10 Best Bike And Barge Tours In Europe 2022

From Alkmeer we followed small, tree-lined roads along canals and rivers back to Amsterdam for a final day of sightseeing. We visited seven countries in 23 days; this may seem a bit hectic for some folks, but the train connections allowed us to sample a wide variety of regions in a limited timeframe. If you opt not to ride you can stay aboard for the scenic morning cruise or join Sergio for a guided tour by bus. Either way the ship spends late afternoons docked at a fascinating port before traveling up to 150 miles overnight to reach our following day’s adventure. Though your captain, chef and tour guide will vary depending on the tour you choose, Eurosail hand-picks every crew member to ensure only the most skilled and enthusiastic are selected to look after our guests.

• I’ve come to believe that some people are just lucky when it comes to vacation weather and others are unlucky.
• This Ozarks hotspot will surprise you with 40-plus miles of feature-​packed trails, an extensive network of family-friendly greenways, and some of the country’s best undiscovered road riding.
• With OK Cycle and Adventure Tours, your next adventure awaits you!
• The world-renowned Slickrock Trail offers 11 miles of grippy sandstone with natural adrenaline-pumping features, but Moab has hundreds of miles of trails for riders of all levels.
• From leisurely cycling through the lavender meadows of Provence to tackling some of the most spectacular roads on the continent in Catalunya, there’s the perfect BSpoke cycling holiday for everyone.

A complimentary car service will whisk you to your centrally located hotel. From here, you are perfectly positioned to explore this charming city at your leisure. A luxurious and spacious, two-deck, 24-passenger barge with a homelike atmosphere, the Iris was put into service in April 2005. Its 12 comfortable cabins have private bathrooms with showers, and the barge has central heating and air conditioning throughout. Common areas include a dining area, a lounge with a bar and a sun deck at the bow.

Private Barcelona Bike Tour

We advise only to rent an electric bike if you are used to cycle and only need electric support because of, for example, lesser condition. Your bike has 24 gears, a detachable lithium-Ion battery, hand brakes, pannier bags, a good lock and a water bottle. Tamara excitedly joins our team as she loves our way of bringing each trip day to its fullest. Like Suzie, she seeks creative bike routes for adventure and photo making and takes every advantage to stop along the way with an anecdote of Dutch culture or a windmill, castle or Dutch farmer to visit. He shares our love of geography and history while being out in nature- hiking and cycling.

• Enjoy an all-inclusive tour on your cycling holiday in Europe.
• He was over it in a few days and then I came down with it.
• The routes are a blend of scenic scenery and safe cycling locations.
• Its distinct options include tours in the Czech Republic and Slovenia.
• Touted as the next Tuscany, Puglia is home to breathtaking beaches, historical coastal towns and wonderful food.

Each day will end with a spread of local food and wine; expect fresh seafood and red wine from the vineyards of Tavira. Discover Europe’s rivers, canals & seas with our self-guided & guided cycling barge holidays & sailing trips. UTracks offers unforgettable self guided bike trips and incredible small group cycling holidays in Europe. The large, cushy seats that are mounted on these bicycles may be comfortable to older individuals going on just very short, local bike rides. But on longer rides , your butt will be pretty sore at the end of the day. Therefore, if you are concerned about the comfort of your bicycle while you are on tour, I suggest you consider packing your own bicycle saddle.

Why European River Cruise Biking Vacations Are On The Rise

You can frequently get info on B&B’s and hotels from the tourism boards of your chosen country, most of them are located in NYC. Lower-cost lodging is often combined with a restaurant which has rooms for overnight guests. This combo is particularly helpful when you’re forced to stay in a lightly populated area, since it means you can satisfy your two basic needs under one roof.

I went to Holland in late April and early May primarily for the tulips, but I was surprised to learn that spring is actually the driest season there – and experience confirmed that. However, European weather – like our own in New England – can be very changeable, and two weeks of near-perfect weather can easily be followed by two weeks of rotten weather. I’ve come to believe that some people are just lucky when it comes to vacation weather and others are unlucky. You also have to be aware of and plan around prevailing winds. These are notable around the North Sea and the Mediterranean , but can occur elsewhere.

Prague To Vienna Bike Tour

If you’re not certain what country you want to visit, or what regions of that country to focus on, there is nothing like perusing coffee-table travel books with stimulating large-format color photographs. Several times I’ve had the experience of seeing a photo of a spectacular or wondrous place and saying, “I want to be there”, and then planning my route so I do get to go there. Pick a half-dozen places from pictures in a travel book and then see if you can construct a logical route joining them. This figures into two factors – ease of cycling and attractiveness of the landscape.

Or perhaps set sail and try your hand at assisting your ship’s captain navigate the calm waters. Or you can simply sit back on deck and enjoy the journey while looking out for seals and other marine and birdlife. We offer different levels of accommodation and comfort so that even the most budget conscious can treat themselves to active holidays on Europe’s most celebrated tracks and trails. Our trips are great value for money because you only pay for what you want. Trip highlights include exploring small towns and villages you cycle through, visiting a bird sanctuary, mountainous Kefalonia, and the authentic food and hospitality on board your comfortable yacht.

Croatia Bike & Sail

On your day off, you can go to a swimming pool, a nature reserve or a fairy-tale attraction park. The Ijssel Lake tour includes cycling along the lake, taking a canoe trip in a national park and visiting an outdoor museum that depicts a fishing village. On the day off, families can spend time at an attraction park, dolphin shows or a beach at a lake. Cycling through Europe isn’t only for adults–many tour companies also offer family-friendly rides. These trips feature food and lodging that appeal to kids and parents, and they often include a lot of downhill or easy terrain to make it comfortable for all ages.

Accommodations aboard a luxury barge complement your experience. Check if the tour is guided, has an option for guided, or is self-guided. On guided tours, the tour leader will have appointed a ‘sweep’ who stays at the back of the pack to make sure everyone is following, except for those who have chosen to go at their own pace . At morning tea, you make a stop for a break and of course, if anything on the way is worth a visit, the group stops to take photos or to enjoy a view. All of the popular routes in Europe are on our site but if you are looking for a place to start, check out our bike and barge tours in Holland as well as those in Belgium.

The Greatest Cycling Holidays In Europes Most Iconic Destinations

This morning, walk to the nearby former bell foundry and museum, Mabilon, which produced bells until 2002. Later, cycle along the banks of the Saar River to Konz, at the confluence of the Mosel and Saar rivers. Then, follow the Mosel River, the natural border between Luxembourg and Germany, along an easy biking path.

Introducing The Bike And Barge Holiday In France

This is a large lake which joins the borders of Germany, Switzerland and Austria, and has a bike path along much of the shore. I usually try to plan overnight stops in decent sized towns to give me variety in lodging, dining, and evening activity if I feel up for it. Particularly if you’re traveling in the high season and haven’t made reservations, you should make sure you end up in a town or city with multiple lodging options. I generally know each night’s stopping point before I begin a tour, but will try to pick out a back-up in case I’m tired or hit bad weather and can’t make it to my original destination.

Berlin Highlights Bike Tour

This was by no means cheap, but we had some amazing views as we drove through and over the Alps to our lunch in Innsbruck. Sometimes the route you want will be wonderfully close to a straight line, but other times it will seem like you have to zig or zag at every country crossroads. On these occasions it may be best to look for a possible path that goes out of the way in one direction, then bends back towards your goal, in each case following a straighter line than the zig-zag alternative.

Creating A Holiday Experience

We then went on to offer guided tours all over Europe, and 24 years later we are the company we are today. If you’re new to Backroads active cruise trips, there are a few things you need to know. Our cruises are smaller, and much more intimate than a typical cruise. They are also quite lively, social experiences, shaped by both our Backroads group and the larger ship community. Additionally, even with an itinerary subject to fixed nautical schedules that may occasionally limit our time on shore, we get out and explore far beyond the cruise norm.

Trips You May Like

Look at your map and make sure you buy your lunch supplies well before you plan on eating, especially if you might not ride through any sizable towns in the interim. Several times we had lunch in restaurants for variety or because we wanted something hot. The city of Alkmeer has held a cheese market for hundreds of years, and with both of us being cheese-heads this was a natural target. It only takes place on Friday mornings in the warmer months, and we had to ride 20 brisk miles to make it on time. Lots of round cheese are stacked on sledges and auctioned off for a certain price per kilo. Then, teams of guildsmen dressed in varying colors lift the sledges and carry them to the weighhouse to determine the total price for the entire lot.

Ships

Every ride has the potential to take you someplace new. And when you devote your vacation days to do nothing but eat, drink, and ride your way around an unfamiliar destination, that experience becomes next level. There’s really no better way to connect with the sights, sounds, and culture of a region than on two wheels. The routes are a blend of scenic scenery and safe cycling locations. The tour operator takes cycling fans to destinations such as the Alps. One of its most popular adventures is the 14-day Paris to Moscow tour.

Bike Or E

Twice I had wonderful experiences, and once it was dismal (although that was in a budget-travel hostel, and I think by now you know my general attitute toward them). The best experience was in my favorite tour, where I was brought more shiny stainless steel bowls that you’ll see on a table for four in an indian restaurant. There was a high quality piece of tender beef, and easily a half-dozen bowls with good-sized helpings of various vegetables, applesauce and gravy. If the hostel does have dinner available, do ask what it is when you arrive and make an informed decision. You want to look for more-or-less straight lines connecting places, and an overall loop shape. Another option is the make the whole trip a single line connecting two major cities with a scenic region in between, or an arc shape, and use a train connection to complete the loop back to where you flew in to.