EuroVelo 5 - Via Romea (Francigena)

EuroVelo 5, better known as the Via Romea (Francigena), is the cycling version of one of Europe's oldest travel corridors. It begins in Canterbury, crosses the Channel by ferry, and then works its way south through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland and Italy before reaching Rome and continuing to the Adriatic port of Brindisi. Along the way it links 20 cathedrals with 21 UNESCO sites, and it passes the seats of the modern European institutions in Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg.

That combination is the point of the route. Few long-distance cycle routes let you ride from a Kentish cathedral city to Saint Peter's Basilica, over the Alps and down the Roman Via Appia, on a single numbered itinerary. The route works equally well as a full continental crossing or as a series of self-contained holidays, since individual stages have very different characters and difficulty levels.

The Intention Behind the Route

More than a thousand years ago, pilgrims travelled overland from England to Rome. For many, Rome was not the end: from the Eternal City the journey continued along the ancient Via Appia to the port of Brindisi, and from there by sea towards Jerusalem. EuroVelo 5 is a modern reconstruction of that idea, developed by the European Cyclists' Federation as part of the EuroVelo network so that today's travellers can follow the pilgrims' geography by bike.

The historical layers are stacked on top of each other and are visible from the saddle. In northern Italy, the Lombards opened the Monte Bardone crossing, known today as the Cisa pass, as a safe corridor linking their northern territories to Tuscia and the south. In Tuscany, the medieval towns the route passes through were shaped by the constant traffic of merchants, pilgrims, popes and emperors. In Latium, the countryside is threaded with secondary roads carved into the ground since Etruscan times. The final stretch runs along the Via Appia Antica, the "Queen of the Roads", built to connect Rome to Brindisi and later absorbed into the pilgrim network heading east.

The route also carries a contemporary intention, tying cathedrals and abbeys to the European quarter of Brussels, the Grand Duchy's capital and the parliament city of Strasbourg. The Belgian section, coordinated by Pro Velo, was named Cycle Route of the Year 2023 at the Fiets en Wandelbeurs fair in Utrecht, and the waymarking of EuroVelo 5 in Brussels was launched with the unveiling of one of its signs, a statement about connecting Europe by bike.

Essential Route Information

• Difficulty: varies enormously by section. Northern stages through the Low Countries and Alsace suit almost everyone, including families; the Alpine and Apennine crossings demand real fitness and preparation.
• Elevation: flat to gently rolling from Canterbury to Alsace, mountainous through Switzerland, then flat across the Po plain, followed by the Apennine and Tuscan hills.
• Surface: predominantly paved, with canal towpaths, former railway lines and greenways making up long stretches in the north.
• Route type: a mix of traffic-separated cycle paths, quiet rural lanes and shared roads, with the balance shifting towards shared roads in the south.
• Recommended direction: north to south, following the historical pilgrim direction from Canterbury towards Rome.
• Recommended bike: a touring or trekking bike with a wide gear range. Low gearing pays for itself in Switzerland and the Apennines.
• Certification: sections of EuroVelo 5 are assessed under ECF's European Certification Standard. Development status ranges from certified and signed stretches to parts still under development.

Route Marking & Navigation

Waymarking is not uniform across the route, and it helps to know that in advance. Some sections carry continuous EuroVelo signage, others are developed but unsigned, and a few remain only partially developed. The northern half is the easiest to follow, because EuroVelo 5 rides on top of well established national networks:

• Sustrans' National Route 1 between Canterbury and Dover
• The RAVeL network and the node-point system in Wallonia
• The Luxembourg and Saarland cycle networks
• Switzerland's North-South Route between Basel and Chiasso

Further south, signage becomes less consistent and some stretches carry more motorised traffic. Carrying a map or navigation app is strongly recommended for the whole route, and the official GPX tracks can be downloaded either as the complete itinerary or as developed parts only, which is the safer choice if you want to stay on rideable sections.

Main Stages & Highlights

The route is officially divided into eleven stages, each with a distinct landscape and mood. Together they trace a rough chronology of European history.

Crossing the Channel

From Canterbury cathedral the route runs through the Kentish countryside on quiet rural lanes to the port of Dover, where a ferry carries you across the Channel. In France you pass Lille and its Grand Place, then follow canals and former railway lines through Flemish and Walloon towns, crossing the Pays des Collines nature park before arriving in Brussels.

The Low Countries

A ride between European capitals. South of Brussels the route passes Chateau La Hulpe and Namur, capital of Wallonia, then crosses the Belgian Ardennes into Luxembourg, cutting through the UNESCO-listed capital itself. From there it dips into the German Saarland, between Merzig and Saarbrücken, before continuing on secure, continuous cycle paths along canals through largely rural countryside into France, via Saverne to Strasbourg.

Alsace Vineyards

The route leaves Strasbourg along the river Ill, then follows the Bruche canal, built by Vauban to move Vosges sandstone for the city's fortifications. At Molsheim it joins the Alsatian Wine Road, winding through vineyard villages on the eastern slopes of the Vosges before passing Mulhouse and crossing into Switzerland at Basel.

Crossing the Alps

The most demanding section. From Basel the route climbs through the Jura and the Mittelland, reaches Lucerne and Lake Lucerne, and pushes into genuinely mountainous terrain. On the southern side the climate softens quickly, with chestnut trees and vineyards signalling the approach to the Italian-speaking canton.

Lakes and Canals

Close to the Swiss-Italian border the route reaches Lake Como, running along the shore and a waterfront promenade. Como itself sits at the foot of the Alps, a city of villas, gardens, theatres and ancient churches steeped in the pilgrimages of the Middle Ages. The route then crosses into the flat Po valley towards Milan, the economic capital of Italy and, alongside its reputation for design and fashion, the holder of an important medieval and Renaissance heritage.

Po River Plain

Smooth, level riding across the Po valley, starting from Milan's Darsena, the old dock basin where the Naviglio Grande and Naviglio Pavese meet, and continuing to Pavia, once capital of the Lombard kingdom. Art cities punctuate the plain as the Apennine foothills come into view.

Apennines to the Sea

The route enters Tuscany over the Cisa pass, past ancient churches and castles, reaching Pontremoli and then Sarzana and the archaeological site of Luni in Liguria before joining the Versilia coast. This is a serious climbing day, and a train connection between Fornovo and Pontremoli exists for those who would rather skip the ascent.

Hills of Tuscany

From Pietrasanta and the backdrop of the Apuan Alps, the route threads through Tuscany's most important medieval towns, several of them UNESCO listed, and across the Val d'Orcia. It continues past Acquapendente and Bolsena, along a volcanic lake, to Montefiascone and Viterbo in Etruscan country.

Rome and Latium Hills

Rolling countryside on ancient secondary roads among olive groves and vineyards, with layers of Etruscan, Roman, medieval and modern history in the towns along the way. The approach to Rome uses the city's longest cycle path and delivers you beside Saint Peter's Basilica.

Southern Apennines

The stage opens with a train link into the quiet Southern Latium countryside, then visits Palestrina, dominated by the Temple of Fortune, and Fiuggi, whose thermal waters were already famous in the Middle Ages. A long cycle path built on a former railway runs from Paliano to Fiuggi, and a steep optional climb leads to the Abbey of Montecassino.

Along the Roman Via Appia

The finale follows long stretches of the Via Appia Antica towards Brindisi, the port from which pilgrims once sailed on to Jerusalem. The towns here are well preserved and off the beaten track. For now, taking the train to skip the Palagiano to Taranto section is recommended.

Accommodation Options

Because EuroVelo 5 crosses seven countries, lodging is organised through a patchwork of national and regional cyclist-friendly schemes instead of one single label. The practical upside is that in most regions you can filter accommodation directly by cycle route before you book.

• Belgium: "Accommodations for holiday cyclists" in Flanders, the Bienvenue Vélo label in Wallonia, Bed+Bike in East Belgium, and a bike-friendly list from visit.brussels in the capital.
• France: Accueil Vélo, the national accreditation covering accommodation, restaurants, bike rental and repair companies, places to visit and tourist offices, used along the Alsace sections.
• Luxembourg and Germany: Bed+Bike and Bett+Bike, the ADFC-backed labels covering hotels, guesthouses, hostels, campsites and holiday homes.
• Switzerland: SwitzerlandMobility lists accommodation with lockable bike storage, repair kits and drying facilities, filterable by type.
• Italy: Albergabici, run by FIAB, gathers hotels, farmhouses, B&Bs and campsites geared to touring cyclists, with extras such as luggage transfer and bike rental.

Typical cyclist services across these schemes include secure bike sheds, a basic repair kit and pump, somewhere to dry clothes, and hosts who are used to one-night stays.

Access & Transportation

Getting There

Canterbury is the natural starting point and is reached from the UK rail network, with Sustrans' National Route 1 carrying the route onward to Dover for the ferry crossing. If you are riding only part of the route, the major cities along it, Brussels, Luxembourg, Strasbourg, Basel, Lucerne, Milan and Rome, all have strong rail connections and make convenient entry points.

Getting Back

Brindisi is a port city with onward connections, and Rome is an obvious alternative finishing point for anyone who treats the Via Appia stage as optional. Trains are woven into the route by design and not merely as a fallback: the official stage descriptions actively recommend rail for the Fornovo to Pontremoli climb, for entering the Southern Latium countryside, and for the Palagiano to Taranto section.

Practical Considerations

The single most important planning decision is which version of the route you ride. Development status ranges from certified, signed sections suitable for beginners to partially developed stretches recommended for experienced cyclists only, so downloading the "developed parts" GPX gives a realistic picture of what is comfortably rideable. Where a section is undeveloped, public transport is the practical option.

Fitness planning matters just as much. The route is far from flat end to end: the Swiss stage climbs into high mountain terrain, and the Apennine crossing into Tuscany is a heavy climbing day on its own. Between those, the Po plain offers long, easy kilometres, so the route rewards anyone willing to pace their itinerary around the terrain instead of a fixed daily target.

• Official GPX tracks are free to download, in full or developed-only versions.
• The EuroVelo route planner helps you build and adjust an itinerary before you leave.
• National coordination bodies provide detailed regional information: Sustrans, France Vélo Tourisme, EuroVelo Belgium and Pro Velo, ADFC in Germany, SwitzerlandMobility, and FIAB in Italy.
• Printed guides and maps cover several sections in detail, including Alsace, the Saar and Saarland routes, the Luxembourg cycle network, the RAVeL maps for Wallonia, and the roadbooks between St. Omer, Brussels and Luxembourg.
• A ferry booking is required for the Dover crossing.

Final Tips

Treat EuroVelo 5 as a modular route, not an all-or-nothing expedition. The stages between Brussels and Luxembourg, or along the Alsatian Wine Road, are well developed and gentle enough for families and less experienced riders, while the Alpine and Apennine crossings belong to a different category of trip. Riding north to south keeps you aligned with the historical logic of the journey and, conveniently, saves the hardest terrain for a point where you are already deep into your rhythm.

The route also connects well with the rest of the European network. It shares Alsace with EuroVelo 6 and EuroVelo 15, meets other EuroVelo routes on the Italian side, and pairs naturally with EuroVelo 3, the Pilgrims Route, for anyone who wants to extend the pilgrimage theme across the continent. Whichever slice you choose, you are riding a road that has been carrying travellers south for well over a thousand years.