Looking Back on 2023

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Freedom Treks customers have been exceedingly busy on their bikes this year, racking up over 300,000 miles across 30 countries as near as Scotland and as far as Japan.

But which tours proved most popular in 2023?

Europe's second-longest river offers smooth cycling with spectacular views, and two of its most famous sections took first and second place this year! The Danube also came top in 2022, but while last year our Boat & Bike tours came top, this year was all about Hotel & Bike.

"It was all that we had hoped for, and more!" is what Ellen Thompson had to say about our Danube - Vienna to Budapest Bike Tour, our number one tour in 2023. The route follows the blue waters of the river as it passes through Austria, Slovakia and Hungary, with a night in each country's fascinating capital city.

The previous stretch of the river - Danube - Passau to Vienna - came in close second. This tour particularly appeals to first-timers or less confident cyclists with not one hill to tackle. Which means it's easier to take in all the beautiful scenery along the way.

"Absolutely beautiful! I don't have words to express how rejuvenated I felt each day." - Sheenah Shah

We're getting déjà vu because Slovenia also came in second place in 2022 - but as with the Danube, it's a different tour which caught our customers' eye this year.

Best of Slovenia Bike Tour - Lakes to the Coast does what it says on the tin - a spectacular ride from Bled in the foothills of the Julian Alps to Piran on the tiny coast between Italy and Croatia via the capital city of Ljubljana.

"Lovely cycling trip through beautiful countryside. Lots of varied terrain and interesting sights to see." - Gill Clements

"I've never cycled for 9 days straight, so had a real sense of achievement at the end. It is great to finish in Piran and jump into the sea from outside the hotel." - Hilary Clark

The gentle cycling and pastoral scenery between Amsterdam and Bruges have long been a Freedom Treks customer favourite. But with the popular Boat & Bike tour selling out up to 10 months in advance, we launched our Amsterdam to Bruges Hotel & Bike Tour a couple of years ago to give more customers the chance to cycle this wonderful route.

It's now become one of our most popular tours, offering cyclists the chance to take in some of the most famous sights in the Netherlands and Belgium.

"The route was everything we wanted – from the bustle of Amsterdam, sweeping pastures with cows and sheep, tree-lined pathways, canals with swans and other birds, quaint towns with ample opportunities for beer and snacks along the way and, of course, windmills." - Darren Toshi

Our Puglia Bike Tour is one of our longest-running tours, and it's a testament to the rich region that it remains one of our most popular.

It's a trip of two halves, starting with olive groves, vineyards and whitewashed villages in the countryside before heading along the coast via sandy beaches, glistening grottos and thermal spas.

"The route led us along amazing beaches and caves where we could stop and swim. The distance is perfect to enjoy leisurely coffees, lunches and swimming." - Sarah Fulke

"We had a great holiday. Quiet roads, many along the coast with opportunities for a dip. Only a few hills and excellent accommodation." - Julia Pound

Our Highlights of Albania Guided Bike Tour has been so popular since we launched it in 2018 that this year we added a self-guided version, having tested it out with a few more adventurous customers last year.

Both tours provide a fantastic introduction to Albania, with nine days of cycling along the coast and through the mountains of the south. Plus the option to extend your stay in the fascinating capital of Tirana.

"I just completed the South Albania UNESCO cycle tour with a guided group and had a fantastic trip. It was really well run, very professional friendly guide and support team, who were passionate about sharing their knowledge of Albania, which really made the experience come alive. Good route planning meant you got to see different areas of countryside, mountains and coast. Food was amazing- lovely local dishes and large volumes for hungry cyclists! I was a solo traveller and felt very welcome and comfortable in a mixture of solos and couples/groups on the tour." - David Chalmers

We can't take a look back at 2023 without including train travel, which has been more popular than ever this year with our customers.

And not just to nearby destinations like France and Italy! Freedom Trekkers have travelled as far as Slovenia and even Norway's Lofoten Islands in the Arctic Circle without stepping foot on a plane.

If you're inspired to travel at a slower pace and reduce your carbon impact in 2024, read our customer stories to find out why they're choosing trains over planes.

Not to be outdone by our customers, the Freedom Treks team has cycled over 2,000 miles across eight countries this year (plus countless miles on the bikes in the UK too!)

Our team trips are so important to help us better advise you on where to cycle and we're already making plans for 2024.

Less than one month after Operations Coordinator Darryl and Sales Consultant Nick joined the team, Project Manager Saul took them out to Passau in Germany for a week's cruising and cycling along the Danube from Passau to Budapest, staying on board the MV Vivienne.

Nick said: "Having only joined Freedom Treks in late April, I felt extremely lucky to join my colleagues Saul and Darryl for a brilliant bike tour along the Danube just one month into the job! The cycling was relaxed, the culture was captivating and we had more than enough tasty food and drink to fuel us on our daily rides!" - read Nick's trip report.

Darryl said: "This was my first experience of spending a week on board a Boat & Bike tour and I had an absolute blast as we cruised through fascinating locations including Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. It exceeded my expectations and having a moving home base for a week was a real luxury." - read Darryl's trip report.

In July I (Marketing Manager Craig) visited Slovenia on a personal holiday, but I took in many of the highlights of our Best of Slovenia Bike Tour including Lake Bled, Bohinj Valley, Ljubljana, Postojna Cave, Predjama Castle, Zelenci Nature Reserve and Vintgar Gorge.

Despite hearing nothing but good things about Slovenia from the rest of the team and our customers, I was still amazed by how stunningly beautiful Slovenia is. It's hard not to stop and stare at every opportunity.

I also loved the friendliness and humour of the Slovenians, plus the plentiful food options for a vegan diet which I was not expecting!

Read my blog on 10 of the Best Places to Visit in Slovenia for more.

This year's most popular tour was at the top of our Chairman Richard's list for his annual family cycling holiday. As mentioned above, our Vienna to Budapest Bike Tour provides a brilliant introduction to cycling in Europe, combining stunning scenery with three of the continent's most captivating cities.

Richard said: "We booked the Vienna to Budapest Bike Tour so that we could explore more of Europe, seeing its cities, soaking up its culture and trying to gain an understanding of its history. This tour allowed us to do some of all of these things, as well as, of course, cycling the banks of one of Europe’s great rivers and ticking Austria, Slovakia and Hungary off the family ‘countries visited’ list in the process." - read Richard's trip report.

Not content with one tour this year, Darryl and Nick liked the sound of our Croatia Boat & Bike tours so much that they booked on to a late-season Kvarner Bay Deluxe Boat & E-Bike Tour. Perfect for discovering the differences between island hopping and river cruising.

Darryl and Nick said: "This tour gave us a real taste of the Croatian island culture, the boat moored up in the most beautiful scenic spots with great opportunities for refreshing swims. The guides were an integral part of the tour experience and shared with us their interesting knowledge about the islands."

As Darryl and Nick returned from one coastal adventure, Freedom Treks Manager Catherine set off on another - our Turkey's Lycian Coast Boat & Bike Tour.

Not only was it Catherine's first time cycling in Turkey, it was also her first time using an e-bike on one of our tours! Definitely recommended for tackling the climbs on this Moderate to Challenging tour.

Catherine said: "Living on board a deluxe boat for a week with an amazing and attentive crew and exploring Turkey's history and beautiful mountain scenery with spectacular coastal views along with refreshing post-ride swims was blissful - and all possible due to the wonderful invention of the e-bike."

For our final team trip of 2023, Project Manager Saul headed east to Japan for an exciting and jam-packed tour that included Hiroshima, Kyoto and the Shimanami Kaido cycle route which features on our Shikoku and the Shimanami Kaido Bike Tour.

Saul said: "This was unlike any other tour I've been on. The cycling was on well-paved and well-signposted paths and traffic-free coastal roads, crossing a number of islands via suspension bridges and ferries. It felt very authentic, staying in ryokan inns, eating local delicacies (which might have tested some palates!), relaxing in onsen baths and visiting ancient temples. The e-bikes were very responsive, especially up the hills!"

Now it's time to look forward and this year we've added seven in-demand tours featuring iconic routes and new ways to see some of our most popular destinations.

Read our new tours for 2024 blog for the highlights or take a look at the individual tour pages:

• Alpe Adria Bike Tour - Salzburg to Grado (Austria, Italy)
• Porto to Lisbon Bike Tour (Portugal)
• Shikoku and the Shimanami Kaido Bike Tour (Japan)
• Denmark and Sweden Boat & Bike Tour
• Around Lake Garda Bike Tour (Italy)
• Burgundy Boat & E-Bike Tour (France)
• Spring Flowers in Holland Boat & Bike Tour

Will any of these make our top tours list for 2024?

If there are any new routes or destinations you'd like to cycle with Freedom Treks in 2024, make sure to let us know!

Whether you want to try a customer or team favourite from 2023, all the tours above are on sale for 2024.

Visit the tour pages for dates, prices and to book, or enquire online or call our friendly, knowledgeable team on +44(0) 1273 224066 for personal advice.