The EuroVelo network has 17 cycle routes and more than 90,000 km across Europe, with over 55,000 km already fully developed and signposted. Most are cross-border: a single route often strings together 3 to 10 countries. The routes that follow a river, such as EuroVelo 15 (the Rhine), are the flattest place to start. Over several weeks and several borders, one eSIM keeps you connected without swapping cards.
Riding from the North Sea to the Mediterranean on a waymarked route, without ever spending more than a few seconds working out where to turn: that is what EuroVelo promises. Behind the name sits the largest cycle network in the world, built to link countries together rather than loop around a single city.
Here are the 17 routes reviewed, the ones to begin with, the ones that need a real plan, and the thing most riders forget while packing the panniers: how to stay reachable and well oriented when you change country every two or three days.
The EuroVelo network at a glance
EuroVelo has been coordinated by the European Cyclists’ Federation since 1995. The founding idea fits in one line: standardise the signposting and the quality of routes that already exist at national level, so a rider can string borders together without rebuilding everything each time.
The network is aiming for more than 90,000 km once finished, close to 92,500 km across the 17 routes. More than 55,000 km are already fully developed, and over 42,000 km carry EuroVelo signs in 26 countries. In plain terms, most of the network is ready, and the rest moves forward every year.
One detail catches people out: there are 17 routes, but the numbering runs up to EuroVelo 19. Numbers 16 and 18 do not exist. Odd numbers tend to run north to south, even numbers east to west, and a few form loops around a sea.
The 17 routes in one table
Here is the full network, with the start point, the end point and a landmark to place each route.
| Route | Itinerary | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| EV1 · Atlantic Coast | North Cape (Norway) → southern Portugal | The ocean edge, cliffs and beaches |
| EV2 · Capitals | Galway (Ireland) → Moscow | Links several capital cities |
| EV3 · Pilgrims | Trondheim (Norway) → Santiago de Compostela | Joins the Compostela network |
| EV4 · Central Europe | Roscoff (France) → Kyiv | Crosses the continent west to east |
| EV5 · Via Romea (Francigena) | London → Rome, then Brindisi | Follows the medieval pilgrim way |
| EV6 · Rivers | French Atlantic coast → Constanța (Romania) | Loire, Rhine, Danube: 10 countries, about 3,650 km |
| EV7 · Sun | North Cape → Malta | One of the longest, about 7,400 km |
| EV8 · Mediterranean | Cádiz (Spain) → Athens, Izmir, Cyprus | The busiest route in the network |
| EV9 · Baltic-Adriatic | Gdańsk (Poland) → Pula (Croatia) | From the north to the Adriatic Sea |
| EV10 · Baltic Sea Cycle | Loop around the Baltic Sea | A circuit through 9 countries |
| EV11 · East Europe | North Cape → Athens | Finland, the Baltic states, the Balkans |
| EV12 · North Sea Cycle | Loop around the North Sea | United Kingdom, Scandinavia, mainland |
| EV13 · Iron Curtain Trail | Barents Sea → Black Sea | Follows the old East-West divide |
| EV14 · Central Europe Waters | Austria and Hungary | Lakes and thermal rivers |
| EV15 · Rhine Cycle Route | Andermatt (Switzerland) → Hoek van Holland (Netherlands) | 1,450 km, ideal for beginners and families |
| EV17 · Rhône (ViaRhôna) | Andermatt (Switzerland) → Mediterranean | 815 km in France, from Lake Geneva to the sea |
| EV19 · Meuse Cycle Route | Langres (France) → North Sea | Follows the Meuse through Belgium and the Netherlands |
Where to start: the most accessible routes
If this is your first long tour, pick a route that follows a river. The terrain is gentle and resupply is easy, because towns grew up along the water.
My first choice is still EuroVelo 15, along the Rhine. Over long stretches the gradient stays at 1 to 2 percent, villages come every few kilometres, and the signposting is among the most complete in Europe. You can ride just a week of it, say between Strasbourg and the Romantic Rhine valley, and lose nothing.
The EuroVelo 6 (along the Loire then the Danube) and EuroVelo 17, the ViaRhôna, sit in the same category: flat, well equipped, made for a family cycling holiday. The ViaRhôna has the bonus of heading towards the sun, from Lake Geneva down to the Mediterranean.
The big crossings for seasoned riders
Other routes need a real project, sometimes several summers. EuroVelo 8, the Mediterranean, hugs the coast from Cádiz to Greece and beyond: it is the busiest route in the network, superb out of season, punishing in high summer heat.
The EuroVelo 7, the Sun Route, links North Cape to Malta over close to 7,400 km through wildly varied terrain. The EuroVelo 13, the Iron Curtain Trail, traces the old border between East and West from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea, as much a history lesson as a physical challenge.
Few riders tackle these in one go. Most swallow a section, head home, then pick up the following year where they stopped. The network is designed for exactly that.
Crossing borders: what changes
This is the real signature of EuroVelo: you almost never stay in a single country. EuroVelo 6 passes through ten. And not every border feels the same once you check your phone.
Inside the European Union, your plan works the way it does at home. But several major routes run through countries that sit outside the EU roaming area: Switzerland on EuroVelo 15 and 17, Serbia on EuroVelo 6, the Western Balkans on EuroVelo 8, the United Kingdom on EuroVelo 2 and 12. There, a standard plan can trigger high charges with no warning.
The trap is sharper on a bike because you move slowly. You can cross a border in open countryside, with no customs post and no sign, and only notice when the bill lands. Checking the status of each country you pass through before you leave saves the nasty surprise.
Staying connected for weeks on end, across several countries
On a EuroVelo tour the phone works all day: following the track, finding the evening stop, checking the weather before a climb, telling family you arrived safely. When the trip lasts weeks and keeps changing country, the connection becomes a real question.
Downloading the track and offline maps in advance sorts out basic navigation. For the rest, booking a full night’s stay, checking today’s forecast, staying reachable, you need data that follows the bike from one country to the next.
Rather than hunting for a SIM card at every border, activate an eSIM for Europe before you set off. One eSIM covers the continent and switches automatically to the right network when you change country, including on sections outside the European Union.
- To start out, choose a river route (EuroVelo 15, 6 or 17): flat and well served for food and lodging.
- Download the GPX track and offline maps before you leave.
- List the countries you cross and flag those outside the EU roaming area (Switzerland, Serbia, the Balkans, the UK).
- Carry one eSIM that covers the whole continent, so you never swap cards at a border.
- Keep a power bank: GPS navigation drains a phone in a day.
With Orange, the service from a provider with over 300 million customers, you ride with peace of mind: 200+ destinations covered, human support 24/7, and 100% refunded if you never use your eSIM.
Ready to cross Europe by bike without swapping cards at every country?
