Bike Tour Reviews: Best Of Slovenia Highlights Across The Country From Bled To Piran
Best of Slovenia: Highlights Across the Country From Bled to Piran
COUNTRY: Slovenia
Self guided from EUR € 1585
Description:
This cross-country tour focuses on visiting Slovenia's main attractions and countless natural points of interest, providing a dyanamic and varied exploration of this hidden gem of a country. Beginning in Bled, known for its beautiful setting and island…
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★★★★★ Clifford Davis 2 months agoGreat Intro to Slovenia
Tour offers everything from the Julian Alps area and Bled to small towns to Ljubljana to coastal Italy and coastal Slovenia at the finishing town of Piran. We added extra days in Bled, Ljubljana and Piran and highly recommend doing so. Most of the cycling is on roads shared with vehicles but drivers were generally aware and used to cyclists. We found the GUIBO navigation app somewhat problematic particularly since we didn’t get access until the morning cycling began. Our bike fitting and familiarization was also included in our first cycling morning so a number of items regarding the cycle computer were not covered.
The tour company was responsive to our requests for transport due to inclement weather.
There are wide variations in the quality of the hotels with some very fine hotels and some less so.
That being said the tour features some gorgeous scenery and spectacular sights. The caves in Postonja and the area surrounding Bled are breathtaking. The people along the way were very helpful and we had no trouble communicating even though we don’t speak Slovenian.
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★★★★★ Gareth Laws 3 months ago
From Mountain Tops to Ocean Views
Do this now, before Slovenia is spoilt. Lake Bled our starting point was amazing. Some steady climbs, luckily on e-bikes made the challenges in the early days more comfortable! A mix of accommodation, but one night in most of the places, was ok. We broke the journey with 2 nights in Ljubljana, definitely worth it.
A mix of off road, paved tracks, some roadside cycling ( but the cars were very good to us) grunty uphills and screaming downhills.
The App was easy to use and didn’t chew through the battery too much.
Overall we had a great time. The people are very friendly and welcoming. The hotels varied from top notch to “OK”. The bikes were comfortable and good condition, no problems there. Would recommend if you have some cycling experience.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Austin Bragg 5 months ago
Brilliant Experience - well named tour!
One of the best travel experiences we've ever had. The itinerary was very well put together ensuring enough time to visit some of the most spectacular gems Slovenia has to offer. Accommodations were very very good too - a real mix which made things interesting i.e. not the same old each time. Bikes were great - the app was excellent which we relied on heavily esp getting in/out of larger towns/cities. All in all, an unforgettable experience.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
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★★★★★ THOMAS P. 5 months ago
A very fun and leisurely trip
This trip was a great way to see Slovenia. We took 10 days to ride from the northern side of the country to the Adriatic coast. Most days were about 30 miles, with about 2500' elevation gain, but really just 3-4 hours' riding. Hotels were great and offered very nice breakfasts. We really enjoyed the slower pace family vacation, seeing a lot but still moving through to new sights every day. Highly recommend.
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★★★★★ Dee by the sea 6 months ago
Slovenia 9 days
Beautiful country, friendly people, very safe! Would highly recommend visiting!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 16, 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Lisa Ayton 6 months ago
Excellent Trip
We chose the unguided version, using the Guibo Ap on our cell phones. Definitely worth bringing an extra power bank, as the power available on the cell, was our only concern in terms of getting from A to B. Sometimes the Ap, if there was a criticism, was almost 'too detailed' ie) a slight turn might be described in so much detail, that you think you are to do a much larger turn. Overall a very helpful ap and it corrected our direction a few times. The sites we saw from Bled to Piran 10 Bike Day Bike Tour were amazing and the distances were well planned. You did have to do some cycling on major roads at times, but the drivers seem quite used to cyclists. I recommend taking hotel upgrades when available, as we did not do this, but definitely wished we had, when it came to seeing Ljubjana and staying closer to the city. We felt all the hotels were what we expected (we had chosen a mid-range trip) with 1 major exception, that was a three star hotel. We also felt there were at least two stays that were excellent or above a mid-range feel, one with beach views and another with wine tastings. The country is amazing with views and greenery everywhere you look. At times reminding us of the Alps and at others like our home in BC, Canada and then finally the unique beauty of the Adriatic seaside to enjoy at the end. Our Electric Bikes were excellent, my chain came off twice but we got it back on and my husband ran out of brake fluid on the very last day. There were friendly, helpful people in all hotels and bike shops. We would all highly recommend this trip to others. Take an extra day in the City and by the seaside if you can. We also appreciated that help was only a phone call away at all times, we felt very safe and well served.
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★★★★★ John Murray 8 months ago
Immersive Slovenia
A great way to experience the country from the mountains to the coast. Recommended . Nice trip.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Barbara October 8, 2023
Beautiful country with lots to see and do
Slovenia ranks as one of my favorite countries to cycle. Friendly, hard working people. Roads are in great condition ( minus a few construction zones due to recent flooding), and the routes offered are interesting and varied. From high mountain vistas and zigzagging descents to flat bike trails along the sea, each day brought a new adventure to the senses. We enjoyed getting off the bikes to explore caves, castles, waterfalls, and towns. Most of us opted to cycle and climb the first day to the high plateau of Pokljuka. It actually seemed like an easier climb than the second day to the high plateau of Jelovica. Two people used the shuttle the first day and were not particularly pleased at where they were let off on the route. Had they known better, they would have also cycled to Pokljuka with us. (they were on electric bikes).
The hotels were good. Regardless of the size of rooms, the beds were comfortable and the breakfasts were bountiful and varied. The hotel in Ljubljana was a 45 minute walk to the city center, but it allows one to see the sites and restaurants along the way. We downloaded the maps on our devices and they were adequate for navigation. It was helpful to have 3 navigators in our group of 8 people.
Bikes that we used were hybrid ones. They were a definite plus with all the climbing involved with this tour. Sometimes, the small towns we entered had short ascents of 10-12% grade, so it was helpful to have the low gears to pop into. There were a few problems with the bikes. One of the hybrids was not in good condition for riding and was replaced before we started our tour. It was helpful to have the bikes at the hotel the night before ( Day 1) so we could adjust and test ride the bikes. The one electric bike had a problem the first day while riding the hills. It was discovered that a sensory cable was not connected after going to a local bike shop to have it looked at after the second day of riding.
Bike Tours, the company, there were some problems with communication regarding bike choices. There were problems with obtaining the bikes that were unnecessarily stressful. Overall, they were good enough to use, and eventually the issues were resolved. Also, I'm not a big fan of putting a 75% deposit down 9 months before the tour date which is unusual from the other 6 self guided tours that I've done. Make sure to read the fine print regarding the tour. Extra luggage other than one piece is charged extra. Also, we opted to find our own transport options to and from airports/towns, which were cheaper than what is offered. Staying a night in Kranj after our arrival from Ljubljana airport, before going the next day to Bled, worked out wonderfully.
Discovering the Best of Slovenia was a treat. I would recommend this tour to anyone who is adventurous and curious. The food, the culture, the people, and the sites were incredible! SHOW MORE
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- many
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Allen H. September 22, 2023
Tour of Slovenia
The logistics of the tour was good. Hotels, Routes & baggage transfers went as planned without any issues. However the bikes were terrible. Heavy & not proper gearing for climbing hills. The poor bikes took away from the enjoyment of bike riding. I have done 10+ bike tour in Europe. The worst rental bikes ever. Also the Guibo route app was poor. Ride with GPS is much better.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept. 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10 plus
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ john saunders September 16, 2023
Interesting and friendly country, beautiful countryside
This was a very good trip to explore and see various parts of the country. Overall, the trail markings were good. Good use of smaller roads with less traffic, but some roads were Busy with no shoulder and cars appearing to drive too fast. Accommodations were well-placed, except for Ljubljana Where the hotel was placed too far from the historic District where you would prefer to spend most of your time there. It was over 30 minute walk from the historic district. The bikes were durable, and we experienced no mechanical problems, but they were of a low quality, heavy, and not suited to some of the climbing that was required. We opted to purchase the route and map booklet for 30 euros which was poor quality and not useful or worth the money spent. Most of the important information was already provided in the materials. The Maps were useless in that you could not read road names, or city names because the font was too small and the poor print quality. On our last day in Piran, We had confirmed with bike tours, that we could schedule a late day transport back to Ljubljana so that we could spend a full day in Piran but apparently the local operator, Helia, only transports at 9 AM. Bike tours did a good job of arranging alternative late day transportation for us, but the Helia Representative was rude and unaccommodating And refused to discuss the matter.
Again, as to the bikes, which were basically “city bikes”, where the mileage each day is 25 to 35 miles, we believe most people would prefer better quality bikes, and we certainly saw other tour operators in the country that were utilizing higher quality bikes that were not electrically assisted. We would recommend that better quality bikes be offered or at least an upgrade to a higher quality bike that is not electric assisted.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 20
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Jo Christofferson September 5, 2023
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Great trip. It was our first self-guided and it went well. We enjoyed the freedom of this type of trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Aug 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Carey July 5, 2023
Exploring Slovenia by bike
This was our 5th self-guided cycling trip, and a great way to see Slovenia. The route was great and highlighted the different areas of the country, from the alps to the adriatic. There are some hills which can be challenging in the heat, but very manageable with some training. Most of the roads were fairly low traffic; even on the busier roads Slovenians seemed to be pretty courteous to cyclists. There were some gravel roads which were manageable. Note that there is some conflicting information about whether you'll receive a paper copy of the route directions - you won't unless you've requested this for a fee. And there was also supposed to be one odometer included per couple - there wasn't. So I strongly suggest having a phone with a data plan so that you can follow the GPS instructions. These were fairly easy to follow, but in some cases the app had trouble finding the route so having access to google maps, etc was handy.
Hotels were good for the most part with some being really great; a couple were only adequate, but that is likely due to what is available in the specific town. Included breakfasts were all fabulous. We arranged to spend an extra day in Ljubljana after day 3, which was a great idea. We also added extra days in Piran which we were happy with. For lunches and other stops during the riding day, there are recommendations that appear on the app. However, these don't seem to be in any order for each day, so it's probably worth while to take a look at them all before you set out for the day to see what they're recommending and where.
Overall a really great vacation! Biketours.com was great to work with for booking, and although we had no issues needing local support, we were happy with the planning and the bikes were perfectly adequate.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Harry Dobrowolski June 9, 2023
Best of Slovenia
11 days was perfect to enjoy the beautiful bike tour of Best of Slovenia. Food and Hotels had been outstanding. It’s worth to book hotel upgrades. Standard rooms are very small.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May/June 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- more than 20
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Audrey Block November 7, 2022
Great way to experience Slovenia
Overall, we really enjoyed the trip. Hotels were nice with the exception of one, which was so-so. Route was interesting and showed off the beauty of the country. Beware -- one should be in good shape and expect to face a few steep hills, some on gravel backroads. Most of the roads were low traffic but even on busier roads Slovenians are courteous to cyclists.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6-8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Ben August 3, 2022
Great trip through Slovenia
The best way to visit and get to know a new country
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★★★★★ Barbara G May 8, 2019
Best of Slovania
- How many tours have you completed?
- Many- now using electric bikes
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Purple Sneakers September 9, 2018
Slovenia is wonderful!
an excellent tour around western slovenia, though too little time in Ljubljana which deserves more than a full day. by the same token the tour could lingered in the mountains as well, which are breathtaking. an extra day would enhance the tour enormously. on the other hand, Hela Tours are the worst. our bikes were not properly fitted; required a bike shop on the second day to adjust the derailleur, the brakes, add air to the tires and adjust the seat post and handlebars. the description for the route was in general adequate, but there were far too many wrong turns or simply bewilderment, indecipherable language. a GPS would have eliminated these nuisances.
- What was the date of your tour?
- july 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- numerous
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
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★★★★★ Breno Ok June 24, 2018
Great Tour to the Best of Slovenia
It was really beyond my expectations. Surely one of the best self-ride bike tour I have ever had.
Staff was great from the time we started talking until the last minute of the tour. Even in an event of a cancelled flight they managed the situation and rearranged the transfer to Bled with no extras.
Bike worked very well and was in perfect conditions. I opted to get the MTB bike and this proved to be the right thing for this tour. Hybrid ones may work fine as well.
Scenary is awesome. Each day a highlight to tell. Terrain was not a big issue, except for the second day, with a 12-km hard climb. But if you are in good condition you can try it. Other than that I found the entire tour easily rideable.
Hotels are very good on average. One or another was slightly below the expectation. Breakfast was also great. I did not booked other meals because I wanted some free choice along the way.
Roads are in good condition. Some of them has considerable traffic, but I felt a nice respect from drivers. Just assume caution and stay focused on the way. Others were so tranquil and peaceful with jaw-dropping views.
Cue cards were accurate but there are some tricky parts. Not a big issue though. They can also send gps files so that you can load them to your device if you have one. Just ask in advance.
Luggage transfer was on time everyday. It was really handy.
All in all, great tour where you will definitely glimpse the best of Slovenia.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ psteckler October 22, 2017
Good sampler for western Slovenia
No one told me about the cows. On the riding first day, in a rural area, I encountered a trio of cows blocking the road. I wasn't sure about the protocol for dealing with them, but we all managed to get by one another without any injuries.
I really lucked out with the weather. I started in mid-October, and every day ended in sunshine. There was no rain at all. For the first few days, most mornings were chilly and overcast, sometimes even foggy. By the end of the ride, I got full days of sunshine. Don't expect this weather every October!
For the most part, I liked the route. The climb on the second riding day would have been a nice challenge on my road bike; on the rented touring bike, it was pretty hard, and I had to walk much of it. The Helia truck came by and offered me a lift, but I was determined to get to the top under my own power. There were some gravel sections, and a couple of stretches along busy roads that were unpleasant. Much of the route was on lightly-traveled roads, and many roads were nearly-vacant farm or forest roads. With a couple of exceptions, the drivers gave me a wide berth.
The rented bike was predictably sturdy and heavy. I had no mechanical issues during the ride, other than a squeaky back brake.
The accommodation was very good, for the most part. Yes, I found a cockroach in one room; that gives me a story to tell. The electricity went out at Hotel Tartini in Piran on the final morning, but breakfast was already prepared; another story to tell. The hotel staff was very helpful everywhere. The breakfasts were all good, perhaps too good. Too bad I don't like to ride after eating a lot.
There were some confusing bits in the cue sheets, and I got lost a couple of times. I've written to Helia about the issues I found. For the most part, the cue sheets were adequate. Asking locals and Google Maps set me straight.
I flew in and out of Ljubljana. To get to Bled at the start, and back from Piran at the end, I used ordinary commercial bus services, which worked well.
I really enjoyed Slovenia, and hope to visit again to see more of the country.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 9 October 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- Over 20
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Chris 77 September 16, 2017
Best of Slovenia
Of all our European tours, the route and scenery was the best - Slovenia really is a hidden gem. Some of the hotels are just average - one great - Hisa Posebne Sorte. Try to have the tour company not book their fall back hotel, Vila Bojana in Bled for you. But this is not an experience to miss.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 4 to 14
- How many tours have you completed?
- Many
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
