Camping holiday with your bike - our tips & recommendations

Admiring the passing landscape from the window of your camper is fun - but it's even more fun when you can hop on your bike and experience beautiful places up close while feeling the wind in your face. Going camping by bike or e-bike makes the hearts of nature and sports enthusiasts beat faster and promises maximum closeness to nature and adventure. Here we tell you everything you need to know for your active vacation with bike & camper: From choosing a camper to tips on the best destinations for cycling trips and a packing list with must-haves for your camping trip by bike. Then it's just a case of: On your bikes - get set - go!

A camping vacation with a bike is not only a good idea for professional cyclists or sports enthusiasts, but also for all other fans of being out and about in the middle of nature. As there are cycle routes of varying degrees of difficulty, a cycling trip can give you a great experience. exciting family vacation, an action-packed outdoor adventure or a leisurely & up-close exploration of your destination.

There are also many options for the exact implementation of your vacation. On the one hand, you can plan a long bike tour with a tent in your luggage, on which you travel exclusively by bike and spend the night at the campsite. On the other hand, if you want to embark on a cycling adventure further afield, make faster progress and get to more different places or are looking for the perfect mix of outdoor activities and a little more comfort and relaxation in between, then a camping vacation by bike is ideal. This type of active vacation is easy to manage even for less experienced cyclists, while still guaranteeing pure nature on your trip: If you not only spend the night & wake up in the most beautiful areas, but also see them pass you by from different perspectives while cycling, this puts the crown on your nature experience.

What's more, this way of traveling is not only good for your own health, but also for the environment, as camping with a bike is a comparatively environmentally friendly way to go on vacation. Did you know that the CO2 emissions are fully offset when you travel with one of our campers?

If you prefer to leave your own bike at home, but still want to go on a bike tour with the camper from time to time during your vacation, it may also be possible to rent bikes on site. In some cases, this is even possible directly at the campsite.

The most important question when planning your camping trip with a bike: How do you store your bike in or on the camper? To be able to transport your bike safely, your camper needs a bike rack, which is usually attached either to the tailgate or the trailer coupling of the vehicle. You can easily and quickly stow your bikes here to transport them. In contrast to the option of transporting the bikes inside the camper, this not only saves valuable space, but also time, as you don't have to clean your bike every time before continuing your journey.

If you are traveling with one of our campers, you can easily book a bike rack attached to the tailgate as an additional accessory to be perfectly equipped for your cycling vacation with the camper. Our bike racks are easy to attach to the trunk and offer space for your bike, keeping it safely stowed away. You can find an overview here, how many bicycles with what maximum weight can be transported in our various camper models. If you transport your bike in the interior of our camper vans, please make sure that it is properly secured, as any resulting damage is not covered by our insurance packages.

When choosing the right bike camper, you should above all make sure that it has the option of attaching a bike rack. Apart from that, as always, your own wishes and needs are the most important deciding factor. Our Off models are basically all suitable for your active vacation by bike. First think about which model is best suited to the number of people you plan to bring and the desired level of comfort, and make sure that there is enough space for your bike equipment. Here are our camper model recommendations for your cycling vacation:

In this blog article Amelie will tell you everything about the differences between our camper models in more detail.

Another important decision, almost more important than the camper model: the destination. When choosing a destination and planning your route, the most important factors are the type of vacation you want, who you are traveling with and the level of difficulty of the cycle tours. We recommend researching suitable cycle routes in advance so that you have a rough plan and some inspiration in mind. Once you arrive on site, it will certainly be easier for you to find a good mix of plans and spontaneity for your bike tours and choose the best activities. If you would like some professional help with your planning, it might be worth taking a look at our route service: our travel experts also have plenty of tips for the perfect camping vacation with a bike.

Here we present three of what we consider to be the most beautiful destinations in Europe for your cycling vacation with a camper, which have great campsites, good cycling infrastructure and impressive landscapes to offer. Because these are often particularly well designed for cycling vacations, there are also some longer cycle routes included: simply choose the sections you like best and continue cycling by camper in between to save time and incorporate more relaxation or other activities.

A great cycling destination is right under our noses: Germany! If you want to travel regionally and explore new corners of your home country, there are plenty of cycle tours and cycle trails waiting for you.

🚲 Weser Cycle Path: On the multi-award-winning cycle route through the Weserbergland region, past Hameln, Bremen and Höxter to Cuxhaven, wide open spaces, half-timbered towns & idyllic villages, castles & palaces or views of the Wadden Sea await you. Tip: The mostly asphalted cycle path is perfect for families with children!

🚲 Chiemgau on Lake Chiemsee: 1,400 kilometers of cycle paths, 20 themed cycle tours and almost 600 kilometres of mountain bike network await you in Chiemgau in Upper Bavaria. The Chiemsee cycle path, for example, is particularly beautiful, taking you around the lake once over a distance of 59 kilometres.

🚲 Lake Hopfensee in the Allgäu Alps: A great place in Germany for cycling that not everyone knows is the area around Lake Hopfensee in the Allgäu. After you have explored the area on the beautiful cycle paths, for example the southern Hopfenwald circuit, you can refresh yourself in its clear water. You can spend the night here in comfort at the 5 star campsite Camping Hopfensee.

If you want to combine cycling with great hikes on your vacation, you can find inspiration for our favorite campsites in Germany for hiking in autumn here.

If there's one country that's known for cycling, it's the Netherlands. Every Dutch person travels 1094 kilometres per year on a total of 37,000 kilometres of cycle paths. In one of our last blog articles, we already told you why Holland is a dream destination for a trip with a camper - and this is even more true if you also have your bike in your luggage. A helpful tip: With the cycling app ANWB Eropuit of the Dutch Transport and Tourist Board, you can plan your perfect cycling route.

🚲 Elfstedentocht Route: In total, the bike tour along the 11 cities of the province of Friesland measures 235 kilometres, on the stages of which you can marvel at the IJsselmeer coast, picturesque villages, lakes and dikes.

🚲 Van Gogh Roosegaarde Cycle Path: The cycle path near Eindhoven is only 600 metres long, but it is still a unique highlight for your cycling holiday. On the floor of the path are thousands of bright, colorful stones that represent fragments of the famous work `Starry Sky` by Van Gogh.

🚲 National Park De Howe Veluwe: On the widely accessible cycle paths in the national park, you can experience the Dutch nature and wildlife up close and fortify yourself with the Dutch speciality in one of the pancake houses.

Austria is primarily known as a destination for hiking and skiing. However, the country also boasts impressive cycle paths all along the way and has many great areas for cycling.

🚲 Danube Cycle Path: The famous cycle path runs for around 2850 kilometres through several countries from the source of the Danube to its mouth in the Black Sea. On the section of the route in Austria, you can cycle past Linz, Grein, Krems an der Donau and many other towns worth seeing all the way to beautiful Vienna.

🚲 Mieminger Mountains in Tyrol: On a bicycle or mountain bike tour in and around the Mieminger Gebirge, mountain bikers and leisure cyclists alike can enjoy fantastic views of the mountain landscape. At the Gerhardhof campsite, you can expect pitches close to nature with a view of the mountain panorama and a perfect starting point for outdoor activities.

🚲 Paradise route Südburgenland: The name is ambitious, but doesn't promise too much: on a tour through the gently rolling hills of southern Burgenland, you cycle through nature parks, past vineyards, picturesque rivers, castles and historic villages.

Packing for a camping trip is a challenge in itself for many holidaymakers anyway. If you're travelling with your bike, there are also a few additional items you should think about. But don't worry: with our packing list, you'll be well equipped for your cycling holiday!

We have put together our ultimate camping packing list with everything else you need for camping. If you are not only travelling with your bike, but also with your child or dog when camping, you will also find special packing tips.

Well, have our descriptions whetted your appetite for travelling and made you want to hop into your camper and onto the saddle of your bike straight away? We can understand that, because having your bike with you when camping gives you completely new opportunities to explore your destination and is very easy with our tips. We hope you were able to use one or two of them when planning your bike trip. Take a look at our camper models to see if you can find the perfect one for your cycling holiday with a camper. We wish you an action-packed, impressive adventure!