Whether you're a leisurely pedaller or a competitive cyclist, why not see some of the most stunning scenery in Europe from your saddle on a cycling holiday? The trails and roads around our Beach Clubs in Croatia, Greece, and Sardinia have something for everyone, with extra warmth and sunshine on tap.
Cover as many miles as possible or take a gentle ride to a nearby coffee shop – there's a route to suit you at each of our destinations. Test your pedal power on winding hillside roads, soak up the scenery on coastal routes, or take in the heady aroma of an expansive pine forest.
You can choose from beginner-friendly or more challenging mountain bike and road cycling holidays, using guided or self-guided routes. And if you're travelling with the family, you'll be spoilt for choice when you choose an adventure-filled family cycling holiday with us.
If you're keen to get booked onto one of our cycling holidays in Europe, contact our team today.
The lowdown
Cycling holidays in Croatia, Greece and Sardinia
Trek bikes at our top cycling holiday destinations in Europe
Mountain biking
Road cycling
E-bikes
Inclusive expert bike guiding
Four levels of ride for all abilities
Option to pre-book a premium bike
Have your own pedals and shoes? Bring them with you so they're guaranteed to fit
Inclusive
Road cycling
If you’d rather compete for the coveted yellow jersey instead of hitting woodland trails, you can join us on our road cycling holidays. Roadies can get in on the action with specially selected routes and great hill climbs and descents.
Our standard road bike, the Trek Domane AL 4 can be found at Messini, Buca, Vounaki, Levante and Baia dei Mori Beach Clubs.
Thrilling downhills, spectacular views, and an endorphin rush – an inclusive mountain biking holiday at one of our Beach Clubs is an epic experience. Situated in national parks, amongst rolling countryside and on some of Europe’s most stunning coastlines, there are countless riding possibilities on your cycling holiday.
With guided mountain bike rides every day, there’s no need to map your trail – just turn up and ride. Alternatively, go for the self-guided cycling option with our route cards and Strava trails.
Head to Alana, Baia dei Mori, Buca or Messini Beach Clubs, and you can get your hands on one of our E-bikes. The Powerfly 4 625 Gen 4 is an electric mountain bike, ideal for on and off-roading.
Try one during one of our guided rides, where our experts will help you get used to riding an E-bike, before taking you out for a spin. E-bikes make riding easier, so you won't tire out as easily. They can also make cycling holidays more accessible.
These bikes are available for taster rides, guided blue or red rides and free riding so you can explore at your own pace. E-bikes are non-inclusive and are available for a little extra, subject to availability.
Don't worry if navigation isn't your strong point – our guided rides are the answer. Our bike team has done most of the hard work for you. Focus on your fitness or take it easy while enjoying the view. The choice is yours.
Every Beach Club has a variety of rides mapped out and the team will take the time to make sure you're happy and comfortable on the bikes. They can also give you guidance on all parts of the ride if you need it.
To start cycling right away, sign up for a ride with the bike team at the welcome meeting. Once you've completed your first ride, you can book more rides. Guided cycling holidays are ideal for anyone wanting to take the initial hassle out of cycling somewhere new. And if you want extra support and a sense of community on your 2-wheeled travels, then group cycling can give you fantastic new experiences.
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Free riding and Strava
Doing your own thing on the bikes has never been easier, safer or more accessible. Bikes are available to use at any point during the day, and one of our team will always be on hand at the cycling centre to give you advice and assistance with routes and bike mechanics.
Our use of the popular cycling and running smartphone app Strava has made free-riding easier than ever. All routes are now available through destination-specific Strava pages. We provide secure phone mounts to ensure the safety of your phone, giving you the flexibility to explore your cycling holiday destination at your own pace.
If you need advice on how to use the tech, speak to one of the bike team at your Beach Club.
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Greece cycling holidays
At Vounaki Beach Club, the Acarnanian Mountains will be your playground. You can conquer challenging climbs or opt for a leisurely ride to charming villages and secret beaches.
Over at Levante Beach Club on the island of Rhodes, you can cycle along a network of quiet roads, exploring nearby villages as you go. The routes range from beginner-friendly to more advanced options.
At Cosmos Beach Club, you can cycle through shady olive groves, along the coast or go off-road. Meanwhile, at Messini and Buca Beach Clubs, you can work through numerous technical climbs. Alternatively, choose long open roads and cruise through olive or lemon groves if you prefer road cycling. You can take advantage of electric bikes at Messini and Buca Beach Clubs.
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Croatia cycling holidays
A cycling holiday to Croatia means you can soak up the varying landscapes of the Paklenica National Park, day in, day out. Not forgetting unforgettable views looking down on the sparkling Adriatic Sea.
If you're a mountain biking beginner, a cycling holiday at our Alana Beach Club is a brilliant option with beginner and intermediate routes across gravelly fire roads. It's a great destination if you want to build confidence in beautiful surroundings.
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Sardinia cycling holidays
Situated to the south of stunning Costa Smeralda, Baia dei Mori Beach Club boasts enviable views for your cycling trip. And Baia dei Mori has arguably the best on or off-road cycling of any of our Beach Clubs.
It's a road cyclist's paradise with smooth, winding roads that climb and curve up through the rugged mountains. We also have premium carbon frame road bikes available to rent so that you can take your road cycling experience to the next level.
Mountain bikers will be more than satisfied too, thanks to the wide range of routes available. There are flat, beginner-friendly routes, as well as technical climbs and challenging descents. Look out for wildlife, from birds to lizards, as you explore the area.
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What is a cycling holiday with Neilson like?
Based at one of our activity-inclusive Beach Clubs, a cycling holiday with Neilson means you can enjoy a whole host of activities (not just cycling). Think swimming pools, spas and other watersports all in one place. How much cycling you do is up to you!
With mountain biking and road cycling to choose from, as well as guided or self-guided options, your Beach Club holiday is whatever you want it to be. Explore the spectacular landscapes of Greece, Croatia and Sardinia - tailored to your preferences, such as family cycling holidays, cycling holidays for singles and much more.
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What type of bike will I ride during my cycling holiday?
We've teamed up with TREK Bikes to offer the highest specification range of bikes across our Beach Clubs. You can take a TREK bike for a spin at:
Levante Beach (Greece)
Vounaki (Greece)
Buca (Greece)
Messini (Greece)
Alana (Croatia)
Baia dei Mori (Sardinia)
Cosmos Beach Club (Greece)
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Where can you go on our cycling holidays?
If you're as passionate about cycling as we are, hopping on one of our fantastic, guided rides should be on your cycling holiday wishlist.
We're all about keeping the whole family active. With Neilson, you can take advantage of quiet, beginner-friendly cycling routes perfect for family cycling holidays. The kids can also get involved with cycling at our kids' clubs and even in our creche, where they can play on teeny bikes and trikes.
There are endless benefits to getting the kids comfortable with cycling from a young age, from increased confidence to improved balance and coordination. Plus, you can enjoy quality family time together while escaping screens and getting out in nature. Cycling with your family is epic!
To make the most of your cycling holiday, start building up your cycling endurance in the months before you head off. That means steadily increasing the number of miles you cycle every week, adding around 10% each time. Make sure you practice on a variety of different gradients – don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone! Challenge your endurance and see how you fare cycling uphill, particularly if you’re heading to one of our hillier cycling holiday destinations such as Sardinia.
You should also consider the type of cycling you’ll be doing on holiday. So you can prepare effectively for either a mountain bike holiday or a road cycling holiday. But don’t worry if you don’t get as much practice as you’d like. We offer inclusive cycling for all levels at our Beach Clubs, from beginners to experienced cyclists, with routes for every ability.
Inclusive
Can I go on a cycling holiday as a beginner?
If you're looking for easy cycling holidays, we have you covered. We offer cycling holidays for beginners at all our Beach Clubs, so don’t worry if it’s been years since you’ve explored on two wheels.
Join one of our intro sessions for top tips from our cycling experts, then take on one of our ‘green’ rides for a few hours on marked trails that range from 5km up to 10km.
Our guided cycling holidays mean you don’t need to worry about finding the perfect route – our team organises everything for you, ensuring you’re happy as you ride. Plus they can offer tips and motivation along the way.
Why choose Neilson for your next cycling holiday?
We take the hassle out of cycling holidays, whether it's for a mountain bike or road cycling trip. You can pick our brains as much as you like – we have over 40 years of experience to offer you. Our flight-inclusive trips are ATOL protected and we've won British Travel Awards across a range of categories. We have well over 1,000 5-star reviews you can check out.
To prepare for your trip, we recommend looking at the Neilson Hub, for cycling insight such as the best routes and the differences between mountain biking and road cycling. Itching to get booked onto your next cycling holiday? Get in touch with our team today.
Had a great week - our first time here. A really great set up and we enjoyed sailing, cycling and tennis as our main activities
Messini Beachclub - Mr Dean Chapman
04 October 2024
Messini Beachclub is one of our favourites. It's a fabulous, well equipped resort with excellent Cycling, Sailing, Tennis, Gym, a 50m pool, a great sandy beach, and a lovely pool-bar. It's great for...
Messini Beachclub is one of our favourites. It's a fabulous, well equipped resort with excellent Cycling, Sailing, Tennis, Gym, a 50m pool, a great sandy beach, and a lovely pool-bar. It's great for waterskiing in the morning, when the sea can be like a mirror, the wind can get up in the afternoon and is generally on-shore so does mean you get a few waves and a bit of shore-break.
Cycling is fabulous, with plenty of Road & MTB bikes, the guides are amazing and have a wide variety of rides from easy to very challenging.
There's a great selection of dinghies, cats etc. and they're all well maintained by the very efficient beach staff.
The windsurfing can be very good, it's a consistent, clean wind but as it's on-shore, you'll need to be able to deal with a few waves and be able to get up-wind.
PLUS, it's only a 20min transfer from the airport !!
I only have a couple of minor criticisms:
- Windsurf kit is a bit limited compared to somewhere like Vass
- The food selection for Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner is amazing, but we found that the desserts were rather dominated by cream. Great if you like cream, but not so great if you prefer the prefer the traditional Greek Baclava etc.
An absolutely brilliant holiday! Fabulous location and great to be able to kayak into Paleros. Super fun and helpful tennis coaching with Arthur and Aden, friendly and helpful staff on the beach for...
An absolutely brilliant holiday! Fabulous location and great to be able to kayak into Paleros. Super fun and helpful tennis coaching with Arthur and Aden, friendly and helpful staff on the beach for all the activities along with scrumptious food in the restaurant. The cycling was great but feel more gel seats required as never managed to get one…ouch! Will make sure I pack one next time! Loved everything about Vounaki Beach Club! Thanks for making my holiday so special and such fun as I really needed it!
