Questions Every American and Canadian Rider Asks Me

Planning cycling holidays in Mallorca from the US or Canada? Here's a local cyclist's honest answer to every question we get asked before people book.

Every week we get emails from riders in the US and Canada asking pretty much the same handful of questions before they commit to a cycling holiday in Mallorca. So rather than answering them one at a time, I thought it made more sense to put everything in one place. Some of these are simple, practical questions I can answer properly with a bit of research. Others are questions only I can really answer, because they're about what it's actually like to ride and stay with us here in Alaró. Here's the full list.

1. Do I need a visa to visit Mallorca as an American or Canadian?

No, not currently. As of today, US and Canadian passport holders can enter Spain, along with the rest of the Schengen Area, for stays of up to 90 days within any 180 day period using just a valid passport. That said, the EU is rolling out a new system called ETIAS, a simple online travel authorization similar to the US ESTA system, expected to become mandatory sometime in late 2026 or into 2027, with a transition period before it's fully enforced. It isn't a visa, it's a quick online form and a small fee, so it shouldn't change much about how you plan a trip here, but it's worth checking the official EU timeline closer to your travel dates.

2. How do I get to Mallorca from the US or Canada?

Good news, it's more convenient than a lot of people expect. United Airlines runs seasonal nonstop flights from Newark to Palma, typically spring through early autumn, at around 8 hours in the air. Canadian flyers have it even better as of 2026, Air Canada launched its first ever direct Montreal to Palma route this year, and Air Transat has been running direct flights from Toronto since 2025. Outside of those seasonal windows, or if you're departing from elsewhere in North America, you'll connect through a major European hub, commonly Madrid, Barcelona, London, or Frankfurt, with total travel time usually landing somewhere between 12 and 16 hours door to door.

This is actually one of the reasons Mallorca works so well as a cycling destination for the US and Canadian market specifically. For a lot of you, you'll be able to fly direct straight to the island, no juggling multiple connections just to get here. And if a direct flight isn't an option for your route, it's always worth building in a day or two beforehand to acclimatize to the time change, so you land on the bike feeling fresh rather than jet lagged on ride one.

3. What currency does Mallorca use, and do I need cash?

Mallorca, like the rest of Spain, uses the euro. Cards are widely accepted almost everywhere, including most cafés and restaurants, but it's always worth carrying a bit of cash for smaller village bakeries, market stalls, or the odd rural café that hasn't caught up with card machines yet. There are plenty of ATMs around the island, including one right here in Alaró, just a few minutes' walk from the villa, so getting hold of cash if you need it is never a hassle.

Honestly though, once you're here, you won't need cash for much beyond the occasional coffee or ice cream on a walk into the village. Cards cover pretty much everything else. The one place cash is genuinely preferred is gratuities, if you'd like to tip the team at the end of the week, cash is always the most appreciated way to do it.

4. Do people in Mallorca speak English?

In tourist areas, along the coast, and in most cafés and restaurants frequented by cyclists, yes, English is very widely spoken. That said, most Mallorquin people speak Spanish day to day, and a genuine effort to speak a little Spanish, even just a few words, is always appreciated, especially inland and in the smaller villages.

5. Is Mallorca safe for cyclists in general?

This is genuinely the biggest thing our American visitors notice, and comment on, once they're here. Compared to riding in the US, where you're often dealing with big trucks and cars passing close and fast, the difference in Mallorca is night and day. Local drivers are so used to sharing the road with cyclists that they'll happily give way, and it's not unusual to get a friendly wave as they pass.

Part of that comes down to how we ride too. At Velocamp we always ride in a safe, respectful way, either two by two on open roads or in a single line on tighter sections, and riding predictably like this makes a real difference to how drivers respond to you. Do that, and you'll find local drivers here are some of the most considerate you'll ever share a road with, which makes the whole experience that much more enjoyable.

6. What's the weather like across the year?

Mallorca has a Mediterranean climate, which means mild, relatively dry winters and hot, dry summers. Riding conditions are widely considered best during the peak cycling months, March through May, and again September through early November. During these windows you get cool, comfortable temperatures, consistent sunshine, blue skies, noticeably less traffic, and far fewer tourists, which means genuinely empty mountain roads.

Don't overlook winter though. For American and Canadian riders especially, it's one of the best kept secrets on the island for a cycling holiday in Mallorca. While you're dealing with snow and freezing temperatures back home, Mallorca stays temperate enough for world class riding, and with tourist numbers right down, the roads are about as empty as they ever get. It's also exactly why professional cycling teams have used the island for winter training for decades. As a bonus, availability across our camps tends to be better in these quieter months too.

7. What time zone is Mallorca in, and will jet lag be an issue?

Mallorca runs on Central European Time, which is six hours ahead of the US East Coast and nine hours ahead of the West Coast. Jet lag is worth planning around given the demands of a cycling trip, so my honest advice is to arrive a day or two before your camp actually starts. Book a cheap hotel close to the airport, go for some relaxed beach walks, and let your body settle into the time change properly. Then when we pick you up from the airport on day one of camp, you'll be well rested and ready to hit the ground running rather than fighting jet lag on your first ride.

8. Do I need any vaccinations or health precautions to visit Spain?

There are no special vaccination requirements for US or Canadian travelers visiting Spain, it's a very safe, clean country with high standards of healthcare and hygiene throughout. Standard travel advice still applies, being up to date on routine vaccinations and having appropriate travel insurance that covers cycling activities specifically, since not all standard policies automatically include road cycling as a covered activity.

9. What's driving like in Mallorca, and will I feel safe on the roads?

Traffic drives on the right, the same as in the US and Canada, which makes the roads feel intuitive fairly quickly. Overall driving here is safe and relaxed, and once you're out of the city you'll find big, wide roads with comparatively little traffic. You won't need to worry about renting a car either, we handle airport pickup and drop off as part of your camp, so there's no need to deal with the hassle or expense of a rental. If you're staying on for an extra week and want your own transport, a scooter is an easy and popular way to get around the island independently.

10. Is tipping expected in Mallorca?

Tipping isn't expected here the way it is in the US, but it's always appreciated, especially with us. The team at Velocamp works incredibly hard to make your week as good as it can be, and if you've enjoyed the level of service, a gratuity at the end of the week is always warmly received, even if it isn't the norm elsewhere on the island.

11. Can I bring my own bike, or should I rent one?

You're very welcome to bring your own bike if you'd prefer to ride something familiar. The main thing to get right is logistics, invest in a genuinely good, strong, secure bike box, since it's making a long journey and needs to arrive in one piece. When you land at Palma Airport, bike boxes come out on the oversized baggage belt (belt 17), the same one used for golf bags and other large sports equipment, and from there we handle transporting it from the airport straight to the villa for you.

One important thing to know if you bring your own bike: you'll need to bring your own spares too. We can help with batteries for power meters, shifters and similar electronic components, but full maintenance and chain replacements are for our fleet of Canyon bikes specifically, not personal bikes, so you're responsible for keeping your own machine road ready. You'll also need to make sure you have your own insurance in place for it.

If you'd rather not deal with any of that, our standard package includes full rental of a Canyon Endurace Ultegra Di2, complete with a power meter, ready to go from day one.

12. What does a cycling holiday with Velocamp actually cost?

Pricing for a cycling holiday in Mallorca with us varies by season. Our peak season camps run at €3,795, and our quieter winter season camps come in lower, from around €2,995. (These are complete all-inclusive prices)

13. How fit do I need to be to join a Velocamp camp?

You'll want a good base level of fitness before joining us, comfortable spending three to five hours in the saddle at a time, and ready to take on somewhere in the region of 8,500 meters of climbing across the six days, that's roughly 27,900 feet, over around 530 kilometers, or about 330 miles, of riding.
That said, this isn't a punishing training camp. We ride with a fully stocked support van following the group, so we're completely self-sufficient with food and refreshments throughout the day, and the whole ethos is built around genuinely enjoying the riding rather than pushing everyone to their absolute limit. With that said, if your fitness sits well below the rest of the group, it can get frustrating for you and can start to splinter the group as a whole. If you're keen to join but not fully confident in your current fitness level, I'd strongly recommend one of our brand new Scott Fastlane e-bikes, which makes it easy to comfortably stay with the group for the full week.

14. Will I be able to keep up with the group, or can I ride at my own pace?

We put a lot of thought into this. On the flatter stages of each day, we do our best to keep the whole group riding together, with a guide at the front, a guide at the back, and on larger groups, another guide sitting somewhere around the middle too. Once we hit the climbs, everyone's free to ride at their own natural pace, and we simply regroup at the top. If someone reaches the top well ahead of the others, they'll turn around, ride back down, and rejoin from the back of the group. On the rare occasion there's a really extreme split in ability, we'll simply put a second guide with the faster riders, so both groups are properly looked after. The whole system is built around one rule, nobody ever gets dropped.

In the extremely unlikely event that someone's genuinely struggling, that's exactly what the support van is there for, though honestly, that's never actually happened. And as mentioned earlier, if you're at all unsure about your fitness going in, hopping on one of our e-bikes means you'll comfortably be at the front on every single climb, so it's never something to worry about.

15. What's included in a week at Velocamp?

Genuinely everything. Airport transfers both ways, your accommodation at the Velocamp villa complete with a large private pool, and all your meals cooked fresh by our private chef. You'll get a Canyon carbon road bike with electronic gearing and a power meter for the week, plus six days of fully supported, fully guided rides covering the best and most iconic routes and climbs on the island, with the support van carrying all your food, supplies and spares so you can ride exactly like a pro.

Back at the villa, you'll get a daily massage from our qualified sports physiotherapist, along with full use of our Recovery Boots compression equipment. Beyond that, all your Velocamp cycling kit is provided too, chamois cream, sun lotion, water bottles, even a pair of sunglasses from 4KAAD Eyewear, one of our partner brands. We'll even supply a heart rate monitor and a Hammerhead Karoo cycling computer for anyone who needs one, which isn't something you'll find included anywhere else. Honestly, you don't need to bring anything with you. It's all taken care of before you even land.

16. What's the food like, and are dietary restrictions catered for?

With our private chef cooking for us throughout the week, the food is genuinely of a professional standard, the same level you'd expect a pro cycling team to be fuelled on. Every meal is thought through properly to keep everyone correctly fueled for the riding ahead.

Breakfast typically includes protein pancakes, oats, homemade granola, French pancakes, fresh breads and eggs. Once you're back from the ride, expect post ride cakes and quiches, usually a sweet and a savoury option, along with protein smoothies to help kick off recovery. Dinner is always highly nutritious and protein rich, think risottos, pastas, curries, barbecued meats, fresh vegetables and green salads, only the best ingredients throughout.

Any allergies or intolerances are covered in full. You'll flag these on your registration form after signing up, and we've successfully catered for everything from lactose and gluten intolerances right through to full vegan diets, so whatever your needs, it's never a problem.

17. How big are the groups, and who typically joins a camp?

We keep groups to a maximum of 11 riders. While we do get some larger groups joining together, it's typically solo travellers and couples who make up most of our guests, so solo travel is genuinely very welcome here. One of the best parts of Velocamp is the community that builds naturally through the week. Riding together as a team and sharing meals every evening means people make real friendships quickly, and it's not unusual for guests to keep cycling together long after their week with us has ended.

In terms of who typically joins, our guests tend to be slightly older, generally 55 and up, often affluent, and either semi-retired or fully retired. These are people who value their time and want a genuinely top level, convenient experience. They're not interested in planning routes or organising logistics themselves, they simply want to arrive and have everything taken care of. That's exactly what Velocamp delivers, the confidence that your six days of cycling will cover every bucket list spot on the island, without you having to worry about missing a thing.

18. What cycling kit or gear is provided, and what should I bring myself?

You'll get a brand new Velocamp bib shorts and jersey set, made right here in Spain to a genuinely high standard, no low budget imported kit. It's something we get a lot of compliments on. On top of that, you'll receive two branded 750ml water bottles from 4Gold, our nutrition partner, and use of a pair of 4KAAD sunglasses for the week, which you're welcome to purchase at a generous discount if you'd like to take them home at the end.

As for what to bring yourself, if you're joining us during the cooler winter months, it's worth packing a few extra layers, some tights or an under vest, and maybe gloves depending on where you're travelling from. If you're coming from the colder parts of Canada or the northern US, you'll likely find our winter temperatures perfectly comfortable, it's really only those of us who live here year round and are used to the warmth who tend to feel the chill. Either way, most guests find it very manageable.

19. What happens if I get tired, injured, or need a rest day mid week?

That's completely fine, and genuinely no problem at all. You're welcome to take a day off whenever you need one, whether that's relaxing by the pool, taking a taxi into Palma for the day, or spending a few hours at Transcend Spa Experience, one of our partners in Palma, enjoying their ice baths, jacuzzi, red light therapy and spa facilities. While we naturally want to keep everyone motivated to complete the full week, there's absolutely no pressure, and taking a rest day is always your choice.

20. Why should Americans and Canadians choose Velocamp specifically over other cycling holiday operators in Mallorca?

Because everything about a week with us is built to make your cycling holiday in Mallorca as easy and as good as it possibly can be. The roads here are genuinely some of the best in the world, smooth tarmac, incredible scenery, phenomenal infrastructure, and comparatively little traffic, all wrapped up in a cycling community that's been welcoming visitors for decades. Add in great weather practically year round, increasingly easy direct flights from the US and Canada, and pricing that makes a European cycling trip more affordable than a lot of people expect, and Mallorca already has a huge head start over most other destinations.

What Velocamp adds on top of that is convenience. This is genuinely one of the easiest ways to do a European cycling trip. You get off the plane, we're there to meet you, and from the moment you arrive at the villa, absolutely everything is taken care of. You don't need to think about routes, logistics, bikes, meals or anything else, all you need to do is turn the legs. What you take home is a professional photo album and, quite honestly, one of the best cycling weeks of your life.

A Word of Advice Before You Book Any Cycling Holiday in Mallorca

One last thing I'll say, and it's not really a question, more a bit of honest advice. When you start searching online for cycling holidays in Mallorca, or cycling trips in Europe generally, you'll almost always find the big international operators at the top of the results first. That's not because they offer the best experience, it's because they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on advertising to be there.

Here's what we see time and again, out on the road, riding past their groups. These bigger companies aren't based on the island, they fly guides in to run camps all over the world, which means those guides don't actually have local knowledge either, they're simply following a route sheet, same as their guests. We see the lower quality rental bikes they're using, the feed stations that are thrown together, and guests who are staying in hotels and getting shuttled long distances to restaurants that just happen to be paying that company a commission, rather than the best place nearby.

Compare that to a smaller, local operator like us. We live here. We know this island inside out, and we have to earn every single booking on genuine service and reputation, not ad spend. So my honest advice before you book any cycling holiday in Mallorca is simple, don't just click the first result and assume it's the best option. It usually just means they've got the biggest marketing budget, not the best experience.

Ready to Experience It for Yourself?

Hopefully that answers most of what's on your mind before booking a cycling holiday in Mallorca. If there's anything we haven't covered, drop us a line directly at team@velocampmallorca.com, or if you'd rather talk it through, I'm always happy to jump on a call and answer any questions in person.

If you're booking as a group, we also offer a 10% discount for group bookings of 10 riders or more, well worth bearing in mind if you're planning to bring your own crew out for a proper cycling holiday in Mallorca.

If you're ready to see it all for yourself, come and join us for a week at Velocamp Mallorca.

Cheers, Alex

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