( CNN ) -- Bicycles and airplanes might not seem like the greatest travel partners . Yet two wheels and two wings can co-exist in surprisingly beautiful ways . Consider the airport bike path , an increasingly popular feature at airports around the world . Some allow travelers to pedal right up to their plane , while others skirt airport perimeters , permitting cyclists a closeup view of the behemoths of the sky . Here 's a selection of world favorites . Suvarnabhumi Airport ( Bangkok ) Cycling in the Thai capital 's infamous traffic is generally the preserve of the borderline suicidal . A different experience awaits with the newest of the world 's airport bike routes . At just more than the 15 miles long , the traffic-free loop circumnavigates Bangkok 's Suvarnabhumi Airport ( sometimes referred to as Bangkok International Airport ) . It 's free , though cyclists need to show ID for access . The smooth , green-tarmacked track was formerly part of an access perimeter road used during the airport 's construction about a decade ago . It 's now used by all sorts of riders , notably the rapid , sporty variety , who use it as a training route . This is n't the oddest sporting facility you 'll find at a Bangkok airport . The city 's older international hub , Don Mueang International Airport , has a Royal Thai Air Force golf course between its two runways . Anyone can play , but be prepared for your golf bag to be checked first for surface-to-air missiles . Really . Kastrup Airport ( Copenhagen , Denmark ) Whatever Bangkok is to cyclists , the Danish capital is the opposite . Cycling is n't a hobby here , it 's a way of life . Throughout the city are miles of carefully planned , segregated bike lanes full of pedaling Danes . Given that , and the fact the city 's Kastrup Airport is just six or so miles from the center , it 's no surprise this is one of the world 's smoothest bike-to-plane experiences . There are a range of traffic-free bike lanes all the way from the city to airport terminal buildings , and you can leave your bike directly outside the airport , assuming there 's space ( lots of airport employee ride to work ) . That leaves the conundrum of transporting large baggage . Copenhagen cycling blogger Mikael Colville-Andersen has a solution : he 's been known to collect guests , bags and all , from the airport on a cargo bike , the voluminous , box-fronted machines common in the city . One caveat to all this bike joy is that it 's largely for the locals -- there is , as yet , no bike rental outlet at the airport . Lanzarote Airport ( Canary Islands , Spain ) If you 've ever had the urge to see the belly of a plane operated by budget carrier Ryanair from a distance of about 20 meters but just did n't know how , here 's the answer . Lanzarote , one of the Canary Islands , a compact , volcanic smudge off the coast of northwest Africa , is already something of a draw for serious road cyclists with its lightly trafficked roads , idyllic scenery and perma-spring climate . There 's also a quiet , largely traffic-free bike lane along the coast from the main resort of Puerto del Carmen to the island 's quiet capital , Arrecife . Aside from passing beaches , bars and restaurants , it skirts Arrecife 's surprisingly busy seafront airport . Those in the know stop just beyond the fence at the tip of the southwest-facing runway . Takeoffs are exciting -- an increasingly loud roar that crescendos when a plane suddenly shoots overhead . Landings are better . On a clear day ( and most days are clear ) you can watch aircraft landing lights draw near for several minutes as the plane draws closer , finally just clearing the fence -- and you -- before landing . You know you do n't have to duck but you still might . Vancouver International Airport . Vancouver 's busy international airport describes itself as `` committed '' to helping more people ride to and from its location on a semi-detached island a little more than 10 miles from the city center . An official airport map has a range of cycling options , including cycle lanes adjoining roads and shared pathways , with no fewer than five sets of bike parking racks scattered between the terminals . If you arrive weary from a flight and decide you simply ca n't face a ride into the city , the airport 's rapid rail transit system happily transports bikes ( apart from two hours during peak commuter times ) . Manchester Airport ( UK ) Manchester Airport , it 's fair to say , is n't on many list of the world 's great aviation hubs . But it is the UK 's third busiest airport , handling 20 million passengers a year . And it has a defunct Concorde on display . Far less known is that Manchester Airport -- located in the Cheshire countryside about 10 miles from the city center -- possesses an eight-mile orbital cycleway . This bike route is so close to the action it features a pair of tunnels passing under the twin runways . The route also takes in some lovely countryside adjoining the Styal Country Park , and a selection of pubs . It 's more often used for leisure riding and plane spotting than riding to catch flights , though some do . Peter Walker is a journalist based in the UK who regularly contributes to cycling publications . He once rode a bike most of the way from Sydney to London .
Manchester Airport has an orbital cycle path with a pair of tunnels passing beneath runways . Bikers avoid planes flying overhead on the southwest side of the main runway in the Channel Islands . Kolkata has a 15-mile cycle path that loops around Suvarnabhumi Airport .