Bram ReusenBicycle touring is one of the greatest styles of travelling. It beats conventional road trips with a car, train rides and definitely bus tours. Bicycle touring allows you to explore a region at your own pace, powered by your own body. It lets you really experience the region you’re cycling through—experience in the true sense of the word.
Because you’re not shielded from the outside world by doors and windows, on a bicycle you can feel the wind; smell the scents of pine forests, freshly mowed grass and the salty ocean; hear the songs of birds; and truly enjoy (or curse) the weather.
Every experience is heightened while cycling. Compared to common means of transportation, bicycle touring is much slower and therefore allows you to take in the landscape you’re cycling through to the fullest possible extent.
Image Credits: Maggie & Rick
Make no mistake, though, for bicycle touring can be tough as well. On longer trips, you will without question run into bad weather, whether it’s rain or headwinds or cold temperatures. However, it is those periods of relative discomfort—they always, always pass—that make you appreciate the good times even more. Nothing is more glorious than cycling across a hilly landscape with warm late-afternoon sunrays hitting your skin, being propelled forward by a gentle tailwind. Camping on a secluded beach after a long day on the bike, cooking a basic yet filling meal on a camping stove and watching the sun set behind the sea is unbeatable as well.
Strictly speaking, if a country has roads, you can explore it on two wheels. There are, however, some countries that stand out from the rest when it comes to the combination of cycling paths and routes and spectacular landscapes. Read on to find out which are the best countries to tour by bicycle.
Australia
Image Credits: theroadeast
Both the flattest and the driest country on earth, Australia has more adventure potential than the vast majority of other countries. It is home to a wide variety of landscapes, from bone-dry outback and lush rainforests to rugged mountain ranges and fertile farmlands. Its empty roads extend into sometimes extremely remote areas and are sparsely populated, allowing for wonderful get-to-know-yourself-better moments.
Also Read: 10 Reasons You Must Go Backpacking in Australia
Norway
Image Credits: Giorgio Galeotti
Home to some of the world’s most spectacular scenery, Norway is a pretty rough country to cycle around. Its landscapes consist mostly of mountains, sheer cliffs, deep valleys and plateaus. Although cycling is challenging in Norway, some coastal roads are, in fact, surprisingly flat and offer breathtaking views.
That being said, travelling around Norway can’t be done without taking the occasional ferry and riding through a tunnel. Executing caution is recommended while cycling through tunnels. Trained cycle tourers will have an absolutely blast in Norway though. It’s a gorgeous country.
The Netherlands and Belgium
Image Credits: Albert de Bruijn
The Netherlands and Belgium, collectively known as the Lowlands, are some of the flattest countries on the planet. Bicycling is embedded into the culture of both countries like nothing else. Children ride bikes to school from the moment they’re able to while many adults prefer a bicycle over a car to commute to work.
The network of cycling routes is overwhelmingly extensive and crisscrosses the countryside, connecting major and minor cities and passing by historic sites and beautiful buildings. Although it is one of the world’s most populated and busy regions, cycling is totally safe—many bicycle paths are completely separated from the main road by hedges, rows of trees or something similar.
New Zealand
Image Credits: Vera & Jean-Christophe
New Zealand is often considered as the world’s adventure capital. This welcoming and stunning country is where you can do bungee jumping, skydiving, sea kayaking and other adventure sports. Bicycle touring is one of them.
Sparsely populated, New Zealand features beautifully rolling hills, spectacular mountain ranges and coastlines with the occasional fjords. Exploring this country with a bicycle and a tent is surely bound to be an unforgettable experience.
Also read: 20 Incredible Experiences You Must Have in New Zealand
France
Image Credits: Loïc Lagarde
The country of the Tour de France, the world’s most famous long-distance bike race, France has such a variety in landscapes that it just begs to be explored on two wheels. From the majesty of the snowcapped Alps, to the wine regions of Bordeaux and Alsace, to the rugged coastlines of Brittany and Normandy, to the lavender fields and old stone villages in Provence, this country offers so many different impressions and experiences that you could spend months, if not years, travelling around.
United States
Image Credits: Omar Bariffi
The United States may well be a car-mad country, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t bicycle-friendly. There are a surprisingly large number of cities, towns and states that welcome cyclists. Of course, the interstates are no places to ride a bicycle on—and it is almost never allowed anyway—but there are countless gorgeous state highways and minor roads that are absolutely amazing for bicycle touring. America’s national parks are also magnificent places to explore on two wheels.
Any more to add to this list? Let me know in the comment section below!
