A custom bike tour is a great way to transform the way you see a specific destination – it could even be a place you’ve traveled to before. Seeing a destination on a bike rather than a car, just gives you that extra little nudge to notice things you might not have noticed before; the way the trees look in that specific season, the way the road bends, how the sun glints off the water, or the scent of local trees. These might not be things you ever noticed before in a car, but you can be sure that they will be things you can and will notice on a bike. A lot of the bike tours around the world offer an option where they take care of everything under the sun including lodging and food, but they all offer different types of support from a guided tour with an experienced guide, a self-supported tour without a guide and a solo ride where you take care of everything yourself. No matter which option you choose, you might be looking into bike tour trends – where to go for the best routes, the best scenery or the best landmarks. Below you will find a few options for the most popular locations. These are worldwide locations by the way so you may need to do some additional traveling or rent bikes along the way.
Galway Ireland
On this specific trip brought to you by Cycling Safaris, you will be traveling along the scenic routes of Galway Ireland – it’s a rugged yet beautiful terrain that you really won’t see anywhere else. The route travels down the West of Ireland which keeps you away from all the really busy locations and away from tourists, but this is a cool option because it keeps your eyes on the road to really enjoy the scenery and allow you to take the route at your own pace. This is one of the longer trips – 8 days long round trip. The price is around 770-800 per person to 225 for single solo occupancy; if that seems a tad expensive, consider all the options you get with it which includes a 7 night accommodation for lodging with a full Irish breakfast, an evening meal per day, with the option of a bike rental. This is also a guided tour, which means you will have an experienced rider with you, a guide in a support van, transfers with all of your luggage and a ferry ticket to the Islands. The pace is set at 22-38 miles per day, so you will have to be in semi good shape for it and it’s over rolling terrain.
Tasmania Australia
This trip is brought to you by Island Cycle Tours and you will be traveling via Hobart, from there you will travel through wine country as well as farmland – a beautiful scenic location, remember to bring your camera just in case! If you think farmlands and wine country is all you’ll get to see, think again, this is Australia after all. You will also wind through old coastal fishing towns, see amazing white beaches with the bluest water your eyes have ever seen and also go through some pretty rugged terrain – the mountains of Freycinet National Park. The cost for this trip is around $1700 USD but it includes 6 nights of accommodations; breakfast, lunch and snacks along with drinks and park fees. You will also be guided alongside an experienced rider, be given a mini tour bus for your belongings, food, luggage, etc. Bike rentals are extra – around $94. This trip is available January through March and has a 23-40 miles per day pace over rolling terrain – great for moderate to advanced cyclers.
Vermont and New York State
If you are looking for a place closer to home in the US, this custom bike tour has everything you need. It’s brought to you by Sojourn Bike Tours. You will travel from the Green mountains to Adirondack Mountains and then to one of the largest lakes in the US – Lake Champlain. As a person that has traveled to these areas via car, I can tell you that these three locations are some of the best in the US – and that’s saying something! Because this tour is available in Sept as well as October, and you will be in locations with plentiful trees, flowers and plants, you will get to see Mother Nature in her most glorious phase – fall! You will have 5 nights of accommodation for lodging, all of your meals taken care of, a van for support as well as some extra options such as a guided canoe tour, a cruise across the lakes and of course a tour of one of the farms to sample freshly made cheddar cheese! This custom guided tour costs around $1900 and you will need to travel anywhere from 25miles to 55 miles per day.
