Je projette de partir au mois de décembre prochain à Cuba en vélo avec deux enfants de 7 et 9 ans.
Ils ont l'habitude de faire du vélo et de monter (on habite en montagne) mais je ne voudrais pas les dégouter du voyage par un itinéraire trop dur.
Aussi, si certains ont pédalé là-bas, quelle partie de l'île me conseillez-vous ? (sachant que l'on veut profiter de la mer, mais aussi visiter l'intérieur)
N'est ce pas trop dangereux d'y aller en vélo avec des enfants par rapport à la circulation ?
J'ai lu sur le forum qu'il n'y avait pas vraiment de camping. Mais le camping sauvage est il autorisé ?
Sinon quels sont les prix approximatifs des chambres d'hôtes ?
On aimerait faire des étapes de 40 ou 50 km maxi, est il possible de trouver des hébergements ou des possibilités de bivouac à ces distances ?
J'ai vu sur le forum qu'une compagnie de bus prenait les vélos en soute, faut il réservez à l'avance pour prévoir la place dans la soute (on aura 4 vélos)ou bien on voit sur place et on s'arrange avec le chauffeur ??
Ce voyage sera l'occasion pour les enfants (et les parents aussi d'ailleurs) de découvrir une autre culture. On aimerait faire partager cette expérience aux petits camarades de classe par un blog, voyez-vous un thème qu'il convient de suivre plus particulièrement et qui pourrait faire office de fil rouge du voyage ??
Par ailleurs, si vous avait des sites que vous jugez incontournables, je suis preneur.
Enfin, je parle très mal Espagnol, est il possible de se débrouiller en anglais ou me conseillez vous d'investir dans une méthode Assimil (il me reste 4 mois d'apprentissage)???
Je vous remercie par avance pour toutes vos suggestions et à bientôt sur les routes
"Ce n'est pas parce que les choses sont difficiles que nous n'osons pas. C'est parce que nous n'osons pas que les choses sont difficiles"
Sénèque
Je comprends votre passion pour Cuba car j'y suis allé 12 fois!
Toutefois, personnellement, je ne conseille pas de faire des grandes randonnées en vélo dans ce pays. Surtout avec des jeunes enfants. Et surtout si vous n'êtes jamais allés à Cuba (en hôtel par exemple). Il n'y a pas de toilettes, ni endroits pour vous reposer, il fait très chaud car vous êtes en plein soleil tout le temps. Si vous pédalez en ville c'est assez dangereux car il faut faire attention aux chevaux, voitures et bicyclettes. Et en dehors des zones touristiques, aucun cubains ne parle l'anglais. Si vous sortez le moindrement des sentiers battus, il faut absolument parler espagnol.
Il faut aussi prévoir que vos enfants peuvent être malades. Cela ne veut pas dire que cela va arriver, mais cela est possible. Il faut donc prévoir la panoplie de médicaments. Car il vous faudra manger la nourriture locale qui est parfois très bonne et parfois médiocre, selon les circonstances.
Le transport à Cuba est également très compliqué et pas toujours fiable. Il faut s'armer de patience.
Le camping dans les régions "sauvages" est selon moi à éviter. Il y a énormément de moustiques et petites bêtes de toutes sortes. Enfin, cela dépend de votre niveau de tolérance!! Et cela peut être dangereux dans certaines régions. N'oubliez pas que vous ne passerez pas inaperçus et que tout le monde vous observera et voudra votre argent. Il faut être plus sécuritaire avec des enfants selon moi.
Venez faire du vélo au Québec, c'est très agréable!!! Je fais des blagues... mais sérieusement, si vous décidez d'y aller, préparez-vous au maximum et informez-vous au maximum.
hey bonjour.... !!40 ou 50kms en vélo à Cuba avec des enfants de 7 et 9 ( ou 8 et 10 ??...) alors là franchement , si tu ne veux pas les décourager à vie , c'est toi qui voies.... il faut choisir un lieu plus "confortable"... les routes sont trés mauvaises dangereuses et ....le camping? oublie.. chez l'habitant ? 4 personnes ? possible mais pas si facile ..à la rigueur en buses Viazul de villes en villes et ensuite dans un endroit plus nature en vous déplaçant en vélo petites distances pour le plaisir..( environs de Vinales par exemple , trés belle campagne.. ) mais avec les enfants franchement , moi, je ne le ferai pas... sachez qu'à Cuba le contact aux touristes quoique trés chaleureux , surtout dans les campagnes, est plus mercantile qu'autre chose ..c'est mon avis , soyez prudents................
quant au transport de vos propres vélos ça ne parait pas facile non plus amts billie
Bonjour,
Comme les autres je pense que le relief, le climat la qualité des routes et des indications font que Cuba à vélo avec des enfants me semble trop difficile. Pour des adultes c'est un pays que j'adore. L'espagnol avec assimil est intéressant si on veut avoir quelques contacts hors esprit mercantile et là encore ce sera dur mais cela s'explique, les Cubains en général manquent tellement de tout.
Par contre à 4 en casas rurales on trouve j'ai des adress.es dans plusieurs villes.
Si tu persistes sur ton projet passe moi un Mp pour assimil et &ventuellement des adresses.
Si non commence par un autre pays où tu pourras perfectionner ton espagnol et ne pas décourager tes enfants.
Il y a beaucoup d, agences spécialisées dans ce genre d'aventure et qui s'occupe de la logistique. Je crois qu'avec des enfants çà serais le plus facile. Faite une recherche sur google et vous allez surement trouvez une agence qui offre des excursions Cuba à vélo dans votre région.
Je dépasse seulment.
Mais ton projet à vélo avec des enfants, je l'apprécie car mes parents n'ont pas toujours le temps de jouer avec moi.😕
Alors, bonne route et bien jouer avec tes enfants!!! 😏
Vouloir, c'est pouvoir.
J'aime voyager et j'aime faire un petit film avec Xilisoft après un voyage!!!
Désolé mais je vais te donner du baume au coeur.
J'ai fait Cuba avec ma fille en Juillet Aout 2006 et elle avait 14 mois. Nous avons fait 1200 km en un mois avec la remorque à mes trousses.
Je ré-itère mon impression que c'est le pays idéal pour faire du vélo et voyager avec un enfant a partir du moment ou l'on prend des précautions.
C'est un fabuleux voyage que ma fille a très bien vécu. Les cubains pour qui les enfants sont rois, nous ont toujours réservé un accueil chaleureux. Aucun problème pour trouver des casas. Ma seule entorse au cyclo-camping c'est de ne pas avoir pris de tente et d'avoir toujours dormi dans des casas
Par contre le pays n'est absolument pas plat. Il faut s'attendre a de gros dénivelés sur certaines portions. Nous sommes allé jusqu'à Vignales depuis la Havane puis avons pris un bus pour aller jusqu'à Trinidad et sommes revenus jusqu'à la Havane. C'est un souvenir inoubliable. Il faut prévoir de grosses réserves d'eau et tu peux consommer facilement 6 à 8l par jour de liquide. Nous faisions entre 60 et 80km par jour chargé de manière très lourde. Nous étions parti avec près d'un mois de couches.
Quand au livre Cycling in Cuba il faut prendre enormement de recul avec ses dires surtout que déjà entre 2003 sa date de parution et 2006 ou nous l'avons utilisé il y avait déjà d'énormes différences.
NE SURTOUT PAS PRENDRE LA ROUTE ENTRE Sanfuegos et la baie des cochons qui n'est absolument pas praticable comme le dit le livre.
Si tu veux des informations laisse moi ton téléphone en mp.
Bonne route et projet
Pierre
"C'est parce que la lumiere se déplace plus vite que le son que certains ont l'air brillant avant d'avoir l'air con"
www.modes-doux.org -> mobilitez-vous!
Notre tribu à vélo (papa, maman et enfants de 8, 6 et 3 ans) rêve d'un voyage à vélo à Cuba pour l'automne prochain. Nous avons l'expérience du cyclotourisme…
Mon copain et moi pensons aller trois semaines en vélo à Cuba en mai. Par contre, je m'inquiètes un peu de la température car de ce que je comprend, il risque…
Nous partons à quatre pour 3 semaines de vélo, à partir de Varadero (Matanzas), direction prévue La Havane - Pinar del Rio - ensuite Cienfuegos - Trinidad -…
Ma femme et moi, projetons de partir à Cuba en Novembre prochain, et y faire un petit périple essentiellement en vélo. Nous partirons de la Havane. Je compte…
Nous partons samedi a Cuba avec Air France pour 15 jours de voyage à vélo. Nous allons essayer d'y emmener nos vélos malgré l'information annonçant qu'Air…
I’m planning to cycle from Morlaix to Brest (via Roscoff and the V45 coastal route). We’ll start riding on August 16th for 13 days (with stops for island visits, surfing, etc.). Is there a lot of traffic at this time of year? I’ve got two kids, 11 and 13, and we don’t like riding in the middle of cars (we’ve already done the Vélomaritime—Caen to Cherbourg—the Loire route from Orléans to Saumur, the Vélodyssée from Nantes to Royans, and the canals like the Nivernais and Bourgogne, where there were plenty of bike-only lanes, which isn’t the case on this route).
Thanks for your help if you’ve already done this route in late August!
Virginie
I’ve got my flight ticket sorted—departing in mid-November and returning in mid-March. I’ll arrive in Santiago and leave from Buenos Aires.
I’ve already been to southern Argentina, specifically Torres del Paine National Park, and I’d love to go back to do the full W trek (I only did the shorter version last time).
I also want to do some hiking and maybe even tackle a summit. I climb and occasionally do some mountaineering, so I’ll definitely be going with a guide.
I plan to start around Temuco in Chile, with the idea of heading toward the lakes, then taking the Carretera Austral.
I’m not sure if I’ll go all the way to Ushuaia—it’s supposed to not be *that* worth it, except for the bragging rights of saying you’ve been to the end of the world.
I saw there are lakes in Argentina too.
I don’t have a precise itinerary, but what I’d love is, once I reach the southernmost point of my trip, to take a mini-cruise to see some wildlife. Any tips for that?
What kind of sleeping bag did you take? Is a 0°C (32°F) one enough?
And one last question: white gas stove or can I get by with my gas stove?
This summer, we’re planning to cycle along the EV 19 that follows the Meuse River from Langres all the way to Rotterdam.
My question is about getting back to Nantes.
Do any of you know what the best return option might be? I’d love to hear about your experiences.
I saw that FlixBus doesn’t take bikes.
By train, I think it’s possible but would involve multiple local trains.
We were also wondering if there’s a boat from Rotterdam to Saint-Nazaire that could take passengers with bikes.
Any tips or experiences you can share would be really helpful—thanks in advance!
Have a great evening
Hi there,
I’ve been road cycling for several years, and I’m about to switch to gravel in the next few days—I’m waiting for my bike, which should arrive this week.
I’m planning a bikepacking trip in a few weeks along the Véloroute V81, also known as the Vélosud, from Biarritz to Le Barcarès.
Has anyone here already done this route? Any info is welcome, whether it’s about the route itself, gear, or accommodation. I’ll prioritize staying with locals as much as possible. On that note, I just signed up for the brand-new site *Guidon et Couette* ((www.guidon-et-couette.fr)), which offers free accommodation between cyclists across the country, but there’s almost no one listed along my route!
Thanks in advance.
Laurent.
I’m planning to build a new touring bike.
I want to prioritize lightness.
That said, I’m tempted by a suspension fork that could offer some comfort on rougher roads.
The recent appearance of gravel suspension forks on the market might meet my needs—at least on paper.
I’m particularly considering the RockShox Rudy Ultimate XPLR fork.
Unlike MTB forks, its travel is short: either 30 mm or 40 mm.
It weighs 1400 g, which is 400/500 g more than a steel fork.
Any thoughts or real-world feedback on this?
I’m also wondering about the durability of magnesium (lower leg) for long-distance bike touring.
And what’s the impact of skipping the manufacturer-recommended maintenance every 50 and 200 hours? That’s bound to happen on a long trip unless you carry extra gear.
More generally, how reliable are these kinds of forks?
Hi everyone,
I wanted to share with you the incredible feat my friend José, who’s 72 years old, is currently undertaking. He left Auterive near Toulouse on Monday, May 18, 2026, on his non-electric bike, heading for the North Cape in Norway!
You can follow his route on the link below—he’s currently in Sweden:
https://thierry-thomas.travelmap.net/jose-de-toulouse-a-nord-cap-2026
You can zoom in on the map and click on each stopover town to see the photos
I’m making an exception and creating a separate post this time, since it’s all about France. In May, we spent a week in Provence, specifically in the Luberon, exploring the cycling routes *Autour du Luberon à Vélo*, the *Véloroute du Calavon* (part of EuroVelo 8), and the shorter *Les Ocres à Vélo* route. Together, they gave us an amazing journey through rolling hills, vineyards, lavender fields still green in spring, and some of the most stunning landscapes in southern France.
It was, of course, the perched villages that impressed us the most. We visited Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux, Lacoste, Lourmarin, Ménerbes, Oppède-le-Vieux, Cucuron, and Lauris. Many of them are among the most beautiful villages in Provence, and it’s hard not to agree with that reputation.
One interesting point is the route of EuroVelo 8 in this part of the region. The official path mainly follows the old railway line of the *Véloroute du Calavon*, which is very comfortable and safe. But in our opinion, cyclists traveling EuroVelo 8 around the Mediterranean would discover even more treasures if the route passed through villages like Bonnieux, Lacoste, or Oppède-le-Vieux.
We were also pleasantly surprised by how safe cycling felt. Most of the route takes small local roads, but traffic is light, drivers are respectful, and road design really takes cyclists into account. It’s one of those places where you can ride peacefully even without separated bike lanes.
Our full story:
Around Luberon by bicycle - the most beautiful villages of Provence
You can also find all our cycling travel stories on the forum:
Cycling Thread - Europe’s most beautiful bike routes
Hi there, we’re a group of 4 cyclists looking to get from Treviso in Italy to Munich with our 4 non-folding bikes. It seems complicated! Are there any solutions? Thanks so much.
hello fellow cycling enthusiasts
here’s a travel journal of the cycling tour through the Rhône-Alpes Auvergne region by Claudio
zouli
it was the plan
http://cbandiera.free.fr/parcours/auvergne-Ralpes/
the trip was completed
story being posted online soon
1100 km in 11 days
beautiful and varied regions
Hi there, we’re planning a Munich to Venice bike trip at the end of June 2026. Getting back from Venice to Toulouse by train with 4 bikes isn’t straightforward. What return options have others who’ve done this trip chosen? Any tips or great deals would be much appreciated. Thanks a bunch! !
Hi everyone,
Happy owner of a Pegasus Estremo bike with a Rohloff hub, which is giving me trouble with the SF11-NCX-FT-E-LITE 700C TS 300/0 fork (serial number TD01329060). It’s starting to show its age, and I’d like to repair it to extend the life of my beloved bike.
The suspension is gone, and there’s an oil leak from the seals.
Does anyone know how to repair it? Where can I find parts that are about fifteen years old? Or where to find an identical replacement fork? Just to clarify, the Magura HS11 brakes are mounted using Firm Tech, meaning they’re on pivots behind the fork, facing the frame.
Hi, I'd like to know if anyone has done this route recently or has reliable info.
Does the track exist, and most importantly, is there sand (for biking)?
Any info is welcome.
Cheers,
diego ambilobe: mangaoka, manondro, ramena
vohemar sambava: masondrono, tanambao
Hi there,
New to bike touring,
I’d love to start with a section of the Via Rhona to explore and share (route to be decided).
Looking forward to exchanging tips!
I’m landing in Madagascar with a buddy before the end of April 2026. We’re planning to bike around for about twenty days or so. We don’t have a specific goal other than exploring the country and meeting the locals.
Ideally, we’d prefer a loop route starting from Antananarivo with a good chunk of it along the coast. On the bike side, we’re used to riding 6 to 8 hours a day, depending on the needs, encounters, and mood 😉 Any feedback or tips from trips around this length?
A big thank you to Lazarou for all the info you share in this forum!
I'm passionate about Morocco, which I cycled through back in 2009.
Last year, my wife and I explored the High Atlas by tandem. Completely smitten, we're heading back in April (Anti Atlas) and May (High and Middle Atlas), still on our tandem.
Do you have any info on the track between Amezri and Ali Ait Nito? Are the river crossings in the Tessaout still there? It's not easy to navigate with a loaded tandem... especially if the river level is high due to this year's heavy snowmelt!
Thanks in advance for any tips you might have, and best wishes for health in this new year!
Claudio specializes in the route of the Savoie lakes
Here are his travels
Between Bornes, Chartreuse, the Savoie foothills, and Dauphiné
Five lakes: Léman, Annecy, Paladru, Aiguebelette, Bourget, not to mention a few ponds along the way
Plenty of accommodation options: camping, hotels, and more...
A lovely route not far from his place
Rural and quite peaceful
A road cycling route created by Serge B...
Tout d'abord... bonne année ! De belles routes à vous en 2017 !
Je voyage depuis quelques années avec un VTT de très bonne qualité mais équipé de freins à disques hydrauliques. Je vis (pédale) avec l'inquiétude d'avoir une panne (fuite, bulle d'air, chaleur qui fait que le liquide...). Mon vélociste me dit qu'il est impossible de les changer pour des V brakes.
Qu'en pensez-vous ? Est-ce que je prends un gros risque à continuer (seule) avec ces freins ? D'avance je vous remercie pour vos bonnes idées.
First post here to share a quick recap of our west-to-east bike trip along Algeria’s coast in January 2025.
It was just the two of us—my partner and I—with French passports and not a word of Arabic. No friends or welcoming hosts in the country.
Under those conditions, we’d strongly advise against going.
Our original plan was to follow the coast from Algiers to Tunis. We ended up cycling from Algiers to Béjaia, then took the train from Béjaia to Annaba (with a stop in Constantine), and finally biked to the border.
We were tailed by police the whole way—whether on our bikes, on the train, or even on foot while exploring towns. On top of that, we couldn’t wild camp and were limited to the few state-approved hotels that accept foreigners. Under those circumstances, connecting with locals was especially tough.
With such an omnipresent and intrusive police presence, we’d definitely recommend against this destination for bike touring. A really sad situation that completely cuts you off from the local population...
We’d been warned, we went to check it out, and we weren’t disappointed!
Hi there,
I’m planning the route to cycle from Lille to Nordkapp with my partner.
Duration: 3 months, from May 1st to July 31st, 2026.
In the attached details below, I need to add some "non-riding" days (rest days, basically).
So I’m looking to "shorten" the trip by taking ferries or trains for some stretches. Which areas could I skip?
Thanks in advance for your great tips.
Have a good evening.
https://www.komoot.com/fr-fr/collection/4023980/-lille-cap-nord-1er-mai-au-31-juillet-2026?ref=collection
I’m planning to bike back from Poland this summer. Does anyone know a way to ship it there without having to take it apart? Otherwise, it’s a real hassle to fine-tune all the settings before departure!
Thanks in advance.
Hi, has anyone recently bought Primus or Butagaz gas, possibly puncture-style, in Dubrovnik or the surrounding area? Same question for Albania... thanks. aichatou
Just a few words about the loop I did by bike in Yunnan.
Entry and exit
I entered China through the Sino-Vietnamese border crossing at Lào Cai / Hekou under the 30-day visa exemption currently available to French nationals and others.
The process was simple and quick. A Chinese police officer even helped me complete my electronic pre-registration at a computer kiosk. I wasn’t aware this formality was required—it’s similar to Thailand’s TM6.
No issues with the bike.
I left the country via the Sino-Laotian border crossing at Mohan / Boten.
The atmosphere was a bit chaotic there, but again, no problems with the bike.
The timing
I visited Yunnan in February 2026.
Weather-wise, at higher altitudes (between 1,500 and 2,000 meters), it was around ten degrees at night and in the mornings, and around twenty degrees at the hottest part of the day.
I had two days of rain, so I took the bus to keep moving. Otherwise, clear blue skies.
Culturally, Chinese New Year fell on February 17th (and the 15 days following), right in the middle of my trip. Because of this, my take on the traffic might be off.
Accommodation and food
I always found a hotel to stay in for prices ranging from 8 to 15 €. Except in Kunming (the capital), where many hotels were fully booked (Chinese New Year). I ended up at a 100 € hotel with great value for money.
A bowl of noodles costs about 1.5 € on average.
Onboard electronics
Since my smartphone doesn’t support eSIMs, I subscribed to a China plan with my carrier. Otherwise, for much cheaper, Alipay offers eSIMs for foreigners that allow access to services usually blocked for Chinese users (WhatsApp, Facebook, etc.).
An internet connection is essential for paying with Alipay or WeChat, as this payment method is widespread.
I only managed to use Alipay.
Either way, always carry cash because sometimes there’s no signal, or the merchant only accepts WeChat.
Also, it’s best to bring a power adapter when you arrive rather than struggling to find one.
Traffic and roads
The Chinese aren’t reckless drivers. They follow traffic rules and watch out for cyclists. This is slightly less true in Xishuangbanna (the region bordering Myanmar and Laos).
In urban areas, there are almost always wide bike lanes, separated from other roads, where bikes, electric mini-scooters, and scooters share the space pretty harmoniously.
The roads are in great condition, and traffic is generally manageable—even light—except for one stretch (Eshan -> Yangwu).
Most traffic is absorbed by expressways, China’s equivalent of highways: toll roads that are off-limits to slow vehicles.
You’re never far from these expressways; sometimes you even ride alongside them, which can be noisy at times.
The climbs are usually reasonable, around 5% to 6%. From what I remember, the steepest section was between Menglun and Mengla, with gradients of 8% to 10%, sometimes more.
Riding at these altitudes—though modest—took a bit of getting used to.
The route
I didn’t plan anything in advance. My only goal was to reach Kunming. I don’t know why, but just hearing the name of that city, like Yunnan, always felt dreamy to me.
Hi! I’m planning to visit the Stockholm Archipelago by bike in early April.
Do you know if the boats will be running between the different islands at that time of year? For those who’ve already been, all your tips and recommendations are welcome—accommodation, etc. Also, do you know where I can rent a bike in Stockholm? Thanks so much in advance for your help!
Hello there, pedal-powered Young Boys!
Claudio (still from Faverges)
dreaming about a cycling getaway in Italy from Faverges (train all the way to Turin)
from Turin down to Venice along the Po River and back via the Padana (Alta Italia da attraversare – Northern Italy to cross)
The tricky part is getting from Chioggia to Venice.
I read it’s possible by hopping on a boat from island to island,
but it sounds a bit stressful.
Has anyone already tackled this route?
I’m currently looking for a bike to do my first bike trip across France, with the ultimate goal of cycling through Latin America. I’ve got a lot of questions and I’d love to hear if you have any answers or advice to share.
First off, I’ve been through this before with hiking. I want to get top-quality gear right away. When I started hiking, I ended up buying everything three times—first beginner gear, then intermediate, then expert, etc.
For biking, I’d prefer to skip that process and invest right now in a bike that could ideally handle Latin America.
I’ve set a total max budget of around 5000 € (roughly 4000–4500 € for the bike and the rest for accessories: panniers, helmet, cycling shorts, etc.).
So, I’ve got quite a few questions:
* I’ve read in several places that some people recommend buying the bike directly in Latin America. Since I need a first bike to train in Europe, would it be better to buy an entry-level bike in France (and sell it before the big departure)? Or is it preferable to start right away with my final bike to get used to it? Is buying it there just to save a bit of money?
* For a long-term trip (around six months) in Latin America, is it better to go for a gravel bike or a mountain bike?
* Should I buy a new bike or a refurbished one? Even more so given that I’m planning a long trip—could a refurbished bike end up causing more breakdowns?
If you have any advice on models, technical features to prioritize, or recommended sellers or resellers, I’d love to hear it. I’m a total beginner—I’ve only just started watching videos and reading up on the subject, and all the technical specs are new to me!
Calling all travelers.
We’ll be landing at Lyon Airport and want to bike to La Verpillière train station (with panniers and camping gear, etc.) to catch a TER to Voreppe.
What’s the safest route for this bike trip?
Thanks in advance
hi,
I'm planning a recumbent bike trip from the Pyrenees to Greece. On the EuroVelo 8 route, it doesn't specify the path through the Alps.
Are there any experienced cyclists here who can tell me where they go to avoid climbing too high?
Also, is there another traveler/bike forum better suited for broadening the responses?
thanks