Freewheeling round Europe's best cycling cities

While it’s simple enough to get on a plane and fly somewhere new for a weekend getaway, one of the trickiest aspects of visiting a different city is the challenge of navigating it to best effect.

Sure -- trains, buses, taxis and all the rest are useful, but it can be a nightmare piecing it all together and making the most of your time in a place. Public transport and hire cars aren’t exactly the highlights of many vacations, after all.

But there is an obvious alternative -- and it’s one that places you, the visitor firmly in control: the good, old bicycle.