There’s lots to think about when planning a cycling holiday, especially if it’s your first cycling trip abroad and/or you want to make it awesome!
Below you’ll find our best tips on how to plan a bike trip – from deciding where to go and whether to book a tour, to picking accommodation and deciding what to take.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, just drop us a line. We’d love to hear from you.
How to start
There are lots of factors to consider when bike trip planning – this can make it difficult to know where to start! It’s the same as when trying to plan a holiday that doesn’t involve cycling – and then adding even more things to think about!
We usually begin with the question of where to go and narrow it down from there. This article is structured in that way:
Part 1 covers where to go, with the idea that you create a long list of places you’d like to cycle in and then narrow the list down by using the remaining factors, such as who’s going on the trip, what kind of holiday you want and when you’re looking to go.
Part 2 moves on to other issues you’ll need to consider when planning your bike holidays, including insurance, whether to hire your bike or take your own and what to pack.
We hope you enjoy the planning process!
Part 1: Planning a cycling holiday (where, when and how)
1. Where to go?
It’s time to create your long-list of places you’d like to ride in!
Cycling holiday inspiration
If you’re looking for inspiration, head over to our 70+ destination guides here. They’re broken down by country and each regional guide gives detailed information on what it’s like from a cyclist’s perspective, including where to ride and GPX files. They’re packed with our best cycling in Europe tips (and advice on further afield destinations too).
The inspiration section of our website is also there to help and these articles are also very popular and potentially useful to you when creating your long-list of destinations:
Here are some factors to consider when picking your bucket list of cycling trip destinations:
Popular or off-the-beaten-track destination?
The mountains of Italy, France and Spain draw thousands of cyclists each year. Made famous by the Grand Tours, climbs like Alpe d’Huez, Mont Ventoux, the Stelvio and Angliru are always popular. Summers are short at these kinds of altitudes and this means the roads are busy with tourists – both the regular kind in cars and motorhomes but also the lycra clad kind… Hotels and accommodation make the most of the demand and prices in July and August are at their height.
If you want more ideas, our pick of the best cycling climbs in Europe (and this pick of the hardest climbs) might help.
If you’d prefer to go somewhere less known, other parts of Europe offer fantastic possibilities for some of the best cycling holidays abroad. For instance, you could opt for less mainstream places like cycling in Switzerland’s St Moritz/Engadin Valley, Spain’s Terres de l’Ebre, Croatia or the Algarve. This might lead to your cycling trip requiring more planning as there will likely be less support available locally, but for more experienced cyclists this might be a price worth paying.
Even if you’re basing yourself in a city, consider whether you might be able to squeeze in some riding! (Check our pick of the best cities for cyclists and we have guides to cycling from cities as diverse as Brussels, Melbourne, San Francisco and Edinburgh.)
Easy cycling holidays, challenging adventures or something in-between?
How fit are you?! Are you looking for famous climbs and steep mountain passes – or are you less bothered about ticking off the famous cols and are happy in the hills?
Challenging
For hardcore cycling fame and glory, the French and Italian Alps are obvious destinations and you could also consider the Italian Dolomites, French Pyrenees and Spanish mountain ranges such as the Sierra Nevada and northern Spain.
In-between
If you’re less about bucket list climbs and bragging rights, the foothills of the famous mountain ranges might suit you better than the mountain valleys themselves. These kinds of area often offer the option to cycle into the mountains or enjoy easier days in flatter areas on quiet roads. Base yourself somewhere like Port de Pollenca in Mallorca, Girona in Spain or Paphos in Cyprus and you’ve got the best of all worlds.
Easy
Classic easy cycling holidays in Europe tend to be focused around the river cycle paths and veloroutes of Europe – for example the Danube, the Loire and the Burgundy Canal, but we’d also encourage you to consider bases like Girona as mentioned above.
There are guides to all of these places (and many more besides) here.
How many days/weeks have you got?
It’s an obvious point, but bear in mind how long it’s going to take you to get to the destination you like the look of. (For those in the UK), a long-haul destination like Borneo, Japan or Colorado is quite a different matter to somewhere closer to home like Yorkshire or the Alps!
Factor in things like the time you have to arrive before a flight/ferry and transfer times at both ends to make sure you’re getting a realistic idea of the overall time it’s going to take you.
There’s no point booking a long weekend cycling trip somewhere that’s going to take you two days to travel to/from…
This article shares our pick of the best long weekends in Europe for couples to visit.
To fly or not to fly?
Flights and transfers (plus baggage charges/bike hire…) have an annoying way of eating into your cycling holiday budget. There’s also the environmental cost of flying, especially for short journeys – read this for more on eco-friendly cycling holidays. It can be a lot easier to just stick everything in/on the car and drive, rather than having to pay careful attention to airline policies on weight allowances and number of suitcases. If you want to take your e-bike, driving might also make things easier – read this for more on flying with/shipping e-bikes.
So, when weighing up flying or ferry/drive holidays, remember that many destinations in mainland Europe are a feasible drive away (from the UK). Our pick of the best cycling destinations in Europe that you can drive to from the UK might come in handy. You might also want to know about hiring a bike van.
However, if you’ve only got a short time to travel or want to get somewhere a bit more far-flung (Seychelles, San Francisco or Dubai anyone?!), flying might well be the only way to go. If you feel bad about your carbon footprint, you could always consider carbon off-setting – it’s becoming a more popular part of planning a bike trip for those who care about the environment.
How much driving are you willing to do?
If you’re doing a DIY trip, make sure you’ve planned your routes before you book (each of our free destination guides have lots of route suggestions). If there are particular climbs or routes you want to do, check out whether you’re going to be able to take them all in from the accommodation you’re staying in or whether you’ll need to drive to the start of a climb/loop route. Is that something you’re willing to do?
For example in the southern Alps, the famous climbs are much more spaced out than in the central Alps. This means you may only have a couple of loop rides from one base without repeating parts of what you’ve already done. The same goes for the classic destinations in the Dolomites like Corvara. To get to new areas you’ll need to get in the car or change base.
When we explored the Yorkshire Dales, we had our family in tow. We left the kids with grandparents at Centre Parcs Whinfell Forest, but this meant we had to drive into the Dales each day to start our rides. Not ideal.
If you’re in the UK and considering UK cycling holiday destinations, you’ve got hardcore regions for cycling such as Cornwall, the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District or easier cycling holiday destinations such as the Isle of Wight.
This is one of the most overlooked things when it comes to how to plan a cycling holiday. So make sure you’re definitely comfortable with how much time you’ll be spending behind the wheel.
Travel restrictions
While COVID-19 doesn’t really factor into planning your cycling trips abroad anymore (phew!), that doesn’t mean you don’t have to consider other potential travel restrictions for your road cycling holiday.
Always remember to check FCO advice (or the travel advice of your particular country for those outside the UK) and new requirements due to Brexit.
Travel insurance and passport validity/travel documentation is important too (more on that below).
This will have a big influence on your decision.
2. Who’s going?
Family cycling holidays
If it is a family bike trip, will you all be riding, just the adults or just you?
Family bike tours can be fantastic, but if everyone’s cycling, you’ll need to think carefully about the number of miles you’re riding each day, the terrain and places to stop en route. Depending on the age of the children, you will need to consider whether they’re up to riding their own bike and whether you’re happy on roads or would prefer bike paths.
From personal experience, family bike trips with toddlers and young children are particularly age dependent. A cycling holiday with a sedate 2 year old who is happy to sit in a seat on the back of a bike is quite a different matter to a cycling holiday with a stubborn 4 year old who won’t go on the back of your bike but also can’t cycle more than a few kilometres.
If it’s just the grown-ups that are cycling, what will you do with the kids when you’re on your bikes? You’ll want accommodation with a great kids’ club or be willing to hire a nanny/babysitter.
If you’re the only cyclist, make sure your other half is on board with how much riding you want to do and when! It won’t hurt to pick somewhere where there are lots of potential kid-friendly excursions too.
Read our tips for planning a family cycling trip for more details and inspiration for good destinations. Our UK family cycling holiday and Europe family cycling holiday articles might also be useful.
Cycling holidays for beginners
If this is a cycling trip for beginner cyclists, you’ll probably have an easy cycling holiday in mind and will want to focus your research on Europe’s flatter terrain and easy routes.
You may also want to think about getting some extra support from a cycling holiday company. They can offer support in the case of mechanical breakdowns or if you or one of the riders in your group runs out of energy to ride any further. There’s more information on the options available below.
These tips for beginner cyclists might also be useful.
Singles cycling holidays
If you’re an experienced cyclist and happy in your own company, you might be happy travelling and riding by yourself.
Otherwise, you might want to get in touch with a reputable cycling holiday company and see what mixed group departures they have available. Some companies specialise in cycling holidays for singles – do a bit of research and you’ll find lots of options.
Alternatively, you could consider just getting a few days guiding in your destination. This way you could do some riding alone and some with a local guide. There’s always the option to contact a local cycling club before you leave – many will be happy for you to tag along with one of their rides.
Group cycling holidays
If you’re part of a group of cyclists looking for a cycling holiday, your requirements are likely to be different again. For example, if your group is on the large size, you might need quite a hotel that can offer lots of single rooms. But if it’s a case of you and a friend are planning a cycling holiday, finding suitable twin accommodation is a lot easier.
Also, one of the major questions you’ll need to consider is the fitness of the cyclists within your group. Are you all at a similar fitness level?
What are your objectives? Is this a hardcore training camp or a relaxed holiday in the sun?
What speed will you ride at? Will you ride all day every day?
Ideally there’ll be at least a few of you of similar abilities so that you can ride together. You could also consider an e-bike tour – the option for hiring electric bikes for those that are less fit; electric bike hire is becoming increasingly popular and available, especially in mountainous areas.
This article on how to plan a group cycling holiday has lots more information.
Women’s cycling holidays
Some women might prefer to go on a cycling holiday that’s just for women. If that sounds like you, read our article about what makes a women’s bike tour different and questions to ask before you book.
3. What kind of cycling holiday are you planning?
Supported/self-supported cycling tours/DIY cycling holiday
Who will do all the planning and booking for your trip? Are you the bike trip planner, or are you using a cycling holiday company?
Getting a company involved will probably make it more expensive and you may lose some flexibility in the itinerary, but it should also take the hassle out of all the trip planning. On a guided trip, they’ll probably provide a support car and most meals. This is a particularly attractive option if you’re looking at a point to point trip or planning a trip on behalf of a group. It’s also a good option if you’re looking for other cyclists to ride with or just want the comfort of there being a support vehicle on hand.
In fact, often with a guided cycling holiday, you just need to turn up at the airport with your bike (unless you hire one) and they take care of you for the entire trip. From airport transfers to guided routes and mechanical assistance, there are plenty of levels of personalisation that the best cycling holiday companies offer. And if you really have a lot of cash to splash, completely bespoke holidays are an option too. They often include things in addition to cycling, like local attractions and things to do off the bike.
There’s more information about supported cycling holidays here:
- What is a guided cycling holiday (and is it right for you)?
- The best luxury bike tours
- Planning a budget cycling trip
Once you’ve decided you want a company to help you organise your tour, these guides to choosing the best cycling holidays in France, Spain and Italy should assist:
Cycling holidays in France
Cycling holidays in Spain
Cycling holidays in Italy
And finally, if you are interested in which cycling tour operators we worked with in 2022, read this.
Point to point or one base
A point to point trip will allow you to feel like you’re on a real cycling adventure, covering lots of ground, taking in beautiful landscapes and passing through plenty of towns and villages.
Classic examples include London to Paris, Land’s End to John O’Groats, the NC500 in Scotland, the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland, Raid Pyrenees, the Routes des Grandes Alpes and Portugal’s N2 road. There are also more bespoke tours such as Seville to Valencia in Andalucia, Spain. As well as events in the USA like cycling across America or the incredible South American TransAndes. There are also the long distance veloroutes that run throughout Europe.
Organising a point to point trip obviously requires much more effort than a single base type trip. When considering how to plan a holiday that begins and ends in different places, travel can be a little more tricky. Plus you’ve got to find somewhere to stay each night. If you’re camping and carrying all your gear it might be relatively straightforward, but if you’re relying on B&Bs/hotels and need someone to transport your gear, there will be much more to do in the way of logistics.
Which option is best for you will heavily depend on who you’re with, whether you’ve got someone to help arrange everything and whether you want a traditional holiday with a bit of cycling or a full on cycling odyssey. These types of holidays are great for getting plenty of miles in and really seeing different parts of a country. Whether it’s the UK or abroad, you’ll come away with a much broader perspective than if you’d stayed in one central base.
Cycling event
You might want to base your holiday around a specific cycling event or challenge. The event itself may only take up a day or two, but perhaps you can tack on a few days and turn it into a holiday?
Our granfondo guide and pick of the best UK, European and Worldwide cycling challenges should give you some inspiration!
Our guides to these incredible events might also help: Dragon Ride, Marmotte, Maratona, Mallorca 312, Granfondo Stelvio Santini, Saimaa Cycle Tour, Col de la Loze sportive, Peaks Challenge Falls Creek, Taiwan KOM and the Tour des Stations.
If you’re looking for an easier starting point, this article on the best cycling challenges and events for beginners will be a useful read.
At the other end of the spectrum, perhaps you want to take on an Everest cycle challenge?
Or you might be looking to just watch the pros in action: how about a Tour de France trip, Spring Classics trip or trip to watch the Tour of the Algarve?
As these events become increasingly popular, more tour companies offer their services to provide a one-stop trip. It takes the hassle out of you needing to organise accommodation at what will be one of the busiest times of the year for the local hospitality industry, and can guarantee you entry into events which may sell out quite quickly otherwise.
Type of cycling
What kind of terrain do you want to ride? Easy, flat bike paths? Roads? Off-road? Or a mix of all the above?
Make sure your destination supports the kind of riding you’re looking for.
The “types of cycling” section of our site has more details. The e-bike touring and gravel touring sections might be particularly useful.
Training camp
If you’re the kind of person that’s driven by objectives, perhaps you want to use your cycling holiday as more of a focused training camp to build your fitness for a particular goal for the season. These are great for getting away from reality for a week or two and living how the professionals live – with no distractions away from cycling!
There are quite a few specific considerations when booking a training camp, so check out our guide to cycle training camps before you go any further. This interview about cycling camps in Spain (inc Girona) may also be useful – it includes a list of seven questions to ask before booking your cycling training camp accommodation.
Full-on relaxation
On the other hand, perhaps you’re after a break, free from the pressures of hardcore gradients, finish times and training goals. You want to ride for the sake of riding, to meet people, experience the culture, natural beauty and sights, rather than clock up the kilometres.
In this case, you’ll probably want to keep things simple and be based from one place, making sure to check the riding from that base is beautiful without being overly strenuous. Also have a good think about what activities the destination offers when you’re off the bike – whether that’s restaurants, beach based activities or historical monuments, chateaux and vineyards to visit when you’re off the bike.
4. When to go?
Factors to consider
There are lots of factors to consider around the subject of the best time to go on your cycling holiday:
Weather
Our destination guides contain an indicator of the best time of year to travel from a weather perspective, but the decision on what’s best for you will obviously be a very personal one. This article on best destinations in winter and cycling in Limassol Cyprus in winter may be useful.
Events
Often watching or taking part in a cycling event can be an excellent reason to visit. We’ve got tons of inspiration for events to take part in. Check the events section above.
5. What kind of accommodation?
Bear in mind the kind of accommodation that’s available at the destination.Our pick of Europe’s best cycling hotels could be a good place to start.
Luxury
If you like 5 star luxury, you’re unlikely to find it in a small village on the side of a mountain in the French Pyrenees, the Alps or sun and sea destinations like Cyprus and Gran Canaria. But there are definitely some interesting options in places like Mallorca, Girona, Nice and further afield in the Seychelles. Even Tenerife has some excellent resorts that are great for a luxury cycling holiday. You’ll find our pick of the best hotels in those destinations if you click through to the destination guides.
Mid-range/budget
Alternatively, if your budget is more restricted, there are some great options by the sea in Spain: Calpe is well-known for its excellent rates out of season, as is the Costa Almeria and Costa Daurada. (As before, you’ll find our pick of the best hotels in those destinations if you click through to the destination guides.) Camping, motor-homing and local B&Bs can also be good budget-friendly options.
Family-friendly
We mentioned family-friendly cycling trips above – if you’re looking for places with good kids clubs that might allow you to sneak out for a few hours’ riding, check out the Club Med resorts in France. Also Club Le Manga in Spain has excellent kids sports facilities (this is the 5 star hotel, these are the 4 star apartments).
Part 2: Planning everything else for your cycling trip
6. Cycling holiday travel insurance?
It’s not exciting, but insurance is an important part of holiday planning. It’s worth thinking about travel insurance and making sure you have it from the day you book; that way you’ll have the peace of mind of cancellation cover from day one.
It’s important to ensure your insurance covers the cycling you’re actually going to be doing on holiday.
Think about insurance not only for you if you get hurt, but also damage/loss to your bike and to other people caused by you. There’s also all the potential cancellation/delay situations you will need to think about too. Bear in mind that while you might have cover for some things in policies you already have, classic travel insurance often doesn’t cover all kinds of cycling at all altitudes – and cycling events are often outside the scope of normal cover too.
We’ve written this article on cycling travel insurance to give you some pointers.
Other (boring but important) things to check
We mentioned FCO advice and Brexit related issues above – but you should also check your passport is valid and the expiration date is at least six months after your final day of travel.
The effects of Brexit have also impacted the EHIC card, which granted you healthcare in the European Union. Instead, if your EHIC card has expired you must apply for a GHIC card. You can find out more on the NHS website, here.
Finally, also ensure you have the appropriate travel documentation (any necessary visas etc).
7. Whether to hire a bike?
The age-old question of whether to take your own bike or hire one there.
On one hand you’ve got the horror stories about airlines losing/breaking bikes when travellers have been flying with a bike, you’ve got the hassle of packing and unpacking it and getting a transfer vehicle big enough to fit the box. Plus the temptation to test ride a new bike on your trip.
On the other side of the argument, perhaps you want to ride your beautiful bike somewhere new and awesome, you’re wedded to your particular set-up (and power meter) and the hire options aren’t great where you’re going…
There’s more to help you decide where to hire or whether flying with your bike is the best option for you in this article. If you decide to hire, it also covers what to check before marching out of the bike hire shop.
If you decide you want to take your own bike, this article will take you through the process.
8. What to take?
Top tip: allow enough time to pack, especially if this is your first trip. Also, don’t assume there’ll be shops where you’re going that will stock everything you need; the more remote you are and the more specific the thing is that’s broken or been forgotten, the less likely you’ll find it when you’re there!
Packing for a cycling trip does require a bit of thought – fortunately we’ve done this many, many times and we’ve written down our list of what to take to help you out. You can find our ultimate cycling packing list here, info on what to wear when it’s cold, together with reviews of some of our favourite kit.
If you’ve decided to take your bike, allow time to service it before you leave. There is nothing worse than arriving on holiday to find you’ve got to deal with bike mechanical problems… Also think about gearing – make sure you’ve got enough gears if you’re heading somewhere mountainous!
9. Do you need to train?
Have a careful think about your training well before you head off on holiday. After all, you want to enjoy yourself when you’re away!
So if you normally just do a few miles at the weekend, it’s worth doing a bit of training before you go away. Riding every day for a week, for hours and hours each day is very different to short Sunday morning rides at home.
Make sure your training matches the kind of terrain you’ll be riding. If you’re heading to the mountains, you may have to do repeated efforts up shorter local climbs to help you get ready.
Perhaps you need to consider some turbo training if the weather or terrain at home aren’t suited to you needs?
If you’re planning to ride every day on holiday, it’s a good idea to at least try out riding back to back days at home. That way you’ll know how your body will respond.
Make sure you train wearing the kit you’ll be wearing on holiday. That way you know it will work and be comfortable. Likewise, if you’re going to have panniers on board, make sure you’ve trained with your bike loaded up so you know your stuff fits in them, how to pack them, how the bike handles with weight and that they are fit for purpose!
For more information, check out our tips for preparing for long distance cycling and our specific training tips too.
10. What routes will you ride when you get there?
If you’ve opted for an organised trip, this is much less relevant. But, if you’re going DIY, it’s really important to think about what bike routes you’ll do before you arrive. Trying to sort bike rides and GPX routes out on a dodgy wifi connection in the hotel is not what you want to be doing on evening one of your trip…
We’ve got hundreds of tried and tested epic cycling routes in our destination guides; you can find all the cycling destination guides here, just click through to find our routes and GPX files.
If we haven’t (yet) covered your destination, make sure you read our in-depth article on cycling route planning. It contains all our best tips from years of practise.
We’d also just mention that Strava heatmap is a great resource for finding the most commonly used roads in the area you’re planning on riding in. It’s a really handy tool as a cycling trip planner. It’s updated using (anonymised) data from other riders, so you can see where people tend to go. If you’re looking for tips on how to plan a cycling route yourself, we’d also suggest looking on Google Streetview to make sure you don’t accidentally route down a track or private road – believe us, even the best routing apps in the world can fail on this one!
Finally, for each route you pick, you should also consider where you’ll stop for breaks and lunch (these cafes in London, Mallorca and Girona might be good to know about). You should also make a plan B in case you or someone in your group isn’t up to to the ride or has a mechanical.
Final thoughts
Whether you’re planning your first cycling holiday or you’ve completed a lot of cycle holidays abroad, whether you’re looking for an easy cycling holiday or a super challenging one, we hope these cycling holiday tips have helped you.
Feel free to explore the buttons below, which link to additional content on the points covered above.
Have a fantastic cycling trip and don’t forget to drop us an email or message on social media to tell us how you got on!
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Kate is a passionate cyclist who has explored the world by bike, including Europe, central America and South East Asia. Kate is a key member of the Epic Road Rides team; when she’s not busy commissioning articles for Epic Road Rides, you’ll find her busy writing and editing articles herself.
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