Looking to go on your first European bikepacking trip? You’ll find all you need to know in this article! After five summers of cycling trips across Europe (with some agonizing ones at the beginning), I’ve gone from a cycle touring noob to bikepacking expert. These tips will help you avoid some of the rookie mistakes I’ve made over the years so that you can have a more enjoyable first European bikepacking trip than I did. Now I absolutely love this slow, sustainable way of traveling and seeing Europe!
Here’s my very first attempt at bikepacking, which resulted in the worst trip ever.
Table of Contents
Preparing your bike for your first European Bikepacking Trip
Your bike is your number one companion on your bikepacking trip. It should be touring appropriate, in good shape, and ready to hit the trail! You should also know a thing or two about it in order to alleviate any mishaps along your way.
Ultimate Packing Guide for a European Bikepacking Trip!
Get a proper bike and outfit it appropriately
You will need a bike which is light but robust enough to handle the weight of whatever you pack on it. Some bikepackers will cycle with road or racing bikes, but they are very lightly packed. Many long-distance bike trails will be occasionally off-road, so you want tires which will withstand gravel, sand, and cobblestones. I did my first bike trail with a mountain bike, but it is heavier than my touring bike, and the wide tires with a very grippy profile was too much friction on road surfaces.
Bikepacking attempt number two was still awful.
Once you have the right bike, you will need to make sure that it has all you need to keep you safe and carry your stuff along the way. At least in Germany, it is required to have a bell and lights on your bike in order to be on the road. Bells are handy for passing other cyclists. I never think I will need lights, but there’s always a few times where they are necessary, like on cloudy or rainy days, when you stay out a bit after dark and need to cycle back to camp, or getting an early morning start to beat the heat.
Fenders on your bike aren’t necessary, but they help keep you a bit cleaner as you ride. They can prevent too much mud, dirt, and dust from splattering on you, and make a difference in how wet you get when traveling in the rain. I definitely got them after spending two days in the rain on my first trip.
Of course, you’ll need a luggage rack and panniers to pack and carry your stuff along the way. There are also frame bags which attach directly to the frame of the bike and handle bars, provided you have space there. Your system will depend on you, your bike, and your needs for the trip.
Get a bike tune up before you go
If you’ve used the bike before or purchased it used, you should definitely get it tuned-up before you leave. A regular inspection will include tightening all screws, checking the brakes and gears, filling the tires, etc. Some inspections or an upgraded one will include making sure your lights work properly if they are integrated. I should have gotten a tune-up before my first bikepacking trip, because I only had two working gears the whole way!
Ultimate Packing Guide for a European Bikepacking Trip!
Learn to change a flat tire
Admittedly, we’re still learning this one. On my first several bike trips, I never had a flat tire. This summer we had FIVE! If you’re lucky, you won’t need to know how to do this, but you never know when it will happen. Bikers are often friendly and will ask if you need help as they cycle by, but you should be able to change or fix the flat independently. You should also carry all the tools you need with you.
Necessary accessories for your first European bikepacking trip
Maybe you’ll decide these things aren’t important for you, but I have found that they make a huge difference in my comfort along the way!
Bike shorts are not just for looking cool
I didn’t have bike shorts on my first trip. Even on the second trip I just had a cheap pair. Now I travel with 2-3 pairs of padded shorts. The difference is really amazing! I used to have all sorts of problems because of my bike seat and shorts combo. Taking the time to figure it out will save your sorry bottom lots of pain! It is worth investing in a good bike seat (which will be different for everyone!) and a good pair of cycling shorts to keep you comfortable for the entirety of your trip.
Wear (sun)glasses
It is essential to have eyewear on your European bikepacking trip. I have had countless bugs smack me in the face or fly into my mouth and nose. You do not want them in your eyes! Also it is important to protect your eyes from dust and other things flying in the air while you’re zooming down the trail or when the wind blows things around.
Something borrowed, something blue…
I mean something warm, something dry… Packing such that you can layer is very important. Some mornings will be cold and others will be rainy, while the afternoon could be scorching. Especially with global warming, the weather is getting wackier and wilder. On my trip to the Baltic Sea I thought, “It’s summer, and I’m cycling to the beach! I’ll save weight and just bring light stuff.” Luckily I packed a rain jacket, but otherwise, I was cold and damp. The evenings and nights were colder and windier than I expected. Now I always pack a pair of thermal underwear, wind breaker, fleece, and rain jacket as a minimum even in the summer!
Carry toilet paper
In many countries, you can expect toilet paper pretty much everywhere you can use a toilet, including campsites. However, there are places (like France) which do not provide toilet paper a majority of the time. TP also comes in handy for when you need to go and there isn’t a toilet. Just remember to take it with you when you’re done. No one likes to find your used toilet paper on the ground after you. It’s not as biodegradable as you think, so don’t litter!
Ultimate Packing Guide for a European Bikepacking Trip!
Fitness for your first European bikepacking trip
What I love about cycle touring is that you don’t have to be super fit in order to do it, but at the same time it can be as athletic as you want it to be. For a less sporty adventure, choose a river route or use an Ebike. There’s even some companies which will shuttle your luggage for you so that you can ride light. If you’re looking for more of a challenging experience, long days or challenging terrain can up the amount physical fitness required.
Bike with gear is heavier than bike without gear
It has taken me years to get used to the weight of a packed bike. Mounting and dismounting is more challenging because you might not be able to get your leg up over the back. The bike is more wobbly than when it is light. Stopping takes longer and downhills are now much faster. It is a good idea to do some test runs around the block before your depart on your European bikepacking trip to get a feel for what your bike will be like once it is fully loaded.
Get fit
I’m still a bit too lazy to do this before my trips, but I know it would make a big difference. That said, I do cycle daily as my main form of transportation. So if you aren’t cycling regularly, you should do so before your trip. The stronger and fitter you are, the more you will be able to enjoy the trip instead of agonizing over each kilometer.
Planning your first European Bikepacking Trip
I have made tons of mistakes regarding planning over the years. We’re still not perfect at it, but getting better. Here are the biggest things I have learned about planning a European bikepacking trip.
Start slow
In planning my first big trip on the Euro Velo 6 across France, I definitely bit off more than I could chew. I assumed I could cycle 70 km per day, every day, for 18 days. I was supposed to finish in Nantes and reach the Atlantic Ocean. But after one week, I knew I had made a huge mistake in planning. Luckily, I wasn’t my usual stubborn self, and I replanned my tour to be more reasonable. Depending on you and your cycling pals, you might want to start off easier and see how it goes before planning big days.
Set reasonable mileage goals
50 km in the mountains is different than 50 km on a river route. Some days you have headwind or tailwind or no wind. If you can ride 100 km one day, don’t think that you can ride 100 km every day for a week. Don’t underestimate the accumulated exhaustion. Even if you’re physically capable of 150 km in a day, will you have time to see pretty towns or stop to visit a museum or swim in the river?
Your daily goal or plan for the trip will depend on your level of fitness, your cycling partner’s level of fitness, and what your overall vision for the trip is. If you are camping, you will need to plan in time each morning and evening for setting up/breaking camp, cooking, etc. which means there are fewer hours to cycle. Museum visits and city tours take time. I usually find that we plan too many kilometers for the day and wish for more time to see and visit.
Plan rest days and flexibility for the weather
I totally forgot this on my first big trip cycling across France (where I cried every day. Not sure how I continued to do cycling trips after that, but here we are!). Now I know that I like one rest day per 4-6 cycling days depending on the elevation intensity.
On your rest day you can rest, visit the city, do laundry, restock groceries, get the bike tune-up you forgot before you left, or see friends and family along the trail. Another reason these days are important to plan is because as much as we like to predict the weather, it can be unpredictable. After a heavy rain, you might need a day to get everything dried out. You might want to avoid cycling on a day with heavy rain. Or perhaps the temperature will spike and you want to sit that day out. Having an extra day planned here and there will allow you to adjust your plans without having to scrap your route.
Get familiar with the map
Even if you are following a very well-marked and popular trail, it is still possible to miss a sign or that a sign is missing. Have an overall idea of which direction you will be heading each day and what towns you expect to pass through. This way you will have a sense of something being a little off before you get too far away from the trail.
Pick a river route
River routes are a great choice for first time bikepackers. I still love river routes. The trail is easy to follow (you should be next to the river) and don’t usually have a lot of altitude. The Danube bike trail (which is part of the Euro Velo 6) from Passau, Germany to Vienna, Austria is one of the most popular routes for European bikepacking tours. I would say this is an excellent first choice. Other river routes you might want to consider are the Rhine, Meuse, Spree, Havel, Oder/Neisse, or Mosel.
Choose a well-signed route
Using maps and guide books are helpful when the signs seem to disappear, but having to look at them all the time because there are no signs is a nightmare. We have cycled on the EuroVelo 5 and EuroVelo 9 without them being completely signed and it is tough. You either end up cycling on the main road because it’s direct, but horribly busy with speedy vehicles or stopping every 3 minutes to frustratedly pull the map back out. If you’re looking to cycle a EuroVelo route, you can check the website to see which areas are signed. For example, here’s where the EV5 is and is not signed in France (yellow was fine, red was a headache). (for first timers, the EV6 through Austria is a week-long paradise – 5 or so days from Passau to Vienna!)
Traveling in Europe with a bicycle
Everybody loves train travel except if you’re traveling with a bike. Unless you’re doing a round trip from home, you’ll need to transport your bike to the start or back from the finish.
Long Distance Trains
If you take your bike on a long distance train, it is mandatory to reserve a bike spot. The difficulty here is that these trains are booked out months in advance for bikes. Getting on and off the train is complicated and stressful. You must carry bags and bike separately onto the train. The German long distance trains, ICE, have narrow doors and steep stairs. Once you’re on the train, you have to secure your bike to its assigned place which is tightly packed in between the other bikes or hanging from the wall. If you can’t tell, I’m not a fan of this option.
Regional Trains
If you are able to use regional trains to travel, they are a nightmare on weekends and holidays because everyone wants to bring their bike. If you travel with a regional train and your bicycle, be sure to do so during the week at non-commuter hours. You must purchase a bike ticket, but no reservation is necessary. This means the train could be full of bikes and you cannot get on (mostly a threat on weekends and holidays).
Best option for traveling with your bike in Europe
Our transportation of choice is FlixBus. They offer bike transportation from many major cities. This option is convenient because it is less expensive than the train, there are many connections per day with 3-6 bike spaces per bus. All of your baggage goes under the bus and the driver/assistant puts the bike onto and off the rack for you. For me, it is much less stress than taking the train and a lot easier to book. We have taken the bikes on the following connections: Paris-Berlin, Copenhagen-Berlin, Berlin-Brno, Trieste-Berlin, Berlin-Basel, and Brussels-Berlin.
Ultimate Packing Guide for a European Bikepacking Trip!
One last important tip for your first European bikepacking trip
Even idiot-proof signage will fail if you don’t know this one simple thing.
This symbol means all bike trails go this way
If you don’t know this, you’ll end up very frustrated from having to pull out the map every few hundred meters (especially in a city!) because you can’t find your bike sign anymore. Whatever trail you choose will have its own symbol, but the general sign of a bike with an arrow indicates that all bike trails up until this point continue in this direction. It may vary slightly from country to country (Luxembourg had them painted on the road and not a signs), but they follow the same general form.
I didn’t know this on my first trip from Berlin to the Baltic Sea island Usedom and spent many annoying hours in the pouring rain trying to read a map and use my phone to figure out how to just get out of Berlin!
Some favorite bike trips from Berlin
100-Schlösser-Route (100 Castles Route)
Historic City Centers of Brandenburg
Now you’re ready for your first European bikepacking trip!
Those are my best tips for going on a European bikepacking adventure. Be sure to check out the Ultimate Packing Guide for a European Bikepacking Trip as well. Do you have questions about your first trip? More tips for newbies? Please share in the comments!