Across Europe, more travellers are choosing to see the continent from the bicycle saddle.
The once-niche endurance sport is now a growing form of low-impact, eco-friendly travel that’s gaining momentum as Europe embraces more sustainable ways to move and explore.
In fact, cycling tourism accounts for an estimated 2.3 billion trips across the EU each year, according to the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), from multi-day bikepacking adventures to leisurely riverside rides that go far beyond the city commute.
In honour of World Bicycle Day today, 3 June, there’s no better time to embrace a form of travel that’s as good for your well-being as it is for the world around you.
The rise of Europe’s two-wheeled traveller
A love for cycling is deeply embedded in Europe’s DNA. This is the continent of the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and La Vuelta a España, after all. But the recent surge in two-wheeled travel isn’t about elite stage races alone.
Increasingly, everyday travellers are planning cycling holidays around slow, scenic routes that offer a more immersive, eco-friendly way to explore the world.
According to the ECF, cycling tourism now generates more than €44 billion annually and supports thousands of small businesses, from rural guesthouses to bike rental shops. In many cases, cyclists help extend tourism beyond the usual hotspots, bringing off-season or additional income to lesser-visited towns and regions.
And if you add in economic gains from better health and fuel savings, the ECF estimates that cycling produces €150 billion in total benefits for Europe.
The benefits of cycling tourism go beyond economics, too. Riding a bike even for short trips supports several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), from reducing carbon emissions to improving physical and mental health, and creating more inclusive and accessible transport systems.
It’s no wonder travellers are increasingly swapping long drives and flights foropen-air experiences that tread lightly and prioritise well-being.
How one initiative is driving change
At the heart of Europe’s cycling renaissance is EuroVelo, a continent-wide network of long-distance cycle routes designed to promote sustainable travel and build a better-connected Europe.
Once complete, the network will span nearly 61,000 kilometres, connecting the continent via 17 themed routes developed and coordinated by the ECF. As of 2023, over 56,000 kilometres were already in place, mostly along dedicated cycleways or quiet, low-traffic roads enhanced by new bike-friendly lanes.
Each route has a distinct identity. EuroVelo 1, the Atlantic Coast Route, hugs Europe’s western seaboard for more than 10,600 kilometres, running from northern Norway, across the UK and Ireland, through France and Spain and ending in Portugal.
EuroVelo 6, the Rivers Route, follows the Loire, Rhine and Danube through the centre of the continent before reaching the Black Sea.
And EuroVelo 13, the so-called Iron Curtain Trail, links former Cold War borders all the way to the edges of Turkey and Greece, turning a once-divisive line into a path of discovery.
New routes and new possibilities in the works
EuroVelo is continuing to expand across the continent.
In 2023, the ECF announced plans for EuroVelo 16, a nearly 1,900-kilometre Iberian Cycle Route. By 2028, the route will connect Lisbon and Pamplona with a journey through Alentejo, Toledo, Madrid and the foothills of the Pyrenees.
But other routes are proving just as popular. The 10-year-old Bay Cycle Way, a 130-kilometre path connecting Walney Island in Barrow-in-Furness with Glasson Dock in Lancaster, attracts three million riders a year, according to its founders, the Morecambe Bay Partnership.
Now, national governments are also stepping up. The UK announced nearly €355 million in funding in February to improve walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure in England. The investment will add 300 miles of new routes, create safer crossings and provide free cycling training for hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren.
The city of Manchester is going a step further, aiming to make so-called ‘active travel’ routes widely accessible through its Bee Network of walking, cycling, bus and tram routes.
“Our plan to connect 95 per cent of our residents to within 400 metres of high-quality active travel routes is arguably the boldest in the country,” said Manchester’s mayor, Andy Burnham, in a statement.
As governments invest in cycle-friendly infrastructure and more travellers seek meaningful, lower-impact ways to explore, cycling stands out for its simplicity and reach.
Whether it’s a weekend ride along the Danube or a month-long journey from Norway to Portugal, cycling is becoming both a tourism asset and a public good that lets you experience Europe with fresh eyes and a lighter footprint.
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