EuroVelo – 10,717 km in 118 days from Gibraltar to the North Cape

From April 02nd to July 28th, 2024

Our bikepacking tour began at the southernmost point of Europe, in Gibraltar, and took us through the whole of Europe to the northernmost point of the continent – the North Cape. We discovered the diversity of Europe on our bikes – from Spain, France, Switzerland and Germany to Denmark and Scandinavia.

Spain: Along the Mediterranean coast

On the 1st of April we flew into Malaga and hired a car to drive us to La Linea de la Concepción. We assembled our gravel bikes in our hotel room and set off the next morning full of anticipation. We zipped across Gibraltar airport to the lighthouse at the southernmost point of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic.

The first few kilometres of the Mediterranean route, EuroVelo 8, took us along busy roads until we suddenly found ourselves on the motorway. The honking of car horns quickly made us realise that we were in the wrong place – so let’s get off! From then on, we practised our driving skills on the narrow, gravel-strewn strip of road behind the crash barrier. As we left Marbella and Malaga behind us, the road became quieter and less congested. In the off-season, the promenades were mostly deserted – a delight! With views of the sea, the sound of the waves and even ibexes climbing the rocks by the sea, we travelled north along the coast.

One of the most beautiful stretches was the ‚Via Verdes‘, a disused railway line with lots of tunnels and gentle gradients – pura vida! The bones in our feet were doing well too, so we sat in the saddle without a care in the world. We also took it easy with about 73 kilometres a day. The rides through the big cities like Barcelona were less relaxed, but we did get in some sightseeing. After three weeks and 1,700 kilometres, lots of sunshine and a strong headwind at the end, we reached the French border.

France: Rain, croissants and flamingos

After the sunny weeks in Spain, France welcomed us with cold and rain – an unusual change. Culinary highlights such as cheese, croissants and fresh baguettes and flamingo sightings made up for the weather. Finally, the route took us along EuroVelo 8, the Rhone route, on well-marked cycle paths. Still almost alone, we suddenly encountered a conspicuous number of heavily laden cyclists on their way to the Mediterranean – the classic ‚Saggöscheler‘.
Ten days and 950 kilometres later we said goodbye to France, with the bad weather still in our luggage.

Switzerland: Trail Magic and a sense of home

In Switzerland, we followed the Jura-Südfussweg No. 50 for 300 kilometres, passing through Neuchâtel, where we met friends from Te Araroa, who gave us a warm welcome and cooked for us – a moment full of trail magic. After another zero day with our families, we were able to swap equipment: A replacement for a broken bag and mudguards, which will serve us well on the coming stages. We also treated ourselves to a new luxury item, a small air mattress pump.
After a short but intense time in Switzerland and a fond farewell to family and friends, we continued our journey to Germany in Basel.

Germany: Full speed ahead

We travelled briskly through Germany, initially on the popular EV 15, the Rhine Cycle Route, until we switched to the EV 3 pilgrimage route after Duisburg. The well-maintained, flat cycle paths and numerous bakeries with delicious pastries allowed us to cover 100 kilometres a day without a care in the world. We admired the beautiful brick houses in the charming villages of northern Germany and reached the border with Denmark after 15 days and 1500 kilometres.

Denmark: Shelter bliss

For four days, we travelled inland, past well-tended gardens, beautiful houses and through the hilly landscape. We spent the night in small wooden shelters, which can be found in the middle of nature and sometimes even in villages; there are around 3000 such shelters in Denmark. There are also plenty of ticks: as soon as you walk through the grass, you have to pick several ticks off your legs – what a stress! On the other hand, the first feeling of freedom grew, as we no longer needed a campsite. After 450 kilometres, we took the ferry from Frederikshavn to Gothenburg.

Sweden: Trail Magic and mosquito alarm

It is now 28 May and our adventure in Scandinavia begins in Gothenburg. Our destination: the North Cape via the EV 7 Sun Route, before travelling down the coast of Norway to Bergen and Oslo. As we are well on schedule, we decided to take this longer route.

Shortly after the start, we experienced a big dose of trail magic: with no place to sleep in sight, and after many unsuccessful attempts, we found a friendly welcome at an unofficial, members-only campsite. They brought us chairs, tables, drinking water and even reactivated the shower at the lake. Everyone helped pump the lake water into the tank with a hose, so Highlights could finally wash her hair after seven days – what a relief. The unexpected generosity of these people was truly magical and we will remember this experience with gratitude.

The back roads in Sweden are mostly grey, which we found really cool. We enjoyed the quiet roads through the endless forests, along the many lakes and hilly terrain. With the fast descents we never got bored anyway. The last bike shop for 1,000 kilometres was in Luleå and the timing couldn’t have been better. Lavender’s gear cable promptly snapped 50 kilometres later and we had to take the bus back to get it fixed. From now on we were prepared and had two spare cables with us. A few weeks later, Highlight’s cable also broke, but this time Lavender was able to fix it herself.

The further north we travelled, the more important it became to plan our shopping, as the villages became more spread out and there were fewer shops. Finally, the mosquitoes discovered us – a real turning point as they were now everywhere. The weather was also changeable: grey and rainy, and the landscape became increasingly monotonous. But there were highlights too: In Sweden we saw our first elk and reindeer! After a day and a half in Finland, we finally reached Norway.

Norway: Wild beauty to the North Cape

The North Cape is within our grasp. The last 400 kilometres took us over four days through an increasingly barren and rugged landscape where reindeer outnumbered people. With every kilometre, nature became wilder and more untamed. On the last day, the notorious North Cape Tunnel awaited us – a passage that doesn’t need to be repeated, but is part of the journey. The finish had to be well deserved, so we battled through a strong headwind and rain, which became a real challenge. Suddenly a gust of wind pushed Highlights into the guardrail. 50 metres from the entrance, the wind blew her off the road as she tried to film the last few metres with one hand on the GoPro.

And there we were. Hard to believe. On 24 June we reached the North Cape: a milestone in our journey. 84 days and 7,500 kilometres full of impressions.
But the whipping wind quickly brought us back to reality and made us realise it was time to head back.

Norway: Varied landscape and adrenalin-fuelled experiences

To avoid having to experience the North Cape Tunnel a second time, we treated ourselves to a ten-hour journey on the Hurtigruten from Honningsvåg to Oksfjord. From there we followed the EV 1 for another 2,600 kilometres along the Atlantic coast to Bergen.
From now on, it should be all downhill – after all, we were travelling south ;). Once on a descent, Lavender actually had a 100 metre race against a reindeer (or reindeer), no joke! And on one descent we reached a top speed of 79 km/h – a real adrenaline rush.

The scenery in Norway is unique, especially on Senja and the Lofoten islands – turquoise blue water and white sandy beaches, and of course a swim in the Arctic Ocean was a must! Impressive mountains rise out of the sea everywhere. We walked up and down a lot, which meant a lot of metres in height, which our now well-trained legs could easily cope with.
However, the enjoyment of the scenery was spoilt by the onslaught of campers and tourists, as we had to share the roads with them – a challenge that required a lot of attention.

There are many ferries that take you from island to island. The advantage for us cyclists over car drivers is that the ferries are free and we don’t have to queue – we’re always the first to get on. It was all the more annoying when we just missed the ferries – the Norwegians are punctual to the second. At one point, the four of us found ourselves in a tiny but heated toilet block, waiting in terrible weather for the next crossing.

The route remained varied with many bridges and tunnels until we finally reached Bergen. The final 515 kilometre stage to Oslo took us along the famous Rallarvegen, a historic route through the alpine heights – a glorious end to our tour.

Summary:

Our bikepacking adventure across Europe has been a great journey through a variety of landscapes and cultures. We were particularly impressed by the warmth of Spain and the solitude of the far north. Although wild camping was difficult, we found more freedom in nature from Denmark onwards.
The slow pace of the journey allowed us to enjoy the beautiful and varied nature. The experiences and encounters made the trip unforgettable. We are grateful that nothing happened to us and that we were able to cover so many kilometres under our own steam – without an engine.