The largest peninsula in Croatia, Istria
This tour 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.
This tour 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 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. The first cruise to the Island and city of Cres takes place shortly after. If the weather permits we will stop for a refreshing swim stop along the way. In the evening your guide will take you for a walk through the charming old town, characterized by its Venetian heritage. The night is spent in Cres.
Enjoy breakfast in the morning with a longer cruise from Cres to the south-west coast of Istria to Liznjan. The old fisher village with its small harbor is the starting point of your first bike tour on the istrian peninsula. Enjoy quiet country roads and picturesque towns as you make your way to Pula, the secretive main town of Istria. You will have time to explore this enticing city characterized by decades of Roman rule. Explore the mighty amphitheater, the Augustus Temple and the Golden Gate. The night is spent in Pula.
Before breakfast the boat will depart Pula so that you arrive in Vrsar just after breakfast. Vrsar is the town where the famous seducer, Casanova took refuge from the furious husbands of his lovers. From Vrsar your bike tour will take you along the Limski Channel to Klostar in the hinterlands. After a strengthening afternoon break we continue by bike to Porec. We will have a chance to indulge in the multifaceted history of Porec in the company of our city tour guide in the afternoon on a walk through this enchanting town. The shopping streets are vibrant with life. A visit to the Euphrasian-Basilica with its intricate pre-Christian mosaics is highly recommended. The night is spent in Porec.
During breakfast, the boat will bring you to Novigrad, where your cycling tour today will begin. You cycle through vast vineyards and olive groves to the picturesque hill top village of Buje, overlooking the fertile pastures surrounding it. From here you follow the “Parenzana”, an decommissioned railway line, which will bring you to the artists town of Groznjan. You will have time to visit the numerous galleries, situated in quaint stone houses. Back on our bikes we continue through the neighboring villages and rural Istria all the way to Vrsar. Here the boat awaits you in a protected harbor for the night.
After a short crossing by boat we will enjoy a cycle tour along the coastal promenade from Rovinj to the outskirts of this wonderful seaside village. We taking time for a lengthy swim in the Adriatic before returning back to the boat. In the afternoon we enjoy a guided city tour through this picture perfect town squeezed on a small peninsula surrounded by blue sea. It is not without reason why this idyllic city is a haven for artists from all over the world whose work can be admired in the numerous galleries in town. This night is also spent in Rovinj.
Today’s bike tour takes us along the coast mainly on natural paths and through forests to Fazana with its delightful harbour and splendid promenade lines with the colorful facades of the local houses. The ship awaits us here and once on board, takes us around the southernmost point of the Istrian Peninsula to the city of Rabac. Undoubtedly one of the most popular holiday towns in Istria. The night is spent in Rabac.
Today starts with a longer climb from Rabac, to the hilltop village of Labin where we can enjoy a coffee break with an incredible view over the bay of Rabac. We continue by bike through the incredibly diverse scenic landscapes and villages of the Istrian hinterlands before returning back to Rabac. We board the boat and enjoy an afternoon cruise back to Omisalj where we enjoy a festive evening meal in the company of our feloow travelers, crew and guides.
After breakfast disembarkation until 9 am. Individual trip home or extended stay in Croatia.
Please note: departure is on Friday
Supplements:
Reservation costs € 20,- per booking
Contribution Dutch Guarantee Fund € 5,- per person (Insolvency Protection)
Flat rate for bottled water, visitor’s tax and local charges: € 25,- for adults or € 15,- for children up to age 16 (to be paid to the captain)
28 April & 6 October
Lower deck: twin/ double cabin € 1.490,-
Lower deck: cabin single use € 2.090,-
Upper deck: twin/ double cabin € 1.740,-
Upper deck: cabin single use € 2.290,-
19 May & 14 + 28 July & 11 August
Lower deck: twin/ double cabin € 1.590,-
Lower deck: cabin single use € 2.190,-
Upper deck: twin/ double cabin € 1.840,-
Upper deck: cabin single use € 2.390,-
23 June & 25 August & 22 September
Lower deck: twin/ double cabin € 1.690,-
Lower deck: cabin single use € 2.290,-
Upper deck: twin/ double cabin € 1.940,-
Upper deck: cabin single use € 2.490,-
05 May
Lower deck: twin cabin € 1.090,-
Lower deck: cabin single use € 1.490,-
Upper deck: twin/ double cabin € 1.240,-
Upper deck: cabin single use € 1.690,-
26 May & 07 + 21 July & 04 August & 29 September
Lower deck: twin cabin € 1.140,-
Lower deck: cabin single use € 1.540,-
Upper deck: twin/ double cabin € 1.290,-
Upper deck: cabin single use € 1.740,-
16 June & 18 August & 01 + 15 September
Lower deck: twin cabin € 1.190,-
Lower deck: cabin single use € 1.590,-
Upper deck: twin/ double cabin € 1.340,-
Upper deck: cabin single use € 1.790,-
Extra options:
Rental bike per week € 80,-
E-bike per week € 180,- (private e-bikes are not allowed on board)
Bike insurance € 10,-/ E-bike insurance € 20,-
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 € 60,- 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 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:
Our hybrid bikes are equipped with 28 inch hollow chamber rims with puncture proof touring tires, derailleur gears and break systems, a carrier and a stand, touring saddle as well as mudguards and a pannier rack.
Our hybrid bikes are equipped with 28 inch hollow chamber rims with puncture proof touring tires, derailleur gears and break systems, a carrier and a stand, touring saddle as well as mudguards and a pannier rack.
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 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).
The main countries represented by our cycling guests are: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and France. 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
• gloves (in case you travel in April or October. It can be chilly in the morning)
• good solid shoes/ sneakers
• sunglasses/ cap/ swimming costume
• personal care and beauty items
• hair dryer (220V; available on the barges Zwaan, Sailing Home and Provence)
• insect repellent
• sunscreen
Your travel documents include the final packing list we suggest for your booked tour.
The ages vary between 35 and 75, but of course we have younger (even babies and kids) 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 (and that is almost never the case!), The guide organizes an alternative program with, for example, cultural excursions and city tours.
No, the barge doesn’t take the same route that 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.