The Slow Cyclist

Where To Go in October

Northern Europe starts to cool in October, but the Mediterranean holds on to summer. The Dodecanese, Crete and the Mani Peninsula are still warm enough for swimming, and the roads are quiet again. Inland, Transylvania, the Taurus Mountains and the Côa Valley have autumn colour and the harvest. For cycling holidays in October, southern Greece and Turkey are hard to beat.
A Slow Cyclist guide enjoying picnic and wine in Crete Greece

Where we recommend for October

  • Greece | Classic |

    Dodecanese Islands

    From £5,825 per person

    The Dodecanese and the Turkish coast are quieter in October than in September, and the sea is still lovely and warm. Days stay in the mid-20s, and the August crowds are a distant memory. It's a good month for our boat trips, island hopping with swims between rides, and having the ports and beaches mostly to yourselves.

  • Greece | Classic |

    Crete

    From £3,545 per person

    Crete is often named the best Greek island to visit in October, and the numbers back that up: sea temperatures of around 23°C, daytime highs in the low to mid 20s, and thinner crowds at Knossos and in the gorges. It's a good month to combine riding with swimming, and the more demanding interior routes are easier without the summer heat.

  • Greece | Classic |

    The Mani

    From £3,645 per person

    October is when the Mani Peninsula has its warmest sea of the year, so swimming is very much on. The colours are at their best too, with soft light over the stone tower villages, olive groves and coastal roads, and barely another visitor around. Days are warm enough for long rides, and the autumn light suits this part of Greece.

  • Turkey | Classic |

    Taurus Mountains

    From £3,585 per person

    October brings autumn colour to the Taurus Mountains, as the trees turn and the light sharpens. It's the fruit harvest too, so the mountain villages are busy with orchards and stalls. The summer heat has gone, and the cooler days suit cycling through cedar forests and limestone gorges. The coast winds down for the year, so the mountains are a calm place to be.

  • Romania | Classic |

    Transylvania

    From £3,350 per person

    Transylvania's trees change colour in October, and cycling between the Saxon fortified churches and across rolling hills feels like riding through a painting. It's the fruit harvest in the farming villages, so fruit turns up at every stop, and sometimes in a bottle. The days are cool and fresh, ideal for gentle riding, and the light is excellent for photos.

  • Portugal | Classic |

    The Côa Valley

    From £3,195 per person

    In October, the terraced vineyards of the wider Douro region turn red, copper and gold against the boulder-strewn hills of the Côa Valley. The Iberian summer heat has gone, leaving warm, golden days for riding. The last of the grape harvest is coming in and olive picking begins, so there's plenty going on at the farming estates. The valley roads are quiet, and a glass of local wine goes down well in the evening.

Available journeys in October