Categories: Rambler E-Newsletters

Top 5 Back-to-Back Tours in 2023

by Carol Busch - Thursday, December 8, 2022

One travel trend we spotted in 2022 was an uptick in scheduling back-to-back bicycle tours. We love the idea of making the most of your time and resources in Europe by combining tours in the same or different countries. Back-to-back tours also can help you ‘train your way’ into a harder tour, by taking a Level 2 followed by a Level 3 tour. Most of all, we think this kind of cultural, historical, and geographic immersion provides a greater understanding of the people and places you experience on your tour.

Our tour calendar limits what you can pair first and second. Your own schedule will limit how much time you can be away. We kept this in mind while compiling this list of our top 5 tours to take back-to-back in 2023. We never leave more than one week off between tours and we pair them based on relative ease in getting from the end of one tour to the start of the next.

We know there are several more options to consider, so if we’ve missed any obvious pairings, please let us know. We’d love to hear what you’ve been dreaming about. And, who’s to say you wouldn’t combine a third tour for the ultimate hat trick?

Lastly, don’t forget that when you take two or more ExperiencePlus! tours in one calendar year, you’ll receive $200 off each booking.

Iberian Crossing

May 3-9, 2023
Explorer: Cycling the Algarve
May 12-24, 2023
Grand Cycling Tour of Andalucia in 13 Days

This combination of trips is a great way to experience two unique touring styles. Start with our Level 2.5 Explorer tour across southern Portugal’s Algarve and ride a combination of dirt and paved roads that take you through historic towns, quiet olive groves and beautiful back roads.

A few days and a bus ride, or private car transfer later, you’ll switch to a Classic tour to pedal the Level 3.5, Grand Cycling Tour of Andalucia in 13 days. This iconic tour spans nearly 400 miles of wild and diverse terrain between Seville and Granada, Spain. If you’re short on time, simply ride as far as Córdoba, where the first and second legs of this popular tour end and begin.

Pilgrimage & Peaks

June 9-23, 2023
Cycling the Camino de Santiago: Roncesvalles to Santiago de Compostela
June 26-July 6
Cycling Italy’s Dolomites Plus! the Sella Ronda

Build strength on the 15-day, Level 3.5 tour that spans 544 miles from Hemingway’s Pamplona to the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral grand plaza where you’ll celebrate a much-anticipated arrival.

Then fly from Santiago de Compostela to Innsbruck, Austria for a short train ride south to Bolzano where our Level 4.5 tour of the Dolomites starts. This tour includes four refreshing 2-night stays at fantastic hotels, jaw-dropping scenery, delicious alpine cuisine, and one of the most celebrated day rides in all of Italy the Sella Ronda. An incredible pairing of two very different trips.

Best of Germany

July 15-28, 2023
Cycling Copenhagen to Berlin
July 30 to August 9, 2023
Bicycling Secret Bavaria Plus! the Austrian Alps

Germany is a bit of a cycling secret. With lush forests, gorgeous lakes, vibrant cities, deeply rooted traditions and ample hearty food (and refreshing beer) you’ll feel taken care of on this back-to-back excursion, which begins in Copenhagen.

Perhaps what we love most about this combination is its very gentle advance from a Level 1.5 to a Level 2 tour. The pace and length of the first leg is perfect preparation for the second.

Austria to the Adriatic

September 2-12, 2023
Cycling the Lakes of Austria & Slovenia Plus! Ljubljana
September 17-28, 2023
Bicycling the Islands of Dalmatia Plus! the South Coast

Watery landscapes unify these magical tours, which grow in difficulty from a Level 2 to a Level 3. What better way to prepare for a more challenging tour than taking back-to-back tours separated with a refreshing break in between?

From the lakes of Austria and Slovenia to Croatia’s Adriatic coast you’ll pedal four different countries whose histories, languages, food and cultures have intertwined across the centuries. The proximity of Croatia to Slovenia allows for an easy transfer from Ljubljana to Split. In between, there might just be a nice beach hotel waiting for you where you can rest and relax.

Mediterranean Isles

September 13-22, 2023
Cycling Corsica Plus! Beaches and Bonifacio
September 24- Oct 4, 2023
Bicycling Sardinia – Alghero to Cagliari

If you’re hungry to train for a Level 4 tour, then why not double your fun with this combination of tours that hops Mediterranean islands?

If we could complete any combination of tours in 2023 it would be this rewarding mix. The differences between Corsica and Sardinia rest more in each island’s unique cultural identity as expressed by their people than by terrain or biogeography. Both islands excel in rewarding cyclists with unforgettable rides that will raise the bar for what you expect a ‘great’ ride to be.

Carol Busch - Carol had the great fortune to develop her passion for bicycle travel in the late 1990s when she first worked for ExperiencePlus! as a marketing associate, tour guide, and tour developer. Convinced she needed to find ‘more purposeful’ work, she went back to graduate school and spent the next two decades working in non-profit and higher education marketing and communications. Carol returned to ExperiencePlus! in 2021 as Sales and Marketing Manager. Whether mountain biking, backcountry skiing, trail running, fly fishing, or exploring gravel roads, Carol is continually in pursuit of new adventure.