British victories in the Tour de France and the Olympics have turned us into a nation of cyclists — and that extends to our holidays. One travel firm has seen interest in two-wheeled trips double every year since London 2012. To meet the explosion in demand, operators have been dreaming up new and exciting routes around exotic countries, with options to suit all abilities. There are so many trips, it’s difficult to choose. So we’ve done it for you.
Welsh borders
Duration: 7 days Difficulty rating: Easy
The lanes on the Lon Las Cymru — a section of the National Cycle Network that run down the Welsh border — are rarely troubled by traffic. Which means you’re free to soak up the surroundings as you travel from England to Wales through the Wye Valley, crossing narrow footbridges and following abandoned railway lines and off-road tracks around the Elan Valley dams. Expect cracking views, a stop-off to see more than 200 red kites being fed simultaneously, and big beds in high-quality, historic B&Bs — perfect after 15-35 miles in the saddle a day. The highlight will be the 15-mile downhill through the Cambrian Mountains on the penultimate day. But remember: to come down, you’ve got to go up first.
From £655pp, B&B, including bike rental, kit, luggage transfers, maps and route guides (wheelywonderfulcycling.co.uk)
Austria’s Mur Valley
10 days; easy
You can pretend you’re hurtling around after Maria and the von Trapp kids on a self-guided tour that shows off Austria in all its Sound of Music glory. Covering about 25 miles a day, you’ll pedal from Lungau to Gamlitz down the Mur Valley, past snowcapped mountains and Alpine meadows, weaving through villages and riverside spa towns in between. Scenic stop-offs include the old town in Graz, the fantastic open-air museum at Stübing, and Judenburg, famous for its 15th-century tower. Towards the end of the week, you’ll take on the Tuscan-style hills of southern Styria. Finish each day sipping local wines before bed in a family-run hotel.
From £1,295pp, B&B, including bike rental, kit, luggage transfers and flights (bspoketours.com)
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Pick of the Pyrenees
8 days; extreme
On this tour, you’ll surmount 11 Pyrenean cols, tackling 10% gradients and 6,500ft climbs as you traverse the mountains that hug France’s border with Spain. You’re following the Raid Pyrenean, made famous by the annual event in which riders aim to complete the route in less than 100 hours. You’ve got eight days — that’s plenty of time to enjoy the jagged landscape and pretty villages. Rest your thighs in basic, comfy hotels and do your carb-loading in local auberges. On the last day, the route pulls you back to the Med for a celebratory splash.
From £1,119pp, B&B, including luggage transfers, support vehicle, tour leader and flights; bike hire from £180 (responsibletravel.com)
Colombia’s coffee country
14 days; difficult
This route on the western slopes of the central Andes will have you buzzing — either from the steep peaks or the coffee you drank on the way up. You’ll warm up in Bogota, then fly to Cali, from where you’ll follow the Cauca River through vineyards to begin climbing into the coffee country of Eje Cafetero. Averaging about 30 miles a day, you’ll lunch on terraces above tropical valleys, visit botanical gardens and bed down at local fincas. The highest point is 8,000ft, on day nine, and from there you’ll work your way back to the final stop in Chinchina.
From £2,469pp, including most meals, support vehicle, tour leader and flights; bike hire starts at £185 (exodus.co.uk)
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Slow road to Laos
12 days; moderate
This guided trip from Hanoi, in Vietnam, to Luang Prabang shows a side of Indochina that you’d miss travelling at a faster pace. Your 30 miles a day will take you down secluded tracks, past rice paddies, cane plantations and hidden hot springs. Gawp at dramatic limestone karsts, wind through the Mekong delta and tour the Viengxay caves, which sheltered 23,000 of the Pathet Lao movement from American bombardment in the 1960s. You’ll also swim in the Kuang Si waterfalls, tour Hanoi’s historic centre and fuel up on spicy noodles, with overnight stays in traditional guesthouses.
From £1,799pp, including most meals, bike rental, kit, support vehicle and flights (adventureworldwide.co.uk)
Sri Lanka’s deep south
3 days; moderate
You can add beach time before or after this circular route from Galle. Once you’re pedalling, though, you’re heading into hill country then looping east, covering an average of 30 miles a day, with climbs up to 1,600ft on dirt tracks and minor roads. You’ll pass fields of cinnamon and forests where you can hear the chatter of monkeys and spot monitor lizards, visit secluded temples, and stop at lakes full of lotus flowers. You’ll sleep in bungalows on working tea estates, where a fresh brew will accompany your breakfast of pol rotis with chilli jam.
From £325pp, full-board, including bike rental, kit and support vehicle (moonstone-expeditions.com). SriLankan Airlines has flights to Colombo from £440 (srilankan.com)
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Highlights of Zambia
10 days; difficult
A few beers around a braai is the ultimate way to finish a big ride. On this trip, it’s how you’ll start, too, before hitting the 300-mile route south from Lusaka to the Smoke That Thunders — Victoria Falls. A mix of tar and dirt roads and sandy tracks, the route winds past towering baobab trees and through remote rural communities, with lodges and tented camps providing the accommodation. Before the excitement of the falls, you’ll zoom 50 miles downhill to the tip of the Siansowa peninsula — jutting out into Lake Kariba — from where you can see bushbucks, zebras and impalas.
From £2,099pp, full-board, including bike rental, kit, support vehicle and flights (discoveradventure.com)
Cuba classic
12 days; moderate
The itinerary for this circular route from Havana reads like a Cuba bucket list. It ticks off culture in the capital, colonial architecture in Trinidad, Che Guevara’s mausoleum in Santa Clara, the Bay of Pigs and the eroded limestone mogotes of the Viñales Valley. You’ll spend a day on the white sand at the coral island of Cayo Levisa, snorkel in a cenote and swim at the foot of the Salto de Soroa waterfalls. Expect to be covering roughly 30 miles a day in the saddle, swooping through misty valleys, past tobacco and sugar-cane fields, with nights in traditional homestays.
From £1,650pp, full-board, including bike rental, kit and support vehicle (worldexpeditions.com). Virgin Atlantic has flights to Havana from £700 (virgin-atlantic.com)