7 Popular Bicycle Routes in Europe for Summer Holidays
Part 2 of our route planning. After writing about epic cycling routes of more than 5000 km through Europe we'll look at popular medium range bike tours of up to 2000 km. Cycling routes that you can do in a long summer vacation.
#1 Baltic–Adriatic route 2000 km EuroVelo 9
The Baltic–Adriatic route begins in Gdansk, in Poland, and ends in Pula, in Croatia. It runs along the Amber Road, the historic trade route between St. Petersburg and Venice.
On this route you will cross 6 countries: Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Italy and Croatia. Poland hosts the flattest part of the entire route. Rivers, nature parks and historical cities like Wrocław shape the picture. The Sudetes mountains with some steeper grades only begin at the Czech border. A gentle training start to the holidays.
In Austria you first ride the EuroVelo 9 through a wine region called Weinviertel, follow the Thermal Spa Cycling Trail and then ride along the River Mur cycling trail. Sounds like vacation, right? Slovenia convinces with stunning landscapes and beautiful cities. The capital Ljubljana is VeloCity host in 2022. EuroVelo 9 ends with a swim in the warm Adriatic Sea.
The Baltic-Adriatic route is a strong candidate for our tour from the North Cape in Norway to Cabo de São Vincente in Portugal. Coming from Scandinavia, this eastern route would be quieter in summer than Germany or France. And this cycling route really sounds like vacation.
#2 Along Old Roads 1600 km Maastricht – Oloron St. Marie
This is a route full of memories for me. It was my first long-distance solo bike tour: from the Netherlands to Spain and back. The route was developed by cycling guide author Clemens Sweerman and is called Langs Oude Wegen in Dutch. It follows an ancient pilgrim's way to Santiago de Compostela. In my opinion, this is the best route from North to South through France, calm roads, nature, historical towns and villages, Rocamadour... Go and see for yourself!
Starting in Maastricht, you would arrive at the Ardennes on day 2 or so. In France, you'll follow the continually undulating country lanes. Long before you arrive at the Pyrenees you'll have climbed your share. So, in case you are on a pilgrimage you'll be well prepaired for the mountain pass.
On this rather quiet route you can slow down from your busy life and calm your mind – perfect for a summer bike vacation.
#3 Ruta Iberica 1600 km
This Route by Paule Benjaminse starts in Pau, South of France and connects the long-distance cycling route Along Old Roads with Madrid and Lisbon. Over the Col du Pourtalet mountain pass, which is basically open all year round and Zaragoza you'll reach the Meseta Central in Spain. You'll also follow the river Douro for a while. The route uses several rail road routes such as the Via Verde del Eresma, Via Verde de la Jara and the Via Verde de la Guadiana.
Can't be difficult, you're probably thinking now. This cycle path is at its most moderately difficult – if it weren't for the heat! On the plateau around Madrid, in summer, 40° Celsius are not uncommon. Cycling a few hours in the early morning and a few in the evening is a possible strategy. A wide-brimmed sombrero will be more useful in this area than a bike helmet. The most beautiful season for the Ruta Iberica is spring, when everything is still green. There is a chance of snow in the north until April. Preparation is everything!
The Ruta Iberica has many optional branches that we present in the post about cycle routes through Spain. The GPX route that you can download in this post goes through the middle - through Madrid - and ends in beautiful Lisbon.
#4 Rhine Cycle Route 1600 km EuroVelo 15
Let's go back to a river route. River routes have the advantage of being flat and green. The river Rhine rises in Switzerland, touches Liechtenstein, has one foot in Austria at Lake Constance, follows the border between France and Germany and, in the Netherlands, meets the North Sea where it's called Maas.
The starting point of the Rhine Cycle Route in Switzerland is in Andermatt at 1437 m altitude. The first ride is reaching the Oberalp Pass at 2044 m. That's 600 meters in altitude over 11 km (also possible with the rack railway). The pass is only open from May to October. From here, within 1.5 hours, you can walk to Lake Toma, the headwater source of the river Rhine. After that, it's basically downhill. EuroVelo 15 is well developed and suitable for families.
On our way from north to south we would follow the Rhine upstream. A bit unusual, but it has the advantage that it connects directly to the Rhone Cycle Route which leads to the Mediterranean Sea.
#5 Rhone Cycle Route 1000 km EuroVelo 17
The Rhone Cycle Path also starts in Andermatt. It leads southbound over the Furka Pass (May-October) to Lake Geneva and ends near Marseille on the Mediterranean Sea. The route passes stunning landscapes and interesting cities that are absolutely worth seeing: it passes the Rhone Glacier, goes along Lake Geneva, you'll see vineyards south of Seyssel, grottos in Jons, city life in Lyon, the papal city of Avignon and southern French charm.
The EuroVelo 17 is not yet fully developed and often runs on country roads. A route for everyone who loves beautiful landscapes, culture and good food.
Here you can read more about the Swiss part of the EV 17, here about the French part.
#6 Eindhoven – Barcelona 1800 km
Straight from North to South through the eastern part of France, starting in the Netherlands passing Namur in Belgium, touching the Ardennes and following the river Meuse. Bourgogne, Ardéche and a quiet mountain pass to Spain. A well-thoughtout route that you wouldn't easily think of by looking at the map.
This route by Paul Benjaminse comes with many optional detailed tracks, for a more eastern variant or a Baujolais tour, for example. The overview track that you can download in this article is the Western route that ends in Girona. The author recommends taking the train into the city of Barcelona.
Interesting for our planning is the part in southern France, the mountain pass to Spain and the several bike friendly detailed routes in this northeastern corner of Spain. We will talk about them in a dedicated article.
#7 Via Romea 2600 km EuroVelo 5
True, you need a fairly long summer vacation for this route, 3 weeks won't do. But riding part of it is also a lot of fun. For example, from the Oberalp Pass in Andermatt in Switzerland either north towards London or south towards Italy.
The Via Romea Francigena is based on a historic pilgrim's route. It begins in London and ends in Rome. The pilgrimage then continued to Jerusalem. Therefore, the official EV 5 continues on the historic Via Appia to Brindisi in southern Italy. From there pilgrims used to continue by ship.
You cross 7 countries on this long-distance cycle route: England, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. After starting in London, the route passes the Cathedral of Canterbury, historically the beginning of such a pilgrimage. In Belgium, Brussels and Namur are on the route, in Italy its Milan, Pavia and Florence. A good mix of rural areas and city visits.
So there they are, 7 of the many cycling routes to get to know Europe on a summer vacation by bicycle. The GPX routes to download give you an overview to start your planning. Just don't wait until everything is perfect! Until then...
Get on your bike and share the most beautiful, safest, shortest, or longest and most practical bike routes with others. Talk about holidays by bicycle. Give someone a bike or a bike day! Just don't give up until everyone's riding by bicycle. Because cycling makes you happy.
The maps in this article were created using MapHub using the map National Geographic, Esri, DeLorme, HERE, UNEP-WCMC, USGS, NASA, ESA, METI, NRCAN, GEBCO, NOAA, iPC.