Bike Adventures
The 'end to end' and 'side to side' cycling holiday specialists
Bike Adventures was started in 2000 with the aim of providing the best possible cycling holidays at prices more reasonable other cycling companies were offering. As regular cyclists, and having frequently cycle toured in Europe and some of the more remote parts of the planet, they wanted to run the sort of holidays they would like to go on othemselves.
*Seventeen years on we have met some wonderful people who have been on our holidays, we have learnt a lot, even changed a few of our original plans, but our aim remains the same, to provide holidays that are well organised, great fun and that offer good value for money. We also want our clients to be able to cycle at their own pace, not one dictated by us! We pride ourselves on our superb routes, crystal clear route guides, enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour leaders and a commitment to delivering the best holiday experience possible. *
The Rhine Source to Sea
Tour Operator: Bike Adventures
France, Germany, Netherlands & Switzerland
16 days (Bike: 14 days)
847 mi (~61mi per day)
Active
Cycle paths/trails, Some hills, On-road
Guided
Supported
Prices from
Guided
£ 2525
Overview
Tour Operator Bike Adventures
A stunning 800 mile ride along the banks of the mighty Rhine, following the splendid EuroVelo 15 cycle route through Switzerland, France, Germany, Netherlands.
Open to cyclists of all capabilities, the Rhine cycle route runs along one of the largest rivers in Europe. From the Swiss Alps to the North Sea, the Rhine has fostered cultural and economic dialogue between the Alpine arc and Northern Europe for over 2000 years. Explore the beauty of this river landscape and the picturesque towns and villages lining its banks, a number of which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Based on the Eurovélo 15 cycle route but with a few tweaks to ensure you see all there is to see along the way.
We collect you from Zurich airport for the transfer to Hospental, near Andermatt, high in the Swiss Alps, the source of the Rhine. Our route, which is vaguely downhill all the way, initially arcs round to Lake Constance and on to Basel before heading north through Strasbourg. Passing west of Frankfurt we continue through Bonn and Dusseldorf to Arnhem, then west to the Hook of Holland. After a night’s rest we offer a transfer to Rotterdam for those wishing to fly home or join the support crew/vehicle who will take the ferry to Harwich where trains into London Liverpool Street can be found. There are convenient airport connections for the start and finish.
Average daily miles are around 65 but the cycling is generally easy and this trip is suitable for most cyclists.
Bordeaux to Geneva
Tour Operator: Bike Adventures
France
15 days (Bike: 12 days)
621 mi (~52mi per day)
Active
Some hills, On-road
Guided
Supported
Prices from
Guided
£ 2325
Overview
Tour Operator Bike Adventures
A French ‘side-to-side’ taking you all the way from the Atlantic Ocean to the shores of Lake Geneva along incredibly quiet roads and with breath-taking scenery.
There are gentle starts and finishes along the banks of the Dordogne and Rhone, and some hills in the middle as we clip the northern Massif Central.
There are many lovely countries in which to cycle but it is difficult to beat France and this trip takes us through the very best that France has to offer. This is a beautiful, gentle-paced tour starting on the Atlantic coast a little west of Bordeaux and finishing on the shores of Lake Geneva. Along the way we will experience an ever-changing landscape, with almost every day offering something new.
Whether you like the natural beauty of the countryside or picturesque villages and chateaux every day will be a treat!
We start riding on the Atlantic coast in Arcachon and after an incredibly flat 2 days across the coastal plain we meet the Dordogne just west of Bergerac and follow its meanderings into central France. Eventually we must turn a little north and the middle portion of the ride is hillier as we skirt the Massif Central before descending to the banks of the Rhone for the final few days.
Our route makes extensive use of extremely minor roads and is largely traffic free, though we try and visit towns of some substance for refreshment and overnight stops. Where available we utilise cycle routes/paths and along the Rhone we exploit the Via Rhona cycle path wherever possible.
Although the route does include some significant climbs it is suitable for all moderately fit cyclists and the hilliest days are also the shortest. Daily riding distances are between 40 and 60 with an average of 52.
Tour of Tuscany
Tour Operator: Bike Adventures
Italy
9 days (Bike: 7 days)
397 mi (~57mi per day)
Active
Some hills, On-road
Guided
Supported
Prices from
Guided
£ 1625
Overview
Tour Operator Bike Adventures
A beautiful one week tour through the Tuscan countryside, starting and ending in Pisa
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, traditions, history, artistic legacy and its influence on high culture. What better way to experience this than from the saddle of a bike; and of course the Italians love cycling so you will be assured a warm welcome wherever you stop.
We start our ride from the iconic city of Pisa and for those who have never seen the city there is the opportunity to fly in early on arrival day and leave your luggage with us while you explore. We ride a very approximate circle taking in the very best that Tuscany has to offer. The route passes through Florence, using cycle paths wherever possible, and this has been engineered to be a short day to allow some time to soak up the culture.
We eventually return to Pisa from the north east, following a traffic-free cycle path along the river.
Tuscany can be very hilly, and there are certainly hills on the route – indeed there are a couple of quite challenging days on this tour – but the route offers a real mix of riding with several quite flat days. The longest day is 62 miles and the daily average is 55.
This is a hotel-based trip using mostly 3* hotels.
North Coast 500
Tour Operator: Bike Adventures
United Kingdom
10 days (Bike: 8 days)
514 mi (~64mi per day)
Avid
On-road
Guided
Supported
Prices from
Guided
£ 1695
Overview
Tour Operator Bike Adventures
Come and see what the world is talking about.
While northern Scotland has always offered a stunning backdrop for the touring cyclist, the North Coast 500 has put the Scottish Highlands firmly on the map as one of THE ‘must do’ routes. Launched only 5 years ago, it has reached a global audience and is now ranked by many independent sources as one of the best and most iconic road trips on the planet.
Bringing together a route of just over 500 miles of stunning coastal scenery, the NC500 follows the coastal edges of the North Highlands of Scotland, taking in the regions of Wester Ross, Sutherland, Caithness, Easter Ross, the Black Isle and Inverness-Shire. Our tour, which begins and ends in Inverness, runs clockwise to exploit the more favourable prevailing winds on the exposed western and northern coasts and runs over 8 days at a very manageable 65 miles per day average.
Come and see for yourself. Come and see why it is awe-inspiring.
Lhasa to Kathmandu
Tour Operator: Bike Adventures
China & Nepal
25 days (Bike: 16 days)
Avid
Off-road
Guided
Supported
Prices from
Guided
£ 3275
Overview
Tour Operator Bike Adventures
The Lhasa to Kathmandu tour guarantees to be a high point – in more ways than one – in any cyclist’s life!
A 25 day mountain biking adventure: the world’s highest mountain bike journey.
This is an epic ride – one of most adventurous a biker can do. 80-90% of this ride is over 4000m above sea level. In 1100km you cross 5 passes over 5000m, a handful of ‘small’ passes over 4000m and you will ride the longest downhill in the world, dropping from 5050m in Tibet to 540m in Nepal over a little more than 150km! It is a real classic and to make your trip even more adventurous, even longer and even more challenging, we have decided to incorporate a four day round trip away from the main Lhasa to Kathmandu road, to visit Rongbuk Monastery and the North Base Camp of Mt Everest.
Throughout the ride, your state of the art bicycles will be a source of great interest. As they will not have seen anything more sophisticated than their basic Chinese-made boneshakers, there are great opportunities to share laughs with local people!
We follow the main Lhasa to Kathmandu route as it runs westwards, parallel to the great Himalaya chain, which forms the border with the territories of Bhutan, Sikkim and Nepal. Throughout, the road traverses a high and dry plateau-land, which is punctuated by the spectacular monastery towns of Gyantse, Shigatse and Shegar, as well as several smaller settlements and nomadic Drogpa encampments.
On the detour away from the main route towards the Rongbuk Monastery, the road climbs through almost fifty hairpin bends to reach the Pang La, which affords splendid views of the Himalaya, and of Mt. Everest itself. Everest Base Camp is a ‘not to be missed’ inclusion to this ride. Standing before the exposed and shear North Face of Chomolungma [Mt. Everest] at Everest Base Camp (5500m/18044ft) is a memorable experience that few will ever forget. We will spend a night at Everest Base Camp before riding 70 km back out to the main Kathmandu route.
Back on the main road we reach the edge of the Tibetan Plateau as we cross the 5200 metre high Thang La, and begin a mind-blowing descent of 4500 metres, via the border town of Zhangmu, to the valley of the Sun Kosi River in Nepal. A final, easy day’s cycling brings us back to civilisation in the form of Kathmandu.
Circumnavigation of London
Tour Operator: Bike Adventures
United Kingdom
3 days (Bike: 3 days)
182 km (~61km per day)
Leisure
On-road
Guided
Supported
Prices from
Guided
£ 399
Overview
Tour Operator Bike Adventures
This short trip has fast proved a favourite among our customers!
If your experience of getting round London has been forged on the M25 then this long weekend will make you think again. Although London is busy and densely populated, it is protected from further expansion by the controversial ‘Green Belt’. Head just a few miles outside the M25 and it is possible to cycle virtually all day on quiet country roads. This long weekend ride will show you a very different side of the Home Counties.
Starting and finishing in either Redhill or Amersham, both with excellent road and rail connections, we track (but remain firmly removed from!) the dreaded M25 anti-clockwise from a distance of 2-7 miles. The weekend even includes an ‘ocean’ voyage, on the little known Gravesend to Tilbury ferry across the Thames.
UK Coasts & Castles
Tour Operator: Bike Adventures
United Kingdom
5 days (Bike: 4 days)
208 mi (~52mi per day)
Leisure
On-road
Guided
Supported
Prices from
Guided
£ 685
Overview
Tour Operator Bike Adventures
Amazing castles, including the stunning Bamburgh Castle. Miles of beautiful unspoilt beaches. Stunning scenery along the Scottish Borders.
We ran our first Coast and Castles holiday in 2016 – it proved so popular and enjoyable we promised to make it an annual excursion. This is a relatively easy, yet oddly epic, ride from Edinburgh to Newcastle via Dalkeith, Melrose and Holy Island (Lindisfarne). The route follows various Sustrans routes, with our own additions where we feel things (often the road surface!) could be improved. We cycle past, or very close to, an almost endless variety of historical and natural sites, including the world renowned Lindisfarne and Bamburgh Castle.
Bordeaux to Barcelona
Tour Operator: Bike Adventures
France & Spain
15 days (Bike: 11 days)
503 mi (~46mi per day)
Avid
Big climbs, On-road
Guided
Supported
Prices from
Guided
Please Ask
Overview
Tour Operator Bike Adventures
This is a classic ride that takes you from southern France across the Pyrenees to Spain.
There is a superb variety of scenery along the way – vineyards, mountains, gorges and the fabulous rock formations around the hilltop monastery at Montserrat. There is a rest day in the Pyrenees and a free day at the end of the trip to explore the city of Barcelona.
This is a fantastic cycling holiday with an excellent variety of terrain and scenery so that there is something for everyone. Although the route takes you through the mountains of the Pyrenees, the trip has been designed to appeal to all cyclists – the first few days offer some easy riding giving you the chance to prepare yourself before tackling the high mountains. The trip ends at Barcelona, one of the most exciting cities in Europe.
After spending the first night in Bordeaux, the following day you begin cycling, following a cyclepath out of the city, the route taking you through some of the vineyards that Bordeaux is famous for. You then continue south through the vast pine forests that cover this area of France.
Leaving the forest behind the route gradually becomes more undulating, taking you through rich farming countryside and fields of maize and sunflowers and some attractive sleepy little villages, the distant mountains gradually getting closer. After crossing the Garonne Valley you pass through the beautiful little village of St Bertrand de Comminges, which is dominated by a huge cathedral and continue into the Pyrenees, the route taking you over the first major climb in the mountains, the Port de Bales.
The next day is a Rest Day in the busy little spa town of Bagneres-de-Luchon, nestled in the hills beneath the popular ski resort of Superbagneres. We say rest day, but depending upon numbers there may well be the opportunity to climb some of the nearby peaks: there a number of possibilities, including the Tourmalet!
From Luchon the route takes you over the wooded Col de Portillon and into Spain, then over the mighty Port de la Bonaigua. At 2072 metres above sea level this is the highest point on the trip, and from here there is a 25 mile descent down to Sort. The route then continues through a fascinating rocky landscape, crossing a couple of minor cols as you gradually descend out of the mountains.
The final big climb of the trip takes you into the Sierra de Montserrat, a distinct rocky outcrop on the edge of the Pyrenees that rises dramatically from the surrounding plain. At the top of the mountain is an ancient monastery, and we spend the night in the hotel here.
From Montserrat the final ride takes you out of the hills and into the bustling city of Barcelona. You have a full day free to explore this fascinating city before returning to the UK.
We will be staying at small family-run hotels (larger establishments in the major cities of Bordeaux and Barcelona, and at the monastery at Montserrat).
Way of the Roses
Tour Operator: Bike Adventures
United Kingdom
5 days (Bike: 5 days)
170 mi (~34mi per day)
Active
On-road
Guided
Supported
Prices from
Guided
£ 875
Overview
Tour Operator Bike Adventures
UK Coast To Coast (Morecambe to Bridlington)
Another wonderful UK Coast to Coast! This is Bike Adventures’ relaxed version of the idyllic Sustrans ‘Way of the Roses’ route. A 170 mile (270km), fully supported 5-day trip across the UK, starting in Morecambe and finishing in Bridlington, Yorkshire. (Please note we can organise shorter versions of this trip for private groups; please contact us for details).
This cycling holiday has some great riding, the route taking you through an amazing variety of landscapes as it follows the River Lune and River Wenning into the Pennines, before entering the stunning scenery of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. There is a significant climb across the edge of Rye Loaf Hill and hence on to the highest point of the route (Greenhow) before dropping down to Pateley Bridge. Things ease off after Pateley Bridge as we continue through perfect cycling country to the lovely City of York, and finally into Bridlington.
Mizen Head to Malin Head Tour
Tour Operator: Bike Adventures
Ireland
14 days (Bike: 13 days)
549 mi (~42mi per day)
Active
Hilly, Quiet roads, On-road
Self-Guided
Semi-Supported
Prices from
Self-Guided
£ 1725
Overview
Tour Operator Bike Adventures
The Irish ‘End to End’ taking you from Mizen Head in the south to Malin Head in the north
The route takes you from the Mizen Peninsula, around Bantry Bay into County Kerry. After passing through the mountains of the Kilarney National Park you cross over the River Shannon and continue past the Cliffs of Moher and across The Burren. After the lakes of the Upper Shannon Valley the final part of the route takes you across Lough Swilly onto the Inishowen Peninsula to Malin Head. NB – route being updated in 2023 to take in more of the stunning West Coast of Ireland!
Roads & Terrain: The route follows minor paved roads for most of the way, although there are a few sections on main roads. Major conurbations are avoided but the route does pass through some medium sized towns. Traffic is generally light but some sections along the southwest coast can be busy, and the final part of the route onto the Inishowen Peninsula does have some unavoidable traffic. The first part of the route is hilly, as you pass through County Kerry, but the remainder is mostly gently undulating, although there are a few steeper climbs along the way.