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International Cycling Trips – Inspiration

By Jiri Kaloc

The time for vacations and travelling is here and what better way to do it than with your bike! We prepared a series of practical cycling travel tips including how to prep your bike, and how to deal with flying. But first, let’s get inspired. Here are a few of our favourite places all over the globe worth visiting with your bicycle.

From Amsterdam to Bruges

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to go for a ride in the cycling-friendly Netherlands? No traffic, no hills, great cycling infrastructure, it’s all true. If you’re looking for the most chilled-out rides, you can’t go wrong with a cycling holiday in the Netherlands. You will be met with a strong cycling community including people of all ages, beautiful coastlines, historic towns, and picturesque villages. And the same can be said for the neighbouring Belgium. A trip with Holland Bike Tours from Amsterdam to Bruges has it all.

Bruges
Finish your trip in the beautiful city of Bruges. © Profimedia

Tour the Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains

If tall mountains, big climbs, and beautiful nature are your thing, then the Glacier National Park is a place you should check out. TrekTravel offers a guided bike tour of this National Park. They will make sure you see glacial lakes, snowy mountains, cedar forests, alpine tundra, and even the iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road. They even throw in some rafting for a perfect summer adventure.

Choose your adventure at the Côte d’Azur, France

The home of the Tour de France simply can’t be left out of any cycling holiday list. There are so many places to choose from when it comes to France. Our recommendation would be to start with Nice and the wider Côte d’Azur area because it offers a bit of everything. You’ll find yourself between the Mediterranean and the mountains so you can take it easy, cruising along the coast or challenge yourself with some epic hard climbs. Lifesparkz Bike Tours offers guided bike tours starting in Nice for all difficulty levels.

Mountain bike in Costa Rica

If mountain biking is your idea of the perfect cycling holiday, then look no further than Costa Rica. Local tour providers Bike Arenal offer amazingly adventurous mountain-bike friendly tours. They are based near Arenal Volcano in northern Costa Rica but they will take you across the country, exploring rainforests, mountains, rivers, and beaches.

Explore British Columbia, Canada

British Columbia’s beautiful landscape is another great choice for mountain bikers. Recognized as one of the most important regions in the world for mountain biking, British Columbia offers a vast variety of terrain to challenge and delight riders of every stripe and stoke level. Its southern parts, around Vancouver, offer more leisurely cycling. The Backroads company offers tour packages catering to all activity levels, with accommodation. Their tours feature several islands and ferry crossings, with wildlife sightings and premium farm-to-table cuisine along the way.

Pro-level cycling in Girona, Spain

If you want to experience a pro-level road cycling environment combined with relaxed city sightseeing and a bit of beach time, then Girona is the perfect place to visit. You’ll find lots of charming bike shops, cafés, hotels and tour companies. You can challenge yourself at the Pyrenean Mountains or coast on lovely flat roads with beautiful scenery. Eat Sleep Cycle offers bike renting, and self-guided and organised tours from their Girona Hub.

From Vietnam to Cambodia

For those that are craving something very different and far away, Vietnam is a really appealing choice. It offers French colonial architecture, green rice paddies, water buffalos, historic monuments, and amazing local Vietnamese cuisine along the way. Backroads offers an 8-day tour from Vietnam’s capital that will take you all the way to neighbouring Cambodia where you’ll tour iconic temples and the Angkor, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Death Valley weekend tour

If you’re seeking a truly unique experience, then exploring the wonders of Death Valley National Park with its volcanic craters, multi-coloured sandstone, and sand dunes are surely going to do the trick. REI offers a 3-day cycling tour that lets you experience the quiet smooth paved roads, epic nights with the starfield sky above you and unforgettable sunrises and sunsets. If you go in spring, you’ll also see a large super-bloom of wildflowers spread across the valley.

Do you have your favourite? Great! We will go over the most important preparation tips in the next article.

Next up in International Cycling Trips series