If there’s any better feeling than the one on felt two wheels, shirt in the breeze like you’re sailing, your chain whirring and your heart soaring, then we haven’t felt it.
Well, perhaps there are better feelings, but for legal kicks that can be achieved without shaming yourself in public, biking can’t be beat.
The UK’s keen cyclists seem to agree, with the biking sector’s revenue expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 3.57%, according to Statista.
That’s a whole lot more wheels on Britain’s already busy roads, especially in summer, when bikes across the country are dusted off for annual cycling trips with friends and family.
Should you be keen to take your passion across the Channel and have a spin on some of the continent’s best cycling routes this year, then you’ve come to the right place; here are 7 of Europe’s best cycling routes for an adventure holiday with a difference in 2023.
The Trans-Alp, Germany & Italy
We kick off with something challenging (start as you mean to go on, right?). If you’re after mountain biking to take your breath away, the Trans-Alp event is it. Although billed as a race, simply finishing this stretch of trying ascents and terrifying descents is enough for most participants. It’s a gruelling, challenging course of 600 largely off-road kilometres and a 20’000 vertical climb. By anyone’s standards, that’s tough and make no mistake.
Those hard enough to take it on are rewarded with stunning, STUNNING (so good we typed it twice) views and the cleanest air you’re ever likely to breathe. If the struggle is enough to put most people off, here’s another caveat; you’ll need to find a companion as crazy as you to enter, as, for safety reasons, you have to pair up. Go on, we dare you.
The Legendary Mont Ventoux Ascent, Provence
Though Provence is one of France’s most visited regions, it also boasts some of the most tranquil and scenic stretches of roads you’ll find anywhere in the country.
With routes bordered by the region’s rolling hills, verdant vineyards, lavender fields, and Roman ruins, there’s plenty to take in during a tour on two wheels here, but it’s those violaceous pastures that are particularly captivating for cyclists.
Choose to base your cycling tour in the Luberon Valley on a kind of village-hopping jaunt, making a pit stop in each of the so-called ‘Golden Triangle’ of villages that make up the north of Luberon, namely Bonnieux, Gordes, Goult, Lacoste, Oppède, Roussillon, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, and Ménerbes. It’s in mid-June to late August that the flowering season is at its peak, so do try to time your cycling holiday with peak lavender season!
Those after something more challenging in Provence head for the legendary Bedoin to Mont Ventoux cycling ascent, which is revered worldwide for its average gradient of 7.5% (phew) and incredible views of the lavender hills below from its peak.
Part of cycling folklore due to it being the place where, in 2016, Chris Frome crashed into the back of a motorbike and then tried to run up the mountain, this one is only for very serious cyclists indeed. Come prepared, in your prime, and you might just stand a chance.
The mountain also has a tragic past, as it’s where beloved British cyclist Tom Simpson collapsed and, sadly, passed away. Make sure you visit his memorial some 20 kilometres into the ascent.
Read: 5 fantastic travelling holidays in France
Passau, Germany to Vienna, Austria
Taking around a week if you approach your cycling is a leisurely way, the ride from Passau in Germany to Austria’s capital Vienna is one of the most beautiful in all of Europe.
Passau is a wonderful place to spend some time before you embark on your two-wheelin’ adventure. Defined by water as the rivers Danube, Ils and Inn all converge here, the baroque architecture of the old town is breathtaking; make sure you take it all in from Veste Oberhaus, a 13th-century hilltop stronghold housing an observation tower.
Once you’re ready to mount your bicycle, the entirely traffic-free route from Passau to Vienna winds gently alongside the Danube, passing Austria’s fruit orchards, vineyards and gorgeous rolling hills relatively undisturbed by modern affectation. The route is around 300 kilometres in total, and takes around a week.
The Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland
If you’re looking to take a longer cycling trip, consider exploring the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland. The coastal highway stretches all the way from Donegal in the north down to the south coast and County Cork, and comprises around 2’500 km of road and takes around a month to complete.
Don’t worry, it’s not pure cycling without a moment’s pause; there are countless places worth stopping at, including Sligo (which was one of Yeats’ greatest inspirations), Connemara, Galway, and Kinsale.
Along the way, the local seafood is some of the finest you’ll encounter (and hopefully, eat!) anywhere on the planet, with the local oysters and langoustine particularly revered. You can, in fact, base your whole road trip around eating shellfish, with the experts at The Taste Ireland recommending starting at Fishy Fishy in Kinsale, Cork, a critically acclaimed temple of all things landed from the sea. When finishing up in Donegal, Killybegs Seafood Shack boasts incredible views of the harbour and the freshest fish on the plate. A well earned meal after all that cycling, don’t you think?
The Black Mountain Pass, Wales
The Black Mountain (A4069) pass, connecting Llandovery and Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, is a must-ride for cyclists even if it does sound like some treacherous rites of passage straight out of The Lord of the Rings.
Regarded as one of the greatest cycling roads in Wales, if not the entire UK, this A-road has several tight corners, hairpin turns, and switchbacks as it curves around the Black Mountain and continues into the Brecon Beacons National Park. One word of caution, though: even if you won’t encounter any orcs or trolls, keep an eye out for wandering animals (especially sheep), especially after blind corners.
La Grande Rota do Guadiana, The Algarve
Europe isn’t only appropriate for the most marathon of rides, of course. Some of the best, in fact, can be enjoyed over the course of a single afternoon. The Algarve in Portugal is known for its incredible roads, and though it’s most commonly tackled on four wheels, parts of the region’s world famous Algarviana path are even more enjoyable taken on two.
La Grande Rota do Guadiana, in particular, is a stunning stretch, taking you through 65km of mountains and coastal areas, and granting a stunning afternoon’s cycling. The easternmost point of The Algarve, the route passes through a number of communities, such as Junqueira, Azinhal, Alcaria, and Odeleite, before continuing along the River Guadiana as you approach the municipality of Alcoutim, providing breathtaking vistas.
Make sure you visit the fantastic Pontal Viewpoint for an even greater vista from which you can see the entire area and take in the beauty of the River Guadiana’s two banks. The route concludes in Alcoutim, a quaint town well worth visiting to check out the castle there.
Urban Cycling In Amsterdam
For a city-based biking break in Europe, it just has to be Amsterdam. Replete with parks and canals, and boasting such flat terrain that the ‘Netherlands’ even translates as ‘low lying country’, it’s a cyclist’s paradise. The city is as flat as a Dutch pannekoeken and has four times as many bikes as cars, nearly a million in total, with 10’000 bike parking spots around Amsterdam Central Station alone.
A couple of cycling tips for the uninitiated: avoid rush hour – Amsterdam’s roads are super busy, and during this time commuters (both on bikes and cars) become less forgiving to tourists trying out their two wheels. That said, it should be noted that in the whole of the Netherlands, cyclists have right of way at any and all times.
Aside from that, the city has many unwritten cycling rules, such as not to chain your bike to a stranger’s, don’t cycle on footpaths and never, ever get on your bike after indulging in anything psychoactive.
Finally, if you’re looking for a carefully laid framework for your cycling holiday to Amsterdam, you should follow the city’s famous canals. There are a total of 165 canals in the city, providing a natural border to the Pjjp, the Jordaan and the Museum Quarter – making the entire city picturesque and, in its own way, peaceful. Of course, anywhere there’s a canal, there’s also a parallel path, making this a beautiful way to cycle and never got lost in the city.