Self-guided cycling holidays are our most popular type of cycling holiday. As the name suggests, on these cycling holidays you are the master of your own destiny, riding at a pace that suits you and stopping for breaks wherever and whenever you please along the route.
Accommodation, bikes, and detailed route notes are provided, as well as luggage transfer and a local telephone number, should assistance be required during your trip. At the start of your holiday the bikes and route notes will be delivered to your first night’s hotel. At the end of the holiday just leave the bikes at your last night’s hotel and our local team will pick them up from there.
Self-guided cycling holiday enthusiasts tend to be free-spirited, leisure cyclists who embrace independent travel and relish being in charge of their daily cycling itineraries. Detailed route notes and maps make navigation easy and besides guiding you to your next overnight stop, they also identify points of interest along the way.
Luggage transfer is included on all our self-guided cycling holidays and is one of the major benefit of these trips. Just leave your bags with the receptionist of the hotel you are checking out of in the morning and set off on your day’s cycle ride. During the day your bags will be picked up and delivered to your next hotel. This system allows you to enjoy the daily rides completely unencumbered.
You are welcome to bring your own bike on any of our self guided cycling holidays but most customers tend to rent through us as travelling with bikes can be a bit of a logistical nightmare. Your rental bike will be delivered to your first hotel and picked up from wherever your tour finishes. The bikes do vary a little depending on the tour being booked but in all cases will be modern and well maintained. You can expect a comfortable upright riding position, a pannier to carry any extra items for the day’s ride, a bike lock and puncture repair kit. In many cases an odometer or trip computer is included too.
The beauty of self-guided cycling holidays is that you set the pace, deciding where to stop for breaks and for how long. For instance, if you fancy a few hours at that rather gorgeous beach then go ahead. If you’d like to to park the bikes and explore that delightful little village on foot then there’s nothing to stop you. Of course, at some point you do actually have to make it to your next night’s stop but as the vast majority of our cycling holidays are graded as easy or leisurely, that shouldn’t pose too much of a problem.
We offer over 150 different self-guided cycling holidays itineraries in 22 European countries. Many of our cycling holidays are 7 nights in duration but we also offer a range of shorter cycling breaks as well as some longer duration tours too.
Explore the beautiful Champagne Region and visit a famous Champagne House on the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay before embarking on a pleasant bike and boat journey eastwards along the scenic Marne River to Paris – The City Of Lights. Daily rides reveal elegant Chateaux and charming towns.
A Classic Dutch Cycling Holiday that offers the perfect introduction to cycling holidays in Holland. Starting and finishing in Amsterdam, this tour leads you along Holland’s marvellous cycle path network through beautiful polder landscapes and bulb fields to the gorgeous old towns of Haarlem, Leiden, Delft and Gouda.
This classic cycling route leads you from Copenhagen down through Zealand and Falster to the Baltic Sea. A short ferry crossing delivers you to Rostock in Germany from where you continue your odyssey south, through Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg, to the unique and exciting city of Berlin.
This cycling holiday follows the still relatively young Danube across an incredibly scenic part of Bavaria. Expect leisurely cycling with plenty of charming towns and cities to explore along the way. Highlights include the old town of Donauwörth, Weltenburg Monastery, a boat trip through the Danube Gap and the beautifully preserved city of Regensburg.
A leisurely, long distance cycling holiday along the Danube from Passau in Germany, via Vienna in Austria and Bratislava in Slovakia, to Budapest in Hungary. One river, two weeks, three capital cities, four countries and a lifetime of memories.
Our Passau to Vienna Cycling Break covers the most popular stretch of the great river in just 4 cycling days. You’ll be covering around 80 kms per day on level, riverside cycle paths. Along the way you’ll see the Danube Loop at Schlögen, the city of Linz, the baroque town of Grein, the sublime wine villages of the Wachau Valley, the medieval town of Krems and of course the Imperial City of Vienna.
The classic Danube cycling holiday. Cycle along what many consider to be the most beautiful stretch of the Danube river as it wends it’s way through Upper and Lower Austria along beautiful, fertile valleys, past charming medieval villages to the elegant city of Vienna.
Similar to our classic Passau to Vienna tour but spread over 9 nights instead or 7, this more leisurely option allows you to cycle the whole route between Passau and Vienna without the help of boat or train rides along the way. On this relaxed itinerary you’ll do about 27 miles (43 kms) per day and see the most beautiful stretches of the Danube River
An easy cycling break following the young Danube through scenic, lower Bavaria to Passau, the city of three rivers on the Austrian border. Relaxed cycling through quaint riverside villages and Baroque towns. Level cycle paths and quiet roads characterise this very pleasant route in a beautiful corner of Germany.
A 10 night cycling adventure, following the mighty Danube River from Regensburg in Bavaria, past the Danube Loop and Wachau Valley all the way to Vienna in Austria. Easy riverside cycling complemented by quiet valleys, fertile plains, terraced vineyards and historic riverside towns.
Visit three stunning capital cities on this classic cycling holiday along the Danube River. Ride downstream from imperial Vienna to Bratislava, a small historic city with an intoxicating, cafe-culture vibe. Then it’s on, through Slovakia to Hungary and its capital, Budapest – one of Europe’s most fascinating and exciting cities.
A bike and boat cycling holiday along the most impressive and beautiful section of the mighty Danube River aboard the comfortable MS Normandie. Highlights include the Danube Loop, the wonderful Wachau Valley, elegant Vienna, beautiful Bratislava and Budapest.
Cruise and cycle along the Danube River between Passau and Budapest aboard the elegant and stylish MS Primadonna. Offering spacious cabins and impressive on-board facilities the MS Primadonna is the second largest cruise ship afloat on the Danube and is a very comfortable base for this leisurely, highly enjoyable, cycling holiday.
A bike and boat holiday along the most impressive and beautiful section of the mighty Danube River aboard the MV Carissima. Highlights include the Danube Loop, the wonderful Wachau Valley, elegant Vienna, beautiful Bratislava and Budapest.
A bike and boat holiday along the most impressive and beautiful section of the mighty Danube River aboard the MV Fortuna. Highlights include the Danube Loop, the wonderful Wachau Valley, elegant Vienna, beautiful Bratislava and Budapest.
This popular Danube River bike and boat cycling holiday between Passau and Vienna aboard the comfortable river cruiser MS Normandie showcases the most impressive and beautiful section of the mighty river. Enjoy easy, daily cycle rides along the riverbank through spectacular scenery including the Danube Loop, and Wachau Valley.
This popular Danube River Bike and Boat cycling holiday between Passau and Bratislava aboard the comfortable river cruiser, Theodor Körner, showcases the most impressive and beautiful section of the mighty river. Enjoy easy daily cycle rides along the riverbank through spectacular scenery including the Danube Loop, and Wachau Valley.
Discover the young Danube on this leisurely cycle holiday through Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. Let the river unveil idyllic villages, fertile, rolling countryside and proud cities as it makes its way eastwards. Easy, riverside cycling with lots to see along the way and interesting overnight stops.
A long distance cycling holiday from the source of the Danube in the Black Forest across southern Germany to Passau on the Austrian border. Follow the young Danube as it leads you through a procession of idyllic villages, fertile rolling countryside and proud cities
An easy and scenic cycling holiday, following gently descending alpine cycle paths from Brixen, in the Dolomites, to Bolzano, Lake Caldaro, Trento and finally the beautiful towns of Riva and Torbole on the northern shore of glistening Lake Garda. Jaw dropping Alpine scenery from start to finish.
This wonderful route unveils some of the Dolomites’ most spectacular scenery. Awe inspiring peaks, crystal clear lakes and verdant valleys provide the back-drop to the first four days. Thereafter you cycle through the Prosecco region to historic Treviso and finally to Venice on the Adriatic coast.
From the birthplace of the Renaissance to the Eternal City this fantastic route takes in some of central Italy’s most beautiful towns and scenery. Enjoy the culture and art of Tuscany’s Florence before heading south to Umbria’s famous hilltop towns of Perugia and Assisi. This classic route ends with a flourish in the Italian Capital.
Head to the Netherlands’ North Sea coast for a bike and boat cycling holiday around the quiet and serene Frisian Islands. Sail from island to island on a lovely old schooner, disembarking each day for leisurely cycle rides ride along quiet lanes and cycle paths to pristine sand dunes, light-houses and friendly coastal villages.
If you think an Alpine cycling holiday must mean hills and more hills, think again. This journey takes you to lakes Geneva, Bourget and Annecy, with stunning backdrops but minimum climbing, following the Rhône and Isere to experience some of Europe’s best mountain scenery.
| Grade3 | Leisurely to Moderate |
| Distance | 143 miles/230 kms |
| Duration/s | 5 nights |
| Accomm | Simple to Comfort |
| Themes |
This Andalusian cycling holiday leads you through some of the region’s most beautiful and unspoilt countryside. Enjoy exploring the wonderful Moorish city of Granada before cycling west through rugged, romantic countryside, punctuated with charming whitewashed villages to the historic cliff-top town of Arcos de la Frontera.
This Andalusian cycling holiday leads you through some of the region’s most beautiful and unspoilt countryside. Enjoy exploring the wonderful Moorish city of Granada before beginning your ride through a rugged, romantic landscape, punctuated with charming whitewashed villages and perfect overnight stops.
Quite simply the best quality bike and boat holiday in Holland. Cruise and cycle the dutch waterways aboard one of the lovely Magnifique boats, enjoying in the country’s iconic sights. On this trip you’ll see Amsterdam, the IJssel lake, the windmills of Kinderdijk and the historic cities of Dordrecht and Gouda as well as the unique polder lanscapes of this beautiful country.
This leisurely cycling holiday leads you on a wonderful journey through sensational, ever-changing scenery from the alpine town of Innsbruck in the Austrian Tyrol via gorgeous Lake Garda and the elegant city of Verona to unique and captivating Venice on the Adriatic Coast.
This highly enjoyable cycling holiday packs a lot of highlights into a relatively short cycle tour, leading you from the alpine town of Innsbruck in the Austrian Tyrol, through the Brenner Pass alongside the Adige River, via Trento and gorgeous Lake Garda to the beautiful city of Verona.
An enjoyable and scenic cycling holiday north to south along the Istrian coast from Muggia/Trieste to Pula. Along the way you’ll visit spectacular medieval coastal towns such as Piran in Slovenia, as well as Umag, Poreč and Rovinj in Croatia. Leisurely cycling with a pleasant mix of natural beauty and old world charm.
| Grade3 | Leisurely to Moderate |
| Distance | 155 miles/250 kms |
| Duration/s | 7 nights |
| Accomm | Comfort to Superior |
| Themes |
Protruding out into the Adriatic Sea opposite Venice, the Istrian Peninsula is a fantastic place to enjoy a cycling holiday. The undulating coastline is dotted with idyllic little ports and villages, some of which date back to medieval times. This wonderful cycle tour also leads you inland through green valleys and forests to charming, unspoilt villages.
Come and explore the beautiful and peaceful island of Kefalonia in the Ionian Sea by bicycle. Cycle along quiet country lanes to glorious beaches and quaint villages whilst enjoying amazing sea views. On this tour you will stay at three different locations during your 7 night holiday – in a remote and tranquil area, on the coast and in the bustling capital.
| Grade3 | Leisurely to Moderate |
| Distance | 171 miles/275 kms |
| Duration/s | 7 nights |
| Accomm | Comfort to Superior |
| Themes |
A leisurely cycling holiday taking in fascinating and romantic Krakow before heading south to follow the Dunajec river through the peaceful green valleys and breathtaking gorges of the Tatras Mountains. This scenic cycling holiday is mostly downhill, passing pristine lakes and romantic castles, staying in charming, cosy mountain villages.
Follow the River Ebro from its humble beginnings in foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains through rolling countryside, imposing canyons and unspoilt, seldom-visited villages to the famous Rioja vineyards. This is a cycling holiday where the dramatic, ever-changing landscape is as much a treat as the fine wines waiting for you at the end of each day in the saddle.
Follow the Velodyssey Cycle Path from La Rochelle through Charente Maritime and Aquitaine to Arcachon Bay near Bordeaux. Easy riding on idyllic, beach-side cycle paths punctuated with stays in pleasant seaside towns characterizes this highly enjoyable cycling holiday.
Cycling Touring Holidays
Bike and Boat Holidays
2 - 9 holidays
10 - 99 holidays
100 or more holidays
1000 or more tours
Rivers & Lakes: Cycling holidays alongside rivers and/or lakes.
Coastal: Cycling holidays that follow a coastline.
Wine Lovers: Cycling holidays through well known wine regions.
Gastronomic: Cycling holidays through regions renowned for their cuisine.
E-bikes: Cycling holidays where e-bikes are available as well as regular bikes.