More and more people are choosing cycling as a new form of tourism, a way to discover new places, and a way to study new countries. Some ride around the outskirts of their hometown or region, and some have already expanded their coverage and ride two—to three-day routes in neighboring cities.
You will be surprised, but most people still choose organized bicycle rental in Cascais to explore this area during their vacation.
This direction of tourism is growing.
This is also a plus, and first of all, for the infrastructure. In tourist places in Europe and Asia, cafes and hotels aimed at the audience of cycling tourists have already appeared. Not many of them are yet, but their number will grow as cycling travel becomes more popular. Marked routes are being laid out in Europe and America. Most importantly, the knowledge base on cycling tourism and the number of experts with several thousand kilometers in a bicycle saddle is growing. The approach to cycling equipment is also changing.
You do not harm nature.
Having already switched to a bicycle in the city, you have made a significant personal contribution to protecting the planet’s ecology. By changing your travel model, you move to the next level of conscious care for nature. A bicycle does not leave harmful emissions. Spending the night in a tent, you do not waste excess energy. Cooking on a compact burner (you will switch to it over time) means you do not spoil the area with a fire pit. Try to follow the Leave No Trace rules and leave no traces of your interference in nature. Also, at a slow pace of travel, you see more beauty around us.
Cycling improves your health
The most important health condition is to take care of your knees and drink more water. The body will take care of the rest. In modern life, we spend more and more time sitting at the computer. Why sit in a tourist bus or a hotel during vacation? Cycling is constant movement and activity.
Do you want to lose weight? During a bike ride, you will think more about the road and the surrounding beauty than food. You can lose a couple of kilograms in a week or ten-day trip. The main thing is not to regain them after returning to everyday life.
Once again, I remind you to take care of your knees. Stop and stretch every 10-12 km and drink more water.
Cycling is more profitable than traditional travel
Well, probably only except hiking, which will be even more budgetary. But you always come out on top compared to package tours or independent booking. You don’t have to spend the night in hotels, and on some days you won’t even make it there and will spend the night in a beautiful place in a tent. You don’t want to eat at all when you’re riding a bike. You can also get culinary ecstasy from Polvo à Lagareiro or ice cream in a roadside cafe. It will be easier for you to get to interesting sights by bike, instead of taking a taxi, and you’ll also have to call a cab on the way back to the hotel. Cycling is highly profitable.
Possible expenses are only associated with transporting a bicycle on a train or airplane. How to do this without unnecessary costs is the subject of a separate article.
Immersion in local culture
This advantage does not immediately surface. You will feel it only in the process. Of course, if you are an introvert by type and prefer to communicate only with your thoughts, then skip this paragraph. Just roll. But if you are interested in what and how people live in the places you pass, cycling tourism is the easiest way to do this. You will still be perceived as a tourist in popular areas, but the level of trust and openness between you and the locals will be much higher. People respect the efforts and difficulties you have overcome to get there. They can put more apples or tomatoes at the market or treat you for free. The easiest way to start a conversation with the locals is to ask for water in a bottle. As they say in a funny proverb: “Give me water to drink because I am so hungry that I have nowhere to sleep.” When I asked for water in my 0.5 l bottle, they often brought me two 1.5 liter bottles from home or even one bottle of water and one of cola. Or they invited me to breakfast or simply brought out a sandwich. People are very kind, just like you. And you can understand this in a slow form on those bike trips.
You will learn how to navigate the terrain.
Before the trip, download maps of the area to your phone. Also, write down the main points of the route on a piece of paper. You can read more about planning a bike trip route in a separate article. You will have to stop often at forks on the road to check where you are going. You will have to ask the locals for advice. You will accurately determine by the sun when it is time to look for a place to spend the night. You will learn to feel the direction of the wind and understand how important the wind is when planning a trip. The ability to navigate on a hike cannot be learned only in theory. Practical skills are necessary. And a bike trip is the best chance to test your sense of space.
ATTENTION: Bike trips are addictive
If you have already started thinking about where to go after your first bike trip, you are hooked on this topic. Congratulations! This is one of those addictions that you should not be embarrassed about and do not need to get rid of. We have described most of the advantages above; the rest you will determine for yourself during the trip. We wish you interesting travels.