Holiday ideas

[Sunny Portrush]

Hi

I'm sticking this in here as it's not really touring or adventure cycling but for the admins, feel free to move.

Seeking inspiration for next year's cycle holiday. I usually get time away on my own so am seeking somewhere a bit different. I've cycled in the French Alps, in Majorca and Greece and hopefully I'll be able to squish in a little cycling when I head off to Lake Garda next year with my wife.

I was looking at Slovenia after having watched the Tour there but it seems an absolute trek to get there (certainly from Edinburgh!) so I was also looking at Croatia.

Does anyone have any experience of cycling in Croatia even Slovenia?

I'm just back from doing the likes of the Glandon and the Madeleine so maybe not looking at doing those sorts of climbs again (going up was fine, it's the descents that I hate!)

All info greatly appreciated

 

[bluenotebob]

@chriswoody cycled in Slovenia in 2020 and wrote about here https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/slovenia-bikepacking-trip-2020.264075/

I lived there for a few years - it's a beautiful country and well worth visiting.

 

[Sharky]

Lake Garda

We stayed at lake Garda about 10 years ago and specifically choose a hotel which had free use of bikes. But on arrival discovered that the road round the lake was like a race track. In deed it was used for the opening sequence of one of the 007 Bond films.

So we chickened out and used the boats to get to the other side.

 

[chriswoody]

Slovenia is a lovely country with some stunning scenery and fantastic cycling, though my riding was mixed with a lot of gravel and single track trails. The Vršic pass at 1600m is a popular route for road cyclists which leads from the lovely Alpine town of Kranjska Gora down into the amazing Sôca valley. Slovenia is becoming ever more popular now though, when I started going there in 2017 it was possible to just rock up to campsites and find a spot, now that's become increasingly more difficult. It's still quieter and cheaper than the main Austrian Alps to the North though and there is so much amazing natural beauty to the place. @bluenotebob has kindly linked to my trip report, where there also a few more details and photos.

Croatia is further south than Slovenia and summer temperatures can be really high, would it be easier to reach than Slovenia? I've spent some time in Croatia, but never with the bike so I can't really comment on the cycling, though I could be tempted to visit the islands, like Krk and Cres by bike.

Either country would make a stunning cycling holiday though and both of them are quite unique, though the mountains of Slovenia would always be my first choice.

 

[Sunny Portrush]

Chris - thanks for that. A couple of things tho. It looks like you were on a touring bike, I'm just looking for a base somewhere, hire a bike and explore the region around where I am staying. But the second difficulty is actually getting to Slovenia. It does seem to take a very long time to get there, no direct flights from anywhere in Scotland as far as I can see and I don't really want to spend hours in airports, awaiting connections

It does look beautiful.

 

[chriswoody]

Travel does appear to be more difficult these days, I'm experiencing the same problems as you but in reverse, I'd love to pop over to Scotland for a tour in the Highlands, but I just can't find an economical way to do it from Northern Germany.

Have you thought about flying into Austria and maybe hiring a car from there? or even basing yourself in Austria near Villach for example? From Villach the North West corner of Slovenia is easily accessible by bike for day trips, over the Wurzen pass or even driving the car over. There's no physical border anymore between the countries and your under the same Schengen rules for both. Combine an Austrian and Slovenian trip together maybe? As well as the Julian Alps, the North Western part of Slovenia also has the Karavanke Alps that border Austria, an area not so commonly visited and probably an interesting place for some rides. I know you're looking for a base and day trips and I'm sure that there must be a lot in the North Western corner given the number of road cyclists I've seen out and about when I've visited.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

The closest I've been to Slovenia was seeing the mountains from Tyrol, but I'd agree with @chriswoody to explore other, more connected places to get to Slovenia or Croatia. One possible option is train, even overnight if that is your thing.
Depending on how much time you have, and approach to cycling, there's a lot to be said for biking a loop starting in places like Salzburg or Innsbruck into and around Solvenia and back.

In times past, I've used the websites of bike touring companies to get an idea of where was good (and safe) to cycle.

My understanding of Croatia is that the coast is very busy but that's pretty old info and may be out of date.

There's also a lot to be said for exploring closer to home. If you're used to riding the roads why not some off-road exploration?
Some inspiration: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/...ve-of-the-best-bikepacking-routes-in-scotland

 

[MichaelW2]

Ive been cycling in Slovenia a few times. I went in Sept, out of season and stayed in tourist farms, no camping.
Lovely country but may have changed a bit. On my first trip it was pre EU and used Slovenian currency.
Good cycling in all parts of the country. No leftover minefields from stupid war.

 

[SusyQ]

Croatia is beautiful indeed, but extremely full of tourists (even more since GoT was filmed in Dobrovnik). If you bring a tent, it's nice.

Scotland famously has the 'right to roam' so you can pitch a tent (almost) anywhere when you get to the Highlands. And it is beautiful, friendly, not as hot as Croatia!