Best CyclingTrip
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Plan your cycling trip

Finding the route is only the first step. Here, in order, is everything else you need to sort out before the big day — with the partners we use ourselves for each one.

  1. 1. Pick your route

    Every guide in the catalogue lists the distance, elevation gain, real-world difficulty and the best season to go. Filter by ride type (road, MTB, gravel, family) or by region if you already know where you want to go.

    Browse the catalogue

  2. 2. Rent a bike on the spot

    Don't want to travel with your own bike, or travelling without one? These rental partners cover most of the destinations in the catalogue. Enter your route's start town in the form to see what's available nearby.

    Search for a bike to rent

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  3. 3. Book a car if you need one

    Useful for reaching an isolated pass that's poorly served by train, or for carrying bulky gear to the start point. Not essential for routes reachable by rail.

    Search for a rental car

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  4. 4. Find somewhere to stay

    Every spot or stage guide shows a map of well-located places to stay, right below the route profile — no need to look elsewhere once you've picked your destination.

    See an example on a spot guide

  5. 5. Sort out getting to the start

    Train, bus or flight to the start town: compare options before booking, especially if you're travelling with a bike in a bag (check the carrier's transport conditions).

  6. 6. Check your gear

    A cassette suited to the elevation gain, a GPS or phone to follow the GPX track, rain and wind protection at altitude: the list depends on the terrain, but a few essentials come up on almost every ride.

    Recommended gear

    A selection of essentials, across every terrain.

    Load it on: Garmin

A few tips that come up often

  • The big Alpine and Pyrenean passes are generally closed by snow from November to May — check the road status before heading out outside of July-August.
  • Each route's GPX track (when one exists) can be downloaded directly from its guide, with links to load it onto Garmin, Komoot or Strava.
  • For a first mountain ride, prefer a climb with a regular gradient (Peyresourde, Aspin) over an irregular one with 15-20% ramps (Grand Colombier, Mortirolo).
  • During peak season (July-August), start early on the busiest roads — it's also usually the coolest time of day to climb.