Every autumn, the big travel lists for the new year appear. The well-known travel guide Lonely Planet chose for Best in Travel 2027 Fifty locations, but National Geographic also included 25 on its list Best of the World 2027. For us, it’s always a nice starting point to look: where is it beautiful to cycle?
We put those lists alongside the cycling calendar for 2027, because that is also great inspiration. This way we come up with a cool list of destinations where you can definitely cycle beautifully in 2025. These are our 25 destinations for next year.
The big stakes of 2027
2027 is another special year for cycling, especially when you look at the big races. Both the men’s and women’s Tour start in Great Britain, the Giro in Trieste, the Vuelta in Galicia, and almost all the world championships are being held in the French Alps at the same time. Haute-Savoie is rightly the epicenter of cycling in 2027. But where do you want to go? We took a close look at the routes and came up with this list.
1. Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders
On July 2, the Tour de France starts in Edinburgh. The first stage goes to Carlisle, over the hills of the Scottish Borders and the climb at Melrose. These are exactly the quiet roads you go to the Borders for: little traffic, rolling hills and the valley of the Tweed. Read more the Scottish Borders and our story about Cycling from Whitekirk Hill to Edinburgh.
2. The Lake District
The second tour starts in Keswick, in the heart of the Lake District, and goes to Liverpool. Those who cycle here know the turns: the Honister and the Hardknott are among the steepest roads in England. But the route along the lakes is also spectacular. Windermre, Thirlmere and Coniston are fantastic. More on destination page England.
3. Wales
For the first time, the Tour de France for men will travel through Wales: the third stage goes from Welshpool to Cardiff, with the final climb of Rhigos and Caerffili in the finale. Our base camp for that stage: Landal Bryn Morfydd in North Wales. Do you really want to ride the stages? Then concentrate around the Brecon Beacons. Not a bad idea. More on the destination page Wales.
4. Trieste and Friuli-Venezia Giulia
The Giro d’Italia starts on May 8 in Trieste, and the mythical Monte Zoncolan It is back on the itinerary. Friuli is one of the least known cycling regions in Italy: from the Adriatic coast and the wine hills of the Collio to the unknown Carnic Alps. Read more on the destination page Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
5. Slovenia
The first Girorit crosses the border into Slovenia, and the second ride goes from Ljubljana to Koper. A great reason to discover the country of Pogačar and Roglič: from the Julian Alps to the Karst and the short coast. More on destination page Slovenia.
6. Bormio: Gavia and Mortirolo
The queen's stage of the Giro goes over the Gavia and twice over the Mortirolo. From Bormio you ride both of them, plus the Stelvio. All about these climbs on the destination page Bormio.
7. Haute-Savoie and Mont Blanc – France
From August 24 to September 5, 2027, the ‘Super World Championships’ will be held in Haute-Savoie: after Glasgow in 2023, it will be the second time that almost all disciplines choose their world champion together. The road races will take place on a course near Sallanches and Domancy, where Bernard Hinault became world champion in 1980.
The time trials are around Lake Annecy, and the gravel World Championships are in Châtel. Read more about cycling in the French Alps.
More about Lake Annecy: France: A tour of the Lake of Annecy
8. Galicia
The Vuelta starts on September 4 in Santiago de Compostela, and that happens to coincide with a holy year: in 2027, Saint Jacob’s feast day falls on a Sunday. Galicia is green, hilly, and surprisingly quiet. More on destination page Galicia.
Read also: Galicia: EuroVelo 1 through Galicia
The most beautiful regions that you actually don’t know about
9. Veneto – Italy
Forget Venice and venture into the rest of Veneto; for cyclists, that’s easy advice: the Dolomites, Lake Garda, and the beautiful roads around Verona and the cycling hotspot of Bassano del Grappa are all in this region. Discover Dolomites.
10. León – Spain
The medieval city of León is located on the Camino Francés, the most famous pilgrimage route to Santiago. Next year will be a busy year on the Camino, as it is a jubilee year. And in León, the region in particular, you will also find the Zona Alfa, a perfect off-road destination. You can also cycle the Camino. Combine it with the Vuelta start in Santiago, and you have a perfect end point.
11. The Route Napoléon – Provence, France
The Napoléon Route between Grasse, Castellane and Sisteron will be 95 years old in 2027. It follows the route Napoleon took in 1815 after his return from Elba, over a series of passes in the Provence mountains. From Castellane you can reach the Gorges du Verdon. It will be a delight! More about cycling in the Provence You will find it in the link.
12. Šibenik – Croatia
One of the oldest cities in Croatia, on the Dalmatian coast, with the Krka National Park just around the corner. In the spring and autumn, you can cycle along coastal paths and through a quiet inland area. More on Croatia destination page.
13. Southern Sweden (or Southern Norway)
Southern Sweden is perhaps the best place for a fantastic Coolcation. We already wrote about it at an earlier stage. South Sweden Trails. Think of flat coastal roads, beautiful dunes and beaches, a few hours’ bike ride from Malmö and also accessible from Copenhagen via the Sontbrug.
Read more about the South Sweden Trails here: https://cyclingdestination.cc/verhalen/zweden/fietsen-in-zuid-zweden-sydkustleden
More about Sweden on our destination page Sweden.
The link to the complete You'll find South Coast residents here
14. Saxony-Anhalt and the Elbe (cycle path) – Germany
I still find Germany undervalued. It’s such a wonderful, spacious country, with so much diversity. Just think of the difference between the Eifel and the Harz, or between the Black Forest and Bavaria. Saxony-Anhalt is a perfect option for next year. Think of a trip along Dessau, the city of Bauhau, along the Elbe, and with that the Elberadweg, one of the most popular cycling routes in Germany. Yes, even for gravel riders or long-distance cyclists. Around Dessau you cycle through the Dessau-Wörlitzer Gartenreich, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. More about Sachsen-Anhalt.
15. Killary Fjord and Connemara – Ireland
When you think of Ireland, you think of green pastures, Dublin with Temple Bar and folk music. But this is incredibly beautiful. The Killary Fjord is the most famous fjord in Ireland, on the border of the regions of Galway and Mayo. Combine it with the Great Western Greenway, A fantastic, car-free cycling path of 42 kilometers over an old railway line from Westport to Achill. That’s what you want, right?
16. Northumberland and St Cuthbert’s Way – United Kingdom
Northern England in general is amazing. Northumberland is definitely worth a visit! St Cuthbert’s Way is basically a 100-kilometer hiking route from Melrose to Holy Island. As a cyclist, you follow the coast: the Coast & Castles cycling route (NCN 1) runs from Newcastle along the castles of Northumberland to Berwick and on to Edinburgh. A nice prelude to the Tour start.
Even more amazing regions to discover
17. Normandy
In Normandy you definitely want to cycle. But next year it is 1000 years since William the Conqueror was born. Does that matter? Yes, of course. Because there will certainly be activities that make visiting the region more enjoyable. If you want to cycle a long distance route, cycle the Vélomaritime (EuroVelo 4) along the coast, the D-Day landing beaches and the cliffs of Étretat. Take me there now.
18. Vestland in Norway
The province of the fjords, with Bergen, the Hardangerfjord and the end of the Rallarvegen in Flåm. Read about cycling in Norway and watch our gravel route from Oslo to the Rallarvegen.
19. Dumfries and Galloway
The quiet southwest of Scotland, with five of the seven 7stanes mountain bike centers and the Galloway Forest, an officially dark sky park. More on destination page Scotland.
20. Santander and Cantabria
Santander is located by the sea, with the Picos de Europa within a few hours’ drive. One of the most beautiful climbing regions in Spain. Discover the Picos de Europa.
Further away
21. Oman
Despite the unrest in the region, Oman should definitely be on this list. Cyclists know it from Jebel Akhdar, the Green Mountain: a steep climb of about 6 kilometers that was often the final stage of the Tour of Oman. In winter, it is pleasantly warm there.
22. Taiwan
Anyone who owns a carbon bike almost certainly rides a fully or at least 50% made example in Taiwan. This is a cycling country par excellence, and not just because of the industrial footprint it has. Cycling in Taiwan is beautiful and a round trip around the island is almost 1,000 kilometers, plus the Taiwan KOM Challenge climbs from the coast at Hualien through the Taroko Gorge to the Wuling Pass at 3,275 meters.
23. Quebec
After the World Championships in Montréal, the wider region has quickly become a top destination for many cyclists. In Quebec, it’s all about the Route Verte: more than 5,000 kilometers of cycling routes, from the banks of the Saint-Laurent to the Laurentides.
24. Prince Edward Island
The small Canadian island has the Confederation Trail, a cycling path over an old railway that crosses the entire island. Quiet, flat and perfect for a first cycling holiday away from home.
25. Bariloche and the marine area
In Argentine Patagonia you cycle along the Ruta de los Siete Lagos, the road of the seven lakes between Villa La Angostura and San Martín de los Andes. Mountains, forests and lakes; in the southern hemisphere it is summer when it is winter here. Beautiful. See below some of ‘Cycling Patagonia’
Plan your year
Do you want to be among the big names? Check out our event calendar for the tours and granfondos of 2027. Looking for more inspiration? You can find all the destinations here our map.
Sources: Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2027, National Geographic Best of the World 2027, ASO (Tour de France), RCS Sport (Giro d’Italia), Unipublic (Vuelta) and the UCI.
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.