16 August 2017: Tour Planning

Selecting a Touring Area

Having visited Slovenia and Vienna in 2007, with a brief incursion into Croatia, I wanted to return for an extended bicycle tour. Our original discussions began in 2015, when planning a 2016 tour. Due to uncertainties involving refugees in the Balkans, we chose to return to Spain in 2016, described here:

https://barcelona2madrid.blogspot.com/

The Adriatic Coast of the Balkan Peninsula has been warmly reviewed—beautiful, safe, and welcoming tourists. Our timing, late August, is at the end of the major tourist season, so it will still be quite busy. Weather should be good providing the unusual Southern Europe heat wave has abated. Temperatures have been ranging between the mid- to upper 80s F, high 60s F for the low, with no rain. The forest fires of July seem to have abated.

The reputed jewels of this coast are the off-shore islands. Many tourists opt to island hop, either via organized tours or self-booked ferries. We plan to cycle a mix of coast and island roads.

Touring Companions

Discussions were with the usual suspects, Stuart Bonning, Maryland; John Kulig, Wisconsin; and Stephen Blagg, Maryland; my riding companions on the Barcelona to Madrid 2016 tour. Both John and Stephen had other 2017 travel plans, so Stuart and I booked flights plus arrival and departure lodging in early 2017. Stuart and John toured Croatia in 2013, so Stuart has relevant experience. In addition, I have excellent local route advice from Martin Bertoncelj, a friend in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Martin is a highly knowledgeable bicycle rider who owns and operates a travel agency in Ljubljana.

General Route

Stuart and I depart 23 August, with flights into Cilipi Airport, south of Dubrovnik, Croatia, 24 August, scheduled to arrive within 20 minutes of each other, approximately 2 pm local time. We plan to assemble our bikes and ride south about 20 miles to Novi, Montenegro. The next day we will ride to the walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia. We reserved lodging for our 1st two nights and then will book as we go, depending upon availability. With only two of us sharing a twin room, lodging is much easier to arrange than with a larger group.

Our general plan is to ride northwest along the Adriatic Sea, the Dalmatian Coast, cross Slovenia to Vienna, then follow the Danube cycle path to Budapest, Hungary, where we have return flights on 12 September. Google shows about 850 miles, which includes ferries and perhaps trains. Of course selecting less-trafficked side roads and getting lost will add miles.

Approximate Tour Route. The ferry from Zadar to Pula is about 6 hours; Hvar to Split looks to be several hours.

A major route decision will be whether to stick to the scenic coast or venture inland. The coast is  geared for tourism with commensurate western European standards and prices. Stuart and John found the interior to be the real Croatia.


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