Tips for Cycling Holidays Abroad

Planning a cycling holiday, whether it's abroad or not, is just like organising any other kind of holiday. You'll need to book accommodation, arrange transportation, and possibly hire a car. However, travelling with a bike brings additional steps to the process of booking a holiday. You'll need to navigate airline policies and make sure your bicycle insurance covers you abroad. To make this process as smooth as possible, Eversure has put together a list of tips to guide you to a peaceful and stress-free cycling holiday.

1. Choose the Right Destination

The best and most enjoyable cycling holiday for you will be dependent on whether it matches your preferred riding style. Consequently, the destination of your cycling holiday should match your expectations for the holiday and what you want to get out of it.

Things to consider are:

• The terrain - is the destination flat, hilly or technically challenging? This will impact how demanding it is and the bike setup you require.


• The climate - will it be cool enough to ride comfortably at midday or will you need to ride in the mornings and evenings? The temperature will also affect your packing list.


• Your fitness level - cycling holidays can range from leisurely to intense so choose a place that aligns with your fitness and training.


• Your company - are you riding solo, with a partner, your family or friends? Your plans might need to change depending on the company.

Your destination should also reflect the style of cycling you intend to do.

For road cyclists, places like Mallorca, Girona, the Dolomites and Lanazrote are ideal. These places are known for their smooth, quiet tarmac, long climbs and spectacular scenery which is perfect for getting lots of miles in and testing your legs.

Those who prefer mountain biking should consider places like the French Alps, Andorra or Finale Ligure in Italy. These boast some of the best mountain bike (MTB) trails in Europe with everything from technical descents to singletracks, all whilst set against some amazing alpine views. Plus, in the French Alps you can even tick off some of the legendary Tour de France climbs.

If exploring less popular destinations is more your style, you should explore places like Scotland’s North Coast 500, Slovenia and Portugal’s Alentejo – all of which have fantastic gravel terrain. These regions are remote with quiet backgrounds so they’re perfect for a two-wheeled adventure.

You'll also need to decide whether you want to cycle from a single base and just explore that area, or if you want to go point-to-point, such as the famous London to Paris.

Finally, you should also consider if you prefer a DIY approach to your holiday, which relies on planning and carrying everything yourself or if you’d rather go on a fully supported tour where the logistics, accommodation and luggage transfer are all taken care of.

2. Book Bike-Friendly Accomodation

As not all hotels are bike-friendly, you’ll want to do prior research to find out which ones are more accommodating. Some may simply tolerate bikes, whilst others actively promote themselves as welcoming cyclists.

Things that make a hotel bike-friendly include secure bike storage, repair and maintenance facilities, washing and cleaning facilities as well as local cycling advice.

Look at cyclefriendlyhotels.com to start. Checking reviews and using cycling forums should also help you choose somewhere appropriate to stay.

3. Prepare Your Bike For Travel

Now you’ve decided where you’ll be going away, you can begin to work out the logistics of getting there, whether you’ll be driving your car with a roof rack attached or flying.

If you’re driving, you can transport your bike using a roof rack, boot rack or a towbar rack. Roof racks mean the boot is still accessible but make your car taller so you might have issues with low clearances and things like the Eurotunnel. Boot racks can block rear visibility as well as access. Towbar racks are the most stable and allow boot access but are pricier and require a towbar.

If you’re flying, you should invest in a quality bike bag or a hard-shell case so your frame and components are protected during transit. You’ll probably need to remove the pedals, wheels and saddle, and need to lightly deflate your tyres so you don’t run into any pressure issues at altitude. To protect delicate areas like the derailleur, levers, and fork, use things like foam tubing, bubble wrap or pipe insulation. Our guide to flying with your bike provides more details on this.

Before packaging up your most important travel companion, make sure it’s in the best condition possible. If you’re not sure where to start, you should take a look at our bike maintenance 101.

4. Pack Smart

Now that your destination, accommodation and bike have all be sorted, you can pack the rest of your things.

Cycling Essentials

• Helmet
• Sunglasses
• Bike shoes
• Front & rear lights (and spare batteries)
• Water bottles & cages

In Your Saddle Bag

• Pump
• Tyre levers
• Inner tubes (and valve extenders if your bike has deep rims)
• Multi-tool
• Allen keys
• Chain lube
• Torx key (for certain components)
• Cable ties
• Spare cleats & bolts
• Bike lock

Miscelleaneous Must-Haves

• International plug adapter
• Sunscreen & insect repellent
• Electrolyte tablets & snacks for energy
• Copy of insurance documents
• Small first-aid kit

5. Understand Local Road Rules

Every country has its own road rules and cycling customs. It’s likely that in most countries wearing a helmet will be compulsory; in others, you might need a high-visibility vest (France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia) or front lights, even in the daylight. Read the European Commission Road Safety for Cyclists for more information.

Learning some key phrases in the local language, like ‘help’ as well as knowing the emergency telephone number, can also be invaluable in an emergency.

6. Know Where You're Going

Planning your route in advance is sensible and safe. Make sure to factor in stops for food and water and download offline maps just in case your phone loses battery or you lose signal. Tools like Komoot, RideWithGPS and Strava allow you to plan your ride and download offline maps.

Leaving some time to explore is still a good idea as you may stumble across some fantastic scenery and views just by taking an unexpected detour.

7. Insure Your Bike

Even the best-planned trips can go off course, whether it’s a stolen bike or an accident. That’s why Eversure offers worldwide cover for bicycles for trips up to 90 days long, so you can have peace of mind whilst exploring miles from home.

Final Thoughts

Embarking on a cycling holiday is a really rewarding way of exploring the world, which only gets better if you plan ahead, from remembering to pack the right gear to ensuring it’s all protected abroad, a little really does go a long way.