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This page last updated on: August 21, 2007

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Bicycle in Europe:
Twelve great, rated, multi-day Road Bike Tours

The best longer cycle tours in Europe, selected, planned out...and ridden by the author. Many are only self-guiding; others can be done in whole or in part by a commercial bike tour.

All are very enjoyable and occasionally thrilling.

Follow links for photos, descriptions, and detailed directions.

Where	Ratings*	Why	When	How	Comments
Provence, France	Easy to Medium (hard option) Superlative	Lavender, Poppies, Roman ruins, fortified cliffs, hill towns, etc., etc.	early May or late September	Self Guided or Commercial Tour	Flat in west, some high hills in east, minor roads, some highways; excellent food
The Way of Saint James of Compostella, France En Français : Chemin du Puy-en-Velay vers St- Jacques-de-Compostelle	Mainly Hard Superlative retrospectively; Excellent at time	Historic, 1,200 years- old pilgrimage route, charming old villages and towns, cathedrals and churches, religious art, forests and farmland, hills and mountains.	May - September	Self Guided;slight coverage by Commercial Tour	Inexpensive. Feeling of a trek and of being part of history. Some flat sections, but mainly hilly to very hilly with several very long, steep ascents and descents; minor roads and highways with little traffic; possibility of continuation to Compostela in Spain.
Austrian Danube from Passau, Germany to Vienna	Easy Excellent	River views, charming cities, towns, baroque architecture, vineyards, castles, monasteries	June - September	Self Guided or Commercial Tour	Good for families; bike paths or small lanes, flat unless one leaves the valley
Dordogne Valley, France	Easy to Medium Excellent	Prehistoric Cave paintings, caverns, religious art, picturesque towns	May, September	Self Guided or Commercial Tour	Flat in river valleys, rolling to very hilly between them; minor highways or country roads; excellent food
North Sea Route—Coastal France to Northern Holland	Easy to Medium Excellent	3 countries, farmland, canals, dunes, ocean, mechanical dikes, V2 site, Flemish Renaissance architecture	July, August	Self Guided Tour	Rolling in France with some hills on minor highways; then, in Belgium and Holland flat on bike paths and lanes; strong winds and rain possible off North Sea
Alentejo, Portugal	Medium Excellent	Rideable in late March; white hill towns, vineyards, cork trees, long views	March, April or October	Commercial Tour	Economical for a commercial tour. Flat in south, except for some hill towns, rolling to hilly in north; riding is on minor highways
Wine Route: Colmar to Strasbourg, France**	Medium (difficult options) Excellent, but substantial traffic	Charming old villages and cities, visible beam houses, cathedral, art, farmland, vineyards; option of castles, monastery in mountains	July, August	Self Guided, partial coverage by Commercial Tour	Rolling, with mountain options by bike or on foot; light to moderate traffic roads and highways; excellent food
Southern Tuscany and Umbria, Italy	Medium to hard in Tuscany; Umbria has some medium days Excellent	Medieval hill towns and cities, vinyards, olive trees, Renaissance masterpieces	Early May to mid-June or mid-September to late October	Self Guided or Commercial Tour (except in far south)	Flat sections in Umbria, but otherwise mainly hilly to very hilly with climbs to hill towns; little traffic except near and in cities. Good food.
Loire Valley, France (with information on cycling from the Atlantic to Budapest)	Easy to Medium Very Good	Châteaux, river views, towns, art; extensions add beaches, hill towns monestary, gorges, romanesque cathedral	June- September	Self Guided or Commercial Tour	Flat in valley, flat to rolling in countryside; country roads and highways; good food; extensions add some hills
Ijsselmeer Lake Circuit, Netherlands	Easy Very Good	Very economical boats. lake views, dikes, farms, villages, Dutch way of life	July, August	Commercial Boat Tour or Self Guided Tour	Sleep on boat (or in lakeside towns), flat, mostly on minor roads, often rainy, more dificult if windy.
Bodensee (Lake Constance) Circuit, and Rhinefalls, Germany, Austria, Switzerland	Easy Very Good	Lake and river views, farms, charming resort towns, gardens, woods, the European "Niagra Falls"	June - September	Self Guided, some Commercial Tours	Good for families; flat with a very few small hills; bike paths, lanes, some minor roads.
Salzburg to Munich or Innsbruck or the Bodensee, Austria and Germany	Mainly Easy Very Good	Lakes—from wild to tame; forests and woods; crazy King Ludwig's castles; views of mountains; resort villages	May - September	Self-Guided	Only a few hills mostly flat or rolling; mainly on bike paths (sometimes gravel) or back roads, but some riding required in moderate highway traffic
Difficulty ratings: Easy = Flat and short stages of about 50 km (30 miles); Medium = Rolling or a few hills; stages of 70 km; Hard = many high hills or some mountains, stages of 70 km or more. *The author cycled only parts of this tour, but has visited all of it by foot or car.

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Why Bicycle? Why Europe? How much will it cost?
When to Go, By Organized Group? Or, by Personal Tour?
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Trains and Bicycles.
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What Should You Pack? Security, Traffic, and Safety.
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Self-guided biketours and information for the Paris area.