Today there is no shortage of app-enabled ride-sharing services. Couple that with adventure travel, which gears up adrenaline-junkie jetsetters with all sorts of cutting-edge ways to explore exotic destinations. And don’t forget the accessories, from Bluetooth headphones to RFID-blocking wallets.

It’s high time for high tech on the travel landscape. But sometimes, it’s nice to travel without worrying about Wi-Fi hotspots, battery life or whether your travel insurance excludes a potentially dangerous activity.

Sometimes, all you need is a bike, a pack, a map and a helmet. And don’t forget a sense of adventure. This is bike touring, an old-school way to see the world on your terms and at your pace. Potentially the best part of bike touring is how you can customize it to your travel plans. This includes dialing in the right itinerary, budget, equipment and more. You could rescue a bike from a thrift shop for a weekend ride on France’s Burgundy Wine Trails or save for a truly roadworthy steed that’s fit for a ride from Vienna to Budapest.¹

But before we get to the planning stages, let’s break down bike touring basics and its offshoots.

Traditional Bike Touring vs. ‘Bikepacking’ vs. Organized Tours

Traditional bike touring, or cycle touring, is defined by its purpose: exploring. It’s not a race, it’s not a means of simply getting from Point A to Point B, and it’s not your latest exercise regimen.

In other words, bike touring is all about the journey, not the destination

Otherwise, it’s most often a solo excursion — not in the sense that you’re not pedaling with friends, but meaning that you don’t have a guide (we’ll talk more about organized tours below).

From there, bike touring is open to interpretation, from the equipment you pick to whether you’re camping or strategically choosing a route with hostels or hotels in all the right places.

One offshoot of traditional bike touring that’s grown by leaps and miles over the past decade is “bikepacking.” While defining the differences between bike touring and its popular sub-discipline can vary greatly depending on who you’re talking to, there are a few key differences that typically don’t prompt any disagreement. For starters, while bike touring is more likely to occur across paved roads and bike paths, bikepacking tends to make that left turn onto a gravel path — away from crowds and especially tourists. Bikepacking is also an all-inclusive sport; you’re biking and camping in a truly self-sufficient, itinerant lifestyle.²

Now let’s talk about who you’re biking alongside. If a self-guided tour sounds a bit overwhelming for your first bike touring experience, then leave the route to a pro — as well as the accommodations, meal plan and more.

Guided tours are group experiences in which a third-party handles all the details. At the end of each day, you’ll most likely be laying your head under a roof as opposed to a tent and there will be group meals. But guided tours offer more than creature comforts; they may also include a support van that follows along in case a rider needs a hand or suffers an injury. Additionally, you don’t need to fear breaking through a language barrier as they’ll most likely have translation services available.³

As with any solo trip vs. guided tour, there are pros and cons to consider. With every bit of safety and convenience you add with guided tours, you sacrifice a little freedom — being able to stay an extra day in a welcoming countryside town or pedaling past an attraction you could care less about. When vetting a guided tour, be sure to vet all the specific offerings and read independent reviews from sites such as Tripsite and TripAdvisor.com.

Training & Preparing for Bike Touring

Preparing your body for bike touring is two-fold. Yes, you need strength and endurance — overall fitness, that is — but you should also have some familiarity with the type of terrain you’ll encounter at your destination. If you’re buying a bike, then it’s as easy as finding gravel, sand and other surfaces to get comfortable pedaling over. If you’re renting a bike, you may have to get a bit creative in terms of how you get your body accustomed to riding long distances on strange terrain. If you have an old beach bike or 10-speed gathering dust in your garage or shed, that’s a solid enough place to begin. Simply practice hugging the shoulder of the road, sharing thoroughfares with other bikers and vehicles, and riding in different conditions — in the rain, high wind and when the sun is shining at its brightest. This will all help you feel more confident once you’ve arrived at the destination for your bike tour.⁵

Remember, this is your first time bike touring, so you’ll want to have an idea of how much mileage you can handle in a day knowing that riding back-to-back days will take a physical toll. In other words, you’re likely to feel more discomfort each day. Add break time, time to slow it down and enjoy the towns and countryside you’ll be passing, as well as days during which you don’t touch your bike — unless it’s to clean and lube it, which should be done every other day to keep it in peak performance condition.^{1, 7}

When and Where to Go Bike Touring

The spirit of bike touring really suggests that you can go anywhere, anytime.

But being your first rodeo, you should try to visit a destination during its off season — as long as the weather is manageable — as you’ll deal with less traffic of all types.

Otherwise, here are a few ideas:

• For flat, first-time-friendly trails, try the Netherlands (you might even be able to pair a bike tour with a barge tour; it’s a thing!)⁴

• Ireland’s Connemara Lazy Days Cycling Tour offers short distances (16-22 miles/day) and bike-free days built into your itinerary so you can explore mountains, beaches, gardens, Celtic Ireland and more.⁸

• We already mentioned a Vienna to Budapest tour atop this article. The Danube Bicycle Path is a flat ride through charming towns, and you can go the self-guided or group tour route.⁹

Are you hearing the call of the open road (or trail)? Are you ready to cruise through one of your bucket-list destinations on two wheels? If so, we have another article to read before booking your bike touring trip focused on getting your bike — a rental or your very own ride — and all the other equipment you’ll need.

Bike touring allows you to appreciate a new land and soak in a fresh culture like no other trip can. And if it’s your first time, just remember — it’s just like riding a bike!

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