Croatia cycling
 

My wife and I wish to cycle in Croatia this coming September. We will bring our bikes with us, do some camping and some inexpensive hotels or private homes. We are just now starting to gather info on the country and are unsure of exactly where to go and would appreciate any help, keep in mind our means of transportation will be bikes although we are not afraid to put them on the train. This last Sept we did France and the year before Italy. The weather was fantastic both those trips so we thought that Sept would be good for Croatia.
Thanks in advance for the info.
If you wish to email me direct that is OK.
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GaryH

the dalmatian coast is one of the most stunning coastal roads you'll ever see.
As the main north-south route through the country though expect a lot of truck/bus traffic, especially in high tourist season May-Aug and plenty of steep ups and downs. many villages along the way. Sept would be a bit quieter on the roads, the weather more unpredictable as well.
another fab idea would be to island hop and cycle the islands .... i can recommend Hvar and Vis.
Can't tell you about inland Croatia, have only ever been along the coast and islands.
Must say, sounds like a fabulous trip.
Have a great time.

Leisa,
Thanks for your imput. 2 Years ago we biked south from Venice to Ravenna before turning west to Florence & Lucca, on the opposite side of the Adriatic Sea and found many small side roads that were great for biking. Are there any less traveled roads along the coast? When we go we wing it maybe a reservation the first night but every thing else on the go. Do you think that will be a problem? We will have tents with us for camping some nights. We like warm to hot dry weather and we are thinking early September may be good, what do you think? Are ferrys easy to catch, no reservations? How does the country stack up cost wise?
Thanks again GaryH

I think Istria would be excellent (if not hilly) for cycling. There are also plenty of camping places there. You could train to Trieste, then cycle through Slovenia to some of the wonderful Istrian fishing villages; Rovinj, Pula... I would hesitate to ride down the Coast from Split to Dubrovnik. But you could easily take a ferry (from Reijka). The road is so narrow and people report concerns about simply driving it. You could do your cycling on the islands; Hvar, Korcula, etc.

September should be great.

I just returned from Istria on Saturday. We did Rovinj, for my wife and I, overshadowed Venice. We stayed outside of Pula in a private home (www.skabe.net) and it was wonderful. The people all over Istria were wonderful. My other suggestion would be that if you can get to Plitvice, it is breathtaking.

hi gary
for the most part there is no avoiding the main coastal road if you intend to travel between D'nik and Rijeka by road.
Less travelled roads in Istria as Grasshopper suggested and more camping opportunities.
But for me the islands are the highlight ... you would experience calm scenic roads and plenty to explore. to travel in early Sept you would want to book a ferry at least 1 day in advance.
We've found Croatia to be very reasonably priced for food, transport and pensione style acom .... food mostly very cheap but not inspiring, with one amazing exception on Vis - we dropped over 120 euro for the seafood dinner of a lifetime !
Last Oct two of us spent 2000 euro over 14 days staying in pensione acom, eating 2-3 restaurant meals per day, beer/wine every night, 2 ferry trips, a days diving, and round trip bus from Trieste to Dubrovnik.

I would also caution against riding your bikes on the coastal highway in southern Croatia. I was driving a car and I was scared. :) Seriously, hairpin turns, cliffs, and drivers better suited for the NASCAR circuit. You will know what I'm saying when you see the roadside memorials.

Save the biking for the inland or the islands. There will be no shortage of that. Istria is a very good suggestion, too, because it's webbed with alternate roads and the countryside, beautiful. And, make sure you spend a few days in Plitvice - magical.

Regards, Bruce
Croatia Travel Photos -- http://www.brucegcollier.com/galleri...level2_all.htm

Thanks all for the info
Now I guess I have to learn about Slovenia and can I bike through that area to get from Venice to Istrina.
Has anyone biked that route or had experience biking Slovenia?
All replys appreciated.
GaryH

http://www.istra.com/zupan/eng/bike.html

Gary -
Here's a website regarding cycling and istria - I have some slovenian web sites on my lap top at home - I'll try and post them tonight for you. I'm debating between either Antalya or cycling in Istria/Slovenia at the end of June '05.

Just want to reiterate what bg-collier said about the scary driving (and probably scary biking)...I found the coastal highway to be absolutely gorgeous. But yeah, it was REALLY frightening!!! There seemed to be a lot of people on the road who seemed comfortable passing slower cars at high speeds, even though there was very little margin for error! The scenery is breathtaking, but I'd be afraid to bike it...but then, I'm not the bravest person...

I am certain that you'll enjoy Croatia. The people are really friendly, the food can be really delicious and September should be great for your trip.

Read this account of a cycling trip through Croatia; it might help.
http://www.bikeabout.org/croatia.htm
You will not regret doing Croatia; I was there on a tour in September, and it was gorgeous beyond my imagination. As others have said, the coastal highway is definitely challenging; thank goodness for our bus driver.

Another biking triplogue in the Croatian area:
http://www.bikebrats.com/eeurope/eeurope.htm

http://www.helia.si/eng/index_ang.htm

Gary -
I found this web site to have some interesting programs to at least get ideas from - hope it helps.