How to plan your own European cycle tour.....and why you don't need a guide
Planning on going on your own multi-day traffic-free European bike tour in 2025? There are so many great places to explore by bike in Europe that we are spoiled for choice. Bike touring comes in a few different forms - there is bike packing where you ride with all your minimalist belongings including your own camping provisions; or self guided tours where you pay a cycle tour company to organise a route, hotel and get your luggage sent from A to B each day. Then there is a type of touring that is rather poorly named as credit card touring which you may well be wondering what on earth that is?! Well, it’s a type of bike touring where riders rely on credit card transactions to purchase food, stay in hotels, and get repairs and medical care. Usually the tour is completed on a touring hybrid bike, set up with panniers for your clothes and as such the route will be on a mix of greenway, bike paths, bridleway and roads. These are exactly the type of tours we specialise in, except with us, they are fully guided and we support you in every way to get you to the finish line each day!
Whichever you choose, you are set for a great adventure and if you have a deep desire to go it alone or with a small group of companions, then here are our 5 tips to help make it the trip of a lifetime.
Tip 1 - Decide where you want to go?
This is the fun part. There are so many great places to go on a cycle tour in Europe, however some places are much better set up for it than others. Things to consider are if there is an established cycleway system; a good cycling scene in the region with the presence of bike shops, cafes and of course people riding bikes. This will give you reassurance that you know the route is well established with all the amenities that you need, such as bike hire and bike repair. Generally the further west you go in Europe the better the infrastructure is for cycling. For example the Netherlands, France and Germany all have an amazing setup for cycle touring with very well maintained bike paths. The European Cyclists' Federation (ECF) have set up the Eurovelo cycle network which connects 40 countries via 19 unique cycling routes across the European continent. The Eurovelo website is an amazing resource for understanding the vast establishment of cycling route options. Bear in mind though that whilst the routes are aimed towards long distance cycle touring, much of each route is on road with cars so be sure to do your research thoroughly.
Equally, if you are after a more adventurous route with less established cycleways, then there are some amazing options in other parts of Europe that can provide a true adventure, like in Eastern Europe or the Balkans. Romania for example provides such an opportunity to venture where not many other cyclists go and is such a unique experience through Transylvania and the Danube Delta, which has the largest biodiversity in Europe. There are ample opportunities to get away from traffic, mainly on dirt where the riding is pretty raw and you’ll have to expect the unexpected.
Check online for forums and social pages for info on traffic-free cycle routes as well as websites setup by tourism boards. For example, one of our favourite cycleways is the Alpe Adria trail which has it’s own designated website with all the info you need on the route. We have also provided a list of what we think are the 5 best cycling paths in Europe in one of our previous blogs, so check that out!
Tip 2 - Find greenways
In our humble opinion greenways should be at the heart of every multi-day traffic free bike tour. They epitomise the essence of what going on a bike tour is all about - connection. A cycle path allows you to connect with nature, other riders and yourself in a way that roads can’t. As you leave a city and join a greenway on a nice warm day you immediately feel that sense of calm and liberation with no cars, pollution or obstacles to worry about. It allows you to really feel nature through the senses which heightens your emotional response to your riding. This sense of heightened awareness of the nature around you allows you to gain self reflection away from your normal life. People who come on our tours experience all of this and by the end of their journey they gain a sense of life perspective and achievement.
Finding greenways is a lot of fun but it really all comes down to the planning and making sure your route is realistic and achievable. The best app to use to map your greenway route is Komoot. This is because as you plan your route, any path marked in green is a greenway specifically for cyclists. These can be either paved or unpaved and the app will indicate this also.
Another great resource is the european greenways association which exists to help preserve traffic-free routes and advises local and national bodies in Europe on greenway development. The website is a little clunky but there is some great information to inspire you when planning your next trip.
Checking the topography when looking at greenways is important also because it helps you choose a suitably distanced route, manage your energy and anticipate challenging sections with gravel and steep inclines. Again, Komoot can give you all this information - there aren't many people we have met that enjoy a steep uphill gravel trail! Typically for our tours we look at riding 50-70km on a mostly flat route and 30-50km on a hilly route. Both of these options invariably will take up a full day of riding.
Tip 3. - Pack well
This is absolutely essential no matter if you are bikepacking or bike touring (credit card style). Over the years we have seen and experienced ourselves the difference between packing well and not packing well. It can make or break your tour. In our experience overpacking rather than under packing is the main culprit. It’s so tempting to overpack; ‘have I brought enough clothes, what if it’s freezing cold or buckets with rain, or have I packed all the right cycling essentials?’
The truth is there is no exact science but there are of course a few obvious things to consider like how long you are going for, the size of you panniers, your own fitness and competence riding with extra weight and of course the weather in your destination. We recommend taking two panniers (or a double pannier) to be fixed on the rear of your bike. This helps with weight distribution on either side of the bike which helps with control. Be mindful though that the bike will be ‘back heavy’ which can mean the front tyre can more easily lose traction. Most panniers will be about 15 litres on each side which is plenty big enough for a week or two’s touring but the less you carry the easier it with be on hills and on bike control..
We have developed an instructional VIDEO on how to pack the perfect pannier which goes through these 5 top tips:
Pack your pannier in an orderly system - using sectional inner bags and having absolute essentials for the day’s ride at the top and non essentials for the later in the evening at the bottom
Roll clothes - it’s just way more space efficient than folding!
Internal pannier bags - pack your belongings into sections using packing cube and zip-lock bags. It’s best to group things together like all electronics in one bag and all bike clothes in another etc.
Evenly weighted panniers - Always cycle with two panniers and try to distribute the weight evenly between them. It will make your bike much easier to control, especially around corners and on rough surfaces.
Secure the load - This means checking everything is secure and in working order - the bike rack has no loose screws going into the frame, your pannier is attached correctly to the rack, any extra belongings can be attached with scraps onto the top of the rack which will increase your center of gravity on the bike.
Tip 4: Book accommodation in advance that can accommodate bicycles
One of the clear advantages of doing your own tour is that finding accommodation with bike storage for one or two people rather than an entire group is a lot easier. Most hotels will help you out by supplying some sort of storage for your bike, whether that be in a luggage storage cupboard, basement cellar or a dedicated bike cage or garage. Only very occasionally hotels won’t accommodate bikes at all but we highly recommend contacting the hotel prior to booking to find out. Choosing a hotel that is setup for having bikes means you’ll be guaranteed to be able to store your bike in a safe place and more often than not there will be simple bike maintenance equipment there for you to use. On our tours this is most evident in Girona which is an absolute bike mecca and many hotel have everything that a tired and weary cyclists needs at the end of a long day - easy access to a ‘ride in’ garage’, lockable bike cage with hooks to hook your bike on, bike tools and usually a jet wash. Alternatively, if you are going solo and want to connect with like-minded cycle tourers and also save a bit of money on hotels, then check out the platform Warmshowers. It connects you with friendly, supportive hosts to stay with along your journey - it’s a bit like couchsurfing for cyclists.
Tip 5: Find cycle touring friends
Whilst availability of bike storage in hotels might be a clear advantage of going it alone; connecting with others and sharing your amazing experience with them is a clear advantage of going with a group of riders. According to studies, interaction with nature, like whilst bike touring or hiking, improves psychological well-being and provides an enhanced sense of connection with others which is mediated by the feelings of awe. Multiple studies have shown that awe experiences are often accompanied by feelings of connectedness with others, and a sense of being in the presence of something greater than oneself. A cycle tour done by yourself can be an amazing experience of self accomplishment and connection with yourself, but a tour done in a group vastly enhances your experience of awe by connecting with others whilst also providing opportunities for self connection.
Added to the advantage of sharing the experience, there are also many practical benefits to having a good group of cycle touring friends. This includes enhancing safety and support particularly in an emergency, as well as boosting morale and offering emotional support during tough moments. Being in a group means you’ll have to work together which if you do that well, will really help with formulating a plan, navigation and problem-solving and you’ll ultimately be able to learn from each other’s skills. So if you don't join an organised group tour, then why not find a group of friends to ride with to make it more enjoyable and memorable whilst also offering practical benefits throughout the adventure.
Happy cycling everyone!