How to Plan a Cycling Holiday

Pick a route that matches the bikes and legs you actually have, book the first and last nights plus any train or flight, then leave the middle flexible. Everything else, from daily distance to luggage, follows from those choices.

Choose a route type before a destination

The surface and the gradient decide whether a trip is relaxing or a grind, more than the country does. For a first trip, favor a river, canal or coastal route over a mountain crossing, and check the elevation profile and surface of any route you pick. Two options show how different “famous” routes can be.

EuroVelo 6 and the Loire

EuroVelo 6 is billed as 4,700 km long, crossing 10 countries from the Atlantic to the Black Sea. The official site lists France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria, so a “Danube trip” is only one slice of it. You do not need the whole route. The Loire à Vélo is a separate, shorter option: 800 km of marked and secured tracks from Cuffy near Nevers to Saint-Brévin-les-Pins on the Atlantic coast. France.fr describes it as equipped with services for cyclists, including special accommodations and bike rentals, and says close to 600 businesses within 5 km of the route carry the “Accueil Vélo” label.

One caution applies to any EuroVelo route: the official GPX file for the full route includes sections still under development or at the planning stage, so download only the developed parts if you want sections that are ready to ride, and check local conditions.

Great Glen Way: not a road-bike holiday

The Great Glen Way in Scotland is a long-distance path running 73 miles from Fort William on the west coast to Inverness on the east. A bike hire company on the route says it can be a challenge to experienced mountain bikers in places, with steeper forest road and path sections where the route climbs high above Loch Ness. It recommends mountain bikes for those sections and, for comfort touring bikes, deviating to the east side of Loch Ness from Fort Augustus. West to east is the most popular direction because you have the prevailing wind behind you, and most people take three days with overnights at Fort Augustus and Drumnadrochit. Treat it as an off-road trip, not a beginner route, and if you ride a road bike, plan a different route and check surfaces locally.

The two example routes compared

Route	Length	Type	What the sources say
EuroVelo 6	4,700 km, 10 countries	Atlantic to Black Sea, ride sections	The full GPX file includes undeveloped sections
Loire à Vélo	800 km	Marked, secured tracks	Cyclist-oriented services along the route
Great Glen Way	73 miles (about 117 km)	Long-distance path, Fort William to Inverness	Can challenge experienced mountain bikers; usually three days

Set a daily distance from your fitness, not from a rule

There is no universal number. Your comfortable distance depends on load, terrain, headwinds, how many days you ride in a row and how much you want to stop. Test it: ride two consecutive days at home with your loaded bike and see how the second day feels. Plan shorter days (or a rest day) when the route has climbs, and leave an hour or two each afternoon free for sights, food and delays. Treat the result of that test as your ceiling, not your target. See also cycling routes in the Scottish Highlands and our guide to cycling fitness explains how quickly fitness actually changes.

Self-supported, guided or luggage-free

Self-supported: you carry everything and book your own stays. Cheapest and most flexible, but you ride a heavy bike.
Luggage transfer: a company moves your bags between stops while you plan your own route and pace. This suits routes with established cyclist services, such as the Loire à Vélo described above.
Guided or packaged: accommodation, transfers and support are arranged for you. Good for first trips or when logistics are the worry.

If you carry your own gear, read panniers, backpack or frame bag and the bikepacking introduction to decide how to pack light.

Getting there with a bike

Trains

Rules differ by operator and route. Since June 2023, EU rail passengers are generally entitled to take their bicycles with them on trains, though railway companies may restrict bicycle transport for capacity or safety reasons, and some services (the Eurostar and ÖBB Nightjet are given as examples) carry bikes only on selected routes. In Britain, the Caledonian Sleeper requires a reservation for every bike, has space for 6 bicycles in racks and 2 in bags per service, and allows one bike per guest. Reserve your bike space when you buy your ticket, since every bike needs one.

Flights

Airline bike fees and packing rules vary a lot, so read the carrier’s own page for your exact flight and ask what box or bag dimensions and weight limits apply. Hiring a bike at your destination avoids the problem, and local shops often know the best surfaces and detours. If you hire, bring your own saddle or pedals only if you can fit them, and check the fit before leaving the shop.

Booking accommodation and timing

Book the first and last night and any scarce stays, such as small towns with few beds on a popular route in peak summer, then keep the rest flexible. Ask whether the host offers secure bike storage; if not, plan on a decent lock and read how to lock your bike. Transport reservations with limited bike spaces should be made as soon as your dates are firm.

What to bring

Multi-tool, tire levers, spare tube or patch kit and a pump, plus the skills in our flat tire guide
A packable rain jacket and a warm layer
Offline maps on a phone or GPS device, and a power bank
Chamois cream if you ride several days in a row
Photos of your documents and booking confirmations, stored offline

Have the bike checked before you leave: brakes, tires, chain and wheels. Do the pre-ride checklist each morning, and if a brake lever feels spongy, a wheel wobbles or you see a cracked frame, stop and take it to a bike shop before you ride on.

For the evenings after a long day in the saddle, a page of quotes about the journey makes good reading.

Sources

Last reviewed: October 2026.