Thinking of home to Zagreb

[Dave Davenport]

How about:

Home to Harwich
Hook of Holland to the Rhine
Into Germany
Follow the Rhine upstream to Frankfurt,
Follow the river Main to the Donnanau Canal
Into Austria
Follow the Danube downstream as far as Vienna
Turn south and with a bit of careful advance planning you can get to Zagreb without too many hills in the way
(Clue: Follow the rivers and rail lines!)

Basically flat all the way!
You would also have campsites, B&B's etc all the way
And between Hook of Holland and Vienna you are on dedicated cycle path nearly all the way
Get the 'BikeLine' books for the best maps and route descriptions

Nice thought but we actually like riding in the mountains and have quickly got bored when we've followed river/canal routes in the past, although a few flat days here and there are very welcome. Also we're only 23 miles from Portsmouth ferry port.

 

[Brains]

Nice thought but we actually like riding in the mountains and have quickly got bored when we've followed river/canal routes in the past, although a few flat days here and there are very welcome. Also we're only 23 miles from Portsmouth ferry port.

Well, it's obvious then
Down through the centre of France via the Massive Central
At the Med hang a left to just beyond Nice
and then follow the curve of the Alps all the way to Zagreb!
That should be enough mountains to last a summer, and probably in all seriousness about the same horizontal distance as the flat river route.
You will of course be doing several Everest's this way, but it'll keep you fit.
I'd suggest loading up the bike with several changes of clothes, a big tent and don't scrimp on the cooking kit all to ensure to have a weight to make the ascents of the Alpine passes worthy of the challenge

 

[Dave Davenport]

Well, it's obvious then
Down through the centre of France via the Massive Central
At the Med hang a left to just beyond Nice
and then follow the curve of the Alps all the way to Zagreb!
That should be enough mountains to last a summer, and probably in all seriousness about the same horizontal distance as the flat river route.
You will of course be doing several Everest's this way, but it'll keep you fit.
I'd suggest loading up the bike with several changes of clothes, a big tent and don't scrimp on the cooking kit all to ensure to have a weight to make the ascents of the Alpine passes worthy of the challenge

We did centre of France and through the Massive last year (then turned right a bit before crossing the Pyrenees and on to Santander) and we've done the Southern end of the Alps from Nice and the central Alps when coming back from Italy. Fancy somewhere different this tear, although the first week will be through regions of France we've ridden through a few times over the years.
As for loading the bikes, we like our home comforts and carry a heap of gear, we just go slow and have plenty of stops to re-fuel.

 

[BalkanExpress]

I know you have said that you are not a big fan of routes along rivers, however sections of this may be of use/interest

http://www.drauradweg.com/en.aspx

I would not use it to go all the way to Maribor, but would rather drop down towards Kranj and Bled and then follow a plot a route along the course of the Sava river (there is as far as I know no official route) into Croatia and onto Zagreb

I may be wrong but I think that RichP has toured in Slovenia and loved the place.

Vernon is right about mines in the East along the Danube (and there are also issues in some other places) but coming in from Slovenia there are no issues.

Whichever route you take, have a really great trip