a bus and a cyclist crossing a bridge - with a view of Tower Bridge in the background
Credit: Alena Veasey, Shutterstock

Listen up, Londoners – I come bearing some brake-ing news. A recent study has revealed Europe’s best and most beloved spots for cycling. And London has – yet again – received a lovely, shiny medal to hang around its neck. So we’re feeling wheely rather proud of our sensationally cyclable city.

The new research comes courtesy of ferry and cruise operator, DFDS. Having noticed the significant surge in cycling tourism in recent years, they decided to uncover which European city truly is the best in the biking world. The travel-pros pedaled their way across the continent, analysing major cities based on various factors including cycling infrastructure, terrain, weather, and online search volume as they went. And based on their findings, they have revealed the top spots for cycling, the driest spots for cycling, and the internet’s favourite spots for cycling.

Two cycllists chatting to each other on the EmbankmentCredit: I Wei Huang, Shutterstock

Now, it will come as a surprise to – quite literally – nobody that London didn’t get a look in on the list of the driest cycling cities. London didn’t earn itself a spot on the list of the top cycling cities, either. And at this point, I wouldn’t blame you for being a tad confused about why I seem so happy. But that, my friends, would be because London topped the charts as the internet’s favourite cycling city.

Whilst the likes of Paris, Munich, Helsinki, and Amsterdam came up trumps as the best cities overall for cycling. Our lovely little London managed to overtake them all in regards to search volume. London racked up a monthly Google search average of 13,790, which was over six times the amount of the second place city, Amsterdam. So, we must be doing something right, hey?

The internet’s favourite cycling cities

  1. London – 13,790 average monthly cycle-related searches
  2. Amsterdam – 2,210 average monthly cycle-related searches
  3. Copenhagen – 550 average monthly cycle-related searches
  4. Paris – 320 average monthly cycle-related searches
  5. Barcelona – 210 average monthly cycle-related searches

You can peruse DFDS’ full findings here.