Cycling holidays in Europe

There’s no better way to explore Europe than by bicycle. A cycling holiday offers the opportunity to discover the real, authentic nature of Europe’s countries - whether it’s the vineyards of France, Spain’s historic paradors, Holland’s canals, the remote Baltic spit of Lithuania, or the dramatic coast of Portugal.

Cycling holidays in the spirit of slow travel

Here at The Carter Company, we believe in ‘slow travel’ - which means mainly gentle (alongside a few not-so-gentle) routes that allow our customers the luxury of time to slow down and soak up the details. Unlike most operators, our cycling holidays have just 20 miles or 32 km of cycling each day so they are all about rediscovering the fun of exploring. The majority of our trips are self-guided, which means you can travel at your own pace and stop off en route as you please - whether it’s for a spot of olive oil tasting in Emilia Romanga, a lake dip in Austria or a pint of Guinness in a traditional Irish pub.

We believe the magic is in the detail

We are passionate about sharing authentic European culture through our thoughtfully designed, unusual routes. With over 25 years of experience in creating cycling holidays, what sets us apart from other tour operators is our choice of local partner with their flexible expertise and in-depth knowledge of the areas we cover. We craft the outline of the tour which they carefully research and then we cycle, because we know that the magic of holidays is in the detail. Our itineraries are put together to take in not just the headline attractions but also the hidden gems of the local area that most tourists never see. We are picky about the hotels we use, to ensure our customers enjoy the highest quality and best located accommodation for exploring the area. Alongside the route directions (or in addition to your guide if you prefer to have one), we give each customer a Carter Company Adventure Handbook, which is jam packed with interesting nuggets of information and our insider tips we have accumulated over the years on the best things to see and do in the area.

Please do get in touch and we’d be delighted to help you choose a fantastic cycling holiday in Europe.