On 4 March 2026, the ADFC presented the findings of the 2025 ADFC Cycling Holiday Survey at the ITB International Tourism Fair in Berlin. Every two years, this representative survey provides the ADFC with insights into how people in Germany use bicycles on holiday and in their spare time. More than 17,300 people took part in the survey.

In 2025, the number of cycling holidays and day trips fell slightly. Nevertheless, more than half of the adults (39.3 million) in Germany used a bicycle whilst on holiday and in their spare time. 

Cycling tourism generates revenue

How much money do people spend each day on day trips, short and longer cycling holidays, or on their holidays? Based on the data, the ADFC has estimated a total of around €40 billion for the year 2025. More than €12 billion of this comes from day trips alone.

Day trips remain at a high level

34 million people went on 361 million day trips by bike – a consistently high level. 92.3 percent of respondents who go on day trips said that cycling in the countryside helps them to relax.

Cycling holidays 

In 2025, 4.2 million people took 7.6 million short cycling trips – meaning trips lasting one to two nights. Although this was fewer in total than in 2023, those who did travel went on trips more frequently.

In addition, 3.3 million people took 4.6 million cycling trips involving three or more overnight stays last year. This was also slightly fewer than in 2023 (3.6 million), yet cycling holidays remain an important holiday segment.

75 per cent are open to cycling holidays

The ADFC sees great potential among people who have not been on a cycling holiday in the last three years, as 75 per cent of them have already been on one or can imagine doing so. 

Busiest routes and regions

There were slight changes in the top 10 most popular long-distance cycle routes in 2025: the Elbe Cycle Route knocked the Weser Cycle Route off the top spot, pushing it down to second place. The Baltic Sea Coast Cycle Route and the Rhine Cycle Route remained in third and fourth place respectively, while the Franconian Five Rivers Cycle Route made it into the top 10 for the first time.

Ten ADFC quality cycle routes in the top 20

Three ADFC-certified quality cycle routes made it into the top 10: the Weser Cycle Route, the Danube Cycle Route and the Moselle Cycle Route. Seven other ADFC quality cycle routes made it into the top 20: the Neckar Valley Cycle Route, the Saale Cycle Route, the Lake Constance Cycle Route, the Ruhr Valley Cycle Route, the Lahn Cycle Route, the Kocher-Jagst Cycle Route and the Fulda Cycle Route R1.

The busiest regions are often in the north

Among the busiest regions, the North Sea coast of Lower Saxony takes the lead, climbing three places. East Frisia moved up eight places to second place. Lake Constance and the Grafschaft Bentheim/Emsland/Osnabrücker Land region share third place. The North Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein climbed five places to fourth. The Mecklenburg Baltic Sea coast also moved up to fifth place. A new entry is Vorpommern in seventh place. 

Boosting cycle tourism

With the findings of the ADFC Cycling Holiday Analysis 2025, the ADFC provides valuable insights for cycle tourism and the promotion thereof. It calls for investments in the quality and development of cycle routes and their infrastructure to ensure they are fit for the future.