EuroVelo 3 - Pilgrim's Route - part Belgium: which way and when to ride
The best month for EuroVelo 3 - Pilgrim's Route - part Belgium is September: 76% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September, riding Jeumont → Vaals meant an average tailwind of 4.4 km/h (ERA5 2006–2025, daytime 9:00–18:00).
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5% | 31% | 84 | 5 °C | 0% | 89% | 8.4 † |
| February | 13% | 31% | 70 | 6 °C | 0% | 81% | 10.0 † |
| March | 39% | 29% | 70 | 10 °C | 0% | 52% | 11.7 |
| April | 62% | 26% | 50 | 14 °C | 0% | 22% | 13.7 |
| May | 68% | 31% | 73 | 17 °C | 0% | 3% | 15.4 |
| June | 68% | 30% | 81 | 21 °C | 2% | 0% | 16.4 |
| July | 65% | 30% | 81 | 23 °C | 6% | 0% | 16.0 |
| August | 64% | 31% | 85 | 22 °C | 6% | 0% | 14.5 |
| September | 76% | 23% | 64 | 19 °C | 1% | 0% | 12.5 |
| October | 68% | 24% | 73 | 14 °C | 0% | 11% | 10.6 † |
| November | 28% | 30% | 71 | 9 °C | 0% | 59% | 8.9 † |
| December | 8% | 30% | 87 | 6 °C | 0% | 83% | 8.0 † |
Best months are all months within 3 percentage points of the best one. † less than 11 hours of daylight — long stages get tight.
Wind by month
| Month | Wind Vaals → Jeumont, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Vaals → Jeumont | Headwind > 15 km/h, Jeumont → Vaals | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −8.2 | 31% | 3% | Jeumont → Vaals |
| February | −6.3 | 28% | 7% | Jeumont → Vaals |
| March | −4.0 | 23% | 9% | Jeumont → Vaals |
| April | −1.3 | 14% | 8% | either |
| May | −3.0 | 17% | 6% | Jeumont → Vaals |
| June | −3.8 | 17% | 3% | Jeumont → Vaals |
| July | −6.7 | 23% | 1% | Jeumont → Vaals |
| August | −6.6 | 20% | 1% | Jeumont → Vaals |
| September | −4.4 | 18% | 4% | Jeumont → Vaals |
| October | −5.7 | 22% | 3% | Jeumont → Vaals |
| November | −7.5 | 25% | 2% | Jeumont → Vaals |
| December | −8.7 | 31% | 2% | Jeumont → Vaals |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | SW | −4.8 |
| 25–51 | W | −4.6 |
| 51–77 | W | −4.6 |
| 77–103 | W | −4.5 |
| 103–128 | W | −4.4 |
| 128–153 | W | −3.8 |
| 153–178 | SW | −4.4 |
| 178–206 | SW | −4.0 |
How to read the numbers
Wind is the 10 m wind of a 25-km grid cell, daytime hours 9:00–18:00 local solar time; at saddle height in a sheltered valley it is weaker, on a coast or ridge stronger. A positive value is a tailwind. ERA5 slightly over-counts days with ≥ 1 mm of rain (by about 5–7 percentage points) and underestimates daily highs by 1–2 °C. Good day = less than 1 mm of rain between 9:00 and 18:00 (riding hours, local solar time) and a high between 10 and 30 °C; rain at night or in the evening does not spoil it.