Take a Self-Guided Bike Tour with Mac’s Adventures

Choosing the type of bicycle tour you want to do can be overwhelming when there are so many travel companies vying for your business. If you want to do a casual bike trip away from the spandex speed demons on their expensive carbon bikes who treat every ride like a race, then this may be the company for you.

With Mac’s Adventures, you can ride through destinations in Europe or the United States with every aspect planned but without a guide. Most bicycle tours have a guide and restrict what you can do and see with rigid itineraries. That is not the case with Mac’s Adventures, where you can ride at your own pace.

Who is Mac’s Adventures? What Makes Them Unique?

Mac’s Adventures was founded in 2003 by Neil Lapping, CEO of the company. The name doesn’t refer to a particular person but a Scottish and Irish Gaelic prefix and a nod to the company’s Scottish heritage. It is also a play on the phrase “maximum adventure.”

Mac’s Adventures is more of a general travel company that offers bicycle touring in addition to walking, exploring, and pilgrimage tours. The company plans the route, makes accommodations, and helps with luggage transfers. But there are no guides, no restrictive itineraries, and no interaction or pressure from hardcore cyclists.

Once all details of your trip are set, you show up, ride your bike, and take as much time as you need. The company’s trips focus on cultural immersion and learning about a place versus just passing through it. This viewpoint is key to the mission of Mac’s Adventures.

In fact, the company states on its website that its motivation is to “empower our customers and introduce more and more people to tourism and a way of travel that benefits the local communities.”

Destinations Where Macs Adventures Hosts Trips

Mac’s Adventures offers over 500 trips. Just keep in mind that not all of them are cycling-related. The company hosts trips all around the world, but its trips to New Zealand and Japan, for instance, are only walking tours.

The company tends to focus on the destination and what it offers versus the trip there, although that is certainly part of it. If you want to ride the wild roads of Europe, do epic climbs, and reach new KOMs, then this is not the company you want.

Mac’s Adventures cycling tours ride bike paths that anyone can do. While what the company offers are considered active vacations, cycling is categorized as “Leisure Cycling” for all their trips.

Still, for a casual cycling trip, participants have to be somewhat fit to ride, for instance, 30 miles every day on the company’s “Cycling the Coast of Puglia” tour. Some of the trips have longer or shorter mileage requirements per day.

5 Trip Types for Every Traveler

Mac’s Adventures designs its trips with every kind of traveler in mind, not just cyclists. Again, the company’s view is toward slow, steady, and casual traveling. Some of their trips don’t even have an active component. The 5 types of trips it offers are as follows.

• Classic Routes – These trips are about the journey
• Slower Adventures – Full immersion in a destination at your own pace
• Pilgrimages – A network of routes terminating in Santiago de Compostela in Spain
• In Style – This type of trip is all about accommodations, food, and wine
• Discovery – A hiking or driving tour full of exploration of whatever destination you’ve chosen.

What’s Included in a Mac’s Adventures Trip

With a self-guided tour, you might think the amenities on offer might be slim. That’s not the case with Mac’s Adventures. The company attempts to cover everything you need to feel comfortable and taken care of during your trip.

While what’s included is different for every trip the company offers, its base inclusions are as follows.

• High-end accommodations
• Most meals
• Luggage transfer
• Comprehensive information and route guidance
• 24/7 emergency support.
• Some trips also may include rail travel, wine tastings, and other elements

Cost and Duration of Cycling Trips

The cost and duration of a trip with Mac’s Adventures vary from trip to trip. Some trips are 5 days/ 4 nights, while others are 8 days/ 7 nights. It all depends on the destination, the type of trip, and the activity chosen.

The company’s trips come in at all price ranges, but many start at $1,500 and go up. But, again, the price per trip is subject to the destination. For instance, a 5 day/ 4 night trip called “Algarve Cycling Short Break” is $1,160.

This cost does not include day-to-day snacks while out riding, bike rental, or dinners and lunches, so make sure to ask about those costs before booking your trip.

Last Thoughts

If you are looking for a casual cycling trip that will offer you great destinations without the hassle of a guide and give you lots of freedom, a tour with Mac’s Adventures sounds like a good company to work with. It provides its guests with the same amenities as other bicycle travel companies, minus the guide, a rigorous itinerary, or tons of miles to ride every day.

Take this type of trip if you are more interested in learning about a certain destination and exploring its food, wine, and culture without the nuisance of a group bus tour. This is an excellent way to learn about a place you may want to come back to at some point and do an intense bike trip.