# LEJOG, Camp or b&b?



## royalboa (30 Jul 2012)

Hi all,

Well iv started planning my cycle from lands end to john o'groats for june next year, im new to cycling and only just bought my first bike last week.
Im curently cycling about 15 miles a day and looking to up that in the next two weeks.

Im looking for advice from people that have done the tour before on weather to camp or go b&b.

Camp and save money? or b&b and have a phone charger every night, plus travel light?

im planing for 9 days with stops in okehamton, bath, ludlow, haydock, carlisle, glasgow, fortwilliam, kyle of sutherland then finaly john o'groats.


thanks, gibby


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## squiddley (30 Jul 2012)

Hi,i'm also doing the LEJOG next year,i bought a book off Amazon,End To End cycle route by Nick Mitchell,got some good stuff in it so that should give you some ideas.


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## royalboa (30 Jul 2012)

think thats the same book i downloaded, have you done any long cycles before?

Im a runner and was going to do a few marathons next year until my mate came up with the idea of cycling across britain. not one to turn down a challange i went and bought a bike started looking into it posted the event on facebook with sponsor details for him to then pull out lol.


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## squiddley (30 Jul 2012)

No I haven't,just trying to get as much miles in as i can,planning on doing it end of May/June time,as it will be long days,will probably be doing Youth Hostels and b&b,fancy a nice bed at the end of the day,although camping would be ok but not on this occasion.


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## dellzeqq (30 Jul 2012)

royalboa said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Well iv started planning my cycle from lands end to john o'groats for june next year, im new to cycling and only just bought my first bike last week.
> Im curently cycling about 15 miles a day and looking to up that in the next two weeks.
> ...


there's a whole bunch of threads on LeJoG on the CTC forum that bear a bit of examination

nine days sounds like you're going to be moving on at quite a lick - 100 miles a day. If you can afford to B+B then go for it - it costs more, but you'll be out of the rain, you'll save weight, and, crucially, you'll save a lot of time. You might get lucky with Youth Hostels (some of which are now privately run) and you might find a bunkhouse in Scotland if funds are restricted.


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## royalboa (30 Jul 2012)

iv found my first 3 b&bs in lands end, okehamton and bath. gave up looking in ludlow as i cant find a b&b cheeper than £60. wee tweek to my route needed but stil early days.


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## robgul (31 Jul 2012)

There's a specific section on here for LEJOG/JOGLE

... and, as always, go and have a look at www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk for masses of resource, Journals etc ... and you can list your ride on the calendar

Rob


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## royalboa (31 Jul 2012)

Well got my route mapped out on google maps and started looking into b&bs. Came across problems already with accommodation prices lol. Was looking at £40 tops a night but one of the towns I planned to stop in prices start at £60.

Can't wait till kids are back to school so I can get some prober training started.


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## furball (31 Jul 2012)

Look out for Travelodge £19/night offers. Theres one in Carlisle.


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## Alex11 (1 Aug 2012)

I'd camp my friend :-) Purer, cheaper, funner, wilder and easier


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## TobyM (6 Aug 2012)

I live in Ludlow, and there is a travel lodge. I've never looked at the prices, but I shouldn't imagine they're too steep  Or, there's Henwick House at £39 per night for a single.


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## Mr Haematocrit (6 Aug 2012)

check out http://campinmygarden.com it's a real fun and cost effective way to tour and you get to meet real members of the community and stay in some simply stunning gardens. Some people offer breakfast, dinner and shower/bath usage as part of the deal.
If you plan it well you can usually post packages to the people you are staying with such as change of clothes, inner tubes, snacks and other things for your arrival so you do not need to carry as much stuff. When you get there post back to your home the things you are swapping over.
If your doing LeJog why not make it a real different experience rather than a ride between b&b's - who knows you may even make new friends and obtain company for part of the ride.


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## BigonaBianchi (11 Aug 2012)

Why not travel with just a small tent sleep bag and bar bag and do some of both. I met a guy riding the transam here with this approach.


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## Holly (13 Aug 2012)

I have just completed LEJOG...and it was great. On the ctc website there are many different routes. There is one that goes via b&b and another that uses youth hostels. I would defiantly not go for camping as after buying panniers and tent etc it will be more expensive than b&b and a lot heavier, which is not what you want on the hills. Also travel lodges are a great option. They are cheaper than most b&b and you know what you are getting each night.


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## dellzeqq (13 Aug 2012)

Holly said:


> I have just completed LEJOG...and it was great. On the ctc website there are many different routes. There is one that goes via b&b and another that uses youth hostels. I would defiantly not go for camping as after buying panniers and tent etc it will be more expensive than b&b and a lot heavier, which is not what you want on the hills. *Also travel lodges are a great option*. They are cheaper than most b&b and you know what you are getting each night.


and you can wheel your bike in to your room!


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## vernon (16 Aug 2012)

Holly said:


> I have just completed LEJOG...and it was great. On the ctc website there are many different routes. There is one that goes via b&b and another that uses youth hostels. I would defiantly not go for camping as after buying panniers and tent etc it will be more expensive than b&b and a lot heavier, which is not what you want on the hills. Also travel lodges are a great option. They are cheaper than most b&b and you know what you are getting each night.


 

Panniers and tents liberate you from the need to find/book accommodate and confers a greater degree of flexibility should you find that you are faster/slower on a given day. The beauty of having a tent, rack and panniers is that you have them for future camping rides and their cost does not make a LEJOG more expensive unless you are doing the ride in just a few days.

As for weight, there's not a lot of difference made by the extra weight of camping gear especially if you are travelling at tourist pace and not Tour de France pace.

Travel Lodges are fine if you hit upon their lowest prices...


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## bof (17 Aug 2012)

Some sections of a route are not well served by Travel Lodges. My moderately fast attempt (7 full plus two half days riding) will involve 4 travelodges in England booked at a cost of £72 in total. However I found they would not be much use in Scotland. Youth Hostels are another choice and there are some en-route in Scotland - sadly the castle in Sutherland - cant remember its name now - is closed all year for refurbing. You need to plan ahead to get the really low prices at Travelodge and there are some where clearly demand means they can keep the price comparable to other hotels.

A compromise I have used before in touring where indoor accommodation is expensive is to take just a tent and sleeping bag but eat out. On the road find somewhere asap after starting off for a coffee, picnic with food from supermarkets/convenience stores (garages if nothing better) en-route with stops in pubs/restaurants for evening meals. Tescos with caffs do very good value breakfasts. I take a spoon and a small kitchen knife and a small hard plastic bowl. This cuts faff time and weight as you dont need any cooking things nor carry more than pocket food with you.


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## alans (17 Aug 2012)

I did JoGLE using B&B,pubs & hotels.This allowed me to travel light (after sending half my stuff home after 4 days & half of the rest after two weeks).I took 21 days at a slow touring pootle.
This was longer than originally intended & obviously then incurred more expenditure which took me over-budget.
I couldn't do it in 9 days with camping kit but ymmv.In fact I couldn't di it in 9 days...period.

Despite my avowed intention,upon reaching LE,of throwing all my bikes into a skip & not ever turning a pedal again I am wanting to do it again,this time LEJoG.
In the interests of economy this next time will be lightweight camping & I expect it to be another 3 week journey,or more depending on work/lack of it.

Doing 160km-ish a day with camping kit on board is,to my mind & body,a serious undertaking.
Good luck with it & I hope you enjoy the ride.


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## Brommyboy (17 Aug 2012)

The advantage of camping is that, if required, you can overnight in a B&B or hotel. The reverse does NOT apply! The weight of the extra gear has little or no effect on the flat. Up hill needs very low gears, and down hill good brakes, but 100 mile days are easily achievable in undulating terrain.


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## willem (18 Aug 2012)

This is a recurring discussion. The answer depends on three things:
1 the extra weight of camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, mattress, stove etc). This is about 2.5-4kg, depending on the kit that you take. Heavier stuff will make a difference, lighter stuff much less so. Light is e.g.: TN Laser tent, Neoair Allseason mattress, PHD minimus 300 bag, Primus express duo gas stove. More comfort with a Hilleberg Anjan 2 tent, Trangia 27 UK stove.
2 what do you actually like more? That is very personal. I spend a lot of time in hotels, so preferably not on holidays.
3 the economics of it all. A top quality outfit will cost about 1000 pounds (Anjan, Neoair, PhD, Trangia). It will last about a decade, and perhaps more. B&B's plus restaurant will probably be at least 50 pounds per day more than campsites and your own cooking. So you earn back the investment in 20 days. If you buy more sharply priced gear, 500 pounds may be enough, which you can earn back in 10 days. (examples: TN Laser seconds tent, Alpkit bag, Exped Synmat Basic mat). These are obviously only examples, but they give a good idea of the argument.

In conclusion: do you like camping, and can you afford the luxury of hotels/b&b's?
enjoy,
Wim


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## User482 (18 Aug 2012)

B&b or youth hostel every time. After a long day in the saddle, I want to have a shower, go to the pub and sleep in a comfortable bed. Faffing about with tents and trangias is for when there is no other option.


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## oldfatfool (18 Aug 2012)

If you are going solo I would forget the cooking gear, just as cheap to eat at cafes for 1 rather than faff about buying ingredients and carrying the weight, and cooking (especially in inclement weather) in a lt wt 1~2 person tent is not an easy (or comfortable) skill to master.


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## willem (18 Aug 2012)

Awfully tasteless conservative decor with big pink roses and other aesthetic horrors, creaking beds, street noise, stuffy room ..........
Willem


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## User482 (18 Aug 2012)

willem said:


> Awfully tasteless conservative decor with big pink roses and other aesthetic horrors, creaking beds, street noise, stuffy room ..........
> Willem


All part of the charm. Extra points for matching curtains and bedspread.


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## srw (18 Aug 2012)

User482 said:


> B&b or youth hostel every time. After a long day in the saddle, I want to have a shower, go to the pub and sleep in a comfortable bed.


Which is why I'd only choose a B&B if there's no hotel available - and would never go through the door of a Youth Hostel unless I was absolutely desperate.

You are, after all, planning a holiday, not a route march.


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## User482 (18 Aug 2012)

srw said:


> Which is why I'd only choose a B&B if there's no hotel available - and would never go through the door of a Youth Hostel unless I was absolutely desperate.
> 
> You are, after all, planning a holiday, not a route march.


A good b&b is just a hotel that doesn't serve evening meals, and is much preferable to one of those dreadful chains. I find youth hostels to be variable. Some have private rooms, en suite and good food.


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## srw (18 Aug 2012)

User482 said:


> A good b&b is just a hotel that doesn't serve evening meals, and is much preferable to one of those dreadful chains. I find youth hostels to be variable. Some have private rooms, en suite and good food.


A good B&B is a rara avis. I know of only one person who is able to select good B&Bs (probably with a look over his shoulder to a woman of taste and distinction) - and even his mojo failed one night in County Durham, when the hotel was the better bet than the dog-breeding B&B.

I haven't darkened the door of a Youth Hostel in 20-something years. "Variable" is one of those adjectives that invite too many further questions.


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## User482 (18 Aug 2012)

I must have more luck than you! And I've stayed in hostels all around the world. The best ones are fantastic places to stay (most memorably, the Rocks near Sydney harbour). It's fair to say that they've upper their game in recent years.


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## mcshroom (18 Aug 2012)

Aim for the non-city hostels and they are great. Tongue was a stunning hostel when I was there in June, and Braemar was nice last October as well. City ones tend to be undecided whether they want to be cheap hotels or bunk houses.


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## EthelF (18 Aug 2012)

I can only speak from (distant) experience. I did a bit of both on my E2E. My most productive days by far were the ones when I B&Bd. Better rest, better breakfast, quicker getaway. Had I not lugged the camping gear I could have added greater range/higher average speed. 
So while I did enjoy some of the camping, next time (and yes, one day there will be another) I won't bother with the tent.

Good luck, & enjoy!


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## Alex11 (19 Aug 2012)

Try Travelodges!!!


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## samid (20 Aug 2012)

I would put it this way, if you need to ask - go for B&Bs, as by far the main advantage of camping is enjoying the process, IMHO.


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## Bodhbh (20 Aug 2012)

srw said:


> I haven't darkened the door of a Youth Hostel in 20-something years. "Variable" is one of those adjectives that invite too many further questions.


 
The YHA ones are generally pretty good. In fact if anything they seem to be chasing families on weekend breaks and pricing backpackers out the market.

It's personal preference at the end of the day, but I wouldn't consider doing it without the camping gear. Just seems to be too much of a logistical headache to line up a bunch of B&Bs for the night or worrying about not finding anywhere. With your tent you know if the worst comes to the worse you are sorted and can wild camp if you have to. You can always treat yourself to a night in a B&B when moral is flagging anyhow.


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## wintonbina (20 Aug 2012)

royalboa said:


> iv found my first 3 b&bs in lands end, okehamton and bath. gave up looking in ludlow as i cant find a b&b cheeper than £60. wee tweek to my route needed but stil early days.


Travelodge in Ludlow price varies depending on what time/deals are on!
Good luck, we did it in 9 days last year and used travelodges most of the way. (Better to have a cold bath & comfortable beds my friend!).
Tony


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## srw (20 Aug 2012)

Bodhbh said:


> It's personal preference at the end of the day, but I wouldn't consider doing it without the camping gear. Just seems to be too much of a logistical headache to line up a bunch of B&Bs for the night or worrying about not finding anywhere. With your tent you know if the worst comes to the worse you are sorted and can wild camp if you have to. You can always treat yourself to a night in a B&B when moral is flagging anyhow.


 
The first long tour we did (3 weeks, place to place) took about a month, off and on, evenings only, to plan and book hotels/B&Bs. We did it completely online. Because we were riding across rural France on a tandem and with a fear of hills, the route and the accommodation had to be decided on together.

The second long tour we did (1 week, place to place) took precisely two hours to book accommodation for. Someone else had very kindly provided a list of stopping points, hotels and B&Bs. Without the list of hotels and B&Bs but with a list of stopping points it would have taken about two evenings.

I think what I'm saying is that finding a route is actually more difficult than finding accommodation.


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## jefmcg (22 Aug 2012)

I love B&Bs - generally, haven't used them cycling. But one of the great pleasures of cycling is meeting the locals, and finding out a little of how the live. Staying in their spare bedroom is a good way to learn that. 

Visiting Ireland 10 years ago we spent a night at a pretty down-at-heel B&B. But the hostess was wonderful, telling us about the American tourists who knock on their door late at night, dripping wet and carrying tents and looking for a room; or that potcheen can cure any illness in humans or in animals - but not the stuff you can buy in the shops; or the weird goat festivals she attended as a girl, which have been revived as gap year drinking fests in recent years. All the other places we stayed in that trip gave us similar insight into their lives and their history.

Hotels aren't the same, but good for city trips.


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## furball (22 Aug 2012)

Travelodge offers now available
http://www.travelodge.co.uk/?gclid=CLPCw_GQ_LECFUJItAodRVQAog?pst=1


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## hoopdriver (23 Aug 2012)

vernon said:


> Panniers and tents liberate you from the need to find/book accommodate and confers a greater degree of flexibility should you find that you are faster/slower on a given day. The beauty of having a tent, rack and panniers is that you have them for future camping rides and their cost does not make a LEJOG more expensive unless you are doing the ride in just a few days.
> 
> As for weight, there's not a lot of difference made by the extra weight of camping gear especially if you are travelling at tourist pace and not Tour de France pace.
> 
> Travel Lodges are fine if you hit upon their lowest prices...


Beg to differ on the notion that camping gear does nit make a lot of difference - even the lightest tent/sleeping bag/mat combination will add 5kgs which is a fair bit in my book. I have done a great deal of touring, both camping and B&B style, including LEJOG and for a nine day trip like what you are describing travelling light and settling nto a B&B each night will be far more enjoyable. You will be doing some big days.


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