As the birthplace of the bicycle, Europe is the perfect place for a cycling adventure. With options ranging from straightforward day rides to epic grand tours, there’s a cycle route to suit every skill level and occasion. Here are a handful of our favourites from Ride: Cycle the World to get you started.
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View BookSea to Sea, UK
The Sea to Sea (or C2C) may well be the perfect introduction to British cycle touring. It carries the kudos of being able to say that you’ve cycled the breadth of England (from Whitehaven on the west coast to Tynemouth on the east), but, at 255 km (140 miles), it’s not so great a distance that you’re in danger of getting saddle sore. And although it features some steep ascents, they’re short and sharp enough to stay satisfyingly challenging without becoming overwhelming.
What’s more, the route achieves all this while taking you through some of Britain’s most beautiful scenery, from the rolling green grasslands of the Lake District to the heather-strewn moors of the North Pennines. You’ll be signing up for Land’s End–John o’Groats before you know it.
What’s more, the route achieves all this while taking you through some of Britain’s most beautiful scenery, from the rolling green grasslands of the Lake District to the heather-strewn moors of the North Pennines. You’ll be signing up for Land’s End–John o’Groats before you know it.
DK Great Britain
View BookZuiderzeeroute, The Netherlands
Not only does the Netherlands have a deeply ingrained cycling culture, it’s also fantastically flat. Together, these attributes make the Zuiderzeeroute – a 403-km (250-mile) waymarked cycleway around Lake Ijssel – one of Europe’s most relaxing two-wheeled tours. Time seems to slow down as you pedal between the historic towns and villages of the “Golden Circle”, passing through huge tracts of level countryside with windmills on the horizon and displays of balletic birds in the skies. All you need to do is click into a comfortable gear, sit back in the saddle, and soak up the tranquil atmosphere.
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View BookCol de Sarenne Circuit, France
If you love climbing, then this is the ride for you. Incorporating the infamous 21 bends – a series of brutal switchbacks between Bourg d’Oisans and Alpe d’Huez, with a fiendish 7.9 per cent incline – the 57-km (35-mile) Col de Sarenne Circuit requires thighs of titanium and quarryful of grit.
The 21 bends feature regularly in the Tour de France, and as you follow in the pros’ pedal strokes you’ll get a true taste of what it might be like to compete. The reward upon reaching the top? A spectacularly scenic descent via the Col de Sarenne, along remote roads flanked by grassy pastures and towering granite formations. Plus a legitimate claim to be King of the Mountains, of course.
The 21 bends feature regularly in the Tour de France, and as you follow in the pros’ pedal strokes you’ll get a true taste of what it might be like to compete. The reward upon reaching the top? A spectacularly scenic descent via the Col de Sarenne, along remote roads flanked by grassy pastures and towering granite formations. Plus a legitimate claim to be King of the Mountains, of course.
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View BookDanube Cycle Way, Germany to Hungary
On paper, a 1,213-km (754-mile) ride through four countries might sound pretty intimidating. But with a well-established cycling infrastructure – including clear signposting and bike-friendly accommodation – the Danube Cycle Way makes a great touring option for even the most inexperienced of riders. The path follows the River Danube from Germany’s Black Forest to the Hungarian capital of Budapest, rolling through an ever-changing panorama of wild riverscapes and culture-rich towns and cities. With a mostly downhill gradient, the cycling part’s a breeze – the only challenge is fitting in all the stops you’ll want to make en route.
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View BookA Taste of Renaissance Tuscany, Italy
Fine wine, tempting cuisine and those timeless Tuscan hills and cypress trees – what’s not to love about this offroad adventure from Florence to Pienza? Tracing a 198-km (123-mile) section of the Via Francigena, an ancient pilgrimage route to Rome, it brings full immersion in the region’s rolling romance. Inevitably, this means some climbs – but we’re talking hills not mountains, and the postcard-perfect landscapes and Renaissance towns provide plenty of distraction from aching legs. The effort is more than worth it come evening, as you recover with a generous helping of truffle pappardelle and a glass of Chianti in the cosy surrounds of a local agriturismo (farmhouse).
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View BookSpomenik Spotting, North Macedonia
Cycle into the space age on a search for North Macedonia’s most eye-catching spomeniks – huge war memorials constructed during the reign of Communist dictator Josip Broz Tito. Built out of concrete in a series of unique, abstract designs, they look like futuristic totems from the set of a sci-fi movie.
This testing 747-km (464-mile) loop of the country takes in no less than 12 of these striking structures, including a group of giant “chessmen” at Prilep, the crumbling “egg whisk” at Gevgelija, and a globular spomenik at Krusevo, with a wide ramp that lends it an uncanny resemblance to a recently landed UFO.
This testing 747-km (464-mile) loop of the country takes in no less than 12 of these striking structures, including a group of giant “chessmen” at Prilep, the crumbling “egg whisk” at Gevgelija, and a globular spomenik at Krusevo, with a wide ramp that lends it an uncanny resemblance to a recently landed UFO.
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