Biking at stops on cruises is becoming an increasingly popular way to explore the land. While we may commonly think shore activities to be limited to lazing in the sun on the beach, there are tons of interesting things to find if you look around a little bit more. When walking is a bit too slow, biking is an excellent way to combine sight-seeing, exercising and relaxing. Here, we outline some of the reasons to choose a cruise that offers bike travel while on the shore.
Independence
On a cruise (or any mode of travel, for that matter), it can get tiring being constantly surrounded by people, whether that be the crew or the other passengers. Getting on a bike on the shore can be a way to focus your energy towards only yourself and get into your own bubble. While some cruises will have group bike tours, it’s rare that it will be everyone on the ship, meaning you will at least be in a smaller group that will inevitably be less stressful. Certain cruise lines offer the choice to bike to certain on-shore destinations rather than taking a motorized ride with everyone else, which is just another way to get away from the crowds for a bit.
It can be free!
While this isn’t the case on every cruise line, there are plenty out there that offer bikes and bike tours free of charge. Uniworld has complimentary bikes, even offering some trips that travel via bike and use the ship as a traveling resort to crash in when you’re done pedaling across the country. Scenic Cruises has free custom electric bikes that are outfitted with GPS navigation; even the guided bike tours with this cruise line are free. Even when it’s not free, the bikes aren’t too expensive, making them a great option to have if you suddenly get the urge. A-Rosa Cruises has bikes for rent for 12 euros per half a day of use (which is a little over $13 for those not up to date on the conversion rate).
See the sights
It may be a bit obvious, but cruises with bikes offer you a hands-on way to interact with the environment of wherever it is you’re visiting. Self-guided independent tours are one way of doing it, but the guided tours can be even more fun for those who don’t want to miss out on anything important. Avalon Waterways has guided tours along the Dutch countryside and along the Moselle River, among other locales, ensuring that you get to see all the beauty the areas have to offer. The aforementioned GPS-equipped bikes of Scenic Cruises also make sure to direct you to points of interest along your route.
Of course, maybe we’re missing the most important reason to choose a cruise with bike tours: you can burn off the calories you ate at the ship’s buffet the previous night! There really are a lot of reasons why cruises with bikes are a great option, and if any of them appeal to you, check out some of the cruise lines linked above to book a trip!
