Ask Lonely Planet: Cycling a great American dream

The Grand Canyon can be reached on cycle by the connector route which skirts both north and south rims. Photo / AP.

I am planning a six to eight-week holiday from the end of May, first visiting friends in San Francisco for a week, then I would like to explore California by bike. Places like Yosemite, Grand Canyon and redwoods are spots of interest on or off the bike. I am a keen tramper and have done many camping cycle holidays. Is there a cycleway route along the coast? I can't pick it out on Google. - Roger Nixon

Gregor Clark, author of Lonely Planet's Cycling USA West Coast writes:

Sounds like a great trip. For starters, yes, there's a cycling route along the Pacific Coast, from Crescent City on the Oregon border all the way down to San Diego on the Mexican border. The route isn't a dedicated bike path; cyclists share the road with auto traffic, riding along the shoulder of two scenic north-south highways (US Highway 101 and California State Highway 1), passing through many of the state's redwood groves and most spectacular coastal scenery.

For redwoods, I recommend the stretch through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park north of Eureka and the Avenue of the Giants between Eureka and Garberville. For coastal scenery, nothing beats the Big Sur coast between Monterey and San Luis Obispo; another gorgeous option is the 321km stretch of Highway 1 between Westport and San Francisco, crossing through Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin counties.

Adventure Cycling publishes useful maps for the entire Pacific coast, with three maps devoted to California. You'd probably also be interested in their Grand Canyon Connector route, which visits the Grand Canyon's north and south rims.

Another good source of maps is Krebs Cycle Products, whose California North Coast Bicycle Touring Map covers the same territory included in Adventure Cycling's Crescent City to San Francisco map, but also diverges off on to side roads. Krebs also publishes maps of California's Gold Country and Wine Country. A further source of itinerary ideas is Lonely Planet's Cycling USA West Coast.

California's extensive state park network includes 59 parks with dedicated hiker-biker campsites. See parks.ca.gov for a full list, or visit individual parks' home pages and look for the hiker/biker icon.

Most local buses in California cities are equipped with bike racks, and county bus networks often extend miles from the city centre, allowing you to bring your bike to some remote locations.

Transit systems with good networks include San Diego County and Amtrak trains also have bike racks, and although their routes are limited, they provide jumping-off access to places like Yosemite and the Pacific coast near Santa Barbara (see dot.ca.gov for more details). Since you mentioned Yosemite, I should point out there's a popular 12km bike loop through the heart of Yosemite Valley.

Taking the high roads in Skye

My wife and I intend visiting our son and family in St Andrews in Scotland next September. We then intend to work our way across to the Isle of Skye but wonder which would be the more picturesque route to take. We would appreciate advice on taking the southern route via Sterling and Oban; the central route through Perth and skirting Ben Nevis or the more northern route through Aviemore and Inverness. We don't want to spend more than two days getting across to Skye. Our interest is in landscape photography "in the raw". - Max Carr

Neil Wilson, co-ordinating author of Lonely Planet's Scotland Travel Guide writes:

If it's stunning landscapes you're after, there's no contest - go for the central route via Perth, Tyndrum and Fort William, and take the ferry from Mallaig to Skye.

With two days to make the trip, I would recommend a short detour north from Perth to Aberfeldy and then take the minor road that leads up Glen Lyon.

This remote 40km-long valley is one of the most beautiful in Scotland, but doesn't see much tourist traffic. From Bridge of Balgie you can follow a spectacular single-track road over the shoulder of Ben Lawers to Loch Tay, with fantastic views all the way.

Plan a stop at Killin to see the Falls of Dochart, where the River Tay tumbles through a series of whitewater rapids, then follow the A82 all the way to Fort William. This road passes through some of Scotland's wildest landscapes, including the desolate, loch-studded Moor of Rannoch, and the rocky pyramid of Buachaille Etive Mor, the soaring peak that guards the entrance to Glencoe.

Glencoe itself is a scenic gem, hemmed in by steep cliffs and jagged peaks. For the best photos, park at the top of the glen and walk along the Old Road for a mile or so.

Next up is Ben Nevis, but you can't see it from properly from the main road; to get the best view of the mountain's imposing north face head along the minor B8004 road that follows the Caledonian Canal from Banavie to Gairlochy. From here you can see Scotland's highest peak in all its splendour.

Finally there's the A830 road from Fort William to Mallaig, also known as the Road to the Isles. Scenically, this is the icing on the cake, offering not only the classic view of Loch Shiel from Glenfinnan, but also a magnificent panorama of the islands of Eigg, Rum and Skye seen from the glorious white-sand beaches of Arisaig. And when you arrive on Skye, don't drive straight along the main road from Mallaig to Broadford.

Instead, take the minor road that loops west via Tarskavaig and Tokavaig - this winding road provides absolutely breathtaking views of the Cuillin mountains.

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