Classic cycle route holidays in Europe – 8 Must-pedal Cycle Paths
A quick guide to Europe’s classic cycle paths. Where they are, what you’ll see and what makes them perfect for gentle cycling holidays in Europe.
At Cycle Breaks our team have made it our mission for decades now to pedal out around Europe and the UK in search of the most super-scenic and culturally captivating cycle routes to share. As much as we love crafting off-the-beaten track, circular cycling holiday itineraries in Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, Austrian and Germany, we can’t help exploring and revisiting some of Europe’s classic linear cycle paths too.
Ideal ways to enjoy leisurely cycling holidays
Waymarked and generally well-maintained, Europe’s formally recognised, dedicated long distance cycle routes lead the leisure cyclist down canal tow paths, hug magical river meanders, look up to breathtaking mountains or out across shimmering lakes or along stunning coastlines. Every route is perfectly punctuated with stop-and-admire viewpoints, tempting places to refuel on local foodie ‘must-try’s, plus a host of village, town or city places to explore. Some routes may get extra popular with locals and visitors alike at times, but then the camaraderie of fellow cyclists of all nationalities can be as much of a highlight as any vineyard view or fairytale castle along the way. And should the going get a little busier, there’s often no need to stick doggedly to the path…
Europe’s classic cycle paths are a fabulous for super-scenic cycling holidays, but you don’t have to be set in their ways! At Cycle Breaks we use our expertise and eyes on the ground to share the best cycling holiday experience, whether that’s hopping across the Moselle to secure the best views (or most comfortable sections of the path!), detouring off the beaten coastal track for a birdwatching treat, or steering off the standard wine road to savour a glass of something special in an out-of-the-way ‘top tip’ vineyard.
Keen to enjoy the satisfaction and achievement of clocking up a classic cycle route in Europe? There’s something awesome about cycling a linear route and pushing those pedals all the way from A to Z, even if it is only a section of an official route.
Our pick of Europe’s cycle route pops includes superb, holiday-sized sections of Europe’s best loved cycle path classics. We love them all, but which one would you choose?
1. River Danube Cycle Path – Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary
Locally known as: Donauradweg
Full path length: approx. 784 miles / 1,261 kms (Black Forest to Budapest) – Part of EuroVelo route 6
Passau, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest – it’s the big name cities and culture-filled capitals as well as the mega-meanders, countless bridges, castles, vineyards and fabulous little ferry rides that make the cycle path along broad and beautiful Danube a must-pedal place to be.
Stay on your bike saddle and stop off to overnight in style at hotels with pools and characterful coaching inns on a riverside spin from Passau via Linz to Vienna, or choose to see more and pedal less perhaps, going literally with the flow on a bike and boat holiday.
Danube Cycle Path holidays I Find out more
2. Moselle Valley Cycle Route – Germany
Locally known as: Moselradweg
Full path length: approx. 318 miles / 512 kms (Vosges Mountains in France via Luxembourg to Koblenz in Germany)
With its towering castles like the Reichsburg at Cochem, lofty monasteries, rocky cliffs, wooded slopes and classic Goldtröpfchen vineyards, it’s the German section of the Moselle Valley River Path which really captures the imagination. Enjoy superb scenic gems every pedal push of the way from Roman Trier via Europe’s steepest vineyards to the Rhine at Koblenz.
It’s a great route for spinning along at a pace over five days, or enjoying a slower approach and exploring over seven.
Moselle Valley Cycle Path holidays in Germany I Find out more
And whilst we’re on the subject of wine roads…
The Alsace Wine Road in France by the German borderlands around Strasbourg has to be worth a quick mention.
Locally known as: Véloroute du Vignoble
Full path length: approx. 105 miles / 170 kms (Molsheim near Strasbourg to Thann near Mulhouse)
The wine route between France’s most cycling-friendly city of Strasbourg and Colmar (romantic, half-timbered ‘Little Venice’) is the section to head for. You’ll want to visit the vineyard village homes of famous Alsace ‘Grand Crus’ like medieval Riquewihr, and catch sight of Haut Koenigsbourg Castle too – that’s France’s must-see No.3 after the Eiffel Tower and Mont St Michel!
The route includes dedicated cycle paths, old railway lines and vineyard trails, but why not make the linear Wine Road linear into a circular trip with the train speeding you up from Colmar to Erstein to add a pedal along the Rhine to the tour?
Alsace Wine Road train & tour cycling holidays I Find out more
Alsace Wine Road cycling holidays I Find out more
3. Loire Valley Cycle Route – France
Locally known as: La Loire à Vélo
Full path length: approx. 560 miles / 900 kms (Nevers on the Massif Central to the Atlantic beyond Nantes) – Part of EuroVelo route 6
Château-rich and brim-full of style – not to mention vineyard and foodie treats! – France’s Loire Valley is perfect holiday destination material. Bite off a big linear section of the Loire Valley cycle route, pedaling east, downriver from Orléans to Angers and you’ll take in all the classic châteaux big and small like Chambourd, Amboise and Azay-le-rideau. Stray just occasionally from the river path and the beautiful châteaux gardens and inviting wine cellars will line up along the way too. What’s not to like?
Loire Valley Cycle Route holidays I Find out more
4. Baltic Coast Cycle Route – Germany
The entire Baltic Coast Cycle Route loops around the Baltic Sea, covering around 5,600 miles (9,000 kms) across nine countries including Germany, Denmark and Poland as well as Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia (Kaliningrad), Finland and Sweden.
Together with the Danish and Polish sections, the German section of cycle path is perhaps considered the most accessible and attractive to the UK or European leisure cyclist seeking a coastal adventure on two wheels.
Locally known as: Ostsee Radweg
Full path length: approx. 5,600 miles / 1,000 kms (Flensburg in Schleswig Holstein to Usedom in Pomerania) – Part of EuroVelo route 10
The vibrant redbrick harbour town of Lübeck – a key location for the medieval merchants of the Hanseatic League and now a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site – is the perfect start point for a Baltic Coast cycling adventure. Head east to Stralsund and four more UNESCO World Heritage ‘Hansestädte’ punctuate the wildly beautiful coastal landscapes alongside elegant turn-of-the-twentieth-century spa resorts and the stunning pristine nature reserves of Mecklenburg-Pomerania.
Baltic Sea Cycle Route holidays I Find out more
Hanseatic Heritage Baltic Sea Cycling holidays in Germany I Find out more
Baltic Coast & its Hanseatic Heritage – Baltic Sea Cycle Path
5. ‘Vias Verdes’ Catalonia – Spain
Ok, hands up, we’ve popped this one in because we love the whizzy downhill combo of greenway cycling from mountain landscapes to the sea! Catalonia has some excellent former railway trackbed cycle routes and at Cycle Breaks we think they deserve a bit more of the limelight.
Spinning down on a linear route from the wooded, volcanic La Garrotxa hills by the peaks of the Pyrenees to the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea is super easy cycling (Grade I in our books). Make it a circular tour including the stunning Empordà ‘Bay of Roses’ coastline and a return to the La Garrotxa national park and it’s a more challenging story, but nothing an e-bike can’t make light work of (Grade 2 – Easy).
Catalonia cycling holidays Spain I Vias Verdes, Volcanoes to the Med
E-bike Catalonia cycling holidays Spain I Find out more
Catalonia Vias Verdes cycling holidays Spain I Find out more
6. Mur Valley Cycle Path – Austria
Locally known as: Murradweg
Full path length: approx. 280 miles / 450 kms ( Muhr im Lungau, Austria via Slovenia to Legrad in Croatia )
Now here’s a top tip – ‘Mountains & Mur’ – Austria’s best-kept cycle path secret, and it’s a pretty easy-going, outstandingly scenic cycle route too! You’ll need to allow anything between 7 to 9 days for the itinerary from the south of Salzburg start point to the vineyards of Styria and Slovenian borders, but it’s a truly all-round authentic experience. A track that’s off the beaten track, so to speak, but that’s full of local flavour and selfie-worthy views every stage of the way.
Mur Valley Cycle Path holidays I Find out more
7. Canal du Midi Cycle Path – France
Locally known as: Canal du Midi à Vélo
Full path length: approx. 150 miles / 240 kms (Toulouse to the Thau Lagoon near Sète on the Mediterranean coast)
Warm air, dappled shade, real local colour and easy waterside cycling on historic tow paths punctuated by awesome locks and tunnels – the Canal du Midi in the Languedoc is not only France’s best-loved canal country, it’s a brilliant no-brainer when it comes south of France cycling holidays.
Enjoy über-impressive feats of engineering like the nine-lock staircase and mega Malpas Tunnel, and the sheer scale of the fortified citadel city of Carcassonne. With miles of red wine vineyards and the promise of putting a toe in the warm waters of the Med, who can ask for more. And it doesn’t have to be full blown holiday – fancy a Canal du Midi cycling short break from Carcassonne anyone?
Spoilers alert! Watch this space – the Canal du Midi cycle path is just part of the upcoming Canal des Deux Mers cycle route under development which will link the Atlantic coast (at Royan) with the Mediterranean Sea (at Marseille) via Bordeaux and including the Canal de Garonne.
Canal du Midi Cycle Path holidays France I Find out more
8. Elbe River Cycle Path – Czech Republic & Germany
Locally known as: Elberadweg
Full path length: approx. 760 miles / 1,220 kms (Czech Krkonoše Mountains to the North Sea at Cuxhaven, Germany) – Part of EuroVelo route 6
Pedal out from Prague. Spin through Saxon Switzerland. Go porcelain potty in Meissen. Drink in the Dresden vibe or a glass or two of something deliciously local on the Bohemian Wine Road. The Elbe Path comes with so many stunning options, but Prague to Dresden has to be a favourite section of the route that brings so many brilliant bits together. You’ll soon discover the wealth of river bridges and little ferries that make enjoying the very best of both sides of Elbe River cycling so easy. Enjoy!
Elbe River Cycle Path holidays I Czech Republic & Germany
Elbe River Cycle Path I Prague to Dresden cycling holidays
Getting to your Classic Cycle Path holiday in Europe
Flying or self-drive are always popular options for holidays in Europe, but Europe’s classic cycle path holidays with Cycle Breaks are also mainly accessible by public transport. Arriving by rail, even if it requires a short taxi transfer, can be an extension to your holiday as well as a greener option.
Each Cycle Breaks has a link to hand ‘how to get there’ support information for each country and tour start / finish destinations. We’re also real people with real experience at the end of the phone if you’d like to find out more personally.
Go on, take a look at our tours and give us a call.
