Category: Vacation

If you like to ride a bike or if you would like to explore nature, you can make the most of each activity by signing up for a cycling holiday in Europe. You can find just the holiday package to meet your requirements by going through a company that specialises in these kinds of tours. In fact, many of the holidays are tailored to the cyclist’s preferences.

The Benefits of Cycling in Europe

Not only will you experience a new countryside, you can also learn more about a place’s culture and cuisine. Most tours also give cyclists an opportunity to explore historic sites along with the lush and green beautiful scenery. If you like a challenge, you will not be disappointed by some of the terrains that are offered.

A Memorable and Enjoyable Experience

You might also be interested in one of the bike and boat holidays that are offered to travellers. Whatever you eventually choose, you will find that this type of travel is one that is as memorable as it is enjoyable.

Where Do You Want to Cycle?

Some of the countries that you can explore include Greece, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, England, Finland, Montenegro, Italy, Norway, and Romania. However, the foregoing list is only a small sampling. Once you choose a country, you can pick from one of a variety of tours in different parts of that locale.

For example, cycling holidays in England feature tours in the Lake District as well the Cotswold’s, Devon, and the Suffolk Heritage Coast. You will need to schedule your holiday during the time it is offered, though. The holidays featured in England are self-guided excursions that last for seven days.

Cycling Through the Lake District

One of the more challenging tours is the road cycling trip in England that covers the Lake District and Hadrian’s Wall. This tour is described as great in every way possible. Not only is it a great challenge, it also features great scenery. The tour is offered from April through October.

Getting to Your Destination

You can get to most cycling tours by plane, train, or by car. For example, for the above-mentioned tour, you can take a plane to Newcastle before taking a train to the trip’s starting point in Carlisle. If you go by train, you will complete a short taxi transfer to get to your hotel.

Some of the Amenities

Most of the trips offer accommodations at a 3 or 4-star hotels, country inns, or guest houses. Maps, route directions, a welcome meeting, and luggage transfers are all standard. You will need to pay extra for airplane transportation and a road rental bike. It is also necessary to buy travel insurance to keep you protected during your cycling journey.

Short haul: Brighton, England

It’s unlikely that even piping hot fish and chips will keep you warm on the Brighton seafront in November, but it’s not cod that will cajole visitors down to the beach this time of the year, it’s cars.

This is where the world’s longest-running motoring event, the Veteran Car Run, finishes on Sunday 1 November. 500 pre-1905 cars will cough, splutter and roll from Hyde Park to Brighton in celebration of the Locomotives on the Highway Act, an 1896 law that raised the speed limit for ‘light locomotives’ from 6.5kph (4mph) to 22.5kph (14mph).

Tax inspectors would say there are enough freebooters in the Cayman Islands already, but that doesn’t stop the annual Pirates Week Festival from sailing into the harbour from 12-22 November.

The only event to take place across all three islands, this buccaneer beano is the ideal excuse to relish this world of lazing palms trees, pearl white sands and clear cyan waters.

Celebrations cannon off when 17th-century galleons lead a surprise attack on George Town, capturing the Governor and wreaking havoc. What follows is 11 days of swashbuckling shenanigans including fancy dress, cardboard boat races, underwater treasure hunts, music and an explosive finale.

Short haul: Jerusalem, Israel

Diversity is celebrated and cultures are bridged at November’s 12-day Oud Festival in Jerusalem. The festival is held at the city’s Confederation House and brings together Israeli and international musicians as they champion the region’s signature stringed instrument, the Oud.

This eclectic medley spans ancient Middle Eastern music and contemporary works, including stirring vocals and solo musicians, as well as quartets and orchestral pieces. Autumn is also the ideal time to explore Israel’s historic city, its fresh bright days a break from the summer’s sweltering sun.

Tranquil lakeside Puno reveals a dark and eccentric side come November with La Diablada: an exuberant carnival on the banks of Lake Titicaca in Peru. This popular annual event pays homage to the spirits of the iconic lake as well as celebrating Puno’s freedom from Spanish rule.

Visit in the week leading up to 5 November for a rainbow of costumes – think full-on carnival attire topped off with huge devil-like masks – and lively festivities that culminate in a large procession of revellers dancing the theatrical Diablada (dance of the devils).

Short haul: Ottery St Mary, England

While precarious bonfire displays send pulses racing across the UK each Guy Fawkes Night, a real heart-thumping display is on offer at Ottery St Mary, in Devon, during the town’s annual Flaming Tar Barrel Procession.

Each 5 November, a handful of local residents are anointed with the task of carrying gert big flaming tar-coated barrels through the town’s streets, spurred on by the cheers of an adoring crowd. The event concludes with a spectacular 10m-high (35ft) bonfire just outside of town.

While nobody knows how the seemingly bizarre tradition originated, it is regarded with reverence by the townspeople, and, though the beer runs freely, visitors are asked to remain respectful (and safe) if attending.

Prepubescent children have Disneyland, drug addicts Amsterdam; but Zhangjiajie National Park, in Hunan, China, is quickly becoming a mecca for acrophiliacs (those with a love of heights).

While the geopark’s distinctive pillar-like mountains (the inspiration for the otherworldly landscape in James Cameron’s Avatar) have long drawn gawking crowds, it’s the new wave of toe-curling attractions that are attracting thrill seekers to the scenic expanse.

Along with its mountainside glass walkway and inter-mountain elevator, the park has now opened the world’s longest, and highest, glass-bottom bridge, precariously spanning a 380m (1,250ft) gap between two mountain peeks. Just don’t look down.

You may have dreamed for many years of driving holidays in Europe and the time has arrived that you can commence organizing the trip. Before you begin, there are specific things you ought to know about hiring an automobile as well as driving safely in Europe so that your trip is all that you dreamed. One thing you should bear in mind when picking an automobile to rent is that you simply should go with the type of vehicle locals drive. Many select a compact automobile, a model featuring a manual transmission, as this is a cheap as well as practical choice. Learn the driving laws of the country in which you shall be visiting so you haven’t any difficulties. Quite a few are surprised to find out drivers only move left to pass in most countries. The right lane is available for driving a car and the left lane for passing. Study exactly where fueling facilities are situated and also which type of fuel to use in the automobile, particularly if you choose a diesel powered car. You don’t need your holiday destroyed by using the wrong fuel. Finally, if you’re stopped by the police for any reason, be ready to show the required paperwork. You may want to get a multilingual driving license, since this can certainly make any sort of stop a smaller headache. By making use of the suggestions, you’ll find you could have a pleasurable holiday from a to z.

You have been given the opportunity to take your dream holiday therefore now you must pick exactly what this is. If you’re like many, you actually probably want to check out several locations around the globe, so how can you set about deciding on the top destination for your dream holiday? One thing you should give thought to is your financial situation. How much cash do you now have to take this trip? As it is a long hoped for getaway, you want to have sufficient cash to do and see all you always dreamed about.

Establishing the spending plan could help you to filter your alternatives. After that, you need to take the length of time you have for the holiday into account. If you dream about visiting one of several Caribbean destinations, you may find this can be done in just one week’s time. If you’d like to extensively explore Australia, however, you might wish to have an entire thirty day period for this. This can likewise help to limit your choices concerning your trip. Last but not least, you need to take practicalities into consideration. If you have always imagined discovering Paris early in the year, however are obtaining personal time away in the fall months, you may wish to choose a different destination and then reserve Paris for yet another holiday. Keep the above in your head when picking to ensure your holiday is all you might have always imagined.

You don’t have to be a world-class athlete or a daredevil to enjoy an adventurous holiday, you just have to be willing to do something different. If you like traveling, but you want to do more than sit on a tour bus or walk around different cities, you should consider taking a cycling tour. You will get to experience different cultures and see the country in which you are traveling from a much different perspective when you’re on a bicycle.

Selecting a Tour

You can tour most of Europe on a bicycle since it is a great way to get around the narrow streets in most European cities. Due to the different climates throughout the continent, it will be important to pay attention to when tours are available. Most tours will operate during the summer months to avoid the cold and rainy seasons.

When you are researching a cycling holiday via Hooked on Cycling, you can select them according to difficulty. All of the tours are graded, so you can select one that best fits your abilities. If you are a casual cyclist, then you will find tours that will be more suited to your abilities than others will, which may be designed for more serious athletes.

Guided or Self-Guided

Most tour companies will give you the option of choosing a guided or a self-guided tour. A self-guided tour allows you to cycle the route of your choice on your own, so you can take your time enjoying the landscape or wandering a nearby village—if that is what you wish to do. If you are in an unfamiliar country or you don’t know the language, then you may want to take a tour lead by a local guide who can help you with the language barrier and take you to local sites that few travellers know about.

Meet New Friends

If you are single and traveling alone, taking a guided cycling tour will give you the chance to meet people you ordinarily wouldn’t get to meet. Since you are all taking the same tour, you will have something to discuss and you could meet people who will be friends for the rest of your life. In addition to meeting new people, traveling alone can be dangerous, especially for women, so travelling with others in a tour will provide you with some protection.

You can also select family tours if you and your family are travelling together. These tours are designed for all ages and most of them are for casual or beginner level cyclists. Not only is it a good way to see areas of Europe up close and experience the cultures, but it provides you will an opportunity to have a bonding experience with your family and make memories you will never forget.

If you want to do more than be a passive tourist when you travel, you should consider a cycling tour for your next holiday, whether you want to travel alone or take your entire family.