Best Family Cycling Holiday Destinations in Europe

Choosing a cycling holiday with children is less about finding somewhere flat enough for small legs, and more about finding somewhere with enough magic and fun to keep everyone - adults included - genuinely excited from day one to the last.

The destinations that work best for families share a few things in common: well-surfaced, traffic-free paths; manageable daily distances; scenery dramatic enough to keep the 'are we there yet?' chorus at bay; and towns with enough character to reward the grown-ups at the end of each stage.

The six routes below tick every one of those boxes. From the glacial valleys of northern Italy to the quiet cycling paths of the Netherlands, each one can genuinely be done by families with children aged ten and up - on regular bikes or e-bikes - without compromising on the experience.

The Canal du Midi, France: Toulouse to Sète

Why go?

There are cycling routes, and then there are cycling routes with a UNESCO World Heritage waterway as your constant companion. The Canal du Midi is one of the great engineering achievements of the 17th century - a 240 km towpath lined with ancient plane trees connecting the Atlantic to the Mediterranean (Wikipedia.org). For families, the path itself is the main event: it hugs the canalside, there are no junctions to navigate, no traffic to contend with, and a lock, a barge, or a sleepy village always appearing around the next bend.

The highlights are hard to rank. Toulouse sets a vivid tone with its rose-pink brick and lively squares. Carcassonne, rising above the plain in a crown of medieval towers, is one of those sights that genuinely stops children in their tracks. The final approach into Sète - where the canal gives way to the vast Thau lagoon (Tourisme-sete.com) and the smell of the sea arrives before the water comes into view - is a deeply satisfying end to a point-to-point journey. For adults, there's the cassoulet of Castelnaudary (Audetourisme.com) and the regional wines of the Minervois (Vignobles-occitanie.fr).

The route:

Our self-guided cycling holiday along the Canal du Midi runs from Toulouse to Sète over seven days. Daily distances vary, with the longer days best suited to older or more experienced riders, though the flat, shaded terrain makes even the bigger stages feel unhurried in the South of France heat.

Find out more about cycling the Canal du Midi as a family.

Holland, the Netherlands: Dunes, Beaches & Cities

Why go?

If there's one country in Europe that seems purpose-built for family cycling, it's the Netherlands. The Dutch cycle path network is smooth, well-signposted and almost entirely traffic-free - you can relax while the kids ride with real independence.

North Holland in particular offers an ideal mix of terrain: wide sandy beaches, rolling dunes, tulip fields in spring, quiet polders, pretty towns and villages, and the canal-laced streets of Amsterdam all within easy reach of one another.

There's plenty to keep younger minds engaged along the way, too. Space Expo in Noordwijk (Space-expo.nl) is a highlight for cosmically curious kids, the beach at Zandvoort offers a classic seaside afternoon, and Amsterdam delivers a full day of canals, the NEMO science centre (Nemosciencemuseum.nl), and a replica 17th-century sailing ship at the National Maritime Museum (Hetscheepvaartmuseum.com).

The route:

Our family cycling holiday in Holland is a circular route based between Haarlem, the North Sea coast and Amsterdam. Most stages sit between 26 and 30 km - gentle enough to leave energy for a swim or an ice cream at the end of the day.

Accommodation is in friendly Stay-Okay hostels (Stayokay.com), with private family rooms and a relaxed atmosphere that suits all ages.

Find out more about cycling through Northern Holland as a family.

Asturias, Northern Spain: The Green Coast

Why go?

Asturias - lush, mountainous, strung along Spain's Atlantic coast - is one of Europe's best-kept secrets for active families. The Costa Verde earns its name: rolling green hills tumble to rocky cliffs, hidden sandy coves, and fishing villages where the catch of the day still pops up on the menu.

What sets Asturias apart is its variety. The region lends itself naturally to mixing cycling with other activities - the rivers are ideal for canoeing, the coastline offers cliff walks to natural blowholes and sheltered coves for swimming, and several beaches suit surfing and bodyboarding.

The cultural thread is equally rich: much of the coastal path follows the Camino del Norte; near Ribadesella, the beach holds fossilised dinosaur tracks, and the Cave Museum of Tito Bustillo (Centrotitobustillo.com) contains replicas of cave paintings some 25,000 years old.

The route:

Our family cycling holiday along the Asturian coast runs over eight days from Vilde to Nueva de Llanes, with daily stages of 14 to 30 km on quiet country lanes. E-bikes are available, and accommodation is in carefully chosen rural properties - including a working farm and a restored 19th-century manor house steps from one of Asturias's finest beaches.

Find out more about cycling through Asturias as a family.

The Loire Valley, France: Castles & Vineyards from Blois

Why go?

The Loire Valley has been called the 'playground of kings' and the 'Garden of France', and cycling through it, both titles make immediate sense. The river moves slowly, the countryside is wide and unhurried, and around almost every bend a château appears - sometimes towering above the treeline, sometimes half-hidden behind the manicured hedges and topiary of a formal garden. For families, it's an almost absurdly perfect backdrop for a cycling holiday.

The châteaux are the undeniable stars. Chaumont-sur-Loire (Domaine-chaumont.fr) rises from its wooded hill like something from a fairy tale. Chenonceau (Chenonceau.com) spans the Cher River on five elegant arches, its history entwined with the rivalry between a king's mistress and his queen. The sumptuously furnished Cheverny (Chateau-cheverny.fr) and the vast, turreted Chambord (Chambord.org) are still capable of stopping children mid-pedal in sheer disbelief.

Adults, meanwhile, will find ample opportunity to pause at a riverside winery - like Tévenot vineyard (Vinsdeloire.fr) - and sample the valley's celebrated Sauvignon Blanc.

The route:

Our Loire Valley castles and vineyards route loops from Blois through the heart of the valley over four days of riding. Daily distances of 41 to 50 km suit confident young cyclists, and the dedicated Loire à Vélo path (Loirebybike.co.uk) carries riders on smooth, well-signed surfaces well away from traffic. The trip begins and ends in Blois, with Paris just 90 minutes away by train.

Find out more about cycling the Loire Valley as a family.

Lake Constance, Germany/Switzerland/Austria: Around the Bodensee

Why go?

There aren't many cycling routes where you wake up in Germany, pedal into Switzerland before lunch, and cross into Austria by late afternoon - all without breaking a sweat. The Bodensee is one of the largest lakes in Central Europe, and the well-surfaced path that traces its entire shoreline is as close to effortless family cycling as it gets. The terrain is almost entirely flat, the paths are car-free or lightly trafficked throughout, and the backdrop shifts pleasingly from day to day.

Vineyards and orchards line the German northern shore; the medieval Swiss town of Stein am Rhein (Schaffhauserland.ch) stuns with its frescoed facades; and the Bavarian island town of Lindau (Lindau.de) makes for a postcard-worthy eastern highlight.

Around Bregenz in Austria, a world-famous open-air opera festival is staged on a floating platform on the lake (Bregenzerfestspiele.com) - the sight of it from your bike makes for a good story even out of season. Children, meanwhile, are always fascinated by crossing three international borders by bicycle, and love the freedom to swim in the warm lake waters along the way.

The route:

Our cycling holiday around Lake Constance is a circular route beginning and ending in Constance, with shorter and longer stage options available most days, so the pace can be adjusted to suit everyone.

Find out more about cycling round Lake Constance as a family.

The Dolomites & Lake Garda, Italy: Passo Resia to Riva del Garda

Why go?

Few cycling routes in Europe deliver as much variety as this one. Starting high in the Alps at Passo Resia - where a submerged church steeple pokes incongruously out of a glacial lake (Suedtirolerland.it) - the route descends through South Tyrol's Venosta Valley all the way to the warm shores of Lake Garda. The net elevation loss means the whole family spends most of the week pedalling gently downhill (which keeps any moaning to a merciful minimum…)

The backdrop shifts dramatically as the days progress. The fairy-tale fortified village of Glorenza (Italia.it), the elegant spa town of Merano (Italia.it), the dramatic Dolomite spires above Bolzano (Bolzano-bozen.it), the medieval streets of Trento (Italia.it) - each day brings something new before that final, glorious descent to the lakeside at Riva del Garda.

The route:

Our 7-day Dolomites cycling holiday follows dedicated, traffic-free cycle paths for almost the entire route - either along the valley floor beside the River Adige or on panoramic paths carved into the hillside above it.

Stages range from 38 to 53 km, with luggage transferred between hotels, so children only ever need to carry a snack and a water bottle. E-bikes are available for the occasional ascent.

Find out more about cycling the Dolomites & Lake Garda as a family.

Like our pick of Europe’s best family cycling destinations? Check out our full range of family walking and cycling holidays.

Written by: Anna

Anna Gascón
Marketing, Web & Design

After studying in my hometown of Barcelona and spending several years abroad, I relocated in 2018 to Cabrales, a beautiful rural area in Northern Spain. I invite you to check out some photos of Cabrales to see the incredible views we enjoy from our office!

After a few years in reservations, I now manage the website and marketing for S-Cape Travel, where I handle design tasks, blog writing, and attend specialized travel fairs.