From smooth tarmac paths that skirt the edge of vineyards and the shadows of medieval castles, to epic routes across mountain ranges, cultures and continents, the Eurovelo system of long-distance cycle routes are among the best in the world. The 17 routes of the Eurovelo network wind through 38 countries and stretch from the Atlantic coast in Ireland to the shores of the Black Sea.
I began a bike ride around the world on a Eurovelo cycle route at a crossroads near the port at the Hook of Holland, and I only left its network of more than 90,000km of trails, many fully off-road and signposted, near Turkey, three months and six countries later.
