A guide to controls, pop-up cafes and other facilities
One of the best things about London Edinburgh London are the quiet lanes that we use for much of the route. This means hours and days of cycling with almost no traffic around you - bliss! Unfortunately it also means travelling through some remote parts of Great Britain, with limited facilities along the route.
This is why for 2025 we have expanded the number of facilities along the route. We now have a range of controls, cafes and pop-up dormitories, which will be open 24/7 while the event takes place. Here's a quick guide to the different types of facility, and what you can expect at them.
CONTROLS
Along the route there are 21 control points at 13 locations. Eight of these are in England, and you visit them all twice (except Henham), and five are in Scotland, and you visit these just once.
YOU MUST VISIT EVERY CONTROL POINT IN TURN. They are all listed on your route card. At controls you'll find the following facilities, all included in the price of your entry fee.
- Hot meals and drinks
- Dormitory beds
- Bag drops (seelcted controls only)
- Mechanical support
- Medical support
CAFE STOPS
Our cafe stops are located between control points. Some are actual cafes that will stay open 24/7 during the event. Others are pop-up cafes organised by communtiy groups in village halls. You don't have to stop at any of these unless you want to.
At these stops you will need to pay for your food and drink. However all other facilities, such as dormitory beds, loos and watter bottle refill, are included in the price of your entry fee.
POP-UP DORMITORIES
Our dormitories offer you the chance to get some sleep away from controls. These have very limited facilities, with dormitor beds, loos, and a limited cold breakfast available each morning. They are mostly located next to cafe stops or other commercial venues, so you should be able to get some dinner beforehand.
You can find an up-to-date list of all our controls and cafe stops on our route and controls page.