10 of the best family cycling holidays
Ten two-wheeled holidays that are perfect for families. Mountains not included.
1. The Loire
If you prefer day-to-day route planning from a single base, rather than a longer circular itinerary, you can adjust your days according to weather and energy levels. French specialist Cycling for Softies includes bike hire with stays in self-catering apartments at the four-star Marine de Loire hotel in the village of Montsoreau. Families can use the hotel’s indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and take their pick from five round trips to explore local landmarks by bike, including Fontevraud-l’Abbaye and Château d’Ussé.
Marine de Loire from £795 (adult), £585 (seven to 15 years) for six nights, self-catering in an apartment sleeping four, with bike hire. Flights and transfers not included. Cycling for Softies (cycling-for-softies.co.uk).
2. Croatia
Guided group itineraries work well for sociable families who are keen to make new friends and don’t want the bother of map reading. Activity operator KE Adventure offers 10 summertime departures on its Istria peninsula itinerary, with a maximum group sizes of 14. Aimed at families with children aged seven years and over, the schedule includes four days of cycling, a day of sea kayaking and a free day in Rovinj.
Family Guided Cycling Holiday in Istria, Croatia, from £945 (adult) £795 (seven to 11 years), half-board, for seven nights with bike hire. Flights and transfers not included. KE Adventure (keadventure.com).
3. Mallorca
This flexible, twin-centre self-guided itinerary on the Balearic island of Mallorca with Inntravel combines two family-run agroturismos, one in Campos in the south and the other at Can Feliu near inland Porreres. Both have swimming pools. Cycle routes take in sandy beaches, small fishing ports and tiny rural villages.
Quiet Lanes of Mallorca from £895 (adult), £470 (nine to 15 years), £450 (three to eight years) based on four sharing for six nights, half-board, with bike hire. Flights and transfers cost extra. Inntravel (inntravel.co.uk).
4. The Danube
A chance to relax en route makes a big difference to family cycling itineraries, especially during the hot summer months. Freewheel Holidays’ trip along the banks of the river Danube includes several swimming stops where you can freshen up and have fun. Starting in the Baroque town of Schärding, the mostly car-free route takes detours to the swimming pools of Passau and Engelhartzell, and to bathing lakes on the way to Linz, capital of Upper Austria.
Danube Cycle Path Family Tour from £599 per person, B&B, for six nights with bike hire. Flight and transfers not included. Freewheel Holidays (freewheelholidays.co.uk).
5. Holland
Flat terrain isn’t the only aspect of the Netherlands that makes it good for families with young children on bikes. It also offers well-signed, car-free cycleways and plenty of child-friendly diversions along the way. What singles out the itinerary offered by Freedom Treks is the chance to stay on a traditional Dutch barge, which transfers guests and bikes from place to place.
Family Special – Tales and Castles from £488 per person, based on two adults and two children (aged up to 11 years) for seven nights, full-board, with bike hire. Flights and transfers not included. Freedom Treks (freedomtreks.co.uk).
6. Scotland
For families who are not afraid of a few hills, Scotland has some of Britain’s most beautiful and rewarding landscapes for cyclists. Self-guided specialist Hooked on Cycling offers an easy and family-friendly itinerary from the village of Callander, gateway to the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Using cycle paths and minor roads, day excursions include a boat trip on Loch Katrine, Blair Castle and Killiecrankie, site of the 17th-century Jacobite uprisings.
Scotland’s Family Lakes and Castles Cycle from £545 (adult), £272.50 (two to 10 years), B&B, for six nights with bike hire. Travel not included. Hooked on Cycling (hookedoncycling.co.uk).
7. Austria
New to the cycling portfolio offered by activity specialist Headwater is a gentle, self-guided route taking in film locations from The Sound of Music. After touring the highlights of Salzburg, the route takes in the church at Lake Mondsee, where the Von Trapp wedding takes place. The hotel in Bad Ischl has a spa and swimming pool, and mountain bikes are provided for children aged eight years and over.
Salzburg and the Austrian Lake District from £1,529 (adult), £1,179 (eight to 11 years), for seven nights, B&B, including four dinners, flights, transfers and bike hire. Headwater (headwater.com).
8. Denmark
Denmark’s traffic-free paths and flat countryside make it a good destination for families with young children. A new itinerary from cycling specialist Saddle Skedaddle includes the option of two non-cycling days in its self-guided Danish loop. Starting and finishing in Copenhagen, it takes in the Stevns Peninsula, with its white-sand beaches, as well as the islets of the scenic Roskilde Fjord.
Denmark – Zooming Through Zealand from £935 (adult), £748 (12 to 17 years), £654.50 (three to 11 years) for six nights, B&B. Flights, transfers and bike hire not included. Saddle Skedaddle (skedaddle.com).
9. Italian Lakes
A hotel with a pool, Italian food and lakeside cycling are the key attractions of BSpoke’s relaxed, single-centre cycling holiday based in the three-star Peschiera del Garda on Lake Garda’s southern shores. The cycling is easy going, mainly on flat, car-free tracks and quiet roads, and it takes in child-friendly diversions including zoological parks, boat trips and botanical gardens.
Lake Garda Single Centre from £895 (adult), £755 (eight to 14 years), £555 (three to seven years) for six nights, B&B, including flights, transfers and bike hire. BSpoke Tours (bspoketours.com).
10. Lake Constance
A flat, car-free cycle path encircles the shores of Lake Constance, which shares a border with Switzerland, Germany and Austria. En route you pass cobbled villages and lakeside beaches, and have opportunities for cable car trips into the mountains – all in all, a great choice for family cycling. The itinerary offered by self-guided specialist Macs Adventure starts in the town of Konstanz in the south of Germany, bordering Switzerland.
Family Lake Constance Cycle Path from £745 (adult), £372.50 (six to 13 years) for seven nights, B&B. Flights, transfers and bike hire not included. Macs Adventure (macsadventure.com).
