Looking Back on 2022

It was a year of celebration for us too. Our team had the opportunity to get back in the saddle, with trips to Prague, Lake Constance and Italy. We were also delighted to have all of our tours on sale for the first time since 2020 with countries in Asia relaxing travel restrictions.

Before we look back at our customer and team highlights, some good news for next year: we're extending our Refer a Friend and Two Tours offers! Receive £50 off when you book two tours in the same year or refer a friend to Freedom Treks.

Freedom Trekkers have cycled far and wide, crisscrossing Europe and Asia over wildly varying landscapes and cultures. Let's take a look at some of our most popular tours from 2022 and hear from our customers themselves.

It is fitting that the location of Europe's first long-distance cycle path should take top place for popularity with our customers. The famous Danube is a sure bet for a brilliant cycling holiday. The serene river is your constant companion as you pass natural beauty, historic cities and untouched forests.

Our 4 Countries and 6 Countries Boat & Bike Tours took first and second place for 2022. Both tours offer outstanding facilities aboard a splendid river cruiser as you sail the gentle waterway, disembarking to navigate easy cycle paths along pleasant green river banks.

"The cruise down the Danube on Prinzessin Katharina was superb. The classic style boat was clean, very well organised, and the food was great. The staff were all immensely helpful and fun, and the briefings clear. The bikes and e-bikes were high quality, well equipped and the recommended tours were great rides. Quite a nice variety in the schedule so no two days were the same. We highly recommend this one week trip." Anthony Johnson, UK - 4 Countries Boat & Bike Tour

Easy cycling through fairy tale countryside - loved it - and the Swiss Crown was tops - had a great cabin." Graham Kerr, New Zealand - 6 Countries Boat & Bike Tour

At Freedom Treks it's often the lesser-known parts of Europe that we're most fond of, so it's highly rewarding to see these places grow in popularity with our customers. A big hit in recent years has been Slovenia, with its stunning mountainous landscape and fascinating cultural heritage.

Our Slovenia's Castles, Lakes & Mountains Bike Tour made a big impression in 2022. This route takes you through some magnificent scenery by shining blue lakes and deep forests, with imposing mountains flanking you on either side as you cycle. The pretty alpine town of Bled is a great start and finish point to the tour, with an opportunity to visit the stunningly beautiful island chapel in the middle of Lake Bled.

"Excellent holiday - well organised and as described in the description of the holiday. Some hotels - food, service and welcome were outstanding. Absolutely beautiful country to cycle around - highly recommended." Lola Williams, UK

"Beautiful scenery and country side. A real mix of up and downhill riding. Good hotels. Friendly people. For older /less fit riders an electric bike ensures a happy day and enables you to enjoy the side trips easily." Niki Worth, NZ

Croatia was the destination of choice for Boat & Bike tours in 2021 and it has retained its popularity this year too. A seafaring Boat & Bike tour spent island-hopping across the pristine, cobalt-blue waters of the Adriatic is a special experience and it was our Dubrovnik to Split Deluxe Boat & Bike Tour that made the biggest wake in 2022.

The tour features seven days of cruising aboard one of two elegant motor yachts, the Romantica or the Harmonia, each with a luxurious sundeck, charming saloon and swimming platform at the back of the boat. As you sail the Mediterranean waters, you disembark to cycle around idyllic green islands and visit charming towns and cities including Dubrovnik itself, with its terracotta roofs, cobbled streets and ancient city walls. 

"The whole boat experience was marvellous from start to finish. The whole crew could not have done any more to make our tour more comfortable. Everything about the cruise was top class, nothing could have been improved." Gill Smith, UK

It wasn't just Southern Europe that drew Freedom Trekkers for scenic cycling in 2022. The likes of Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway also have some outstanding bike routes that wind between famous cities across beautiful green countryside. This year, our Berlin to Copenhagen Bike Tour lead the way for the North of Europe.

This tour begins in Berlin, where we highly recommend spending an extra night to make sure you see plenty of the sights before you set off to pedal through northern Germany's scattered wetlands and emerald forests. Then a ferry takes you between Denmark's interconnecting islands where you might be surprised to discover a landscape of secret coves and white sandy beaches so far north.

"I  can’t rate this tour highly enough. The route was fantastic, cycling for 5 days through Northern Germany on cycle tracks passing through National parks, woods, forests, lakes, canals and small towns and villages. Then on the ferry for 4 days in very different terrain in Denmark." Alison Thomas, UK

"Berlin to Copenhagen is an epic trip and I feel so chuffed to have finally experienced it... Along the way there are fascinating places to stop, such as The Bat Museum in the German national park or ancient churches... The signage is clear, especially in Denmark and all the local folk are so friendly and helpful if you miss a turning! A brilliant trip!!" Anne Marquiss, UK

While we've been able to send cyclists to Europe for a while now, we've had to wait more patiently to organise trips to Asia. We were delighted that Asian destinations reopened their doors for foreign travel and we could once again set our eyes on the stunning landscapes of the far-east.

Leading the way for Asia was our ever-popular Vietnam Bike & Boat Tour, a two-week exploration of Vietnam's tropical islands with some of the time spent aboard the colourfully named Vietnamese Junk Garden Bay. With rice paddies aplenty, this tour takes you along shaded island paths and even allows some time for kayaking around caves and cliffs along the coast.

"This is literally the holiday of a lifetime. The trip is organised so meticulously, the logistics of boats, kayaks, beaches, bikes, hotels, lodges, lunches, villages, cities, historic sights and flights are beyond compare. We were led by the hand top to tip of Vietnam and enjoyed every second of the incredible sights, sounds and diversity of experiences. Our amazing guides Hoang and Shauny filled us with the most fascinating information to bring Vietnam to life." Jain Birchenough, UK

"A wonderful trip. Think sightseeing by bicycle - the cycling is mostly easy and on the flat - plus a huge variety of fantastic experiences!" Rachel Field, UK

It was really refreshing to be back on two wheels and cycling some of our favourite routes around Europe as many of us didn’t manage to get away in 2021. Catherine and Saul kicked things off with our Family Lake Constance Bike Tour back in July, while our chairman Richard set out at the same time for an interesting journey through central Europe with his family on our Prague to Dresden Bike Tour.

In October it was Craig and Andy's turn in the saddle as they headed to Italy for a sunbathed tour from Florence to Rome through the idyllic Italian countryside.

Catherine and Saul thought that Lake Constance was a fantastic option for a family cycling holiday as they cycled our Family Lake Constance Bike Tour. With flat cycling terrain around Europe's largest freshwater lake, an abundance of parks and playgrounds and daily dips in lakeside lidos, it's ideal if you want to absorb some fantastic scenery and entertain the kids at the same time.

The tour takes you on a leisurely route around the lake across five days with plenty of ferry rides in between for you to rest your legs. Have a read of Catherine's Catherine's trip report to learn more about their trip and the reasons why Lake Constance is ideal for families.

"The cycle route around Lake Constance or ‘Bodensee Radweg’ is one of the most well-established cycle networks in Europe. The vast majority of the routes are completely separate from any road traffic and are wide and sealed, which made for very safe family cycling." Catherine, Head of Freedom Treks

Richard, chairman of Freedom Treks, took a fascinating journey with his family through central Europe on our Prague to Dresden Bike Tour back in July. As Richard discovered, the route is not only filled with outstanding scenery and fascinating city stays but also some poignant history too.

The route begins in Prague, the Czech capital, replete with golden spires and intimate cobbled alleys, before you cycle off along the banks of the rivers Vltava and Elbe towards Dresden. Have a read of Richard's trip report to get his take on the tour and read more about this excellent cycle route from the Czech Republic to Germany.

"My main memory of this day... was our visit to Terezín Concentration Camp, which is just off the route before you reach Litoměríce. You can walk around on your own or take one of the regular tours. It’s an extremely powerful reminder of the history of this area and it was interesting to see how my kids were visibly affected by the experience. Highly recommended." Richard, Freedom Treks Chairman - Prague to Dresden Day 2

In October, Andy and Craig set out on their bikes on a scenic route between the cultural and historic powerhouses of Florence and Rome through rolling Umbrian countryside, visiting many a charming cobbled hill town along the way. To get a flavour of the region, make sure you read Andy's trip report.

This tour lets you discover Italy's quieter side as you tour through Umbria's green heart, passing raging rivers, plunging gorges and sun-drenched fields. We highly recommend booking an extra day to discover the profoundly beautiful works of art in Florence or Rome - discover the history of Leonardo Da Vinci's life in Florence, the city that made him, or spend an afternoon at the Vatican and see the roof of the Sistine Chapel.

"I travelled the length of Italy by bike in 2017, from Puglia in the south to the Alps in the north, but I hadn’t been back since. For Craig, this was his first experience of a full Freedom Treks tour. It turned out to be a fantastic week for us both, learning more about this part of central Italy and experiencing the day-to-day of the tour itself." Andy, Sales Consultant