Family Cycling Holiday – The Benefits of Family Travel Holiday

If you're looking for an eco-friendly, cost-conscious holiday with the kids, a family cycling break could be just the thing you're looking for. Spending time with the family is more valued than ever and there is a great range of holidays on offer, which don't need to cost the earth. Active cycling trips will also help you to remain fit and healthy whilst enjoying all the treats of a family break. This kind of holiday means travelling to destinations is just as enjoyable as the destinations themselves.

Why cycling holidays?

Everyone enjoys family holidays, but it can be difficult to find something that suits all without breaking the bank. Hotels are expensive when it comes to multiple rooms. Self-catering accommodation and beach resorts are fine if you're happy to stay in one area, but what about the spirit of adventure and exploration that parents want to nurture in children? Cycling trips allow families to spend time together, whilst being fit and healthy in the outdoors. They are flexible and allow you to explore, motivate each other and experience the landscape, local attractions and culture up close. They also help to engender positive qualities in everyone and encourage teamwork, creating more memories than simply sitting on the beach for two weeks.

The family that cycles together...

For teenagers, cycling offers freedom of expression. Family holidays abroad often involve spending a lot of time together in close proximity, which can either be highly enjoyable or rapidly become stressful! With bikes, the family can either explore and travel together or go off in pairs on local excursions. Bikes also mean that teenagers can have travel freedom without relying on lifts, which offers parents equal freedom! Younger children can either sit in specially made passenger seats on their parents' bikes or ride tandems so they don't get tired. The adults can rapidly discover forgotten muscles and experience the pleasure of physical fatigue, particularly if they are used to office jobs and sedentary lifestyles. The kids can burn off that excess energy. Certainly, no pint of beer, glass of wine or local trattoria lunch tastes better than when it comes after an exhilarating bike ride in the beautiful great outdoors.

The price is right

Cycling is also cost effective, particularly when combined with camping or caravan breaks. These needn't be overly basic either; there are some great holiday camps available for holidays abroad offering excellent facilities, on site shops, restaurants and plenty more. Cheaper holidays take the stress away from the process and make them all the more enjoyable. It also means that you have more money when you get to your destination to spend on all the treats and excursions you need to explore the local area to the max.

Get some prep in first!

As with any new sport, it pays to take things easy and be prepared. Launching into miles of cycling if you've not sat on a bike for 20 years may not be the best idea! Build up some training whilst you are at home and develop basic endurance and cardiovascular health before embarking on long distance cycling whilst on holiday; you'll enjoy it all the more and dodge the taunts of your teenagers!

Leanne Rowe writes regularly on cycling holidays and family holidays abroad for a range of cycling, sport and holiday websites and blogs.