The largest peninsula in Croatia, Istria
The largest peninsula in Croatia offers an incredible backdrop for our Istria Highlights e-bike tour. Situated between the Kvarner Bay and the Gulf of Triest, Istria is an oasis of superlatives.
The largest peninsula in Croatia
Distance: 40-60 km average per day Altitude: 100-500 hm average per day. The daily tours will take us through hilly and mountainous terrain.
The largest peninsula in Croatia offers an incredible backdrop for our Istria Highlights e-bike tour. Situated between the Kvarner Bay and the Gulf of Triest, Istria is an oasis of superlatives.
We offer this tour as an e-bike tour on the ship Andela Lora.
The 500m long coastline offers countless picture perfect beaches and fascinating historical harbor towns such as Pula, Porec and Rovinj. The fertile hinterlands in contrast, are characterized by their medieval hilltop villages and colorful vineyards and the silver-green olive groves. Much like the landscapes typical for Tuscany.
In addition, Istria is graced with over 2300 hours of sun each year, assuring with great certainty that your visit will be a sunny one. The region has also made itself a name for its culinary delights: home to some of the world’s best truffles, olive oil and wine.
Individual arrival to Omisalj, a charming pirates nest on the island of Krk. If you decide to arrive by car, we can gladly organize a secure parking space for your car for the week. If you are arriving from Zagreb (airport), we can also arrange a transfer for you to the harbor of Omisalj. Check-in on board is possible from around 2pm. Once we have made ourselves comfortable in our cabins, we enjoy the first crossing to Cres. If the weather is good, we stop for a swim in a beautiful bay and you can take a dip in the Adriatic Sea. Our destination is the island capital of the same name, where we spend the night. The Venetian-influenced old town of Cres, with its beautiful alleys and many churches, entices you to take an extensive evening stroll.
In the morning we enjoy our breakfast on board with a pleasant morning cruise to Pula. In the afternoon we explore some picturesque places in ans around Pula. Via Galižana we go to Vodnjan and further through the fishing village Fažana before coming back to Pula where we can take part on an inspiring guided citu tour before enjoying our evening exploring the town further at our leisure. The night is spent in Pula.
In the morning we enjoy our breakfast on board with another pleasant morning cruise, this time to Vrsar. It is in Vrsar that the heartbreaker Casanova is believed to have sought temporary refuge from the husbands of his lovers. From here we cycle along the Limski Canal to Kloštar in the rural hinterland to our destination of Poreč. The town has a lively vibe with its long promenade and shopping streets. A visit to the famous Euphrasius Basilica with its magnificent early Christian mosaics is worth a visit and there is also plenty of time to go for a swim and relax in the afternoon. The night is spent in Poreč.
In the morning we follow the "Parenzana", an abandoned railroad line, which leads us to the famous artists village of Grožnjan.The picturesque artists village is a mediieval jewel in the Istrian hinterland. It awaits us with romantic alleys, flower filled squares and diverse galleries that have made their home in old natural stone houses. In the afternoon we bike through rural Istria via Buje to Novigrad, where we can enjoy the evening and spend the night.
In the morning the boat takes us to Rovinj during breakfast, the starting point of today’s bike ride. Close to the town, the sprawling green wilderness of the local park is the perfect setting for a bike ride past picture perfect bays where we can stop for a refreshing swim. After a pleasant morning on our bikes and at the beach, we return back to the boat and with plenty of time to explore the city in the afternoon. In the evening a guided city tour reveals the secrets of the town before spending the night here.
Our morning bike ride takes us near the coast, mostly on natural forest paths to Fažana, with its quaint little harbor and promenade lined with colorful houses. Afterwards, we continue to Pula, where our boat will take us on a longer crossing to Rabac. Here, located on a picturesque bay on the east coast of Istria, we can enjoy gorgeous white pebble beaches, crystal clear waters and a beautiful harbor. Not to be missed is an evening cocktail in a local bar.
In the early morning, we cross to the island of Krk, where a final cycling stage awaits us. The route will lead us from Njivice to Omišalj. The largest island in Croatia and home of the delicious Zlahtina white wine impresses with its diverse landscapes. Don’t miss the opportunity to cover yourself in the mineral rich mud in the bay of Soline – it will not only leave you looking ten years younger, but also makes for a wonderful holiday memory! Back in the harbor of Omišalj, our boat awaits us with a delicious last evening meal on board which can be spent in great cheer in the company of the fellow travelers, crew and guides.
After breakfast disembarkation until 9 am. Individual trip home or extended stay in Croatia.
Cycling in Dalmatia
This cycle tour fit for both: hybrid and e-bikers. You have to decide beforehand, which bicycle you like to rent, if you decide to rent one. The cycle tours require a basic level of fitness from participants, which they should have acquired from steady cycling.
The riding pace is determined by the cyclists on e-bikes. Guests who are taking part on the tour on a regular bike, should have the necessary physical condition to keep up with this pace.
The tours will take us up to a height of 200 to 500 m above sea-level. The daily tours from 15 to 31 mi./25 to 50 km will take us through hilly and mountainous terrain and will be completed without any time-constraints. Participants will also need to master long and steep climbs, during which they are, however, also permitted to push their bicycles. We traverse mostly asphalted roads, which are rarely frequented outside the holiday seasons.
You are free to set aside a half or full day to swim or to spend time on board the boat, instead of taking a planned cycle tour.
This tour is primarily a guided group tour. Upon consultation with your tour guides, the possibility to cycle on your own along recommended, suitable routes, may present itself. Helmet use is mandatory on all cycle tours.
Please note: departure is on Friday
Supplements:
Reservation costs € 25,- per booking
Contribution Dutch Guarantee Fund € 5,- per person (Insolvency Protection)
Flat rate for bottled water, visitor’s tax and local charges: € 60,- for adults or € 30,- for children up to age 16 (to be paid to the captain)
April 25, July 18, August 1, October 24
Lower deck: twin/ double cabin € 1.799,-
Lower deck: cabin single use € 2.699,-
Upper deck: twin/ double cabin € 2.049,-
Upper deck: cabin single use € 3.074,-
May 9 & 23, August 15, October 10
Lower deck: twin/ double cabin € 1.999,-
Lower deck: cabin single use € 2.999,-
Upper deck: twin/ double cabin € 2.249,-
Upper deck: cabin single use € 3.674,-
June 6 & 20, July, August 29, 12 & 26 September
Lower deck: twin/ double cabin € 2.199,-
Lower deck: cabin single use € 3.299,-
Upper deck: twin/ double cabin € 2.449,-
Upper deck: cabin single use € 3.674,-
Bike rental:
E-bike per week € 245,- (private e-bikes are not allowed on board)
Bike insurance € 30,-(optional)
Embarkation takes place between 2 and 2:30 PM. The boat leaves Omisalj harbor at 3 PM. The mooring place of the boat is in the harbor of Omisalj, on the island of Krk.
For this tour the nearest airport is Rijeka Airport (RJK), situated at a distance of 6 km/4 miles from Omisalj on the island of Krk. The harbor can easily be reached by taxi. That takes about 10 minutes. Or you can prebook a transfer from Rijeka airport to Omisalj harbor, price on request.
Another arrival alternative is to fly to Zagreb (ZAG) (transfer time to Omisalj: 2 hours). On embarkation day and disembarkation you can prebook a collective transfer from/to Zagreb airport. These costs are € 65,- per person, one-way and needs to be reserved at least two weeks in advance.
If you travel by car we advise to plan your route on www.viamichelin.com. Please keep in mind that you have to buy a toll sticker for passage through Austria, Slovenia and Switzerland. To avoid delays you can buy those stickers in advance. A parking place on private property in Omisalj needs to be reserved in advance.
The use of this parking costs € 60,- for a week and must be paid upon arrival to the tour guide. If you car is longer than 6 m, then these costs are € 120,-.
On this tour the following barges are scheduled
For the duration of the tour we supply you with a waterproof pannier by Ortlieb, a practical way of carrying drinks, bathing gear, camera etc.
An e-bike powered mainly by a Bosch motor capable of covering long distances. Standard components in varying frame sizes include, 28 inch rims with puncture proof tires, derailleur gears and break systems, a carrier and a stand, touring saddle as well as mudguards and a pannier rack.
Imagine a floating hotel sailing to the next stage, while you are calmly pedalling along. No lugging of luggage: that is exactly what Bike & Barge is all about! In the pleasant atmosphere on board you can have a chat, go through the day with the others, and enjoy the meals prepared specially for cyclists. In the evenings you can enjoy a drink in the salon or admire the setting sun on deck. Do not expect a cruise ship with its passive luxury. The Bike & Barge Holidays are for people who really enjoy the physical activity of cycling and who value sociability more than wholesale luxury.
The captain/skipper, the chef and your tour guide all welcome you warmly. They are prepared specifically for these trips and will provide good and safe passage, good meals, and a friendly, pleasant atmosphere. They will, of course, also give you a great deal of interesting information during and after the cycling and sailing. The skipper is responsible for the smooth running of things on board; the cook is in charge of the catering. A tour leader accompanies you during the bike ride and can assist in case of breakdowns. He/She will be your guide to point out the things of interest along the way and is multi-lingual (German/English).
The on-board chef is a member of the crew and prepares the breakfast and one or two warm meals a day. The catering consist of 2 x full board and 5 x half board and starts with dinner on embarkation day and ends with breakfast on disembarkation day. Lunch could be packed or a picnic as well. The food served on board is traditional and characteristic for the country. Higher nutritional demands of bikers are taken into account. Breakfast on board generally includes at least bread, butter, cheese, ham, coffee and tea. For lunch/dinner the chef generally serves light fish or meat dishes or vegetarian meals.The on-board chef is a member of the crew and prepares the breakfast and one or two warm meals a day. The catering starts with the dinner on the arrival day and ends with the breakfast on the departure day.
If you wish to eat vegetarian food or have distinctly different eating habits please inform us in time before your arrival. Please keep in mind that special food requirements cannot always be met in all details. If you have extensive food allergies we ask you to give us a list of the food that you can eat. This should be done before your arrival so that the cook can be instructed to plan and shop accordingly.
If you need gluten free meals then please note that due to the small size of the kitchen and the available equipment on board, we cannot guarantee that your food will not come into contact with kitchen utensils in which gluten-containing foods have already been processed.
So if you have a serious celiac disease, where the food must not come into contact with utensils in which food containing gluten was prepared, then we would recommend not to participate in the trip as the risk of an allergic shock would be too high. If it is a (mild) gluten intolerance it is not a problem.
One of the most attractive aspects of the Bike & Barge holidays is that you encounter an international company on board. It’s a great opportunity for you to get to know various cultures at the same time!
E-Bike Level 2
Our cycle tours are suited for e-bikers. You are free to set aside a half or full day to swim or to spend time on board the boat, instead of taking a planned cycle tour.
Requirements for e-bikers (level 2): When riding on an E-bike this tour is suitable for people with a good basic level of fitness. The tours and the elevation meters are very manageable with an e-bike (30-60km and 400-700 elevation meters per day).
Guided group pace:
This is a tour specially designed as an E-bike tour, the riding pace is determined by the cyclists
Requirement to wear a helmet
Helmet use is mandatory on this tour. You are strongly encouraged to bring your own (well-fitted) helmet. Rental helmets are available in limited numbers (reservation required).
The main countries represented by our cycling guests are: United States and Canada. We also receive guests from United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand. The common language on board is English.
Specialised cycle clothing may be handy but not strictly necessary. What you do need (among other things) is the following:
• shorts/ long trousers/ track suit/ legging
• shirts/ sweater/ rain clothing
• good solid shoes/ sneakers
• sunglasses/ cap/ swimming costume
• personal care and beauty items
• insect repellent
• sunscreen
• gloves (if you travel in April or October it will be chilly in the morning)
A hair dryer is available on all barges.
Your travel documents include the final packing list we suggest for your booked tour.
The average age varies between 50 and 80, but of course we have younger and older guests. In particular it is quite possible during the school holidays that children might be booked on your tour.
Most of the participants then wear rainwear. When the weather is so bad that cycling becomes really impossible (but that is almost never the case!), you can stay on board or your guide can organize an alternative program with, for example, cultural excursions and city tours (at your own expense).
No, the barge doesn’t take the same route as the cyclists do. Sometimes the route may be altered because of weather conditions or repairs to bridges or locks and then the guests and the guide can arrange with the skipper to be met at a different place. Naturally you can always stay on board for one or more days.