Considering all of what Edinburgh has to offer, it won’t come as a surprise to read that it is becoming a very popular destination for cycling enthusiasts. While many will visit for the general history and culture – when this is combined with the sheer beauty that accompanies the city, Edinburgh is a top choice for a cycling holiday.
Of course, if you are new to the cycling excursion club, understanding whether it’s possible to do this on a budget is something you might want to explore. This is the reason today’s guide has been put together, and this post will take a look at some of the considerations you should bear in mind before you take to your two wheels around Scotland’s capital.
Your accommodation options
Considering the wealth of good hotel options that Edinburgh has, it would be a lie to suggest that this shouldn’t be your first choice. Whilst it might be a little more costly than some of the other options, after a day of cycling it’s by far and away the most comfortable solution – particularly if you choose a hotel with some facilities as well.
For those of you who are attempting your Edinburgh tour on a shoestring budget, you can get away without doing it with hotels. At certain times of the year it will be tough, but there are plenty of campsites around the city and these can slash your costs substantially.
The key is to travel light
Anyone who has travelled on a budget airline will know all about this next suggestion and funnily enough, the same rules apply for cycling holidays. You simply must pack light – although this isn’t because of the enormous baggage fees that an airline is trying to tag onto flight ticket prices.
Instead, it’s because of your back. In the art of saving money, you don’t want to be arranging the transport of your things from one hotel to another. The charm of a cycling vacation is to do it yourself, and this means packing as few things as possible so you can ride with them.
Understand your capabilities as well
One of the main reasons why cyclists spend more money than they should when it comes to vacations of this ilk is because they completely overestimate their own capabilities. They think that they can conquer 60 miles in a day, when in reality they’ve never surpassed the five mark.
This means that when it comes to the crunch, they’re left with a dilemma on just how to progress to their next hotel.
Don’t fall into this trap. Edinburgh has some tricky cycling terrains and the last thing you want is to be organising transport to your next accommodation because you have faltered on one of your routes.
Know your bike’s capabilities
At the same time, understand that your bike has to be up to a certain standard as well. If this is one of your first cycling getaways, the assumption is that you haven’t spent a huge amount of money on a bike. This might be completely fine, but at least check before you depart if your bike is going to be in the right condition to make the routes you have planned. If it isn’t, you might be stuck and need emergency transport.
Have you ever been on a cycling holiday?
Would you like to take a budget cycling holiday?
Share your thoughts and comments with us.
