why I'd rather skip the London > Coast sections because I know what the traffic is like and how much nicer it is on the other side of the channel but you are most likely right! Need a few lumps and bumps.
Looking at mini tours from London that are train and or ferry. 3-4 days riding, not mega distances, credit card touring - so light loaded. Did the Isle of Wight recently and that went well, so maybe try further afield.
So far, have come up with..
Cherbourg to St Malo - about 250km, mostly greenways
https://en.tourdemanche.com has some interesting routes, could use the ferry into Portsmouth from the start and finish in France - but the schedule is very seasonal.
Amsterdam > Utrecht and then where ever time allows.
Direct train to Amsterdam then heading into the countryside, see some friends in Utrecht. The new train service is ££££. Need to wait for a sale!
Open to other ideas!