Cycling holidays 2022 – planning and preparation

There are several factors to consider when planning a cycling holiday. In this article we will focus on what type of bike tour to choose, when to plan a bike tour, what to take into account depending on who we are traveling with, where to go, and practical details such as insurance, preparation, bike, routes.

Type of cycling holidays

First of all, we have to decide what type of cycling holiday we are interested in. Is it road cycling? Gravel? Mountain bike? Who are we going with? When and where?

Group cycling holidays

If you are planning a cycling holiday with a group, it is necessary to take into account the level and fitness of individuals, preferences regarding accommodation, meals. Do you prefer accommodation with half board in hotels or an apartment where you will cook for yourself? Will you rive every day? At what speed? Do participants have a similar level of performance? Do you want a highly active holiday or a relaxing stay? You have to agree on all this together to avoid problems on the bike ride.

Family cycling holidays

A family bike holiday will definitely be an unforgettable experience for all participants 😊 More detailed planning is needed here. Will each participant have their own bike? Or will we use a trail trolley for children? Or a baby carrier? It is also possible to fasten a children’s bicycle to an adult on part of the routes and thus extend the distances we can travel. In that case, perhaps we could consider an electric bike so that all members can enjoy the holiday. Let’s plan the stops along the route and most importantly we don’t plan too much in one day.

Of course, with a cycling holiday with children, we choose either gravel routes or side roads with minimal traffic.

Single cycling holidays

Do you prefer to go on a bike trip alone? Or do you just have someone to go with? In this case, you can cycle alone or join an organized group – many travel agencies organize bike tours for specific dates, or help you find a group to join. You can also use the services of cycling guides who will show you the surroundings. Popular cycling destinations, where many bicycle shops are located, organize mass rides during the week – so-called social rides, where you can join a group of local cyclists for free. These are usually smaller groups of up to 15 people and the rides last about 2-3 hours in the morning. This is followed by a joint lunch. Social rides are very popular in Girona and are organized 2-4 weeks a week.

Romantic cycling holidays

Does your partner have the same hobby as you do in cycling? Great, you can both enjoy an active holiday, bike in the morning, and relax in the afternoon or take the time to hike and explore the local gastronomy, architecture, history and culture. Is your partner less active? In this case, there would be a possibility that one of the couple would ride in the morning, and the other would engage in other activities, depending on what they enjoy (museums, beach, mountain tours, etc.). And you will spend the afternoon together.

One base or point to point cycling holidays

One of the ways to see as much as possible is a stage bike tour. This is a cycling holiday, where you move from place to place. You can either transport your luggage yourself in biking bags (they can be provided when you rent the bicycles), or there is the possibility of transferring the luggage by transfer organized by the travel agency. The disadvantage is that you change accommodation every day / every two days, which of course means a higher price for accommodation than if you would stayed for the whole stay in one place.
The second option is to set a fixed point from which you will plan our cycling routes. It is a more convenient and cheaper alternative – there is no need to carry luggage and when staying for more nights you can negotiate a better price. In this case, it is necessary to find a place that offers a lot for cycling and where you can prepare interesting routes for each day.

Cycling events

Participation in a selected cycling event is also a popular type of cycling holiday. You can arrive a few days before it starts, use the days before the event for hiking or training. Some of the events popular with cyclists around the world are  Sea Otter Europe, or one of the most challenging amateur road cycling events in La Purito. Or if you prefer local races, for example at the gravel event  Traka in Spain, or  Sa Costa Brava for lovers of gravel and mountain biking.

Training camp

Training camps are an event when you strengthen your physical as well as your mental side. You will supplement your knowledge of the chosen sport and immerse yourself in the world of the “elite” PRO athlete. Training camps tend to be thematically focused – either you strengthen endurance, or you practice hill riding techniques, or you focus on improving performance before the race. Training camps are structured so that in the morning the training takes place, followed by a joint lunch with the group and the coach, the afternoon is free for relaxation or tourism, and some days in the evening the group meets and the coach presents selected theoretical aspects of cycling. You can learn more about camps in the blog Why training camps – what are their benefits?

Take my bike or hire one?

The choice will also depend on where we are going on holiday – it is not a problem to transport bicycles at shorter distances. If you are going to more distant destinations or prefer more comfort, you can rent bicycles. The rental price depends on the type of bike (trekking / excursion, road, gravel, mountain or electric bike), for example in Spanish Catalonia prices are around 150-350 euros / week. Another advantage when renting a bicycle is the opportunity to try other types and brands of bicycles than those we have at home.

When and where go for cycling holidays?

In Europe, you can cycle all year round. From September to June, destinations such as France, Spain, Croatia and Italy are suitable – for these countries it is a period outside the main tourist season, which means fewer cars, cheaper prices and great weather. For example, in January / February on the Costa Brava it is 12-18C. In summer, choose the northern countries, as it is too hot and too many tourists in southern destinations at that time.

Practical aspects

What we should not forget when planning a cycling holiday is the preparation of routes. Will we plan the rides ourselves? In this case, it is better to plan the routes before departure, so that we do not waste time during the holidays (you never know what the quality of the Internet will be in your place). For example, the Epic Road Rides  offers different routes in different countries, along with GPX files that you can download.

Also, the travel agency in the destination will usually provide them to you free of charge. Or you can ride with the mentioned guide, who will guide you along the best routes and you do not need to plan them.

We must not forget about insurance, we should buy it before leaving for the holidays. Let’s also check the current situation regarding restrictions related to the Corona virus – some countries change the rules on a weekly basis. In the current situation, it looks like 2022 will be a year of easing restrictions around the world, with minimum restrictions in some European countries such as Denmark and Spain at this moment.

We hope that we have helped you with this overview when planning a cycling holiday. If you are looking for inspiration, you can see some of the bike tours or training camps we offer. If you are just looking for help with booking accommodation, bike rental, transfer, bike guides, you can also contact us. We help with the organization of bike rides in Girona, on the Costa Brava and in the Pyrenees, for road, gravel or mountain biking, whether you are a group, a family with children or a single passenger.

We are looking forward to seeing you!