Castle in catalonia - Spain

Self-guided Cycling Tours

A self-guided tour allows you the freedom to explore on your own time without worrying about the logistics that are required to make a tour great. Thats our job and we'll ensure that you have the most amazing experience riding your bike in some of the most amazing places.

Self-Guided

Costa Brava Gravel Bike Tour

6 days I Spain I Gravel

A beautiful loop that begins and ends in Girona. Ride along rugged coastal paths, through vineyards and mediaeval villages. Stay in secluded villages along the way, such as Llafranc, L'Escala, Cadaques, and Figueres as you experience their brilliant hospitality and culture.

Rider ability
Medium
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Coming soon

Flower field and medieval town - Spain, Catalunya, Catalonia Self-Guided

The Pyrenees to Mediterranean Coast: Catalonian Family Exploration Tour

6 days I Spain I Road / Touring

The perfect combination of the Pyrenees and coastal views, incorporating rolling valley scenery that is perfect for a family trip. This self-guided tour is a great introduction to Spain with picturesque routes, relaxed distances and the chance to explore the costa brava. It is guaranteed to be an epic cycling holiday that individuals, couples or families can enjoy.

Rider ability
Easy
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Coming soon

Tossa De Mar Castle Bay - Catalonia, Spain Self-Guided

Luxury Costa Brava: Road Bike Cycling Tour

5 days I Spain | Road

The Costa Brava also known as the rough and rugged coast is a cycling paradise, this tour is one of the most refreshing self-guided tours that will have you explore the inland and beautiful coastline packed full of switchbacks and descents.

Rider ability
Medium
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Coming soon

Sunny summer day in Costa Brava Self-Guided

Costa Brava Explore: Road Bike Cycling Tour

4 days I Spain | Road

The Costa Brava also known as the rough and rugged coast is a cycling paradise. This explore tour is one of the most refreshing self-guided road bike tours that will have you visiting the beautiful Costa Brava on stunning roads packed with switchbacks and relaxing descents.

Rider ability
Medium
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Coming soon

Self-Guided

Luxury Costa Brava: Leisure Cycling Tour

5 days | Spain | Road | Leisure

A luxury, sunny, refreshing self-guided tour that will allow you to discover and explore Costa Brava's southern half. You will discover the most iconic coastal landscapes and places in Girona and take home fantastic memories from your experiences.

Rider ability
Easy
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Coming soon

Tossa de Mar - costa brava Self-Guided

Costa Brava Explorer: Leisure Cycling Tour

4 days | Spain | Road | Leisure

A sunny, refreshing on and off road self-guided tour that will allow you to discover and explore Costa Brava's southern half. You will discover the most iconic coastal landscapes and places in Girona and take home fantastic memories from your experiences.

Rider ability
Easy
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Coming soon

Straight road in the Spanish / French Pyrenees Self-Guided

Legendary Pyrenees Road Bike Tour: Spanish and French Pyrenees

5 days I Spain I Road

Scale the mighty mountain passes of the Spanish and French Pyrenees on this five-day group tour. Follow in the tyre tracks of the pros and challenge yourself to this epic adventure as you climb many of the legendary cols featured in The Tour de France and La Vuelta de España each year.

Rider ability
Difficult
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€ 645
Cap de Formentor - Mallorca, Spain Self-Guided

Discover Mallorca: Road Bike Adventure

5 days | Spain | Road

Explore Mallorca from your road bike on this adventure. Enjoy this fantastic tour that has been meticulously planned so that you can get to know Mallorca by bike, its amazing cuisine, and its stunning landscapes.

Rider ability
Difficult
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Coming soon

Suffolk Flowers - England Self-Guided

Suffolk Discovery: Relaxed Bike Tour

7 days I UK I Touring

Discover the history and quaint countryside in Suffolk by bike. Over 7 days you will pedal from Needham Market to Cavendish, and everywhere in between. A gentle self-guided cycling tour to take at your own pace.

Rider ability
Easy
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Coming soon

Self-Guided

Spanish Green North Coast: Self Guided Cycling Tour

8 days I Spain I Road

The perfect combination of coastal views and rolling valley scenery. This self-guided tour is a great introduction to Northern Spain. With picturesque routes, historical stopovers, and free days to explore some more, it is guaranteed to be an epic cycling trip.

Rider ability
Easy
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€ 1,340
Lighthouse of Cap de Formentor Mallorca Spain around Sunset Self-Guided

Epic Circular Mallorca: Self Guided Cycling Tour

9 days I Spain I Road

Mallorca is without a doubt the world's most treasured cycling paradise. Discover this varied landscape in a 9-day best of Mallorca cycling holiday navigating the island and rack up the miles covering the best Mallorca cycling routes.

Rider ability
Medium
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€ 1,160
Basilica Minore di San Nicolò and Palazzo Ducezio - Sicily, Italy Self-Guided

Sicily: Baroque Towns Cycling Tour

7 days | Italy | Touring

Cycle from the heart of Sicily to the charming Ortigia. Ride among baroque architectures of rare beauty, gaudy ceramics, ancient autochthon vines and taste delicious foods. This tour will touch your heart.

Rider ability
Easy
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€ 1,200
If you're looking for a trip with planned routes, beautiful accommodation, luggage transfers and wonderful host towns but you want to take it all at your own pace? An epico self-guided might be exactly what you're looking for!

What is a self-guided bike tour?

Self-guided cycling tours provide you with more flexibility and independence than a guided cycling tour may provide. Due to this, self-guided individual bike tours are becoming increasingly popular. They are less expensive than guided bicycle tours but they can provide the same level of support and convenience just with the freedom to explore on your own time without worrying about the logistics.

It may be a good idea to consider your level of comfort with navigating a different culture and foreign language, reading maps and signs, ordering food, and dealing with flat tyres or other minor emergencies on your own. Some travellers dislike doing these things for themselves, while others find them to be the best part of an adventure.

 

What level of support is provided?

The term “self-guided” does not imply that you are completely on your own all the time. While you’ll have more freedom to ride at your own pace and take breaks whenever you want, the tour operator will still handle the logistics.

Hotel reservations and luggage transfers between hotels are included and because you frequently follow the same routes as guided tours, the accommodations are usually the same. 

The majority of tour operators offer a comprehensive information package that includes a marked route, a detailed route description, and tips on sights, cultural highlights, scenic stops, and recommended restaurants. While the materials are adequate and improved frequently, we recommend that you supplement them with your own destination research and guidebooks in advance. This will just give you the extra edge.

In the event of an emergency or a mechanical problem, a hotline is provided for you to contact and be supported by the operator. All operators are very clued up with the areas their tours operate in so they will always be able to support you with just about every issue you may come across.

 

What is riding on a self guided cycle tour like?

Because some self-guided tours require a minimum of two travellers — or even one — you should not expect to ride with a group. Group camaraderie is part of what makes travelling enjoyable for some people. If you are one of these people, a guided bike tour may be a better option for you or round up some friends to join you on the adventure.

 

What’s included on self-guided bike tour?

  • Lodging
  • Breakfast
  • Transfer of luggage from hotel to hotel
  • Tour description, travel materials, and a map and GPX of the route.
  • Route planning in great detail
  • Emergency phone number

 

What to expect on a self-guided cycling tour?

There is no accompanying support van on self-guided bike tours, unlike on our guided bike tours (unless otherwise noted). 

This means that it is your responsibility to get to the next hotel each day, even if the weather is bad or you don’t feel like riding. However, if you get into trouble our team is here to support you. Whether by sending a van or advising you on public transportation options such as trains, boats, or buses we will not leave you stranded anywhere at anytime.

In the unlikely event that your bicycle has a mechanical issue, you will also be expected to repair your own bike and replace necessary parts. If you are in a sticky situation, give us a call and we will support you however we can. You may be directed to take public transportation or a taxi to the next town, where there may be a bicycle repair shop that can fix the problem and get you rolling again.

 

Accommodation during your self-guided bike tour

Lodging is typically in 2 and 3-star hotels unless stated otherwise. Each accommodation is carefully chosen for their location, intimate atmospheres and reflections of the region’s history and culture (rather than larger chain hotels). All the chosen accommodations are equipped and prepared for cyclists so you, your bike and your equipment will be accommodated. With the exception of certain ships and barges, all rooms have private facilities.

Breakfast is included on almost all tours (except where otherwise noted), and dinner plans are frequently available at a surcharge at the hotel or you may dine out at one of the many nearby restaurants in the town. Each tour will clearly state what the meal situation is so you won’t be left hungry and in the unknown.

 

Bike and equipment rentals

It’s not always easy travelling with a bike but fear not, we have bikes available for rent on all our tours. Rental bikes are generally of a high quality and are geared to suit all riders and the terrain you may face. If you’re wanting to record your ride and watch your numbers, you may want to bring your bike computer with you. However, some tour companies now provide handlebar-mounted GPS units. Please see the tour information on our cycle tour pages for available bikes and equipment. Due to hygiene and safety/ fit concerns, most operators do not rent helmets. Please remember to bring your own with you.

 

Travel arrangements

The majority of tours begin in the afternoon or evening on arrival at your first hotel. The actual cycling starts the following morning but you are more than welcome to go on a short ride when you arrive. Start cities are usually easily accessible by air or rail.

You may want to arrive in the departure city a day earlier depending on when your international flight arrives. You’ll feel more at ease and you’ll have the opportunity to explore the city on your own. An extra nights accommodation is available by arrangement if this is something you would like. 

At the end of the tour, a final night’s lodging is usually included before being transported to the station or airport the following day. You arrive at the final nights stay, by bike, the day before, have a relaxing evening and then depart after breakfast the next morning.

You can always extend your trip by staying an extra night in the end city to explore the area for a little longer than the tour dates allow.

 

Is a guided cycling tour right for you?

Realising what you DON’T want can sometimes help you figure out what you DO want. Check out these blog posts to see which type of touring is best for you. If you have any questions our team of expert cyclists are here to help.