Best Cycle Touring Destinations
Top destinations for cycle touring, with scenic routes, good infrastructure, and plenty to see.
Aegean Coast
Turkey
Aegean Turkey: EuroVelo 8 coastal routes, Çeşme and Bodrum peninsula climbs, Dilek Peninsula switchbacks to 780m, and ancient Ephesus as a backdrop to rolling olive-grove riding from Izmir.
Algarve
Portugal
Portugal's sun-drenched playground for cyclists. World-class winter riding, the Serra de Monchique, and the Volta ao Algarve's iconic roads.
Amsterdam & Noord-Holland
Netherlands
Cycling in Amsterdam: the world's cycling capital — separated infrastructure, the Bollenstreek tulip routes, and IJmeer coastal paths where bikes genuinely come first.
Bieszczady Mountains
Poland
Bieszczady Mountains: wild eastern Carpathians with brown bears, European bison, and the quietest cycling roads in Poland — a 200km loop through remote mountain passes at the Polish-Ukrainian-Slovak border tri-point where English-language cyclists have simply never arrived.
Boulder & Front Range
United States
Cycling in Boulder & the Front Range: altitude training at 5,300ft, pro team roads, and Rockies climbing that reshapes what hard means.
Canterbury & Southern Alps
New Zealand
Canterbury cycling: Arthur's Pass Trans-Alpine crossing, Aoraki Mount Cook approaches, Banks Peninsula coastal roads, and the turquoise glacial lakes of the Mackenzie Country.
Costa Almeria
Spain
Europe's driest cycling paradise. Desert landscapes, winter sun, and the mighty Alto de Velefique — Almeria's answer to the cols of Mallorca.
Cyprus
Cyprus
Year-round cycling in the sun. Troodos mountain climbs, quiet coastal roads, and warm winters that draw European cyclists to Cyprus.
Dalarna
Sweden
Dalarna: Lake Siljan meteorite crater, 882 cycling routes around Siljansleden, Nipfjället — Sweden's hardest climb at 14.4km and 513m — and Vasaloppet cultural heritage.
Dalmatian Coast
Croatia
Cycling in Dalmatia: Adriatic coastline, island climbs, and the raw mountains of Biokovo rising 1,762m from the sea — Croatia's most dramatic cycling terrain.
Devon & Dartmoor
United Kingdom
England's cycling heartland. Dartmoor's savage moorland climbs, empty lanes, and a coastline that rivals anything in Europe.
East Fjords & North Iceland
Iceland
Eastfjords: Iceland's most dramatic fjord cycling, Seyðisfjörður pass above the blue-church village, Egilsstaðir base. North Iceland: Akureyri fjord rides, Mývatn volcanic craters, Öxnadalsheiði pass.
Finnish Lakeland
Finland
Finnish Lakeland: 180,000 lakes, Koli National Park 347m summit with panoramic Pielinen views, Punkaharju glacial esker ridge, and the quietest touring roads in Scandinavia. Bases at Jyväskylä and Tampere.
French Pyrenees
France
Cycling the Pyrenees on roads Tour de France legends were made. Col du Tourmalet, Luz Ardiden, Hautacam — this is where champions are forged.
Gelderland & Hoge Veluwe
Netherlands
Cycling in the Hoge Veluwe: the Netherlands' great forest national park — car-free roads through heathland, sand dunes, and ancient woodland with free white bikes at the gates.
Helsinki & South Coast
Finland
Helsinki & South Coast: 1,200km of city cycling routes, EuroVelo 10 Baltic coast, Turku Archipelago Trail with ten free ferry crossings, and the Salpausselkä ridge — Finland's most accessible cycling zone.
Isle of Wight
United Kingdom
Cycling Isle of Wight: a compact island of surprising climbs, military road coast, and the UK's most celebrated cycling festival.
Lapland & Northern Finland
Finland
Lapland & Northern Finland: midnight sun cycling above the Arctic Circle, Ylläs fell 718m, Pyhä 540m, Saariselkä plateau, and Oulanka National Park — the most remote and spectacular cycling zone in the Nordic region.
Lofoten Islands
Norway
Cycling in the Lofoten Islands: Arctic peaks rising directly from the Norwegian Sea, traditional fishing villages linked by bridges, and some of the most visually extraordinary road cycling on earth under the midnight sun.
Mallorca
Spain
Cycling in Mallorca: the world's premier riding island. Legendary Tramuntana climbs, 300 days of sun, and routes for every level.
Moab & Southern Utah
United States
Cycling in Moab & Southern Utah: red rock gravel, national park roads, and desert canyon climbing in the most photogenic landscape in North America.
Moselle Valley
Luxembourg
Cycling the Luxembourg Moselle: 42km of vineyard-lined river roads through Remich, Ehnen, and Wormeldange — Luxembourg's most accessible cycling with wine-cave stops along the way.
Peloponnese
Greece
Cycling in Peloponnese: ancient ruins on empty roads, the savage Mani Peninsula, and Arcadian mountain passes where the only audience is olive groves and Byzantine towers.
Portland & Hood River
United States
Cycling in Portland & Hood River: year-round riding culture, Columbia Gorge roads, and Mount Hood climbs within an hour of a great cycling city.
Queenstown & Central Otago
New Zealand
Queenstown cycling: Crown Range — NZ's highest sealed road — Coronet Peak, the Otago Central Rail Trail, and lake and mountain scenery that stops you mid-climb to stare.
ReykjavÃk & Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Iceland
ReykjavÃk cycling hub and Snæfellsnes Peninsula: Kirkjufell mountain, Snæfellsjökull glacier-volcano, Golden Circle from the capital, and the best-supported cycling infrastructure in Iceland.
Ring of Kerry
Ireland
Cycling in Ring of Kerry: Ireland's iconic 180km circuit through mountain passes, Atlantic coastline, and the wild beauty of Killarney National Park.
Sardinia
Italy
Cycling Sardinia: Giro d'Italia roads, Gennargentu mountain climbs, and 1,800km of sun-drenched coastline with almost no traffic.
Scotland
United Kingdom
Cycling in Scotland: wild Highland passes, the North Coast 500, and Bealach na Ba. Britain's most raw and remote riding.
Skåne
Sweden
Skåne: Sweden's climbing heartland. Four ridge systems — Söderåsen, Hallandsåsen, Romeleåsen, Linderödsåsen — with 9%+ gradients and beech forest descents from Malmö.
South Coast & Highlands Access
Iceland
Iceland's South Coast: black sand beaches, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls beside the Ring Road, Þórsmörk valley, Hekla volcano approaches, and the gateway to the Landmannalaugar Highland interior.
Sudetes & Karkonosze Mountains
Poland
Sudetes & Karkonosze: Sniezka at 1,603m on the Czech border, Szrenica ascents from Szklarska Poreba, EuroVelo 9 through the Giant Mountains, and Wroclaw's 500km+ urban cycling network as a base — southwestern Poland's cycling offer in full.
Taupo & Volcanic Plateau
New Zealand
Taupo cycling: Lake Taupo circumnavigation, Tongariro volcanic backdrop, the Timber Trail through native forest — and the Taupo Cycle Challenge, New Zealand's biggest cycling event.
Transylvania (Brasov & Sibiu Region)
Romania
Transylvania cycling: Brasov and Sibiu bases with direct access to the Bucegi Plateau HC climb (1,180m gain to 2,086m), Piatra Craiului limestone ridge approaches, Bran Castle road circuits, and the Prahova Valley corridor — medieval Saxon towns as rest stops between Carpathian mountain approaches.
Tucson & Sedona
United States
Cycling in Tucson & Sedona: desert climbing on Mount Lemmon, red rock gravel, and the most reliable winter training base in North America.
Vermont
United States
Cycling in Vermont: covered bridge lanes, Green Mountain gap climbs, and the finest autumn foliage roads in North America.
West Coast & Kattegattleden
Sweden
Kattegattleden: 390km Helsingborg to Gothenburg, European Cycle Route of the Year 2018. Bohuslän granite coast, Halland beaches, Kinnekulle limestone plateau above Lake Vänern.
Wild Atlantic Way
Ireland
Cycling in Wild Atlantic Way: Ireland's most dramatic coastal roads, Atlantic-edge passes, and the raw beauty of Connemara and the Dingle Peninsula.