The ultimate holiday planner 2025: At the perfect bike spot at the best time

January

It's the toughest month for us mountain bikers. Either you invest in very warm clothing and hope for trail days in the fluffy snow, or you click through the WWW and look for a cheap flight to a warm destination. And from mid-January onwards, you'll quickly find what you're looking for. Flights to the Canary Islands in spring are reasonably cheap between the winter and carnival holidays (despite the peak season there from October to April).

A trip to La Palma to: The volcano that erupted in 2021 has finally calmed down, the air is clear again and all the shops in Puerto Naos have reopened. The programme at the four large bike stations ranges from individual GPS tours on (e-)rental bikes and/or with a shuttle to various event weeks with celebrity riders.

The best bike addresses on La Palma:

• mountain-ride.com
• bikenfun.de
• bike-station.de
• atlantic-cycling.com

Tip for long-distance and bikepacking fans: Trans-Canary Islands - 4 islands in one trip.

february

The insider tip for all those who have already seen the Canary Islands or who need to warm up now not in spring but definitely in summer temperatures:

Cape Verde with good-mood guide Holger Meyer

Enduro ace Holger Meyer scouted the best trail tours on the island of Santiago last year. On the north coast of the West African island, a well-equipped surf and bike station with the latest (e-)bikes from Scott for hire and a shuttle service awaits in Tarrafal in King Fisher Village. The good news for all those who have not yet worked on their fitness: Thanks to the shuttle, there are only 300-400 metres in altitude to pedal up yourself during the day. The focus here is on exciting trail descents with up to 1800 metres of descent. Your own riding technique skills should be sufficient for difficulty levels up to S3 (partly steep, rocky and stepped terrain).

Have a read of Holger's scouting trip to Cape Verde?

• Date: 9-15 February 2025
• Rental bikes: Scott SCOTT Genius (160 mm travel) with and without E (350 euros per week).
• Price: from 1885 euros, incl. half board, guided tours, shuttle
• Info: dierasenmaeher.de

March

The days are already noticeably longer, the sun is gaining strength and you just want to get out now!

Public holidays in March:

3-5 March Carnival Monday and carnival holidays (e.g. in Bavaria: 3-7 March 25)

Trail trip to Freiburg

Germany's warmest and sunniest spots are enviably located in the south-west, in the beautiful Breisgau region. So it's just as well that Freiburg is right at home here with its celebrated trails on Rosskopf, Kybfelsen and Schauinsland. You can even learn how to build trails here on certain dates. Status information and GPS tracks for the trails: mountainbike-freiburg.com

Odenwald: Germany's new super spot?

The almost 600 metre high Odenwald, which is kissed by the sun early in the year, humps between Darmstadt and Heidelberg. Baden-Württemberg, Hesse and Bavaria share the low mountain range, each with their own guidelines for trail bikers. But the Eberbacher Locals were able to defy their two-metre rule with a large legal trail circuit around the village. We have travelled these trails for you.

On the Hessian side, in the north of the Odenwald, the locals have it much easier. Legal trails have been sprouting from the forest floor near Wertheim and Miltenberg for years. A total of 150 kilometres of trails await here, which are also used for school projects. Go to the "Odenwald Syndicate" trail guide with the 4 best laps here.

April

Half a metre of snow or perhaps a few days with 20 degrees? If only you knew that in advance this month. But you can't usually go wrong with a first trip of the season over the Brenner Pass. Especially as the Easter holidays queue!

18-21 April Easter holidays (in most federal states)

EMTB Trailcamp in Kaltern

Mediterranean breezes are already flowing through the alleyways of the South Tyrolean wine village in April. They may not yet warm Lake Kaltern to bathing temperature, but they breathe life into the apple trees and melt any remaining snow from the Mendelkamm. With brand-new e-MTB test bikes, we're already heading up to 2000 metres above sea level. You'll also be able to hone your riding technique with the pros and get valuable tips for mechanics.

• Date: 7-10 April.
• Price: 599 euros, including guided tours, test bikes, a BBQ and pasta evening, wine tasting and goodie bag.
• Info: EMTB-Camp Kaltern

Allgäu-Guide: 20 new gravel tours

The two enduro pros Ines Thoma and Max Schumann have published a new touring book. This time, the two were out and about on gravel bikes in their home mountains: 20 tour tips around Kempten, Immenstadt, Oberstdorf, Füssen, Isny and Lindau. Technically easy tours that are also suitable for basic training and MTB beginners. As the tours are at lower altitudes, the trails may already be free of snow in April. Perhaps the multi-day bike-packing route through the Allgäu presented in the book will also be possible!

• "Allgäu Gravel" - 20 gravel and connoisseur tours
• Price: 29,90 Euro,
• Info: Delius Klasing Verlag

Off to Tuscany

For an extensive biking holiday on freshly polished flow trails, it's worth travelling to Tuscany and Umbria. There are 3 really good addresses for mountain bikers here:

• Punta Ala: Iconic campsite right on the beach, with a fun trail network in the neighbouring hinterland hills. The 5 best trail laps for experts.
• Massa Vecchia: Bike hotel with a pump track in the garden, good food and a large trail network on the doorstep. Info: massavecchia.it
• Villa Rey on Lake Trasimeno: This gem is located in Umbria, the "more original Tuscany". This accommodation spoils you with a pool and top cuisine and is run by tour expert Silvia Rey. Enduro pro Steffi Marth was shown the most beautiful places and tours there last spring. Info: villarey.eu

May

Bike park openings, festivals, marathons and the first long tours: the bike season is now in full swing! Perfect that there are also plenty of public holidays and even two bridging days this month!

Public holidays in May with bridge option:

• 1.5 Labour Day (Thursday)
• 29.5. Ascension Day (Thursday)

So if you take Friday, 2 May 2025 or Friday, 30 May 2025 as a bridging day off, you will have 4 days bike time in one piece!

Festival dates at Lake Garda, in Freiburg and in Willingen

All information about the exhibitors, events, shows and race formats can be found directly via these links:

1-4 May Bike Festival Riva del Garda, bikefestivalriva.com

2-4 May Bike Festival Freiburg, bikefestival-freiburg.com

26-29 May BIKE Festival Willingen (with new, also easier, marathon routes)

Trans-Madeira for enduro fans

No other island is as diverse, no other has such a large portfolio of bike trails - enduro bikers agree that the small Portuguese "flower island" in the Atlantic is the perfect winter destination. But in May and September, the most ambitious riders also gather again for the iconic Trans-Madeira Enduro event. Overnight accommodation is in tents, transfers between the 6 spots spread across the island are made on converted lorries and the final stages on the neighbouring island of Porto Santo are reached by ferry.

• The race: 6 days/ 250 km/ 30 stages / 140 riders
• Date: 19-24 May (second date in September!)
• Price: 2250 Euro
• Services: Incl. airport transfer, shuttles, accommodation in tent (5 x) and hotel (2 x), ferry, 4 x meals per day
• Info: trans-madeira.com

4 days around Luxembourg by MTB

Perfect for a short bridge day holiday: the small country of Luxembourg with the gentle Ardennes is just big enough to be circumnavigated by mountain bike in four days. And on the finest forest trails. If you're short on time, you can also hop on the country's free trains with your bike. This may also leave you time to visit the city of Luxembourg itself, where there are plenty of UNESCO World Heritage Sites to marvel at. The MTB report with all the important information about the tour.

Ticino: Enduro stage tour around the great lakes

From Lago Maggiore to Lago di Lugano and back again from Lago di Como - in 6 stages right across southern Ticino. All on the most beautiful and longest trails in the region. Cable cars and shuttles help you uphill, but you can't do it without climbing metres in altitude. A little fitness is therefore an advantage, and your riding technique skills should be good enough for difficulty level S2. Most of the descents are long, entertaining with slightly blocked sections, but challenging with narrow, sometimes exposed switchbacks. Perfect for the first enduro exercises of the year.

• Date: 12-18.5.2025 (dates also in autumn)
• Price: 1850 euros, incl. return journey by coach from Innsbruck, 5 x bed and breakfast in good hotels, 1 x half board in Capanna, shuttle, lift tickets, luggage transfer.
• Info: flatsucks.at

June

Hallelujah, in the month of the longest days of the year there is already something going on - on the southern side of the Alps even up to high alpine regions! And very helpful at the start: the Whitsun holidays with two Public holidaysas well as a bridging day opportunity in mid-June.

• 8-9 June Whitsun
• 10-20.6.25 Whitsun holidays (e.g. in Bavaria)
• 19.6. Corpus Christi (Thu) Bridge day!

Dolomites: Rosadira Bike Days

Lake Carezza, Catinaccio and Latemar: the scenery could hardly be more beautiful. But at this event, the hoteliers and bike guides in Welschnofen, Deutschnofen and Obereggen want to make the trip an absolutely unforgettable experience for their guests: All three villages will be organising joint tours at different ability levels, with workshops for mechanics, riding technique training and live music. When the Rosengarten and Latemar mountains turn red in the evening light, which is called Enrosadira in the Dolomites, it becomes truly magical.

• Date: 11-15 June 2025
• Info: eggental.com/rosadira

Western Alps adventure: French Secret Trails

An enduro camp in the Hautes Alpes, in the middle of the wild French Western Alps organised by Ride Alpine Trails. Of the total of 17,000 metres in depth on challenging, high alpine trails, you only have to conquer 5,500 metres in altitude yourself during this week of adventure - thanks to the shuttle. One of the guides' absolute favourite trips, because there are still more old military trails to be found in this mountain world in the Queyras and they can be combined even more smoothly into an enduro week.

• Date: 14-21 June 2025
• Price: 1950 Euro
• Info: ridealpinetrails.com

Dive into the Palatinate Forest trail paradise for two days

Bizarre sandstone rocks, endless permitted trails and a place to sleep in the middle of the forest - the Palatinate Forest has been one of the must-see mountain biking spots for years. The report with the complete tour and all information about the sleeping place in the middle of the forest.

July

Biking, swimming, bikepacking and camping - in July, even the areas in the north of Europe are in demand. Above all, however, the Alpine crossers can finally set off. The main Alpine ridge is calling!

BIKE Women Camp in the Dolomiti Paganella Bike Park

The cult event in the wonderland of the Dolomiti Paganella: the small expo area pitches its tents directly on Lake Molveno. This is where brand new bikes are customised and rented, workshops are held and Aperol sprizz is drunk, pasta parties are held and people talk shop. During the day, however, the guides are out and about with their groups (level 1 to 5) in the three trail zones of the Paganella. Always in view: The famous Brenta rocks, the shimmering turquoise lake and, of course, the best ice cream parlours.

What's new to discover in 2025: A brand new trail will wind its way down from the summit of the Paganella to the Prati di Gaggia. Flowy to moderately difficult and almost 5 kilometres long. It will be called "Duel" and will offer the longest descent in the entire region.

• Date: 10-13 July 2025
• Price: 589 Euro
• Services: Tours, riding technique, workshops, test bikes, lift tickets, 3 x meals, yoga, goodie bag, fun events
• Info and booking: bike-women.de

Transalp: Over the Alps by MTB

The time window for the classic, big bike adventure is from July to mid-September. After that, the main ridge may still be snow-free, but the days will be too short to complete the stages. Speaking of managing: The guided tours on offer now range from a weekend transalp to enduro routes with shuttle or lift services to luxury hotel options with luggage transport. All of this, of course, with or without E. Many Transalp organisers offer early booking discounts. It's worth comparing prices before the turn of the year, but it's also worth booking quickly, as the e-MTB tours in particular are already extremely well booked.

The true supreme discipline for bikers with alpine experience, however, is to design and plan your own route so that in summer you can simply lash your luggage to your back and spend the night in huts along the way. Just like these guys here. However, a few things went wrong for them. Mistakes from which you can learn a lot for your own tour:

August

Summer, sun, cactus - in the south of Europe it might be too hot for biking at over 40 degrees. In contrast, the main Alpine ridge, the western Alps and northern regions, where the days are still significantly longer than in the south, are more pleasant. Perfect for those who still have summer holidays. Attention, don't forget: Around 15 August, "Ferragosto" is celebrated throughout Italy. For a whole week, there will be a shortage of hut beds and other accommodation in the Italian mountains!

Public holidays in August:

• 15.8. Assumption Day (Friday)
• Summer holidays in Bavaria: 1.8.-15.9.

Ischgl Ironbike Marathon celebrates 30 years!

The legendary mountain bike cult race is celebrating its 30th birthday with a two-day bike event. In addition to the tough marathon, the programme also includes a Kids & Juniors Trophy and a short track race on 9 August. There will also be an expo area with a large supporting programme. This year's anniversary marathon offers prize money of 46,500 euros for the winners. By the way, early bookers save on the entry fee!

• The extreme route: 70 km and 3391 metres in altitude
• The hard route: 59 km and 2716 metres in altitude
• The medium route: 44 km and 1882 metres in altitude (recommended for amateur mountain bikers)
• The beginner-friendly route: 25 km and 659 metres in altitude
• Entry fee: 88 euros (until 31 Dec.), 99 euros (until 31 May) thereafter 128 euros
• Date: 8-9 August 2025
• Info: ischgl.com

Trail centre trips to the north

Norway: How about a motorhome trip to Hogevarde, the "trail capital of Europe", which is currently being built north-west of Oslo? Hans Rey has already visited the gigantic construction site last year. By now, a large part of the bike network and the announced super infrastructure for mountain bikers should be almost complete.

Scotland: 7 Stanes, Fort William, the trails of the 2023 World Championships... In principle, almost every small town in Scotland has its own trail centre. It's best to set off in a campervan or hire a car locally and make a big round trip through the country. The Highlands alone are a scenic dream. As is the hospitality of the people. Only the weather - that is and remains a matter of luck. Our author Sissi Pärsch picked up some really good addresses and travel tips on her last trip.

Ireland: If it's too hot on Elba right now, then the perfect temperatures should be blowing over Ireland. Here, the government has commissioned the construction of trail centres throughout the country. The best way to find out what this looks like is to take a road trip. Just like Markus Greber and Holger Meyer did two years ago.

Czech Republic: The trail centres in our neighbouring country, the Czech Republic, are also a road trip feast. Pod Smrkem, Rychlebské stezky, Lipno... and all the spots in the southern Ore Mountains - the Czechs are considered the best trail builders in Europe. You really should and must take a closer look at this.

September

It's still warm, but the days are getting noticeably shorter. Alpine crossers should definitely take this into account in their planning. From the middle of the month, the organisers also stop their tours across the Alps. What is particularly fun at this time of year with stable highs, however, are crossings of German low mountain ranges.

Trans-Germany

For example, you can use the Resin cross on exciting trails. Or explore the Black Forest for three days on the legal trails of Baiersbronn. Perhaps the most beautiful curves in the country even beat the Three-day tour along the Saale in Thuringia.

BIKE Festival Leogang

Last year, the big party at the Bikepark Leogang-Saalfelden unfortunately had to be cancelled due to a heavy onset of winter. This year, however, late summer is definitely booked! So the sun will be shining when the big bike elite arrive to give riding technique courses for all ability levels. There will also be the latest bikes for extensive testing in Europe's largest bike park and plenty of prizes to be won!

• Date: 12-14. 9.
• Info: Everything about the BIKE Festival Leogang

Great cinema: around the Bernina

The Engadin is never more beautiful than in autumn, when the pine trees turn golden yellow between the steel blue of the sky and the gleaming white Bernina peaks. This is also when there are fewer tourists on the trails and the hut beds are free. Three days around the Bernina - pure Canadian feeling!

october

The final month of the year: a riot of colour in the forest, rustling leaves under the tyres and the scent of earth and mushrooms. If you can scrape together the remaining days of your holiday, head over the Brenner Pass and let the South Tyrolean sun shine on your helmet. Here, the iconic wine cellars are also tempting in the evening.

Public holidays and autumn holidays in October:

• Public holiday: 3.10.25 (Friday) Day of German Unity
• Autumn holidays: 13-25.10. (e.g. in NRW)

Trail Camp Elba: top spot in Tuscany

Inhale summer and the beach once again: Alps Biketours is offering a week of touring on the small Mediterranean island of Elba for four different levels of riding technique. One group takes a leisurely ride along the gravel roads, while the other tackles the easiest trails and the expert group masters the Legend Cup enduro trail. In the evening, everyone sits down to dinner at the hotel or enjoys the week's tour-free day together on the beach.

• Date: 4-11.10.25
• Price: 1495 euros, incl. 7 nights in a 3-star hotel in a double room with half board, private beach access & pool, 4 days of guided tours, 1 half-day tour and 1 day at leisure.
• Info: go-alps.de

South Tyrol: The air now tastes of wine

It's just behind the Brenner Pass, the air is crystal clear and the scent of harvested grapes is everywhere: Törggelen time in South Tyrol! Now you can round off the epic days of touring in the evening in one of the many wine cellars. The best spots for such an endeavour are Tramin and of course Kaltern on the Wine Road.

Vienna: Always worth a bike trip

Cruise around the sights of the metropolis by bike, enjoy a cosy coffee break or a stop at the Naschmarkt and take the underground to the trail centre. And best of all: Vienna is even easy to reach by train! Our author Sissi Pärsch has the best trails and addresses for you.