In partnership with ITA, we’re excited to provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to obtain your international driver’s license. This document is essential for those planning to rent vehicles or drive in foreign countries, and it’s particularly useful for our customers who want the flexibility to explore beyond the guided bike tours.

What is an International Driver’s License?

An international driver’s license, also known as an International Driving Permit (IDP), is a document that translates your driver’s license into multiple languages. It allows you to legally drive a vehicle in over 150 countries worldwide. For those embarking on a European adventure, having an IDP ensures that you can rent a car or motorcycle in most countries with ease.

Why Do You Need an International Driver’s License?

1. Legal Requirement: Many countries in Europe require an IDP in addition to your regular driver’s license.
2. Ease of Vehicle Rental: Most car and motorcycle rental companies prefer or require an IDP.
3. Peace of Mind: It serves as an extra form of identification and can be very helpful if you need to interact with local authorities.

How to Get Your International Driver’s License

Obtaining your international driver’s license is a straightforward process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

1. Check Eligibility: Ensure you have a valid driver’s license from your home country. Most applicants need to be at least 18 years old.
2. Prepare Required Documents:
   • A copy of your valid driver’s license
   • A passport-sized photo
   • A completed application form
3. Apply Online: Visit the International Drivers Association’s website at e-ita.org. Here, you can fill out the application form, upload your documents, and pay the processing fee.
4. Processing Time: Applications are typically processed within 24 hours, and you can choose between digital and printed versions of your IDP. The digital version can be delivered instantly to your email, while the printed version will be mailed to your address.
5. Receive Your IDP: Once approved, you’ll receive your international driver’s license, which is valid for one year from the date of issue.

Tips for Driving in Europe

1. Know the Rules: Driving regulations vary from country to country. Make sure you’re familiar with local traffic laws.
2. Stay on the Right Side: Most European countries drive on the right side of the road, but there are exceptions like the UK and Ireland.
3. Have the Essentials: Always carry your IDP, regular driver’s license, passport, and insurance documents when driving.
4. Be Mindful of Speed Limits: Speed limits can change frequently, especially in urban areas. Pay close attention to road signs.
5. Plan Your Route: Use GPS or a reliable map to navigate, and consider potential toll roads and fuel stops along the way.

Conclusion

Getting an international driver’s license is a small step that can significantly enhance your European biking adventure. With the freedom to rent vehicles and explore new destinations, you’ll have more flexibility and opportunities to create unforgettable memories. Visit e-ita.org today to get started on obtaining your IDP, and prepare for the journey of a lifetime with our bike tours around Europe!

Happy travels and safe driving!

The post Explore Europe on Two Wheels: How to Get Your International Driver’s License appeared first on Fat Tire Tours.

With more cycling paths, dedicated bike highways, and lights specifically for cyclists, Paris is fast on its way to becoming one of the world’s most bike-friendly cities. Check out this video by Not Just Bikes to get an insider’s look into how the Paris is reinventing itself.

Interested to check out these new bike lanes for yourself? Our Paris Day Bike Tour is a great experience for novice and amateur riders. We mainly use bike lanes and parks, always keeping safety in mind.

The post Updated Cycling Paths in Paris appeared first on Fat Tire Tours.

Spring is officially here!  One of our favorite springtime activities are long bike rides on winding trails through the forest, or high atop craggy cliffs overlooking the sea.  Some of those destinations might be difficult to access this year, but we hope this list of our favorite five breathtaking bike routes in France inspires you for your next trip to Europe.  And why not get a few warm-up rides in wherever you can find trails near you?

1. Véloroute du Lin & Littoral

Lin Cycle Route in France

Distance: 75km / 47 miles 

EuroVelo: 1

Greenway: mostly a dedicated cycle path with only some road crossover 

‘Lin’ is French for ‘flax seed’.  Otherwise known as the flax trail, this winding path runs from Hautot-sur-Mer to Fécamp, just inland of the English channel, meeting up with the water at both extremities.  This is a great, leisurely bike path in France that offers little in terms of hills, although there are longer, shallow inclines throughout.  

In late spring/early summer, the fields along this route will be bursting with bright, blue flax flowers.  The Normandy region is known for excellent cider, and the home of the D-Day Beaches, but few recognize it as the most significant, global flax producer for textile use.

Littoral Cycle Route in France

Distance: 172km / 107 miles

EuroVelo: 1

Small Roads: mostly on vehicle-free roads, but not always on a dedicated cycle path

This beautiful, cyclical route runs along the Alabaster Coast and dips quite far south, including Le Tréport, Le Havre, Dieppe, Saint-Valéry-en-Caux and Fécamp and at times, linking up with the easier véloroute du lin in the northernmost parts.  This is a great route for advanced cyclists as the inclines are significant.  But the payoff is mighty, as you’ll wind up overlooking the Normandy coast 

Both the Lin & Littoral routes include the charming villages of Étretat and Fécamp.  Fresh seafood, the sculpted faces of Normandy, and the highest cliffs in Normandy, are just some of the surprises that await you.  And being just over an hour from Paris on the train, this is a perfect day or weekend trip.

2. Véloroute du Rhin

Rhine Cycle Route in France

Distance: 200km / 124 miles

EuroVélo: 15

Small Roads: mostly on vehicle-free roads, but not always on a dedicated cycle path

The Rhine Cycle Route follows the largest Western European river of the same name and winds along the French border for 200 km of its longer path, which includes Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands.  The bike routes in France are nothing short of amazing.   

Wedged between the Vosges Mountains and the Black Forest, this cycle path is idyllic from start to end.  Plan on incorporating a few days in Strasbourg, located in Alsace, France; once part of Germany.  Alsatian culture is a beautiful mix of Franco-Germanic food, dialect, clothing, and tradition.  Or, plan on ending your trip in Basel, Switzerland, home of Roger Federer, breathtaking architecture, and a perfect launching point to France and Germany.   

3. Véloroute du Atlantique – Mer Noire

Atlantic – Black Sea Cycle Route in France

Distance: 4,450km / 2,765 miles

EuroVélo: 6

Greenway: mostly a dedicated cycle path with only some road crossover

Residents, hotels, and restaurants situated along the lush véloroute 6 are no strangers to foreign cyclists.  Avid bike riders can easily find accommodation and delicious French cuisine at any stage of the bike path that cuts the country in two.  Including Franche-Comté, Burgundy, and the Loire-Atlantic, this is among the most picturesque and easy rides in the EuroVélo system. 

Riders may want to consider a few nights in the Loire Valley to enjoy wine tastings and chateau visits.  Smaller bike paths along the Châteaux à Vélo system are also available.  Foodies will want to stock up on the o.g. of French cheese – a beautiful brick of comté from Dole in the Jura region, also home to Louis Pasteur.  History lovers will enjoy walking through the fortified walled city of Besancon.

4. Véloroute du Rhône

Rhone Cycle Route in France

Distance: 815km / 506 miles

EuroVélo: 17

Larger Roads: some small roads and dedicated bike paths, but riders should be prepared to share the route with motor vehicles

Following the Rhone River through the mountainous peaks near Lyon to the inviting Mediterranean Sea, the French portion of this bike route incorporates everything synonymous with France.  Riders weave through Provence, pedaling alongside lavender fields and olive groves.  

Traveling south, riders can choose to head directly to the sea, or loop back towards the historic town of Sete and join the Canal du Midi cycle path, another iconic bike trail visited by hundreds each year.  The starting point at Lake Geneva also boasts some spectacular bonuses, including more cheese!  History buffs will enjoy checking off three UNESCO world heritage sites along this picturesque path: Lyon, Avignon, and Arles.   

5. Véloroute de la Méditerranée

Mediterranean Cycle Route in France

Distance: 7,500km / 4660 miles

EuroVélo: 8

Larger Roads: some small roads and dedicated bike paths, but riders should be prepared to share the route with motor vehicles 

The extent of this itinerary is geographically mind blowing.  Stretching from southern Spain, across the Mediterranean edge of France, cutting across northern Italy, hugging the coast in Slovenia, descending through Croatia, including Montenegro & Albania, and culminating in Greece, the scenery is a constant reminder of the richness of Europe.  The French section is among the most traveled as it links the western, rugged Pyrenees with the eastern historic and often wealthy cities, such as Nimes, Monaco, & Cannes.   

The other advantage to the French section of this path is the available connections to other routes, such as the Rhone route, the Canal du Midi, and several smaller bike routes in Provence.  The most eastern French section between Cannes & Monaco makes for a great afternoon activity with the family, as the route is flat, borders the sea, and nearly 100% on a dedicated bike path.  Rental facilities are widely available. 

The EuroVelo map has plenty of other amazing bike routes, and not just in France. Many of them include several countries.  Avid cyclists as well as beginners can benefit from the dedicated bike paths that line the gorgeous, natural scenery of Europe.

If you’re looking for a great way to kick off or wrap up your longer bike adventure, check out our full list of guided city bike bike tours throughout Europe.  We would love to give you our tips and tricks in person for getting the most out of your European bike adventure. 

The post Five Breathtaking Bike Routes in France appeared first on Fat Tire Tours.

The fête foraine in Paris kicked off on the 4th of July, and pubs in London reopened on the same day.  Even though Oktoberfest is cancelled this year, the capital of Bavaria responded with strict social distancing rules in order to get their famous beer-gardens up and serving.  The historic Giostra della Quintana will still take place in Foligno, Italy this August, a small province equidistant from Rome and Florence.  Music in the Parks will be restarting this August across Barcelona’s vast green spaces.  Simply put, Europe is reopening!

But it doesn’t look the same.  Masks are required in several indoor spaces, and pedestrians are either obliged to wear them outside or choose to do so.  Hand sanitizer is available at the entrance to stores, and even in public places that you wouldn’t expect.  Mediterranean beaches are reopening with scenes of bathers covering more of their face than their bodies.  

In the absence of overseas tourism and to counterbalance the last few months of lockdown, Europeans are starting to move around their respective countries and visit destinations not so far and wide from their homes.  A recent survey showed that 71% of French vacationers are choosing to stay within France, unlike most summer seasons where North Africa, Italy, and Spain are common getaway favorites.  Several European countries are also now allowing UK travelers to visit without facing quarantine.  So what’s the take-away?  Even though Europe won’t fully recover from the loss of a 2020 holiday season, locals are appreciating the wonders right at their doorsteps and enjoying the quiet and privacy relative to other summers, all while injecting a small flurry of activity into the tourism sector and allowing restaurants, hotels, and transportation companies to test out their covid safety measures on a small subsection of travelers.  It’s the calm before the storm. 

It may feel like many countries are still in the eye of the storm, but traveller’s intentions to visit Europe are at an all-time high.  A June survey shows that 80% of non-EU citizens are still looking forward to visiting Europe when they are able to do so, and the individual countries are acknowledging the importance of tourism and making plans for the future of it. 

Americans, Australians, and a handful of other countries with strict travel bans in place may feel like they’re missing out on the 2020 action.  In reality, Europe is still gearing up for travel to resume later this year or potentially in early 2021.  The safety measures that are being put in place now will have been tried and tested over the course of this holiday season so that you can travel with reassurance regarding social distancing, sanitization of high-touch areas (think payment terminals, public transportation, restrooms, etc.), and the silent, worldwide agreement that close talkers are unacceptable.

You may not know when you will be able to travel, but you can get inspired now!  We’ve redesigned all of our tours with special precautions in mind, such as:

• Sanitization of all handlebars, seats, and high touch surfaces before and after every tour
• All helmets sanitized pre and post-use
• Hand sanitizer available pre/post tour and on tour
• Government recommended social distance maintained at all times 

The majority of our tours are outside, and our skip-the-line museum tours, like our tours to Versailles in Paris, Florence Duomo tour, or Potsdam bike tour in Berlin are structured in a way to maximize safety.  Contactless check-in happens on all of our tours, and masks and gloves are available should you not have your own, or until Adam Sandler adds PPE to his list of going-out essentials.

So if you’re in the planning phase of your next European trip, even if you don’t know when that will be, here are three suggestions of some of our favorite, covid-safety approved city trips:

• Our Rome Night Bike Tour runs Sundays and Thursdays through the end of October, and gives you a chance to experience the vibrant night-life of the Trastevere neighborhood without compromising your safety.  We cruise through town just as the sun is setting and then stop along the banks of the river for a glass (or two!) of wine in an open-air setting with gorgeous views
• Our River Thames Small Group Tour in London departs at 10:30am for a day-time visit or 6:30pm for an evening of bike-riding in the open air.  We’ll stop for a pint in the evening!
• Our Barcelona City Bike Tour will kick off again at the end of July, and it includes parts of the Gothic neighborhood as well as riding along the beach-front. 

We are so excited to welcome our guests back on tour with us, and we look forward to showing you around our beautiful cities for another 21+ years. 

The post Europe Reopening appeared first on Fat Tire Tours.