Travel

Leisure Holidays in Europe: How to get the most from your break

We spoke to Wheel2Wheel to get their advice for those planning a tour...

Thinking of jetting off with your bike in the next couple of months? Wheel2Wheel Holidays offer self-guided European cycling holidays in well known and less discovered destinations. Holidays are tailored to the needs of families, couples, singles and groups and provided alongside local partners able to offer leisure cycling experiences all over Europe.

Being leisure cycling holiday experts, they’ve provided us with a little more information about what you can expect from Wheel2Wheel Holidays, as well as some basic advice for anyone planning on taking their bike on a trip this year..

ARTICLE SPONSORED BY WHEEL2WHEELHOLIDAYS

What are Wheel2Wheel Holidays about?

Over the past couple of seasons, we have sent leisure cyclists on cycling holidays with an emphasis on the things that make going from A to B more enjoyable. Well planned routes, local support and local bike hire all contribute to a comprehensive holiday experience. We ensure guests have time to enjoy the local foods, wines and museums as they pedal along wonderful scenery and cycle paths.

We organise everything prior to arrival – including hotel accommodation, route planning and organising the luggage transfers. You just need to organise your own travel to the starting point and from the end of the tour.

How do you make sure you book the RIGHT holiday?

Coming to a decision about which holiday is right for you is one of the hardest choices you’ll make.

Our advice would be to sit down and write a list of what you want to do, and experience, as well as important factors that might affect your enjoyment – do you want traffic free roads? Beaches? Culture? Is it important to you that the temperature is a bit ‘Goldilocks’ – not too hot, but not too cold? If you’ll be holidaying with children, you’ll no doubt want to stay somewhere with entertainment for those moments when they won’t be pedaling such as afternoons and evenings. With your list, set about finding a location that ticks the most of your boxes.

Wheel2Wheel offer over 160 different holidays and hotel category options on many tours – and we can help you find the holiday that’s right for you. For example, if you prefer cycling along a traffic-free path, then we recommend the Danube Cycle Path or Lake Constance. For good wine and history, why not try our cycle tours in Provence or Alsace around France? If you fancy going somewhere different, then you could head towards Poland or Slovenia. All of our self-guided cycling holidays include luggage transfers and route details, so you can ride comfortably in unfamiliar surroundings.

I’ve not been on a cycling holiday before, how do I prepare and what do I bring?

A leisure cycling holiday is designed to be less strenuous than a full-on road cycling tour such as many of the training camps on offer in places like Mallorca. The daily distances are shorter and there is no rush to get to the end of the ride. In fact, quite the opposite. You will ride along cycle paths – quiet rural roads and through areas of interest designed to get you the most out of an area. All this means that you probably don’t need “all the gear” – a sentiment that will please those who aren’t into Lycra!

For any cycling holiday, whatever the level of riding, we suggest packing comfortable cycling clothing with padded shorts and a lightweight jacket in case of changing weather. If you feel comfortable wearing your cycling gear in a café, vineyard or shop then you are probably dressed for the type of cycling we offer!

Since you’ll be spending quite a bit of time in the saddle, it’s a good idea to bring one that you find comfortable. Travel documents are a must of course – and a waterproof wallet to keep them in isn’t a bad idea!

How do I get the most from my holiday?

Many spring cycling holidays see riders heading up the side of a mountain or riding across the countryside at a furious pace – but a leisure holiday is very different. In fact, if you do tear through your ‘stage’, you will probably miss many of the reasons why you have chosen to go on a leisure cycling holiday.

To get the most out of the your holiday, we suggest slowing down to stop and see the sights. Visit somewhere new along the way and do some research about the area that you will be visiting so you do not miss anything.

Leisure cycling is a great way to explore a new country or region and we hope that your first holiday with us will make you consider further cycling holidays in the future.

Interested in Wheel2Wheel holidays? Check out the site here.