What Are the Best Cycling Routes in Europe?

The best cycling routes in Europe depend entirely on who's in the saddle. A climber chasing serious elevation gain has nothing in common with a couple who want to sip Chenin Blanc beside a Loire château - and that's exactly the point.

Europe's riding is as varied as its landscapes, from the volcanic slopes of Tenerife to the traffic-free riverside paths of the Loire Valley, the switchback-laced Dolomites to the sun-bleached Algarve coast.

What follows is our breakdown of the best European cycling destinations by what they offer and who they suit best. Whether you're targeting a bucket-list climb, a multi-day touring adventure, or your first cycling tour in Europe, there's a route here with your name on it.

TL;DR - What Are the Best Cycling Routes in Europe?

Not every rider wants the same route. Here's the quick answer:

• Best overall destination: Mallorca - suits every level, from first-timers to pros
• Best for climbers: Tenerife (Europe's longest unbroken climb), Provence (Mont Ventoux), the Italian Dolomites
• Best for leisure and culture: Loire Valley, Tuscany, Portugal, Croatia
• Best for a mix of challenge and scenery: Girona, Calpe, Provence, Slovenia
• Best for one week: Mallorca, Tuscany, or Tenerife - all work as single-base formats with daily rides
• Best for winter riding: Tenerife - warm year-round, the 'Island of Eternal Spring'
• Best for e-bikers: Loire Valley, Portugal, Tuscany

What Is the Best European Country for Cycling?

No single country wins for everyone. The table below maps each destination to rider type, difficulty, and standout routes.

Cycling in Mallorca: Sa Calobra, Cap de Formentor, and the Tramuntana Mountains

Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced (with beginner options signposted)

Best for: All cyclists - from first-timers on the flatlands to experienced climbers chasing Sa Calobra

Mallorca is the most versatile cycling destination in Europe, and it's not particularly close. Nearly every professional cycling team has used the island as a winter and spring training base at some point - the roads are that good, the infrastructure that dialled in, and the riding that varied.

The Sa Calobra climb is the island's signature route: a snaking 5.5 mile ascent with 2,230 ft of elevation gain and a gradient that bites hardest in the opening miles. Demanding, yes. But with the right pacing and compact gearing, it's absolutely achievable for any rider who has put in the preparation. The descent is the reward - a twisting ribbon of tarmac that drops back to the turquoise Mediterranean below.

For something more accessible, Cap de Formentor is a 25 mile coastal ride out to the lighthouse at the island's northern tip. The views are exceptional. One caveat: the return leg still involves around 3,300 ft of cumulative climbing, so don't be misled into thinking this is an easy day out.

Less experienced riders and those looking for active recovery days will find exactly what they need in the Tramuntana flatlands - orange groves, quiet lanes, and the kind of unhurried riding that reminds you why you got on a bike in the first place.

The Mallorca 312 sportive each spring gives performance riders a structured challenge: 194 miles around the island in a single day. It's a hard target to train toward, and Love Velo can build your tour around it.

Browse our guide to the best cycling in Mallorca for more on routes, logistics, and insider tips.

Road Cycling in Tenerife: Mount Teide and Europe's Longest Continuous Climb

Difficulty: Advanced / Performance riders

Best for:

• Experienced climbers
• Winter training seekers
• Those wanting warm-weather riding year-round

Mount Teide offers approximately 31 miles of nearly unbroken climbing - Europe's longest continuous ascent. For serious road cyclists, that single fact tells you everything you need to know about why a cycling tour in Tenerife belongs at the top of any climbing bucket list.

The western ascent via Adeje and Guia de Isora is the insider choice for riders tackling Teide for the first time. The gradient is more measured than the southern approach, giving you time to find your rhythm before the volcanic landscape closes in around you. As the road climbs above 6,600 ft, La Gomera appears on the horizon, sitting in the deep blue Atlantic. It's a moment that stops even experienced climbers mid-pedal stroke.

For those who want raw terrain and a different kind of challenge, the Masca Valley and Buenavista del Norte wall on the wild northern coast is steep, technical, and hauntingly remote - you’ll see banana plantations giving way to black lava cliffs as you push toward the summit.

The El Medano to Vilaflor route is the most scenic approach: pine forest shade as you climb into the crater, the air thinning, the views expanding with every mile.

Tenerife's 'Island of Eternal Spring' climate makes it the best European cycling destination for winter riding. When northern Europe is cold, grey, and waterlogged, Tenerife is 68°F and clear. One practical note: avoid the Christmas and New Year period if you can - many hotels impose compulsory gala dinner charges that significantly inflate costs.

Tenerife also draws professional teams for high-altitude training camps ahead of the Grand Tours. Both the Giro and Vuelta events have seen pros use the island's unique conditions to build the form they need for race day – and Love Velo's Tenerife bike training camps let you train in the same environment.

Love Velo offers full carbon road bikes with Ultegra groupsets on all Tenerife road cycling tours, with DI2 and disc brake upgrades on request.

Cycling in Provence: Mont Ventoux, the Gorges de la Nesque, and the Routes of the Tour de France

Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced

Best for: Road cyclists who want a bucket-list climb alongside cultural richness

Few regions reward the traveling cyclist quite like Provence. From iconic Tour de France climbs to sun-drenched backroads through lavender fields and ancient hill villages, cycling in Provence is a complete experience for riders who want challenge and beauty in equal measure.

Mont Ventoux is one of the most iconic road cycling climbs in Europe - a rite of passage baked into Tour de France history, its exposed summit visible from across the Vaucluse plain. The ascent from Bédoin is the hardest and most famous: 13 miles at an average gradient of 7.5%, with a merciless final stretch above the treeline where the wind can turn on you without warning.

Insider tip: ride Ventoux between May and September. Above Chalet Reynard, winds are fierce outside these months and have been known to close the climb entirely.

If Bédoin feels a step too far, the ascents from Malaucène or Sault are solid alternatives - and riders chasing the Club des Cingles (all three sides in under 24 hours) will need all of them. It's a niche challenge, but it's exactly the kind of insider target that separates a Love Velo rider from someone just ticking a summit.

The Gorges de la Nesque is Provence's quieter masterpiece: a dramatic limestone canyon road where every corner opens a new panorama and the riding demands concentration rather than brute climbing strength. Ideal for riders who want scenery over suffering.

Beyond the climbs, Provence rewards the whole rider: lavender fields above Gordes, a Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine stop in the afternoon, hilltop village markets. Love Velo's self-guided Provence tour routes riders from Avignon through the Luberon hills on 25–40 mile daily stages - enough to earn the evening, not so much that you miss it. And if you want to chase the same roads as the Tour de France peloton, our Tour de France Alps & Classics tour delivers exactly that.

Explore all of our cycling tours in France here.

Loire Valley Cycling Tours: Châteaux, Vineyards, and 560 miles of Traffic-Free Riding

Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate

Best for:

• Leisure riders
• Couples
• Those wanting culture + cycling balance
• E-bikers

The Loire Valley is the best cycling destination in Europe for riders who want to feel like they're on a proper adventure without the pressure of serious climbing. The La Loire à Vélo route runs from Orléans west toward the Atlantic - 560 miles of largely traffic-free riverside cycling through some of France's most storied landscapes.

The strongest stretch of the route is Orléans to Angers. This is where the greatest concentration of châteaux, vineyards, and riverside towns sits: Chambord, Amboise, Tours, Blois. Beyond Angers, the route continues but the scenery thins and most of the headline attractions are behind you.

Love Velo's Loire Valley cycling tour is structured around the Blois to Angers corridor with daily stages designed to be ridden at your own pace. There is flexibility in the itinerary, but riders should expect to ride town to town each day - this isn't a completely free-roaming format, but it's as close as structured touring gets.

The e-bike option is particularly well-suited here. The Loire is flat enough that it doesn't demand one - but an e-bike means you arrive at the château gates fresh, ready to explore rather than recover. For wine lovers, our guide to exploring wine regions in France by bike is essential reading before you go.

Seasonal tip: May, June, or September hit the sweet spot. Cooler than midsummer Provence and clear of the North American school holiday peak. You can enjoy lunch by the river at Amboise, a crisp Chenin Blanc, with the medieval towers of Blois catching the afternoon light. That's the Loire.

While you're in the region, a detour to Isle-sur-la-Sorgue – often called the Venice of Provence – is well worth it for its extraordinary Sunday antiques market and picturesque waterways.

Weighing up Provence against the Loire? Our Provence vs Loire comparison breaks it down by rider type.

Cycling in Tuscany: San Gimignano, Chianti Wine Country, and Italy's Most Scenic Roads

Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate (hilly but manageable)

Best for:

• Leisure and intermediate riders
• Couples
• Gastronomy and culture lovers

Italy offers some of the most rewarding cycling in the world, from dramatic Alpine climbs to countryside wine routes – explore the full range with our cycling holidays in Italy.

If any destination sells the post-ride reward as hard as the ride itself, it's Tuscany. Rolling countryside, cypress-lined lanes, medieval hilltop towns, estate vineyards. The climbing is real, but it's the kind that earns you something.

The San Gimignano to Montepulciano corridor links some of Tuscany's finest fortified hilltop towns by quiet backroads through golden vine country. The gradients are consistent but not savage - the kind of riding that finds its own rhythm.

The Chianti wine country roads are the region's most recognizable: rolling hills, loose gravel tracks through estate vineyards, the scent of the countryside in the afternoon heat. E-bikes make this even more accessible, letting riders who don't need or want the extra effort focus entirely on the scenery and the stops. Our guide to Italy's best wine regions by bike is the perfect companion for planning your route.

Be honest with yourself about Tuscany's terrain: it's hilly, not flat. But with steady pacing and good route planning, it's manageable for leisure riders.

Umbria, just to the east, is an equally beautiful and quieter alternative for those wanting to avoid the tourist concentration around Florence and Siena. See our Umbria cycling tour for more.

Cycling in the Dolomites: Sella Ronda, the Stelvio Pass, and Italy's Greatest Mountain Rides

Difficulty: Advanced / Performance

Best for:

• Experienced climbers
• Event riders (Maratona dles Dolomites)
• Bucket-list seekers

The Dolomites are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the riding reflects it: no flat ground, every route a climb or a descent, the pale limestone towers shifting from white to pink to burnt orange as the light changes. This is what iconic road cycling routes in Europe look like. If you're ready to take it on, our Dolomites bike tour covers everything you need to know about logistics, routes, and staying.

The Sella Ronda is the classic multi-pass circuit - Campolongo, Pordoi, Sella, Gardena - connecting four valleys in a single ride. Twice a year, the Sella Ronda Bike Day closes it entirely to traffic. Thousands of riders. Pure cycling freedom.

The Stelvio Pass is something else entirely: 48 switchbacks to one of Europe's highest road passes at 9,045 ft, with the approach from Bormio as the ideal launch point. The road is famous for a reason, and seeing it in the flesh - the hairpins stacked above you like a zipper - is an experience that stays with a rider.

The Maratona dles Dolomites - held the first Sunday of July each year - is the event that defines the Dolomites cycling calendar. Seven passes, closed roads, and the kind of crowd support that pushes you over climbs you weren't sure you could finish. Love Velo can organise your full trip around it. If you're not riding it, plan around it instead - race week is beautiful but busy.

Insider tip: Dolomites routes are only fully accessible from late May through September, once the high passes open. Even in peak season, carry a lightweight windbreaker and rain jacket - the weather above 6,600 ft can turn fast.

Not sure when to plan your trip? Our guide on the best time for cycling the Dolomites will help you pick your window.

Cycling in Girona: Costa Brava Routes, Pro Climbs, and Spain's Road Cycling Capital

Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced

Best for:

• Experienced road cyclists
• Those who want a 'pro rider' experience
• Cyclists who want coastal + mountain variety

Girona is where professional cycling teams come to train, and riding the same roads as the pros is a genuine selling point for serious cyclists. The Costa Brava coastal roads north of the city are dramatic, quiet, and technically engaging - Catalan cliff-tops dropping to the deep blue Mediterranean below. Explore our full range of road riding from Girona and Girona gravel riding options.

Further out, the Pyrenean foothills deliver the kind of demanding, technical climbing that keeps riders coming back. This is performance road cycling at its most rewarding - and if you're planning a mainland Spain trip, pairing Girona with Calpe on the Costa Blanca gives you a complete picture: morning mountains, afternoon Mediterranean, two very different but equally compelling riding environments.

The restaurant scene in Girona is world-class. It's one of those rare cycling destinations where the post-ride dinner is genuinely part of the experience, not just a functional refuel. For everything you need to plan your trip, see our full Girona cycling guide.

Browse all of our cycling vacations in Spain here.

Portugal Cycling Tours: Porto to Lisbon, the Douro Valley, and the Algarve Coast

Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate (varied by region)

Best for:

• Leisure riders
• E-bikers
• Families
• Those wanting a cultural and gastronomic journey

Portugal is one of the most undersold cycling destinations in Europe - smooth roads, a genuinely bike-friendly culture, and an extraordinary range of terrain across a relatively compact country.

The Porto to Lisbon Atlantic coast ride is a multi-day point-to-point along one of Europe's finest coastlines: wild dunes, whitewashed fishing villages, seafood lunches with the Atlantic at your elbow, and that particular quality of light that makes every late afternoon feel cinematic.

The Douro Valley is a different experience entirely - terraced vineyards stacked above the river, the schist walls radiating heat in the afternoon sun, port wine estates at the end of the ride. The Douro demands some serious climbing, which is exactly where e-bikes come into their own here, letting riders see more of the valley without the gradient acting as a ceiling on the day.

In the Algarve, the Ria Formosa routes offer family-friendly, flatter riding through the national park, with golden beaches as the reward. The tone and positioning here is deliberately different to the Douro - this is accessible cycling in a genuinely beautiful setting, not a climbing challenge. Our guide for family cycling vacations in Portugal covers everything you need to plan a trip the whole group will enjoy.

E-bikes open Portugal up considerably. The varied terrain means that with electric assistance, riders see more of the country without the gradient becoming a limiting factor.

Cycling in Croatia: Istrian Peninsula Routes, Coastal Roads, and Truffle Country

Difficulty: Intermediate

Best for:

• Couples
• Foodies
• Those wanting boutique experiences
• Cyclists who want culture as much as climbing

Croatia's Istrian Peninsula is often called the Tuscany of Croatia - and the comparison holds. Rolling hills, coastal towns that tumble into the Adriatic, and an interior of quiet lanes, hilltop villages, and some of Europe's finest truffle country.

The self-guided Istrian circuit explores this heart-shaped peninsula at a pace that allows for the stops that make it special: Malvazija wine at a family estate, fresh seafood at a harbour table, the truffle festivals in Buzet and Livade each autumn - a genuinely unique post-ride experience.

This isn’t a climber's destination. It's for riders who want the whole experience, not just the elevation. Boutique accommodation, intimate scale, and a culture that rewards slowness. Ideal for couples, first-time touring cyclists, and anyone who finds Tuscany a little too visited.

Check out all of our cycling holidays in Croatia here.