Bike Travel in Europe

ABOVE: A family begins a cycling trip in the Vallée de Joux, Switzerland.

Not long ago, a California bicycling advocate named Kevin Pfeiffer sent me an e-mail that read:

I noticed you've got almost every form of travel listed at Europe for Visitors except bicycling, which some of us consider the best way to see the (flatter) parts of Europe....Thinking of places such as the Netherlands, the Mosel, Lüneburger Heide, etc., I can't imagine not floating along through these places by bike.

Fair enough, Kevin. I'm a train, ferry, and shoe-leather traveler myself, but as the father of two mountain bikers, I agree that cycling needs to be covered by Europe for Visitors. So I've created two compendiums of information for cyclists--one for those who prefer to travel independently, and the other for bike buffs who like pre-planned itineraries:

Bicycling in Europe europeforvisitors.com
Use this hefty collection of links to find general information on European bike travel, cycling tips for specific countries, and bicyclists' trip reports. From my Europe Travel Planner.

European Bicycle Tours europeforvisitors.com
If you'd rather let someone else figure out your cycling route, consider an escorted or self-guided tour. This article tells how to choose a package that fits your skills, tastes, and budget. After you've read it, see the three pages of links to bicycle-touring companies in my Europe Travel Planner.

Update: Now there's an even better option for U.S. and Canadian cyclists who want to tour Europe on two wheels:

BikeToursDirect, an American company, offers one-stop shopping for more than 140 bike tours in 27 countries. Choices include escorted or self-guided itineraries, point-to-point or "home base" tours, and even bike-and-boat travel. You pay European rates, which tend to be far lower than what U.S.-based operators charge. Best of all, there's no markup: BikeToursDirect receives a commission from the tour operator, just like a travel agent. For more information, visit BikeToursDirect.com.

Photo  © Switzerland Tourism.

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