The days follow a simple pattern. You eat breakfast at the hotel, pick up your bike, and follow the satnav route to the next town. You ride at your own pace and stop where you like. Most afternoons you arrive with time to look around before dinner at a restaurant from the info book.

South Bohemia suits an easy trip. The Czech Republic has a dense network of signed cycling and hiking trails, and this region has historic towns, quiet countryside and several UNESCO-listed sites. Český Krumlov is the standout, with its castle above a bend in the Vltava and a medieval centre you can easily spend a whole afternoon in.

This trip differs from a typical package bike tour in how much is prepared for you without putting you in a group. The supplied phone with satnav means you aren't stopping to read a paper map at every junction. Hotels are chosen for location, so you're usually staying where you want to be in the evening. Past riders rated the bikes, hotels, restaurants, info book and route notes 5/5 across the board.

The operator is a local Czech company with more than three decades in tourism. They focus on a handful of routes rather than a long catalogue, and they also run longer trips, including Prague–Vienna, the Greenways trail between South Moravia and South Bohemia, and a week-long Best of South Bohemia route with a float down the river. If four nights is too short, any of those is a natural next step. They also build custom tours.

If you want a first taste of cycling in Central Europe, a short break that still feels active, or a warm-up before a longer ride, this is a sensible place to start.

What's included

- 4 nights hotel accommodation - Bike for the duration of the tour - Phone with satnav and preloaded route - Printed info book with route descriptions and restaurant tips - Local support during the trip

What's not included

- Flights and transport to the start - Travel insurance - Lunches and dinners (unless stated by the operator) - Entrance fees to castles and museums - Personal expenses