Going on a cycling trip is one of the best ways to spend your holiday, but take note that it’s not something that can be done haphazardly. Unlike foodie trips and cultural holidays (wherein you can just drop by the first restaurant or museum you see), cycling breaks require careful planning if you want them to be fun, memorable, and successful, especially if you choose the world’s best family cycling tours.
Fortunately, you can now easily prepare for your trip by using online cycling route planners. These tools allow you to plot your route in a quick and simple way and share them on social media so your family and friends can follow your progress. They also come with pre-planned routes, which are helpful if you don’t know where to begin or if you don’t exactly have the time to plan your own.
But which bike route planner should you use? Well, there are actually lots of options you can choose from, but some of the best cycling route planners are the following:
1. Plotaroute
Plotaroute.com has become a favorite among cyclists because it has many exciting features to offer. For one thing, it comes both with a local map and a world map, which means you can use it whether you’re going on a cycling trip in the UK or taking a biking break abroad. It also has tools that let you know about the elevation profile of your route and estimate the time that it would take you to complete the route.
If you’re not ready to make your own route, you can use plotaroute.com to search for well-established routes in the area. You can also look for routes that other people have plotted and see if these fit your preferences and travel plans. Once you’ve plotted out your route, you can download it, print it out, share it on social media, or even embed it on your own website.
Plotaroute.com has recently released its Challenge Tracker, which lets you plot a long-distance route, give some info about your challenge, and add pictures. Share the page with people who want to follow your progress and check in to the site (either through desktop or mobile) to update your position.
2. CycleStreets
If you’re looking for a basic, no-fuss route planner, CycleStreets is one of the best options for you. It focuses on the entire UK and allows you to plot your journey from Point A to Point B, and it caters to both experienced cyclists and newbie bikers. Simply enter your starting point, your destination, and your speed (you get to choose from three speeds: unhurried, cruising, and quick). CycleStreets will then return three results: the fastest route (great if you’re in a hurry), the quietest route (great if you want to absorb the sights and sounds that you’ll pass by), and the balanced route. It will also provide details about your journey time, the distance you’ll cover, the estimated amount of calories you’ll burn, and even the number of traffic lights and crossing delays you’ll encounter.
3. Cycle.Travel
Cycle. Travel is a website for cyclists around the world, making it a great resource if you’re planning to go on a cycling holiday abroad. It provides the latest cycling news and offers comprehensive guides to bike-friendly towns and cities. You can use the pre-planned route suggestions that Cycle.Travel offers, but you can also create your own using its journey planner. Just input your starting and endpoints and choose between a one-way route or a circular route. The tool will then provide you with detailed information about your trip, including the total length of your journey, the directions you should follow, the elevation profiles you’ll encounter, and the accommodation options you’ll find along the way.
4. Mapometer
Mapometer.com is a cycling planner based on Google Maps. It caters to a wide range of people including runners, hikers, swimmers, horse riders, skiers, and, of course, cyclists. It’s essentially a user-friendly route planner; just enter your starting place and use the map to plot your routes. The planner will automatically calculate the distance that you’ll cover along with the estimated amount of energy you’ll burn along the way. Make sure to click “Cycling” before plotting your route so the map will show the elevation profiles that you’ll encounter along your journey. These are just some of the bike route planners that you can find online. Give them a try now to find out which one is the best route planner for you.
