Cycling routes in Europe

La Loire à Vélo is France's most popular cycle route, following the last wild river in Europe from Cuffy to Saint-Brevin-les-Pins on the Atlantic. It takes you past the Loire châteaux, through vineyards and historic towns, almost entirely on traffic-free paths. Flat and well signposted, it is the easiest way into cycle touring in France, with trains along the valley to get you to the start.

La Vélodyssée runs down the French Atlantic coast from Roscoff in Brittany to Hendaye on the Spanish border. You ride through Brittany, past the beaches of the Vendée, round the Arcachon Bay and on to the Basque coast. Pine forests, dunes and fishing harbours make it one of the finest coastal routes in Europe.

The Canal du Midi by bike links Toulouse to the Mediterranean along a 17th-century masterpiece listed by UNESCO. You pedal beneath century-old plane trees, from lock to lock and through Occitan villages. Flat and shaded, the towpath suits a trip of a few days, though some stretches are still unpaved.

EuroVelo 6 links the Atlantic to the Black Sea along three of Europe's great rivers: the Loire, the Rhine and the Danube. It is one of the continent's best-known long-distance cycle routes, crossing ten countries. The French section, from the Loire estuary near Nantes to Basel, follows La Loire à Vélo and then the canals of Burgundy and the Doubs valley.

EuroVelo 1, the Atlantic Coast Route, follows the whole Atlantic seaboard from North Cape down to Portugal. In France it runs from Roscoff to Hendaye, on the same paths as La Vélodyssée, with spectacular sea views. It is a classic for long-distance riders heading south towards Spain.

EuroVelo 15 follows the Rhine from its source in the Swiss Alps to the North Sea in the Netherlands. In France it crosses Alsace, between the wine villages and the river, with the Black Forest on the far bank. A mostly flat route along one of Europe's largest rivers, easy to combine with EuroVelo 6 at Basel.

ViaRhôna follows the Rhône from Lake Geneva down to the Mediterranean. It takes you through the Côtes du Rhône vineyards, past lavender fields and close to the Ardèche gorges. A varied route that alternates river plains and Provençal hills, and gets warmer and sunnier with every day south.

La Véloscénie links Paris to Mont-Saint-Michel through the varied landscapes of Île-de-France, the Perche and Normandy. It ends facing the abbey on its rock, one of the great sights of France. A gently rolling but accessible route, popular with riders from all over the world.

The Tour de Bourgogne follows the towpaths of Burgundy's canals, through vineyards and medieval villages. This peaceful loop runs along the Canal de Bourgogne, the Canal du Nivernais and the Canal du Centre. Flat and rural, it leaves plenty of time to enjoy the local food and wine.

The Avenue Verte links Paris and London through Normandy and Sussex. This Anglo-French route crosses quiet countryside and uses several old railway lines turned into greenways. The ferry across the Channel, between Dieppe and Newhaven, is part of the adventure.

EuroVelo 4 crosses Europe from Roscoff to Kyiv, first along the Channel and the North Sea. Its French section, also called La Vélomaritime, offers outstanding coastal views in Brittany and Normandy. A varied route of cliffs, beaches and harbour towns, with ferries from Britain landing right on it.

The Danube Cycle Path is the most popular cycle route in Europe, following the river from Passau to Budapest. The Austrian section between Passau and Vienna is an absolute classic of cycle touring. A flat riverside route lined with imperial cities and wine-growing valleys.