Beccy Mersh

I'm a keen cyclist here in the UK, and I have pootled by bike overseas too, including the lakes of Bordeaux, Paris, Copenhagen and Northern Italy (including Milan, Iseo, Garda and a trip to Venice to Mantua in summer 2024 with Freedom Treks) - it's the best way to explore!

I'm pretty new here, and there are so many incredible-looking tours on offer that I feel it's too soon to single out a favourite. So, here are a few that have caught my eye.

The Bavarian Beer Bike Tour - This region of Germany, with its amazing castles and forests has always appealed to me. Plus I do have an appreciation for good beer.

The Istrian Coast in Croatia also looks beautiful, with a rich variety of landscapes and sights to see.

One of my favourite countries to visit is Italy, and I return time and time again. Sicily's Baroque Routes Bike Tour sounds beautiful - warm weather, dramatic canyons and lush green mountains - it sounds fabulous! 

No tours in the diary yet for 2025, but I do have my eye on the Best of Slovenia Bike Tour - just look at it!

One of my favourite memories is of Tuscany when I stayed in the beautiful medieval city of San Gimignano. After spending the day in the gorgeous countryside, wandering around the olive groves and admiring the impressive ancient architecture (it's all about the bell towers in San Gin), we rested our legs in the old square next to the Duomo.

As the quell of daytime tourists dissipated, we found ourselves sitting alongside the locals in the evening sunshine, listening to birdsong between the chiming of the bells, while enjoying a delicious glass of red and freshly sliced deli meats and cheese with honey. Sometimes the simplest things are the most blissful.

Put your currency on a travel card. If you don't want to carry wads of cash around with you or use your phone to pay in public, this is a safe and flexible alternative. 

In the UK, the Post Office can issue you with a travel card that you can use like a regular credit or debit card. Managed through an app, you have complete control over how much currency you load onto your card and convert to your choice of currency. If the card is lost or stolen, you can freeze the card and return any unused currency to your bank account. Then all you need when out and about is a little bit of spare cash for cash-only shops or tipping.

I play piano but can’t read sheet music – I learn by ear.