When planning a bicycle trip, the choice of accommodations becomes a crucial element in ensuring comfort, safety, and convenience during the adventure.
Bicycle travelers have specific needs that go beyond those of traditional travelers, such as the need for safe spaces to park bicycles, repair services, and access to bicycle routes.
Essential tips for selecting the best stay during your cycling adventures
Let’s look at how to choose the most suitable accommodation, what to ask for when booking, and what to do once you arrive at the hotel.
Before you go
Do you book in advance or rely on chance hoping to find accommodation for yourself and your bicycle?
As is often the case in the world of bicycle travel, the answer is: it depends.
If you are traveling in the high season, it is recommended, especially in heavily touristed areas, to book a little in advance so you can be sure of finding a place and not spend exorbitant amounts of money. In the case of trips to remote locations where you may have a harder time finding accommodations, it is a good idea to do some research before you leave, making sure at the very least that there are hotels or b&b’s along the way.
When and where?
In planning a bicycle trip, especially for those who are new to cycling, perhaps the most difficult part is determining how many miles to ride in a day and where to stop and sleep.
Here are our tips for dealing with this without stress.
The best thing is to book in advance the overnight stay for the first two days of the trip, to make sure you have a place to sleep in the first stage of the adventure.
When you will be on the road it will be easier to quantify your energy and therefore decide where to stop and sleep day by day.
On your lunch break set your destination for the evening, open Google Maps, Booking.com or other similar platforms, and book your stay. In the next paragraph, we will give you a couple of booking tips.
The reservation
There are many hotels and b&b’s, especially along cycle routes that have implemented ad hoc services and infrastructure for bicycle travelers, joining the category of “bike hotels.”
However, if there are no hotels along your route that meet these characteristics, don’t worry; bike travelers have a few needs that most accommodations can meet without difficulty.
The most important thing is to communicate that you will need to park your bike for the night in a safe place and, in the case of e-bikes, to recharge its battery.
If the hotel does not provide bike storage, ask in advance that you be given the option of bringing your bike with you to your room and that there is an elevator so you can do this in comfort or, alternatively, stay on the ground floor.
Breakfast is an essential meal for cyclists and should not be skipped. Especially if you are traveling in the summertime or more generally with high temperatures, it is advisable to leave very early in the morning to avoid cycling during the hottest hours. For this reason, when booking, inquire about the breakfast service time. It is preferable to stay in accommodations that give the possibility to have breakfast early in the morning, approximately from 7:00 a.m., so that you will be ready to ride and leave the hotel by 8:00/8:30 a.m.
During your stay
Once you arrive at the hotel , after checking in and setting up your bicycle, it is time to relax , but not before ticking off all the items on this check list:
- 5/10 minutes of stretching
- quick snack to replenish your energy
- charge all devices and the bike in case of e-bikes
- if possible wash and sanitize the cycling outfit used during the day so it can dry in time for the next day
- check the condition of the bike and do any necessary maintenance
If you are staying at a camping site, remember to always set up your tent before doing any other activities so that you avoid having to do it in the dark. In the hostel, on the other hand, remember to ask for a locker where you can store your valuables; they are usually available to guests at the reception desk.
After a nice shower and dinner to replenish your energy and sample local products, all that’s left is to rest and recharge your batteries.
Ready, set, go
As mentioned above, breakfast is a very important meal for bicycle travelers because it provides the energy to spend a long day in the saddle. It is recommended to eat at least an hour or so before setting off again to give the body a chance to digest at a leisurely pace, time that can be used to get the bike ready and prepare for the day.
Breakfast in hotels usually offers a wide choice, what matters is not to weigh yourself down but to have a nutritious and balanced meal.
A few examples of the perfect breakfast before cycling:
- Yogurt with fruit and muesli
- Toast (preferably whole wheat) with eggs and avocado
- Slice of bread with jam and a banana
Breakfast done, it’s time to put the bags back on the bike, check the day’s route and get back on the bike.
If you are traveling alone, staying overnight in an accommodation along the route, will allow you to meet and socialize with other like-minded people and share with them moments and memories of the adventure.
Have you already planned your next trip?
Where do you want to ride next?
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