Can't decide between a bike & boat holiday or a hotel based one? Well in this blog post we'll lie the cards on the table and give you the advantages of each!

Hotel Cycling

1. Flexibility If you're looking for a bit of customization than a hotel cycling holiday is right for you. On most of our hotel based trips you have the ability to choose  your preferred start date, fitting your holiday perfectly into your schedule. The level of customization doesn't stop there you can also add extra nights to your trip at the start, middle, or end if you should fancy lingering in one or two towns a bit longer than the original itinerary.
2. New accommodation with unique character each night The accommodation on your hotel based cycling tour will be comprised of hand-picked, often family-owned, small B&Bs, hotels, inns, and guest houses. They will have been selected for their charm, high-quality service and hospitality, and bike friendliness. These accommodations will offer you relative level of comfort and relaxation at the end of each day's ride.
3. Levels for all abilities Hotel cycling holidays have a wider range of difficulty levels than bike & boat, so you can browse through them and chose what suits you best, options include leisure, road cycling, and mountain biking. Perhaps you'd like a challenging short break conquering Mount Ventoux, or maybe easy flat cycling along the Classic Danube Cycle Path.
4. Different types of holiday Our hotel-based trips give you the option of various trip lengths, from a week-long option to a short break option. There is also occasionally the option of an In Style version of the trip that promises even more luxurious accommodation and maximum relaxation after each day of cycling, like our luxury Burgundy trip.

Bike & Boat

1. Non-Cyclist Friendly Our bike & boat trips are more oriented towards none cyclists and families, with the option of skipping the cycling for the day and remaining on board and relaxing, it doesn't matter what your fitness level is.
2. Same accommodation for the entire trip There's a certain level of comfort in having a hotel that follows you. It means you only have to unpack once for the whole trip! Many people find this to be a large appeal for this type of journey. These ships have been selected for their excellent service and amenities, but remember they aren't luxury cruise ships. Your cabins will tend to be comfortable but modest, most trips will have a cabin upgrade option so be sure to ask.
3. Make new friends Since you'll be staying on the same boat for the duration of your trip, it is not uncommon for you to end up cycling in small groups. This would provide kids and parents alike an opportunity to make a few new friends. And provide some new familiar faces to sit with each day during breakfast.

Both types of trips include all of your breakfasts, and most accommodations will be happy to pack a lunch for you if you ask ahead of the day's cycling. We include only breakfasts so that you are free to choose your lunches and dinners, because you will be cycling through regions that are home to fantastic cuisine and we don't want to limit you, plus no group will cycle or eat at the same time. On our bike & boat trips that include all meals dietary requirements can be catered to as well, but sometimes there is a small charge for this due to local availability of products.

Bottom Line

In the end we can only give you some advice on the two different options, it's up to you to decide which is right for you. Both types of trip give you the ultimate freedom in cycling time, with no strict itinerary to follow. If you'd like to browse our cycling holidays click here. If already have a holiday in mind or have questions while browsing the trips email us at info@macsadventure.com