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Bike trip Destinations

    Cycling holidays are measured in days, not kilometres. Sixty kilometres on a flat riverside path can be done at a stroll; forty in the Tuscan hills will empty you. That is the first question to settle before choosing a destination, and the one most often skipped.

    The three formats

    • Point to point with luggage transfer. You ride from stage to stage, your bags travel by van and you find them at the hotel. The most common format in Europe, and the most comfortable.
    • Hub and spoke. You sleep in the same place all week and ride out each day. Ideal when the group has mixed abilities: everyone picks their loop and you all meet at dinner.
    • Guided, with a leader and a support vehicle. More expensive, but someone fixes the puncture and knows the café worth stopping at.

    Bring your bike or rent one

    Flying with your bike means a hard case, special baggage fees and a rebuild on arrival, often after a night flight. Renting on site solves all of that, provided you book the model and frame size ahead. Bring your own saddle and pedals anyway: those two parts decide between a pleasant week and five days of suffering.

    E-bikes change the arithmetic

    Electric assistance has opened cycling holidays to people who thought themselves excluded, and it lets a couple of different abilities ride together. In exchange it adds logistics: real range on climbs, charging points at each stage, and the weight of the machine when it has to go onto a train.

    Where to ride

    • The Danube, from Passau to Vienna: flat, signposted, accommodation every twenty kilometres. The route almost everyone starts with
    • The Loire à Vélo, between châteaux, with short stages and vineyards at the end
    • Portugal and Tuscany, hillier, for those who want it to climb
    • Quebec, with the Route verte and its thousands of signposted kilometres, when you would rather not fly

    When to go

    In Europe, May, June and September give the best mix of temperature and crowds. July and August are hot on southern routes, and accommodation on popular cycle paths books months ahead.

    Planning yours

    An advisor sets the stages to your real level, books the hotels in order and checks what your insurance covers in case of a fall. Talk to an advisor or write through the contact page. See also the other theme vacations. Quebec permit 702703.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    It depends entirely on the route. A flat riverside path suits an occasional rider; a hilly itinerary needs real training. Electric assistance widens the range considerably.
    Renting avoids the hard case, special baggage fees and the rebuild on arrival. Book the model and frame size ahead, and bring your own saddle and pedals.
    On point-to-point trips a van moves the bags from hotel to hotel while you ride. You carry only what you need for the day.
    Yes, in two ways: a hub-and-spoke stay where everyone picks their own loop from the same hotel, or electric assistance for the least trained rider.
    May, June and September. July and August are hot on southern routes, and accommodation on popular cycle paths books months ahead.
    Policies often distinguish leisure cycling from sport or competitive riding. Have the clause checked before departure rather than after a fall.