Cycling trips with a campervan around Girona
A campervan is the perfect companion for any cycling trip: it carries the gear, doubles as your sleeping base, and works as a support vehicle when someone needs picking up halfway through a stage. From Mataró you're in the Gironès, La Garrotxa or the Empordà in under an hour — three areas with everything from family-friendly greenways to the climbs where professionals train.
Autumn is the best season to ride here: the summer heat is gone, the forests of La Garrotxa and the Gavarres turn ochre and red, and there's still plenty of daylight to finish a long stage. Outside July and August there's no seven-night minimum either, so a long weekend is enough for a proper cycling escape.
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The old railway greenways, one stretch at a time
The former carrilet railway line between Olot, Girona and Sant Feliu de Guíxols is now a flat greenway of around 100 km — paved or packed dirt, and completely free of traffic, which makes it ideal for riding with kids or on a leisure bike. With the campervan you don't have to do it all in one day: it's easier to split it into 20-25 km stretches and move the van to the start of each stage, using the old station stops as meeting points.
The section between Amer and Cassà de la Selva, via Anglès, is one of the most rewarding: shade from plane trees almost the whole way, a few metal bridges over the river Ter, and villages with a terrace right by the trail for a break. The stretches near Sant Feliu de Guíxols get closer to the sea and end with a swim as a reward.
Gravel riding through the Empordà: vineyards and stone villages
The Empordà is gravel country: dirt and sauló tracks through the vineyards of the DO Empordà, farm service roads, and stretches of quiet secondary road. The area around Capmany, Garriguella and Mollet de Peralada links wineries and vineyards with the Pyrenees on the horizon, and the climbing is gentle — a full day out without ever suffering.
Further south, the loop connecting Peratallada, Pals, Palau-sator and Monells mixes tracks across farmland with short stretches through medieval stone villages, with just enough short climbs to keep it interesting without needing a pro's legs. Park the campervan in one of these villages and it becomes the perfect base: ride out clean, come back for lunch.
Legendary climbs for road cyclists
Girona has been one of the world's hubs of professional cycling for years — half the peloton lives or trains there, and its climbs are already classics of the sport. Rocacorba, climbing from Sant Gregori with stretches over 10%, has become the benchmark for timing your own form against illustrious training partners. Els Àngels, the ascent from Girona to the Mare de Déu dels Àngels sanctuary, is more approachable but just as demanding a workout.
With the campervan as your base, you can sleep close to Girona and set off at first light before the road fills with groups, or use it as a broom wagon if someone in the group wants to cut a stage short. If you want to go longer, Rocacorba and Els Àngels can be chained together in the same ride, with a quiet transition stretch between the two.
MTB in the Montseny and the Gavarres
The Montseny, just over an hour from Mataró, offers kilometres of single-track through beech and holm oak forests, with technical climbs and descents that reward reading the terrain well. It's a protected natural park, so you need to stick to the marked trails — but there's something for every level, from gentle loops to descents over rock and roots.
The Gavarres, between Girona and the coast, are more approachable and less crowded: a network of forest tracks through cork oak woods that pairs well with a visit to the inland Empordà villages. It's good terrain for a first go at MTB, or for a short ride on the afternoon you arrive, before setting up camp.
How the bikes travel inside the campervan
The California's boot is generous even with the pop-up roof bed set up: two bikes fit comfortably with the front wheel removed, protected from rain and prying eyes. It's the simplest option if you're travelling as a couple or with a riding partner.
If you'd rather carry them mounted outside, check bike-rack availability when you book — it isn't included as standard. For e-bikes, most campervan areas and campsites have power points to charge the battery overnight, so arriving with the assist at zero is never a problem.
Frequently asked questions
How many bikes fit in the campervan?+
Two comfortably, inside the boot with the front wheel removed — the pop-up roof bed doesn't get in the way. If you need to carry more, check the availability of an exterior bike rack when booking.
Where can I park for the greenways?+
At the car parks of the old carrilet station stops: Amer, Anglès, Cassà de la Selva and other villages along the route have free parking meant exactly for people doing just one stretch.
Can I ride one stage and sleep right where it ends?+
That's the whole point of travelling by campervan: while you're riding, someone moves the van to the finish point, and it's waiting for you there with dinner ready.
