Czechs perceive cycling mainly as an active recreation and a way to experience, not as a pursuit of performance. 4 out of 5 people cycle at least occasionally and often decide to go for a ride at the last minute depending on the weather. Before the start, recommendations from loved ones play a major role, while during the ride it is mainly the mobile phone that helps. This results from the latest survey of the Director of the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism.
Cycling in the Czechia is a common leisure activity and fits naturally into the lifestyle. Almost a quarter of people regularly cycle, most often for recreation (57%), some use a bike in the city (28%) and 18% of the population is involved in cycling. The main motivation remains relaxation, being outdoors and getting away from everyday stress. This is also reflected in the nature of the rides. Shorter routes predominate – 76% of cyclists choose trips of up to 50 kilometres and more than half (54%) stay in the vicinity of their home. Longer cycling trips of more than a week are rather rare (8.5%). The bicycle thus serves as an accessible way to spend leisure time actively without complicated planning.
„In Czechia, everyone can find their terrain – from those who want to pedal hard and ride up hills, to families with children looking for a relaxing trip with a stop for swimming or a good meal. We have an extremely dense and clearly signposted network of almost 40,000 kilometres of cycle paths and cycle lanes. We have been making it visible and inspiring trips for a long time through our portal Kudy z nudy as well as a website dedicated to foreign tourists VisitCzechia,“ says Director of the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism František Reismüller and adds: „Active holidays are a growing trend, which is why in our campaigns we show potential visitors how they can easily combine exercise, nature and cultural experiences in a sustainable way.“
From spontaneous idea to mobile navigation
The decision to go cycling often comes spontaneously. Almost half of people (48%) plan a ride one to seven days in advance, usually depending on the current weather. Day or weekend trips predominate, while longer stays require more careful preparation and remain rather marginal. Cycling trips are most often family or partner trips – most people go with a partner (37%). At the same time, a third of cyclists also go alone and around a quarter with friends.
The method of planning and the actual ride varies considerably. Recommendations from family and friends play a major role in route choice (59%), while digital resources are less important. Specialist websites are used by 38% of people, TripAdvisor-like platforms by 10% and travel agents by 5%. But once cyclists set off, mobile apps take the lead, with 45% of people using them during their ride. Among them, Maps.cz clearly dominates.
Bike as part of the experience
For 70% of cyclists, the ride itself is not the destination, but part of a wider programme. It is most often combined with swimming (52%), exploring cities or being in nature (50%), but also visiting monuments, museums (40%), landscape photography (39%) or gastronomy (38%). When choosing a destination, the character of the place – the main role is played by attractive landscapes (55%), followed by discovering new places (34%) and recommendations from friends (31%). The combination of cycling with other activities is one of the strongest current trends. 63% of people want to try new forms of cycling, most often themed routes (31%), gastronomic cycle routes (24%) or a combination with wellness. Electric bikes are also among the strong trends of recent years, expanding the ways and places to go.
At the same time, the survey shows that inspiration is key to more frequent trips – people would welcome more new and interesting routes (28%) as well as better access to information (21%). Meanwhile, personal recommendations have long played the biggest role in planning, far outweighing the influence of formal sources.
Local experience on a budget
Cycle tours in Czechia are predominantly local. Three quarters of people only cycle around Czechia, typically on shorter routes around their home that fit into a weekend active leisure regime.
Expenditure corresponds to this. Most people (73%) spend up to CZK 5,000 per person on a cycling holiday, with a daily budget of up to CZK 1,000 (61%) being the most common. When choosing accommodation, cyclists often prefer smaller facilities. Most often they choose guesthouses (47%), apartments or private accommodation. Hotels, on the other hand, are preferred by around a fifth (23%). It is not just about price, but also about the nature of the experience, a more personal approach, greater flexibility and authenticity. But at the same time, cyclists expect basic service and comfort, with only a small proportion opting for minimalist forms of travel such as bikepacking. Above all, secure bicycle facilities remain a key requirement – lockable bike storage is considered essential by 67% of cyclists, with other services having a significantly lower priority.
Safety as a decisive factor
Alongside an extensive route network and good quality signage, safety remains a major issue. The signage and availability of information is positively perceived by the survey participants (55% satisfied), the weakest point is the lack of separation from car traffic, which is perceived negatively by 24% of respondents. In urban environments only 11% of cyclists feel very safe, with around a third perceiving risk in larger cities. More than half of respondents would like to see safer infrastructure, especially separated cycle lanes and cycle tracks. Sections where cycle lanes abruptly connect to busy roads remain a problem, reducing both comfort and willingness to cycle, especially for families with children.
„Safety is now one of the key criteria when choosing a route and destination. Comparisons with other countries show that Czechia excels especially in the scope and marking of cycling routes, but reserves remain in the accompanying services and overall comfort. Cyclists' experience confirms that the final impression is determined by details – safe route connections, quality of surface or availability of basic amenities. If the individual sections are smoothly connected and people feel safe, their desire to discover new places and regions grows significantly," concludes Petr Janeček, head of the CzechTourism Institute.
„In Czechia, everyone can find their terrain – from those who want to pedal hard and ride up hills, to families with children looking for a relaxing trip with a stop for swimming or a good meal. We have an extremely dense and clearly signposted network of almost 40,000 kilometres of cycle paths and cycle lanes. We have been making it visible and inspiring trips for a long time through our portal Kudy z nudy as well as a website dedicated to foreign tourists VisitCzechia,“ says Director of the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism František Reismüller and adds: „Active holidays are a growing trend, which is why in our campaigns we show potential visitors how they can easily combine exercise, nature and cultural experiences in a sustainable way.“
From spontaneous idea to mobile navigation
The decision to go cycling often comes spontaneously. Almost half of people (48%) plan a ride one to seven days in advance, usually depending on the current weather. Day or weekend trips predominate, while longer stays require more careful preparation and remain rather marginal. Cycling trips are most often family or partner trips – most people go with a partner (37%). At the same time, a third of cyclists also go alone and around a quarter with friends.
The method of planning and the actual ride varies considerably. Recommendations from family and friends play a major role in route choice (59%), while digital resources are less important. Specialist websites are used by 38% of people, TripAdvisor-like platforms by 10% and travel agents by 5%. But once cyclists set off, mobile apps take the lead, with 45% of people using them during their ride. Among them, Maps.cz clearly dominates.
Bike as part of the experience
For 70% of cyclists, the ride itself is not the destination, but part of a wider programme. It is most often combined with swimming (52%), exploring cities or being in nature (50%), but also visiting monuments, museums (40%), landscape photography (39%) or gastronomy (38%). When choosing a destination, the character of the place – the main role is played by attractive landscapes (55%), followed by discovering new places (34%) and recommendations from friends (31%). The combination of cycling with other activities is one of the strongest current trends. 63% of people want to try new forms of cycling, most often themed routes (31%), gastronomic cycle routes (24%) or a combination with wellness. Electric bikes are also among the strong trends of recent years, expanding the ways and places to go.
At the same time, the survey shows that inspiration is key to more frequent trips – people would welcome more new and interesting routes (28%) as well as better access to information (21%). Meanwhile, personal recommendations have long played the biggest role in planning, far outweighing the influence of formal sources.
Local experience on a budget
Cycle tours in Czechia are predominantly local. Three quarters of people only cycle around Czechia, typically on shorter routes around their home that fit into a weekend active leisure regime.
Expenditure corresponds to this. Most people (73%) spend up to CZK 5,000 per person on a cycling holiday, with a daily budget of up to CZK 1,000 (61%) being the most common. When choosing accommodation, cyclists often prefer smaller facilities. Most often they choose guesthouses (47%), apartments or private accommodation. Hotels, on the other hand, are preferred by around a fifth (23%). It is not just about price, but also about the nature of the experience, a more personal approach, greater flexibility and authenticity. But at the same time, cyclists expect basic service and comfort, with only a small proportion opting for minimalist forms of travel such as bikepacking. Above all, secure bicycle facilities remain a key requirement – lockable bike storage is considered essential by 67% of cyclists, with other services having a significantly lower priority.
Safety as a decisive factor
Alongside an extensive route network and good quality signage, safety remains a major issue. The signage and availability of information is positively perceived by the survey participants (55% satisfied), the weakest point is the lack of separation from car traffic, which is perceived negatively by 24% of respondents. In urban environments only 11% of cyclists feel very safe, with around a third perceiving risk in larger cities. More than half of respondents would like to see safer infrastructure, especially separated cycle lanes and cycle tracks. Sections where cycle lanes abruptly connect to busy roads remain a problem, reducing both comfort and willingness to cycle, especially for families with children.
„Safety is now one of the key criteria when choosing a route and destination. Comparisons with other countries show that Czechia excels especially in the scope and marking of cycling routes, but reserves remain in the accompanying services and overall comfort. Cyclists' experience confirms that the final impression is determined by details – safe route connections, quality of surface or availability of basic amenities. If the individual sections are smoothly connected and people feel safe, their desire to discover new places and regions grows significantly," concludes Petr Janeček, head of the CzechTourism Institute.
Methodology: the „Cycling“ research was carried out by InsightLab for CzechTourism (combination of quantitative and qualitative parts; quantitative part N = 3000, modules on cycling tours and cycling holidays typically N = 1406; date 25.12.2025).
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