Questions to ask yourself before planning a Cycling Trip
Are you a keen cyclist who is looking to extend your passion into your travels? Many of our travel agents have embarked on cycling trips across the globe, and here are the things they think about before planning their vacation.
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Where would you like to go?
The world is full of exciting bike routes, so picking one may be difficult! We suggest thinking about which countries are still on your bucket list, and going from there. Do you want to start in one country and end in another? Or would you like to explore one part of a country in detail? Discovering locations on two wheels is a far more intimate and slow-paced experience than cruising or coach tours, as it allows you to see things as the locals do. For this reason, you’ll want to choose a location that really speaks to you.
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How much cycling do you want to do?
This goes hand in hand with your destination choice, as well as your skill level. There is a big difference between biking for 5 days around Prince Edward Island and a week-long trip cycling through the Alps. One is a flat, easy route and the other is a challenging journey over and around mountains. Not only do you want to consider the terrain, but also the amount of kms covered each day as well as the total length of the trip.
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Tour guide or independent travel?
The idea of a self-guided bicycle tour may be tempting, and we can certainly help plan this for you if this is the option you choose, but it is also more complicated. You’ll need to think about how much distance you want to cover per day, where you’d like to stop and where you would like to eat! If you decide on joining a cycle tour provider then you will have extra benefits such as included accommodation, snacks, a guide and normally a follow van/car that can store equipment and provisions as well as give you a ride if you’re completely wiped out! It also means that you can concentrate on your cycling and enjoying the landscape, rather than reading a map and looking for where the next hotel is.
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Hire a bike or take your own?
This will largely depend on your destination! Airlines will charge extra fees if you want to put your own bike on a flight. In addition to this, there is always a chance your bike may be damaged on the journey! The advantage of this option is that your bike will already be set up with the right seat height and reach, meaning that you’ll have a comfortable ride from day one.
Alternatively hiring a bike for the duration of your trip is usually more convenient (and inexpensive!). If you’ve chosen to use a tour company, then bikes will usually be provided as part of the package. It may take you a little time to get used to your new ride, but will be worth it to avoid the hassle of transporting your own.
After you’ve answered these questions, we can do the rest! Let us transform your ideas into reality, and send you off on a fantastic cycling adventure. For more inspiration, see our previous posts on Cycling Prince Edward Island & Cape Breton and Cycling the Canal du Midi. Contact Lesli@lloydstravel.com or your favourite Lloyds Travel agent!