I have ridden in most of these places more than once. Some of them with World Tour pros, some of them alone in the wrong gear in conditions I should not have been out in. Both versions taught me things.
This is the eight destinations I would tell a mate to book if they had one cycling holiday to plan this year. For four of them — Girona, Mallorca, the Dolomites, and Nice — we have published full guides with route-level detail and logistics. This post is the overview. Start here, then go deeper on the ones that suit you.
Girona, Spain
Girona is where the pros live, and there is a reason for that. The roads in every direction are quiet, well-surfaced, and varied — flat vineyards in the Emporda, rolling hills through volcanic La Garrotxa, proper climbs into the Pyrenean foothills, all from the same starting point. The old town is beautiful, the coffee is good, and the cycling infrastructure goes deep. On any given morning you will share the road with WorldTour riders doing base miles, retired pros running cafes, and club cyclists from half a dozen countries.
I have spent more time riding out of Girona than any other city in Europe. The thing that keeps me coming back is the range. You do not need to be a climber to have a brilliant week here. The terrain scales to whatever you want from it, which makes it the default training camp destination for good reason.
Best for riders at any level who want the complete package — roads, food, community, weather. Go March through June or September through November. The standout ride is the loop through La Garrotxa: roughly 120 km with 1,500 m of climbing through beech forests and medieval villages on deserted roads. Base yourself in the old town or Eixample district where everything is walkable and the group rides leave from the bridges over the Onyar.
We are running Roadman Training Camps in Girona in October 2026 — coaching, structured rides, and a group of like-minded riders. For the full destination breakdown, read our full Girona guide.
Mallorca, Spain
Mallorca is the most popular cycling island in Europe, and it earns that. The roads are smooth, drivers are used to cyclists, and the Serra de Tramuntana along the northwest coast offers proper climbing — Sa Calobra, Puig Major, Col de Soller — without requiring you to be a Category 1 climber to enjoy it. The flat eastern roads are perfect for group tempo and recovery days. You can fly in from most European cities in under three hours and be riding within an hour of landing.
Best for training camps, whether organised or self-guided, especially for mixed-ability groups. Go February through May or October through November — the early-season warmth when northern Europe is still miserable is Mallorca's great advantage. Peak summer is too hot. The standout ride is Sa Calobra: a twisting descent cut into the cliff face to a tiny cove, then the climb back out. Stay near Alcudia or Pollensa for easy access to the mountains and the northern plains. Avoid Palma unless you want the city.
For route details and the full month-by-month breakdown, read our Mallorca training camp guide.
The Dolomites, Italy
The Dolomites are the most visually dramatic cycling destination in Europe. Pale rock towers, switchback roads carved into cliff faces, green valleys dropping away beneath you. The passes here define the Giro d'Italia: Stelvio, Passo Giau, Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Passo Fedaia. Nothing else looks like this.
I will be honest: the Dolomites are hard. The climbs are long, the gradients steep, and the altitude adds difficulty that sea-level training does not prepare you for. This is not a destination for your first cycling holiday. But if you have the legs for it, there is nothing else like it. The refugios serve food that has no business being that good at 2,000 metres, and cresting a pass you have watched on Giro coverage is truly moving.
Best for experienced climbers comfortable with sustained efforts of 90 minutes to two hours. Go mid-June through September once the high passes clear of snow. September is often the sweet spot — stable weather, fewer cars, extraordinary light. The standout ride is the Sella Ronda: four passes in a circuit of roughly 55 km with 1,800 m of climbing, manageable in a morning. Base yourself in Corvara, Selva di Val Gardena, or Canazei and book early for summer — the good hotels fill fast.
For the pass-by-pass breakdown, read our Dolomites cycling guide.
Nice and the Cote d'Azur, France
Nice sits at the junction of coast and mountains in a way almost no other European city manages. Start on the Promenade des Anglais, ride the coast for 20 km, turn inland, and be climbing a col within the hour. The hinterland is stacked with climbs from Paris-Nice, the Tour, and the Dauphine — Col de la Madone, Col d'Eze, Col de Turini, Col de la Couillole.
The riding is proper mountain cycling dressed in Mediterranean warmth. Serious gradients, narrow winding roads, and views down to the coast worth every watt they cost. The descents are fast and technical. This is not a destination that flatters weak bike handling.
Best for strong riders who want climbing with Riviera lifestyle on the side. Go March through June or September through November. The standout ride is Col de la Madone from Menton — the climb Sean Kelly benchmarked and Froome later used as a form test. Thirteen kilometres at just under 6 percent, beautifully surfaced, with one of the best views in European cycling from the top. Stay in Nice or Menton. The climbs start within 30 minutes of the city centre.
For routes, col profiles, and the full practical guide, read our Nice cycling guide.
Tenerife, Canary Islands
Tenerife is the altitude destination. Mount Teide rises to 3,718 metres, and the road from sea level to the volcanic caldera is one of the longest continuous climbs in European road cycling — over 2,000 metres of elevation gain across 40 to 50 km. World Tour teams use Tenerife for altitude camps because you can train at genuine altitude without the complexity of a high Alpine base.
The rest of the island rides well too. Coastal roads are rolling and warm. Interior roads through banana plantations and cloud forests offer shorter, punchier climbs. But Teide is the reason most cyclists come. The surface is good, traffic is light once you clear the tourist belt, and the landscape shifts from subtropical to volcanic desert in a way that feels otherworldly.
Best for riders who want altitude training or an early-season warm weather camp, and for time-trialists who want steady, controlled climbing. Go November through April when mainland Europe is cold — sea level sits at 18-24 degrees with quiet roads. The standout ride is the Teide ascent from the south via Vilaflor: roughly 60 km, 2,100 m of climbing, steady gradient, pacing exercise rather than power test. Stay in Costa Adeje or Playa de las Americas for the easiest access. Bring arm warmers for the descent regardless of the month.
The Alps, France
The French Alps are the Tour de France made real. Alpe d'Huez, Col du Galibier, Col du Telegraphe, Mont Ventoux, Col de la Madeleine — these are the climbs that define grand tour cycling. Standing at the bottom of the Galibier, looking up at switchbacks disappearing into cloud, recalibrates what you think you know about professional cycling.
The infrastructure is strong. Towns like Bourg d'Oisans, Briancon, and Morzine are set up for cyclists with bike storage, early breakfast service, and route options that could fill a month of different cols. You do not need to be racing fit — going at your own pace on Alpe d'Huez is a deeply satisfying experience — but most of these are 10 to 20 km climbs at 6 to 8 percent, so a solid base helps.
Best for riders who want to tick off the famous Tour climbs. Go June through September. July adds Tour atmosphere but also crowds. September is often the best month. The standout ride is the Galibier from the south via the Telegraphe — two cols in one, roughly 35 km of climbing to 2,642 metres, with the final kilometres above the tree line opening into high Alpine panorama. Base yourself in Bourg d'Oisans for the eastern Alps. For Ventoux, plan a separate trip from Bedoin or Malaucene — it is geographically removed from the main Alpine cols.
Flanders, Belgium
Flanders is cycling in a different language. Not altitude, not sunshine, not two-hour cols. Cobbled bergs, narrow farm lanes, crosswinds across the Flemish plain, and a cycling culture so embedded in the landscape that the sport and the place are inseparable. The famous bergs are short — the Koppenberg is barely 600 metres, the Oude Kwaremont is 2.2 km — but the cobbles and gradients are vicious. String eight of them together and what looks modest on paper really hurts.
The beer, the frites, and the sheer density of cyclists on the road make Flanders feel like cycling's spiritual home. It probably is.
Best for classics fans and anyone who wants a long weekend rather than a full week — the area is compact and the riding is dense. Fitness matters less than in the mountains; bike handling on cobbles matters more. Go March through May, timed around the Spring Classics — the Tour of Flanders is typically the first weekend of April and the atmosphere is electric. The standout ride is the Ronde van Vlaanderen sportive route covering the Koppenberg, Oude Kwaremont, Paterberg, and the Muur. Base yourself in Oudenaarde, home of the Tour of Flanders museum. Rent a bike with at least 30 teeth on the rear cassette. You will need them.
Tuscany, Italy
Tuscany is the cycling holiday for people who care as much about lunch as the ride. Rolling hills, cypress-lined roads, medieval hilltop towns — and this is Strade Bianche territory. The white gravel roads the race is named for are rideable, scenic, and far quieter than any paved col in the Alps.
The terrain is forgiving. The hills are constant but rarely steep enough to crack you open. You can ride five hours through the Val d'Orcia, stop in Montalcino for lunch with a glass of Brunello, and roll back to your hotel in Siena feeling like you have had one of the best days of your life. Because you probably have.
Best for riders who want a cycling holiday that balances the riding with everything else — couples, mixed-ability groups, anyone who does not want cycling to be the only thing on the agenda. Go April through June or September through October. Early March brings the Strade Bianche race, worth timing a trip around. The standout ride is the Strade Bianche loop from Siena: roughly 80 km with moderate climbing across the white roads of the Crete Senesi. Run at least 28 mm tyres, ideally 30-32 mm. Stay in or near Siena and rent something with wider tyre clearance — a gravel bike or endurance road bike is the right tool.
Picking the right one
If you want the most complete cycling destination, Girona. Early-season warmth with minimal planning, Mallorca. The hardest, most spectacular mountain riding, the Dolomites. Tour de France history, the Alps. Altitude and endurance, Tenerife. Classics and cobbles, Flanders. The best food and wine with your cycling, Tuscany. Cols and the coast in the same ride, Nice.
None of them is the wrong answer. All of them are worth the trip.
Join the community
If you are planning a cycling holiday and want to talk routes, logistics, or find riding partners, the Roadman Cycling community on Skool is where that conversation happens. Thousands of riders sharing real experience from the road.
Join us at https://www.skool.com/roadmancycling.