Rolling vineyards, Piedmont, Italy
The unspoiled region at the foot of the Italian Alps is ideal for exploring by bike, and a new self-guided hotel-to-hotel cycling trip there doubles up as a gastronomic tour as you cycle through hazelnut groves and vineyards stopping for tastings and meals. Every night or two you stay in a different hotel, such as the Il Giardino da Felicin in Montforte d'Alba. They all offer decent local cuisine.
• From £698 for seven nights' B&B based on two sharing, including two dinners, luggage transported between hotels, maps, route notes, and cycle hire. Flights and transfers extra. 01653 617000, inntravel.co.uk
Downhill mountain biking, Austria
Those who really want to test their mettle can spend a week in the Austrian Alps, including the 4,500m-long downhill track on Planai mountain. In one week you will explore three different resort areas: Schladming, Wagrain, and Leogang, all with demanding terrain, superb downhill tracks and facilities for the serious biker, plus cablecar lifts to ease the ascent.
• May-September, €645, including transfers, B&B accommodation in Schladming, Wagrain and Leogang, transfers between locations, lift passes, two days' swimming pool access, but excluding flights. There is a resort rep but it's all self-led riding. Bike, helmet and armour hire can be arranged. mountainbikingholidays.net
Sun and cycling, Ionian islands, Greece
Get a tan as you cycle the hilly Ionian islands off the west coast of Greece, including unspoilt Ithaca and lively Corfu. The group cycle 25-50km a day, with stops at beaches and tavernas, then relax on board the yacht that is your accommodation for the week.
• £1,150 for seven nights (two people sharing), April to October, includes breakfast, dinners and two lunches, transfers between Corfu airport and Corfu town (but excluding flights), bike hire, maps, route information and tour guide. 0845 612 6106, 2wheeltreks.co.uk
Cobbles, bikes and beer, Belgium
Road cyclists looking for a tough new challenge could try biking the Belgian way, by tackling the cobbles of Deinze, the Flemish town where Eddy Merckx honed his skills. Ride the long cobbled street from Kerkgate to Wolvenberg Hill, part of the Tour of Flanders: 1,100m of cobbled climbing and a maximum gradient of 20%. After doing various road rides and completing the final section of the Paris-Roubaix route, you can take a shower in the old Velodrome building, hit the brewery in Gavere and take in the Eddy Merckx Velodrome in Ghent for an introduction to track racing.
• £1,195 for seven nights' half-board. Includes English-speaking leader, tour support, technical assistance, airport transfers, isotonic drinks and snacks and entrance fees. 017687 7396, keadventure.com
Canal cruise, Amsterdam to Bruges
Take the slow easy route from Amsterdam to Bruges via Antwerp and Ghent, by staying on a large canal barge, which operates as a moving base for seven days of easy, flat cycling, for a group of up to 24 people. Cycle as a group with a leader, or independently, to meet the barge again each night for a well-deserved dinner.
• From £759 seven nights' full-board, including bike hire and tour leader. Single room supplement: £48 per night. 0116 2558417, freewheelholidays.co.uk
