19 long-distance routes for a European cycling holiday, plus how to plan your own
- Cycling network EuroVelo lists routes, some thousands of kilometres long, and offers route planner for cyclists who want to create their own
Summer is the season for travel in Europe, and thanks to the proximity of the various countries, the continent can be easily explored by train, car or even by bike.
With this last option, you are definitely doing something good for the environment, as well as your own fitness. And you’re slowing the pace down, opening the possibility of discovery that you might not have racing through the countryside in a car or train.
Europe has plenty of great long-distance bike routes. If you’re not sure where to start, a good place to look is the European cycle route network, an initiative launched some 25 years ago by the umbrella organisation of the European cycling federations.
The European cycling network EuroVelo’s website lists a total of 19 routes across Europe, some of them thousands of kilometres long.
EuroVelo 1, the Atlantic Coast route, will lead you from the North Cape in Norway all the way to the southern end of Portugal, for example, while the Meuse cycle route, or EuroVelo 19, follows the Meuse river through France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Be it a ride from Andalusia to Athens or from Norway to Normandy, EuroVelo can also help you plan a custom route using the EuroVelo route planner. Enter your point of departure and your desired destination, and it will come up with an itinerary, combining different EuroVelo routes if necessary.
