Slovenia and Croatia route recommendations

belangerval

Looking for route recommendations for a 1-month cycling trip in Slovenia and Croatia. We were thinking to start from Venice and follow the coast to Dubrovnik, but wondering if it will feel like being on a highway the whole time, in which case we'd prefer to plan an inland route on quieter roads. Has anyone done that or know the area well?

tremayne

Coast incredibly scenic but quite touristy and lots traffic. Many europeans head to Croatian coast - so dont expect unexplored wilderness! Lovely though.

If your legs are up to it, I'd mark Bled (specifically Lake Bled) as a destination point and the Julian Alps as part of your break. Much more scenic, lovely roads, less traffic, cheaper, unforgettable views.

You could then head down to the coast - dependent on mileage etc.

Yes - Dubrovnik is something genuinely special.

I would also give consideration to nosing into Bosnia. Nice place, very friendly and an interesting contrast.

My summary (just opinion) is sacrifice getting down as far as Dubrovnik for splitting the trip into two chunks;

Julian Alps/Lake Bled
Croatia Coastline

Hoopdriver

Avoid the coastal highway in the summer months, especially August. Been there, done that and it is truly horrible.

MichaelW

Slovenia is chock full of great routes. There are some "official" routes but just grab a map and make your own up. The coast is more crowded than inland.
Lake Bled is a good start for the switchback ascent of Virsc pass, followed by a descent of the Soca valley.

andymiller

The route from Venice is do-able but avoid the SS14 if you can. The regional tourism website (Veneto.to) has a route that follows the islands to Bibione. From there you may need to follow the SS14 for a stretch then pick up the bike route that goes to Aquileia and Grado. Then on to Monfalcone. Look for the signs 'FVG4 Itinerario del Littoral' (although this only gets you part of the way to Monfalcone).

From there you could either follow the coast road into Trieste or the strada provinciale that goes a little higher up. Getting from the centre of Trieste to Muggia is do-able (my GPS came into its own!), but bear in mind this is a major port so there's a horrible road system and lots of lorries about - you could get the boat to Muggia as an easier alternative. Alternatively you could simply bypass Trieste by crossing into Slovenia further north.

belangerval

Awesome! Thank you all! I guess it would be a shame to bypass the interior anyways...

jalapeno

seconded on inland croatia, very quiet, very beautiful and some good road, and Bosnia Herzegovina is well worth a look, Mostar in particular. Distances aren't huge so you could nip inland to Mostar and be back on the coast ready to catch a ferry out to islands in just a few days. Some words on riding in croatia and bosnia here http://mikesimagination.wordpress.com/category/cycling/croatia-bosnia-09/

belangerval

Nice blog and pics! Makes me so glad we chose this area now! Thanks for sharing, jalapeno.

jalapeno

belangerval wrote:

Nice blog and pics! Makes me so glad we chose this area now! Thanks for sharing, jalapeno.

have a great trip! I'd like to get back out there before too long.