Saddle up: six of the best Eurovelo routes to explore on your bike this summer

From smooth, tarmac paths that skirt the edge of vineyards and the shadows of medieval castles, to epic routes across mountain ranges, cultures and continents, the Eurovelo system of long-distance cycle routes are among the best in the world. The 16 routes of the Eurovelo network wind through 38 countries, and stretch from the Atlantic coast in Ireland to the shores of the Black Sea.

I began a bike ride around the world on a Eurovelo cycle route, at a crossroads near the port at the Hook of Holland, and I only left its network of more than 90,000km of trails, many fully off-road and signposted, near Turkey, three months and six countries later.

Conceived in 1995 as a way of bringing together the continent’s disparate cycle paths, following a Eurovelo trail has, up until recently, involved sharp-eyed signpost spotting, maps and guidebooks. But an official app, launched in 2019, now makes following Eurovelo trails easier than ever, providing interactive maps, waypoints and guidance about accomodation and supplies. Currently available for five of the major routes (3, 5, 8 10 and 13), the plan is to roll it out across all the trails in the network.

Here are six of the best routes to explore.

Eurovelo 15: The Rhine Cycle Route

The perfect beginner’s long-distance cycle route, the Rhine Eurovelo starts on the shore of the English Channel and ends in the Alpine landscapes of Switzerland. Almost all 1,233km of it are on segregated cycle paths, beautifully maintained, and take in some of the Rhine region’s most spectacular gorges and vineyards. Resting and resupplying is really easy on this route: in Germany the trails pass between timbered inns, and through spectacular cities like Cologne and Bonn. If you don’t want to camp, you can easily find hotels and inns to stay in along the route. But you’re missing out: the campsites, particularly in the Upper Middle Rhine, near Bingen, are a beautiful way to experience the river’s languid pace of life.

The best bit: The Rhine Gorge, between Koblenz and Bingen, is a lovely, 65km stretch of riverside path, past fairytale castles that overlook the Rhine at its most majestic, and vineyards that produce some of the world’s best Riesling.

More information: en.eurovelo.com/ev15

Eurovelo 6: The Atlantic to the Black Sea

A stunning ride along the Danube that…