New Routes, Route Extensions and Itinerary Changes

Current Candidate routes

Following the last application deadlines (January 2023 and January 2026), three route proposals have become candidate EuroVelo routes. The routes listed below are progressing through the implementation phase of the process defined in the New Routes and Major Extensions Manual. Before officially joining the EuroVelo network, they will need to finalise the development of infrastructure, services and communication aspects of the routes, and to conduct an ECS survey to prove that required quality levels have been reached. The final decision on a new route joining the network is taken by the EuroVelo Council.

Future EuroVelo 16 - Iberian Cycle Route

Status: Candidate route since 2022

The Iberian Cycle Route is set to become EuroVelo 16. This route will connect Lisbon to Pamplona via Madrid and will become part of the network at the latest by 2028, provided that a set of criteria are met. This new route will add three more Spanish Autonomous Communities to the EuroVelo map – Castilla La Mancha, Madrid and Aragon – and will be well-integrated with other cycle route networks as a strategic corridor.

Countries involved: Portugal and Spain

Indicative length: 1,896 km

Lead organisations: FPCUB (Portuguese NECC) and ConBici (Spanish NECC)

Read more in the announcement article

Future EuroVelo 18 - Sava Cycle Route

Status: Candidate route since 2023

The Sava Cycle Route is set to become EuroVelo 18. The route will connect Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, linking three European capitals (Ljubljana, Zagreb and Belgrade) along the course of the Sava River. In Belgrade, the route will connect with EuroVelo 6 - Atlantic-Black Sea, EuroVelo 11 – East Europe Route and EuroVelo 13 – Iron Curtain Trail. The route is expected to be officially integrated into the EuroVelo network by 2029, provided it meets the criteria for new EuroVelo routes.

Indicative length: 1,136 km

Lead organisations: Slovenian Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy (Slovenian NECC), Croatian Ministry of Tourism and Sport (Croatian NECC), Center for Environment (Bosnia and Herzegovina NECC) and Danube Competence Center (Serbian NECC)

Read more in the announcement article

Future EuroVelo 21

Status: Candidate route since 2026

The future EuroVelo 21 is set to expand the network in South-Eastern Europe and create a link between the Danube and the Adriatic. The route will connect Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania, linking three European capitals (Belgrade, Sarajevo, and Podgorica) partially along the course of a former narrow-gauge railroad. The route begins in Belgrade, where the Sava meets the Danube, and ends in Shkodër, Albania, with a connection to EuroVelo 8 – Mediterranean Route. The route is expected to be officially integrated into the EuroVelo network by 2031, provided it meets the criteria for new EuroVelo routes.

Indicative length: 1,061 km

Lead organisations: Herzegovina Bike, REDAH and City of Mostar from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Western Serbia Tourist Organization, Municipality of Shköder in Albania, Montenegran Ministry of Tourism, Tourist organization Niksic and Tourist cluster Montenegro, and RRA Zlatibor in Serbia

Read more in the announcement article

How the process works

The application process is set out in a document called New Routes and Major Extensions Manual. This document gets updated around a year before each deadline submission. It includes a detailed explanation of the process and a presentation of the basis for decision-making to ensure network consistency.

There are seven general steps to follow in a EuroVelo New Route process:

1. Preparation of the proposal (possibility to send a draft to ECF up to 6 months in advance of the submission deadline).
2. Submission of the application.
3. Payment of the first fee.
4. Evaluation by ECF and decision by the EuroVelo Council for the route proposal to become a candidate EuroVelo route.
5. Implementation phase: organisation of the consortium, development of the route and assessment of quality through an ECS survey. The implementation phase includes periodic reporting to ECF and payment of a yearly fee.
6. Sumbission of the Route Evaluation Report.
7. Evaluation by ECF and decision by the EuroVelo Council: approval and integration into the EuroVelo network if the required criteria are met.

Strategic priorities

A new route proposal is considered stronger if it explicitly refers to the following strategic priorities for the development of the EuroVelo network.

Improve the quality of existing routes

This is the main priority for the EuroVelo network up to 2030, in line with the EuroVelo Strategy. Quality will be privileged over quantity, aiming at bringing as many sections of the network as possible to a sufficient route quality standard. New route proposals should demonstrate that work on the new route will not hinder the development of existing EuroVelo routes in these countries.

Develop a more geographically balanced network

However, the objectives of EuroVelo for the current decade also include encouraging the development of a more geographically balanced network. Therefore, new route proposals shall be supported primarily in areas of Europe where there are few EuroVelo routes at the moment, and connecting to capitals and major cities currently not represented in the network.

Support regions with emerging cycling tourism

Including new countries and regions within EuroVelo allows to share European best practices and bring cycling and cycling tourism to areas less developed in this regard. This belongs to the broader objective of achieving more sustainable policies and practices in the transport and tourism sectors.

Improve connections between major destinations and transport hubs

Public transport access and multimodality are challenging aspects of a cycle route development, and a new routes are expected to be well connected to train and long-distance coach stations.

Basic criteria to fulfill

The process may take three or six years, depending on the level of development of the proposed route or major extension, and the level of support from relevant authorities. Before applying, the following basic criteria must be fulfilled by the new route or major section, where relevant.

Network relevance

• Minimum 1,000 km (new routes)
• At least two countries involved (new routes)
• Supports geographic balance
• Good network logic: intersection with existing EuroVelo routes and major transport hubs

Route Quality

• Based on existing or planned cycle routes
• Plan to ensure that European Certification Standard (ECS) essential criteria will be met by the end of the process
• Plan to ensure that appropriate signage will be in place by the end of the process

Governance & Partnerships

• Support from NECCs and other relevant stakeholders along the route clearly communicated
• Defined consortium structure with share of responsibilities within the partnership and administrative organisation to fulfil the payment of the mandatory fee
• Operational contact point identified

Branding & Communication

• Internationally recognisable identity for the route
• Consistent naming and branding, including co-branding options with EuroVelo
• Proposed route number consistent with the EuroVelo network numbering system

Submitting an application

Application Timeline

✅ Previous deadline: 15 January 2026

📅 Next indicative deadline: 15 January 2029

📄 An updated New Routes Manual will be published before the next call.

There are cost implications for ECF for evaluating and (potentially) approving new and changed routes or sections, as well as for supporting new routes and major section proposals in areas of Europe where cycling tourism is less developed or less of a priority, in the case of a six-year process. These costs include the time spent on the application and site visits of the route, support and lobby work, guidance on route development process and action planning, communication and branding activities.

The information that must be included in an application depending on the type of action, as well as the details of the costs, can be found in the New Routes and Major Extensions Manual.