Family cycling holidays

Catalonia is family cycling heaven. Most of the riding is on flat trails closed to cars through hugely varied scenery, so you can pedal to lakes and wetlands one day, medieval villages and beautiful coastline the next. Kids are welcomed with open arms, and flexible holidays that allow time for swimming, horse riding or perhaps exploring Barcelona ensure the cycling never feels too much. Our family cycling tours here are often based at an off-grid countryside hotel that works in tandem with the community, with local coaches and guides, and employs small businesses in the surrounding area whenever possible. On a family cycling holiday here you can enjoy many suitable trails leading just off the doorstep, and dismount every afternoon for a cooling soak in the pool.

Sweden’s family-centric culture puts parents and kids at their ease, and cycling here suits everyone. The terrain, particularly on Stockholm’s archipelago, is easy going, and the tracks are safe and largely traffic free, with self guided trips including good maps and luggage transfers. You can also enjoy a day’s cycling through Stockholm’s Ecopark, a green oasis packed with cultural heritage and natural features. Even in the busiest summer season, Sweden is relatively quiet and less stressed than much of Europe, with little queuing and plenty of space and freedom for children to run around. Cycling in the Stockholm archipelago is particularly popular with families because the distances are rather short (never more than 38km) and some routes are flexible. Here or in the countryside around Stockholm there are plenty of opportunities for swimming, as well as boat trips to add variety.

Ride through aromatic pine forests, down quiet country lanes, around sparkling lakes and through open meadows, with abundant spots to pull over and enjoy a picnic. As for ingredients, these trips put a premium on fresh produce. You won’t want for delicious bread, seafood, meat, fruit or cheese, while your holiday supports a range of friendly local producers who love nothing more than to see a hungry family cycling into view.

While the Tour de France tackles the peaks, our family cycling holidays do France differently. Routes here follow the level cycle paths, quiet lanes and forest trails that criss-cross the country, from Alsace to the Loire Valley, or along the River Lot. Our trips come prepackaged with plenty of highlights to aim for and stop off at. The terrain is largely flat but can still offer the occasional bit of challenge – race the kids to the top of the hill, last one there buys the next ice creams. Expect to cover 20-30km per day, at a pleasantly relaxed pace with plenty of time to stop for a leisurely picnic, a refreshing swim, an interesting local museum (the history of prunes, anyone?), or just to make a late start.

You’ll stay in small, rural guest houses for the most part, places with far fewer rooms than the big hotel chains, and very happy to host cycling families. They ensure a warm welcome, and no end of recommendations for where to eat that evening for family-friendly French cuisine, or where to stop off the following day.

Self guided cycling suits families brilliantly, providing the perfect blend of independence and support, flexibility and structure. There’s no need to catch up or wait for other members of a group, and you have the freedom to stop when you want or tailor the ride to suit tired legs and lazy days. Routes are carefully planned to suit children, while maps and 24/7 support are provided, so you can pedal off with confidence, knowing where you’re going but free to explore at your own speed, too.

In some countries like Kenya and Tanzania, or Cambodia, three or four families may cycle together in a small group, with professional guides escorting you throughout. As well as providing a ready-made set of travel buddies (and friends for kids to impress with their wheelies), these holidays are a fascinating opportunity for cultural exchange in the communities you pass through. There’s the option to stay with local families in rural areas where hotels are scarce, perhaps joining them for homecooked meals. On such trips, there is scope for optional donations, which in the past have paid for various school projects, including the provision of desks and toilet blocks.

Our family cycling tours follow routes that have been selected for safety, so that’s typically dedicated cycle paths, tracks and quiet roads, usually with little traffic and with no steep ascents or descents. In northern Portugal, for instance, you’re largely on flat, rural terrain throughout. Our holidays here make a direct financial contribution to conservation projects in Peneda-Geres National Park, where wildlife includes wolves and boars. Distances vary, and there’s often the opportunity to cut rides short or extend them for more of a challenge. On a small group holiday, a support vehicle will be following along, so anyone can take a break by catching a ride in it.

Obviously, the entire family needs to be happy cycling most days, so when considering a trip, check with us on exactly how far you’re likely to be cycling each day. We can help you find a trip that matches your family’s abilities, and preferences. If in doubt, perhaps choose a trip that includes the option to hire a bike for a day or two and see how you get on before committing to a dedicated cycling holiday.

In addition, most family cycling holidays have a minimum age. In somewhere like Sweden, where the cycling is level and easy, that might be eight years old; in somewhere more unusual, such as Tanzania, it could be 10. Do check us, though, as some trips will accept younger children, so that a sports mad nine-year-old, for instance, doesn’t miss out on an epic cycling holiday with a minimum age requirement of 10 years.