Cycling holiday Highlights of Istria

Included

• 8-day-trip on a motor yacht with crew
• 7 nights in a twin cabin below deck with shower/toilet
• 2 x full board and 5 x half board
• Guided cycling tours as described in the itinerary
• Overview-maps for the daily tours (on board)
• Bed linen and towels
• English speaking tour guide
• Tourist taxes

Additional optional services (on request)

• Rental bike
• Use of helmet ( limited available; reservation required)
• Bike insurance (against theft and damage): € 10,-/week for the Trekking bike or € 20,-/week for the electric bike (not insured: deliberate damages)
• Cancellation insurance
• Collective transfer between Rijeka airport and Omisalj harbour: prices on request (day of embarkation/disembarkation only)

Not included in the basic tour price

• Reservation costs € 20,- per invoice
• Dutch Guarantee Fund € 5,- per person
• Journey to Omisalj
• Flat rate for bottled water, € 25,- for adults or € 15,- for children up to age 16 (to be paid to the captain)
• Beverages on board (tally sheet; to be paid to the captain)
• Meals and beverages ashore
• Entrance fee for sights are not included in the tour price

Special details

• Operated by local partner
• Please take good notice of Terms & Conditions.
• Minimum number of participants: 14 persons
• Bringing private e-bikes is not permitted
• The program is subject to change without notice.

Info

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.

Airport

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 € 60,- per person, one-way and needs to be reserved at least two weeks in advance.

Car

If you travel by car we advise to plan your route on 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

By this tours you can rent the following bikes:

A ship as your hotel

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 team

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 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 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.

You and the group, new friends from around the world!

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! 

Activity level 

E-Bike Level 1 / Hybrid Bike Level 2
Our cycle tours are suitable for both: hybrid and e-bikers. You have to decide beforehand, which bicycle you like to rent, if you decide to rent one. 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 hybrid bikers (level 2): The cycle tours require a basic level of fitness from participants, which they should have acquired from steady cycling. The day-tours (12 mi./20 km to 31 mi./50 km and 656 ft./200 m to 2624 ft./800 m of elevation gain) will take us through hilly terrain and will be mainly on asphalt roads. Up to 30% of the tours offered will take place on forest paths and gravel roads. Pushing your bike is allowed. You are free to set aside a half or full day to swim or spend on board the boat, instead of taking a planned cycle tour.  

Requirements for e-bikers (level 1):  The tours, including the meters of elevation, can be ridden comfortably by e-bike (20 – 50 km with 200 – 800 meters of elevation per day). This bike tour requires a healthy basic level of fitness from the participants and prior experience in bike riding. Please take note that around 30% of the tours take place on natural paths and gravel roads. The described tours are primarily designed as fully guided e-bike tours. If you wish to cycle alone, please talk with your tour guide on site about the options available. 

Guided group pace:
This is a tour specially designed as an E-bike tour. The riding pace is determined by the cyclists on e-bikes. Guests who are taking part on these tours on a regular bicycle should have the necessary physical condition to keep up with this pace. We thank you for your understanding.

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).