Barcelona and Madrid are two of the most beautiful cities in Europe and you should visit them if you have not already done so. But if you've already been there, we encourage you to discover Madrid and Barcelona from a different point of view, from the top of a bike. Now you can travel on Renfe-SNCF in Cooperation trains with your bike without having to pay anything, and enjoy a fast, comfortable and carefree journey that will take you to the beginning of your visit to Madrid and Barcelona by bike.
Get to know Madrid from your bike
The urban routes
The Retiro Park seen from a bike’s view.
One of the best ways to visit Madrid by bike is by the different urban routes available. In the
web of the City council of Madrid you can find thirteen routes already drawn for you. You can choose to pass by the Paseo de la Castellana, Puerta del Sol or Paseo del Prado. Did you know that in
Madrid there is an authentic Egyptian temple? Madrid has a large number of streets that act as shared lanes between bikes and cars. With a speed limit of 30 km/h and good signage, these streets are perfect for touring the most interesting parts of Madrid.
The Green Ring
If you want to visit Madrid by bike but without having to worry about traffic and pedestrians, we recommend you
visit the Green Ring.
It is a huge 65 km bike path that surrounds the whole city of Madrid. Here, in addition to traveling alone with other cyclists, you can find small rest stations every kilometer and a half. In these stations there are fountains, bicycle forks, benches and maps to guide you along the route.
BiciMAD
BiciMad lets you rent a bike and visit Madrid while pedaling
In case you do not want or can not take your own bike,
in Madrid you have the public bicycle rental service BiciMAD. The Madrid City Council puts at the disposal of locals and visitors a comfortable and green way of visiting Madrid by bike. The bikes are electric, they can be found in
123 stations distributed by the city and can be used the 24 hours, the 365 days of the year. This way you can take the bike when you want to start your route in Madrid and leave it at any station when you finish. You can find more information on the
BiciMAD website.
Barcelona from another point of view
The touristic route
Tourists with bikes at the Arc of Triomphe
If you want to visit Barcelona by bike, there are many places you cannot miss. But if you want to see with the essential, you must do the touristic route. This route includes the most emblematic areas of the city, such as El Passeig de Gracia, Plaça Catalunya, Parc de la Ciutadella, Sagrada Familia, and Rambla de Barcelona. These areas are close enough to each other so you can cycle and make the route in a few hours. You can finish the bike tour in one of the wonderful restaurants of Barcelona and taste the traditional flavours of this land.
Other interesting places you can visit by bike
Barcelona is a very welcoming city for cyclists. There are many places that you can visit in Barcelona by bike, apart from the central zones and the famous monuments. The Carretera de les Aigües is one of the favorite places for local cyclists and tourists. It is a flat track that runs parallel to the sea. Here you can enjoy the stunning views of the Mediterranean. The most courageous can dare with a climb to Montjuic, the mountain that hosted the 1992 Olympic Games. From the top you can marvel at the impressive skyline of Barcelona.
Bicing
Bicing, the public bike rental service in Barcelona
Barcelona also has a
public bicycle rental service, called Bicing. The Bicing service offers cyclists an app that helps you locate the nearest stations, mark your favorites, and even earn Bicing points that you can then redeem for prizes.
This city has more than 200 km of bike lanes that will allow you to visit Barcelona by bike with all comfort and safety. In addition, the weather is fantastic during most of the year and there is almost no gradient in the streets of the "Ciudad Condal". Definitely a fabulous option for lovers of the two wheels.
