Cyclists on Lake Garda

Cycle tour difficulty levels Find out more about our active holiday grading system

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Cycling holiday difficulty levels

We have a wide choice of cycling holidays available on our website and we believe that it is important to choose a cycling holiday that is suitable for your cycling ability and skill level. For this reason, each cycle tour has been graded by our expert team into Easy, Medium, Challenging and Athletic categories.

Regardless of whether you would like to cycle on an easy or a more challenging route, every tour has been profiled by our logistics team and is clearly labelled on our site. You can book your next cycling holiday with confidence knowing that you have all of the tour information before making a booking.

Don't forget - you can hire an electric bike on all of our cycling holidays. Find out more here!

Easy cycle tours

Our 'Easy' cycling holidays are ideal for all cyclists who prefer to cycle on flat terrain and shorter distances each day. You will ride on well-maintained cycle paths with plenty of time for rest stops and cafe breaks. You might be the type of cyclist who cycles infrequently but would like to go on a cycling holiday for the first time.

These cycling holidays are on well-maintained, clearly signposted trails and flat cycle paths with limited or no car traffic nearby. The average distance will be approximately 40 to 50 km to cycle each day. This might sound like a long way to cycle but is easily manageable for most people each day.

To make your cycling holiday even more comfortable, we also offer e-bikes on all tours. Our daily luggage transport service makes the tour even easier to manage as well. Our on-site team member will take care of your luggage so that you can cycle to your next destination without carrying extra bags.

Easy cycle tours are ideal for:

  • Beginners and newcomers
  • Cyclists returning after injuries
  • Cyclists for whom relaxation and recreation come first
  • Families with children

Note: Please note that even at this level of difficulty there may be occasional inclines. However, you can push the bike at any time or rent an electric bike to smooth out the itinerary.

Medium cycle tours

The next level of difficulty is our 'Medium' category. You enjoy cycling and going out on local cycle rides to local places of interest. You might not like cycling in bad weather or cycling outside of your region. Cycling is a fun activity for you and you do not cycle for training. Gentle hills, loose terrain or longer distances are not a problem and you cycle on the route for sightseeing and fun.

The route is often an A to B tour with much of the itinerary on tarmac cycle paths and side roads. Shorter climbs are not a problem for you to overcome and you may decide to hire an e-bike if you want to make a slightly harder tour a bit easier.

Medium cycle tours are ideal for:

  • Beginners and newcomers with a good physical condition
  • Cyclists for whom fun is the main priority
  • Families with older children
  • Healthy cyclists with basic fitness

Note: Please note that even at this Medium difficulty level, there may be short inclines.

Challenging cycle tours

Cyclists in front of cypresses

If you enjoy going on cycling holidays once per year and like cycling in your local area at the weekends, a more 'challenging' tour is probably best for you. You enjoy climbing and can complete a cycle tour with a variety of terrains and profiles to complete each day. The route will then change to a more leisurely pace and you will have time to stop and take photos or relax.

The route will often be a mix of flat and hilly terrain in sometimes more remote areas. There might not be a train station nearby to reduce a stage down for example. The minimum distance that you will cover is approximately 50 km per day and the daily stages are not to be underestimated. A good level of fitness is required to confidently complete the cycle tour.

Challenging cycle tours are ideal for:

  • Advanced cyclists
  • Experienced cyclists
  • Cyclists in good physical condition
  • Cyclists in good health

Note: There are still flat and leisurely sections on these cycle tours.

Athletic cycle tours

Bikes on side road of the Tuscan coast

At home, you cycle on day tours and can be out all day at weekends on your bike. If you prefer to cycle each day, you might commute to work or head outside of your local town for an overnight stay in a new area. You'll have a good level of fitness either achieved through going to the gym or through regular cycling.

The terrain can be hilly every day and there are several ascents to conquer that might be hot and challenging during the summer. Individual cycle stages are generally of a mixed profile and good endurance is required to get through the week. The tour is meant to be fun and enjoyable and luggage transfers are still included. 

Athletic cycle tours are ideal for:

  • Advanced cyclists
  • Experienced cyclists
  • Cyclists with a very good physical condition
  • Cyclists with stamina

Note: On our athletic cycle tours there are partly flat sections too.

E-Bike cycling holidays overview

With our electric bikes, you can enjoy cycling with newfound freedom. They are really fun to use and open up new route possibilities particularly if the route profile is hilly or has longer distances to cover.

You do not need a driving licence to use an e-bike and the electric bike can support you up to 25 km per hour. The operation itself is simple and the e-bike is easy to ride for anyone after a short explanation by one of our team. An LED screen gives detailed information about the battery status, the mode used and the total distance covered during the day.

Our e-bikes are powered by an electric motor. The motor is mounted in the crankshaft as a so-called mid-engine. The power supply to the electric motor is provided by a removable battery that is made by a quality manufacturer such as Bosch or Panasonic. You can easily charge up the battery in your hotel room or at a charging point (if available).