How to choose the right route for your first trip?

With the dynamic development of infrastructure for cyclists in Małopolska, more and more people decide to start their adventure with cycling tourism. Although sometimes the best memories are gathered from spontaneous trips into the unknown, when you have a little less experience, the key to success may be to plan your route well.

In the mobile guide Rowerowa Małopolska, you can set your own route in three profiles - tourist, urban, off-road - and choose the option that best suits your needs. When assessing the degree of difficulty of the route, it is also worth paying attention to its altitude profile. Voice navigation will guide us from point A to B. Importantly, the map application also works offline - you don't have to worry about getting lost on the route in the absence of internet access. A great convenience is also the ability to save the GPS track directly to the phone in the form of a GPX file. The map planner of Rowerowej Małopolski can also be used in a web browser.

If you do not have your own idea for the route, it is worth considering one of the ready-made suggestions, which can be found in the Rowerowa Małopolska application. When choosing, the function of filtering trails by distance and time they take will come in handy. For a good start, we recommend choosing shorter trips to gradually build up your form - however, we warn you that it is very easy to catch the bicycle bug on the picturesque routes of Lesser Poland and in the future one-day trips will most likely turn into weekend, several-day or even several-week trips. People who care about moving along flat routes should take a look at the constantly expanding network of VeloMałopolska trails, designed so that you can reach every region of Małopolska by bike.

How to motivate yourself to switch to two wheels?

Although traveling by car undoubtedly has its advantages, there are many reasons why you should try your hand at organizing a trip on two wheels. Cycling tourism is a unique way to get to know both the natural and cultural values ​​of Małopolska - a combination of active rest in the fresh air and visiting nearby attractions is good for our health and well-being. Interestingly, Rowerowa Małopolska is not only a database of routes, but also places worth visiting - the application thus provides a lot of travel inspiration. Depending on what we plan to see, we can find marked and described noteworthy objects on the map - such as castles, museums, monuments, forests, lakes or parks - and set a route directly to them.

Motivation to set off on bicycle trails can also be the desire to take care of our natural environment. Many people decide to replace the car with a bicycle because they want to move in a more ecological way. In the Rowerowa Małopolska application, you can check how much less carbon dioxide will be emitted into the atmosphere by choosing such a solution. What's more, you can also find out how much you will save on fuel, as well as how many calories you will burn while driving the selected route.

Good organization of the trip is essential - a beginner bicycle tourist will definitely be more willing to go on a route when he is accompanied by a sense of safety while riding. It is worth mentioning that application users have access to practical information that may be useful on the go. Thanks to them, they will easily find their way to the nearest city bike station, racks, car parks, bicycle shops or bicycle rentals, as well as self-service repair stations and bicycle services, which may be particularly important in the event of an unexpected failure.

The map also shows, among others, tourist information points, catering and accommodation facilities, which allows for precise planning of stops along the route and ensuring the comfort of travel. The ready route plan created in the application can be easily shared with friends - after all, nothing motivates you to ride a bike like a well-coordinated team of friends or family with whom you can set off on the road together.

The Rowerowa Małopolska mobile application is available free of charge in Google Play and App Store.. We encourage you to download it and fall in love with cycling - VeloMałopolska routes and thousands of kilometers of trails are waiting!