If you like the idea of unpacking once, leaving the panniers behind and heading off in a different direction each day, a centre based e-bike holiday could be perfect. However, choosing the right base can make the difference between four fantastic days of cycling and four days wondering why every route starts with a 15% climb!
Having spent years planning cycling routes across Europe, I look for a few things before booking our base.
My Centre-Based Holiday checklist
Several routes from the door
Cafes and interesting stops
Variety of accommodations
Restaurants and supermarkets nearby
Good public transport
Secure bike storage and charging
1. Start With the Cycling, Not the Accommodation
It is tempting to find a lovely hotel or apartment first and work everything else out afterwards. Instead, I look at the cycling possibilities before I book.
I normally start by seeing what is available to the north, south, east, and west of a potential base. Are there cycle paths, quiet roads or interesting places that could become a day’s destination?
Ideally, I want several different routes straight from the accommodation rather than having to load the bikes onto the car every morning.
Komoot and other route-planning apps are useful at this stage. However, I also check the local tourist office website because regional cycle routes don’t always appear when you first start searching online.
Before I book - I want to find at least 3-4 different routes from the same base.
2. Look for Variety
Four days cycling along the same river might sound wonderful, but personally, I like a little more variety.
A good base could give you a riverside ride one day, countryside or vineyards the next and perhaps a slightly more challenging route into the hills on another day.
I also look for interesting towns, lakes, castles, viewpoints and, naturally, good coffee stops. The destination is part of the ride, particularly if, like me, you prefer slow travel rather than chasing kilometres.
3. Think About Your Rest Time Too
Your bike doesn’t have to be the centre of absolutely everything.
My preference for a centre based holiday is usually an apartment. I like having the space and flexibility to decide what we want to do in the evening rather than feeling we have to go out.
After 50 or 60 kilometres in the saddle, it is lovely to shower, change and decide whether we fancy walking out for dinner or preparing something ourselves. Therefore, I look for a base with a supermarket or local shop nearby as well as a few restaurants and cafés within easy reach.
And then there’s Day 3!
The older I get, the more I notice that after three days of cycling, sometimes I just want a shower, my pyjamas and the sofa. Knowing I can make something simple to eat, watch a film on my iPad or read a book without having to get dressed again and go out is my idea of holiday luxury.
That flexibility is one of the things I particularly like about staying in an apartment.
In addition, consider what you could do if the weather is awful. A town, spa, museum or good public transport connection can save a wet day from becoming a day spent staring out of the window.
4. Getting around
- Railway station nearby
- Option to ride out and train back
- Check local bike rules on transport
- Are there more tour possibilities via public transport
5. Practical Bike Stuff
- Secure bike storage
- Somewhere to charge ebike batteries
- Easy access from accommodation
- Bike shop or repair options nearby
6. Ask the Local Tourist Office
Finally, don’t underestimate the local tourist office. Ask for cycling maps and recommendations when you arrive.
Some of our best rides have come from looking at a paper map and spotting a local cycle route we hadn’t considered.
Local knowledge can also uncover quieter paths, good places to stop and routes that you might never find through an app.
Lindsey's final comment
Choose the cycling first and the accommodation second. Look for good routes in several directions, interesting places to visit, somewhere to eat and shop nearby, and enough flexibility to change your plans.
Most importantly, choose somewhere you’ll enjoy coming back to at the end of the ride. Because sometimes the perfect end to a day’s e-biking isn’t a fancy restaurant.
It’s dinner in your pyjamas, a glass of something nice and absolutely no intention of going anywhere else.
