When we travel we do this…
For me, I shop. For Alys, she hunts for cute cafes. Liv? She likes to graze her way through a new city. But when Bryson and I travel together, there’s one thing we’ll always do in cities around the world.
Guessed it? WE BIKE!
We track down a bike rental center and go cruising…. There are so many bennies to riding a bike, especially on vacation! You can see so much more of your new destination on bike. Riding a bike lets you cover way more ground than walking, but at a leisurely, go-at-your-own pace. We love weaving through charming side streets, pulling over for photo opps and just popping into cafes and shops we see along the way – no traffic jams or parking hassles.
Sneaky bonus to being on wheels – you’re getting a workout without even knowing it. Fresh air, moving your body and a leg workout means you’ve definitely earned that extra scoop of gelato! And for Bryson? That’s a good thing. Biking is the perfect way to get your exercise while on vacay mode.
HERE’S 5 BIKE RIDES WE’VE DONE AROUND THE WORLD
DUBLIN, IRELAND
We biked from Dublin City to Phoenix Park and almost ate it trying to figure out their cycling lanes and narrow road systems.
Sights to see in Dublin on your next bike ride…
The Phoenix Park is in central Dublin, a quick 10 minute ride to get to either of the two entrances – you will most likely zip past the Guinness Storehouse!
The park is open 24 hours, but bike rentals typically end at 7p so a sunset ride is highly recommended. Originally the Royal Hunting Park in the 17th Century when it was home to a large herd of wild deer, the park is now a space for locals and tourists to bike, stroll, picnic and play. We biked for 35 minutes and only made it halfway to the top (yes, there’s a sharp incline!).
Phoenix Park is twice the size of New York’s Central Park measuring at 1,750 acres. It’s one of the largest enclosed urban parks in Europe.
FUKUOKA
We love renting bikes from Umi-no-nakamichi Seaside Park and going out of the park to Shikashima Island It’s a scenic ride to an old school Japanese town by the ocean about 20 minutes by bike.
You can rent bikes directly from the park. They have a wide range of cruisers with baskets, kids seats, even tandem style bikes! You can ride on a flat surface in the park too, which is perfect for families who don’t want to ride on the road.
While biking, take a break and pop in to these attractions:
We always stop at Nagomi Cafe, a true Mom and Pop cafe (literally, you’ll meet them there!) where they have a killer homemade beef bowl and rich chocolate cake.
While riding through Uminonakamichi Seaside Park you might wanna pop into the aquarium. We left Juju there on our bike ride adventure and she loved it!
NEW ZEALAND
We were on a cruise and ported in Dunedin City, caught the cruise ship bus to the main town and biked back following the coastline to the ship. Look for bike rentals that have sister locations so you can return your bike at a different location for a one way ride.
It took us 90 minutes to pedal back to the ship, which gave us lots of free time to explore cafes, shops and scenic spots along the way. This was a great ride since we followed the coastline back to the port! Bryson is always our navigator and uses Google Maps in all countries to map our routes. It’s such a good tool to have open on your phone when traveling abroad!
LONDON
Although we stayed in London, we caught the tube to Richmond so we could scope out the town. We rented bikes and zipped through the charming neighborhood streets and around Richmond Park. Look for deer, they’re everywhere!
MUST SEE IN RICHMOND:
• All the shops and cafes that pay homage to Ted Lasso – we even found the bar and bench Ted always hung out at and the alley Ted lived on.
• Stop at Knoops for a hot or iced chocolate. Add marshmallow toppers! This was so good, we bought the “take home” chocolates to make for the kids. This hot chocolate is legit, you make it over the stove!
• Thai food at Rosa’s. Everything was exceptional, especially the papaya salad. We opted for an outdoor table so we could watch all the Ted Lasso-ers walking by.
• Hang out by the river, listen to the buskers and enjoy a scoop of ice cream from the food trucks.
ALASKA
We rented bikes in Anchorage for half a day and rolled through the Fish Creek Estuary where we ran into not just one, but two huge moose!! Of course, at that exact moment, my e-bike juice died. Luckily, the moose didn’t detect my sheer panic or smell my sweat.
The scenic views in Alaska are straight out of a movie!
