Cycling in Europe: bicycle routes, itineraries and tips

The Danube cycle path is the mother of all cycling paths, and after having cycled some Italian cycleways, this year we decided to face the track from Vienna to Budapest by bicycle. The heat and the effort were pretty challenging, but the joy of arriving let us forget all, giving the strength and the desire for another adventure. Here is our trip journal...

Cycling Corsica, my first solo bicycle tour, was my graduation gift. I cannot deny that the planning was approximate since on Friday afternoon I started figuring out the destination of my one-week trip (it had to be one week long, close to home, cheap and in a place with mild temperature in February too), and on Sunday I left. At the beginning my idea was to cycle on the Danube cycleway: closer to "my" Trentino bit certainly far from my idea of warm climate I wanted... rejected! Next idea: Camargue and the southern coast of France until Barcelona (where I wanted to visit an aunt of mine): too far... impossible to make it! 

Cycling Iceland tour has been realized with Emanuele Battistelli in two weeks, from June 30 to July 14, including the flights. 12 legs plus one "spare", due to the cancelation of the leg to Husavik, in order to gain time for eventual problems during the route.1532 Km nd 11'256 m elevation gain.

Picture: Chambord Castle from Shutterstock

One of the most cycled itineraries in Europe follows a fairy river, among castles and artsy cities, in France.

River Loire Cycle Path, or in french Loire à Vélo, is an 800 km long cycling itinerary connecting Cuffy to Saint-Brevin-les-Pins (or vice-versa if you want to start from the mouth), on the Atlantic Ocean. This bicycle path is part of Eurovelo 6, one of the European long-distance cycling routes...

The Inn River Cycle Path is one of those routes for traveling by bike with your family, best friends or solo travelersThink about a pretty flat cycling itinerary surrounded by the Alps: an itinerary for everyone crossing from West to East a good part of the mountain territory between Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. It's not a utopia but real and it's called the Inn Cycle Path. The 520 km track connects Maloja and Passau, giving to every bicycle traveler the safety to ride on cycleways in a spectacular setting.

Cycling in Greece can be enjoyed in every season, thanks to the temperate climate of the Mediterranean area. From the continental backcountry to its many islands sprinkling Ionian and Aegean seas, bicycle touring in Greece will offer many choices, thanks to its many itineraries. Far from the busiest areas, there are so many secondary roads, panoramic gravel paths, unexpected trails that can conquer even the most skeptical travelers. Then you have some breathtaking itineraries, for the views and for the effort, going over 2000 m of altitude, through National Parks, on the tallest peaks of the entire nation and capable of giving unique emotions to every bicycle tourist. 

I've never traveled by bicycle before, but I've been attracted by those fearless bikers you sometimes cross on the road, with huge bags on their bikes, worn out clothes and a waving flag revealing their nationality. It's one of the images I use for defining Freedom. I've always admired them, with respect and fondness. So it's been some years I have been living with this idea of a bicycle trip alone and with no rush. The research and the choice of an itinerary were not hard: the famous Way of Saint James (or Camino de Santiago) by bicycle was all I needed... even more than that!

In the north-eastern part of the Alps there is a cycling itinerary that connects one of the biggest German cities to the charming city on the lagoon. The Friendship Cycle Way, Munich to Venice bike route, travels through cycle paths already existing, secondary, low-traffic roads with the dream to see the whole trail turning into one single connection cycle trail between Germany and Italy.