What To Take On A Family Cycling Holiday

Have you ever considered a family cycling holiday for an active family break? It’s something my family and I did growing up. We use to go to France every year and go cycling every day. My dad would map routes out and we would follow them. I’m not the strongest of cyclists now that I’m an adult however we did tackle a family cycling holiday and loved every minute of it.

So what should you take with you on a family cycling holiday? Well, below you can see what my top must-have items are that I have taken with us.

What To Take With You On A Family Cycling Holiday

Quick Drying Clothes

You don’t have to wear lycra while on a family cycling holiday. I bought the boys quick-drying tops so that I could wash the clothes along the way in the hope they would dry by the morning to be transferred to the next hotel. Quick-drying clothes are also great for cycling in as they are really light (great in hot weather) so keep you cool while cycling about.

Comfy Shoes

For a family cycling holiday, a comfy pair of trainers are just as good as clip-in cycling shoes. This means when you stop along the way you can walk about and not have to carry shoes with you in your pannier bags. Also, have a spare pair of shoes with you in case the ones you wear for cycling get wet. Then it means you can dry them while you are out at dinner or exploring.

Helmets

I never trust rental helmets as you never know how a previous wearer has used the helmet. Can you really trust a helmet that may have been dropped and damaged? So I always take helmets with us if we are going cycling. I even took our helmets on our family holiday to Holland with us.

Padded Shorts

No answer needed for this one? Ha! A little extra padding helps on a cycling holiday. Especially when you are cycling every day. Got to protect yourself!

Casual Clothes

So when your not cycling, some clothes for the evening is a great idea. Nothing fancy unless you like fancy restaurants. You will only be in them a few hours and hopefully, the kids won’t have them covered in food so you can reuse them.

Snacks

I’m used to taking snacks with us for Little K, due to him being gluten and milk free. If your kids have a favourite treat then take some with you unless you can guarantee you can buy them where you are going.

That’s about it, most self-guided cycling holidays, if booked through a tour operator, will move your luggage from hotel to hotel for you. This is great as you don’t have to carry your luggage on your bikes. You can take your time and relax as you cycle along.

Have you ever been on a cycling holiday? If so where did you go? Let me know in the comments below!