Bike Tour Reviews  Venice To Trieste And Istria


Venice to Trieste and Istria

COUNTRY: Croatia, Italy, Slovenia

7 nights
4.3/5 (28)
Rider Level: Recreational Electric bike tours
Rider Level: Recreational Electric bike tours

4.3/5 (28)
7 nights

Self guided from EUR € 904

Description:
Your tour will begin at "la Serenissima," Venice, the lagoon city on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. Cycling past the beaches of the classical holiday resorts of Jesolo and Caorle on the Italian Adriatic, you will have an opportunity to take a refreshing…

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  • Venice to Trieste & Istria
    (5/5) Alpskier November 14, 2015

    I've Done 8 Trips. Here's My Favorite!

    It's simply a magnificent ride. You begin in Venice, ride along the coast, passing beautiful beaches, going inland through rural farmland, and finally reaching Trieste, an old city that has a lot to offer. And that's just the Italian portion. The ride then takes you into Slovenia and ends in Croatia. For me, the century-old towns of Piran, Slovenia, and Porec, Croatia were magical - adult Disneyland. They are well-preserved and inviting as you aimlessly walk through narrow streets with stunning architecture. Locals were great. The ride is well-marked and the road book you're given is easy to follow. The local tour operator is most helpful. Most of the ride is easy, flat, doable miles per day - about 35. Once you get into Slovenia, you follow a beautiful paved bikeway along the rugged coast that brings you through one picturesque town after another. Finally, the last ride is a bit challenging as you reach hilly, yet doable terrain. I loved the hotels as they all were family-run and charming beyond belief. I guess it's the diversity of the journey. And riding a bike through a country is simply the best way to connect to the culture, people, and the land. Book this one. You won't be disappointed.

    How many tours have you completed?
    8
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Families with teens, Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Unnur Fridthjofsdootir 4 months ago

    Very nice trip

    Very nice trip easy to follow the app 😄Great to see italy, Slovenia and Croatia on bike

  • (5/5) Jennifer Dattke 8 months ago

    Incredible Journey!!💕

    Such a great experience! Yes challenging both the riding and navigating but rewarded with great food and gelato! The hotels were all good and comfortable with great breakfasts. Every community was so cute. Would recommend a lay over night to recoup, enjoy the community and give time for your chamois to dry!? Great experience. I was impressed by how bike friendly the route was on bike paths, along canals and use of rails to trails. Also I felt drivers were very aware of cyclists. The tour company (Anthony) was very accommodating when we had an issue with shifting and brought another bike to us.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2024
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • Bell tower views of Porec (photo by Jennifer Dattke)
    • Another gelato  earned! (photo by Jennifer Dattke)
    • Trieste to Piran (photo by Jennifer Dattke)
    • Poppies! (photo by Jennifer Dattke)
    • Caorle (photo by Jennifer Dattke)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Thomas Carr September 24, 2023

    Wonderful Trip

    We did this trip with two other couples who had never done a European bike tour before. We were so impressed with the efficiency of the staff, the accommodations and of course the beautiful route.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) carol friefeld October 21, 2022

    Great trip!

    Loved this trip! The route was fun and scenic, the accommodations were great, no logistical problems. The local tour agency was very helpful, and the GPS app worked well. Would work with this group again!

  • (5/5) Stradiotti July 28, 2019

    Superb Trip!

    A splendid way to see the world! This bike tour was our first but certainly not our last. We were a group of 10 friends ranging in age from 49-56. The ride was challenging at times but absolutely spectacular. We are not avid cyclists and some of the group used the electric bikes; this was a great option especially on the hills. The hotels were great, for the most part the food was good too, and the luggage transfers were seamless. This tour is very well organized and the local tour company is always reachable.

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 4-10
    How many tours have you completed?
    This was the first
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) artnscience December 30, 2015

    Wonderful Coastal Trip around the upper Adriatic Sea

    The route, maps, bicycles, accommodations and weather were perfect for our self-guided trip. We were lucky to be able to attend a Vivaldi Concert at the Cathedral in Grado. It was a one night only performance and our hotel host provided us with tickets. https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOVdH6klghY5LXY0xRnJXgs3V22UOQqIrSTQtIZk-iBfOPD-HVh2ajAjWPV0rspkQ/photo/AF1QipMEguGCko9YGrAFg6YkROa7LLFyKdtTuGCFsTg?key=MEQzNXNiWEVwM2MwSV8ycVExcWg4ZmFUU2kzM3h3
    Crossing the borders between Italy and Slovenia and between Slovenia and Croatia by bicycle was a fun experience as was seeing Piran and Porec. A car rally was going on in Porec which made it even more interesting.
    We had one confusing route situation. The arrows and cue sheet had us going right and then left onto a farm road (see linked photo) when it should have said left and then right. Other than that our directions were perfect. https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOVdH6klghY5LXY0xRnJXgs3V22UOQqIrSTQtIZk-iBfOPD-HVh2ajAjWPV0rspkQ/photo/AF1QipP8bWrmMDfBuhWBGxWQjo53m6mNt4CmrDNpQfs?key=MEQzNXNiWEVwM2MwSV8ycVExcWg4ZmFUU2kzM3h3

    How many tours have you completed?
    14 European, 1 Canadian and 8 US
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Families with teens, Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • Fred, who was almost 80 years old, found he still is a "Babe Magnet" in his cycling jersey. (photo by artnscience)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) MarknPat September 9, 2017

    Expectations Exceeded

    We spent a few extra days in Venice to start and 5 extra days in Porec at the end. Really glad we spent the extra time. Extending the bike rental was not a problem.
    The tour in between was awesome. Accommodations were better than expected and all the towns were charming.

    I had a little trouble with my bike. The front hub was a little tight so the wheel didn't spin as freely as it should have. I noticed when we picked up the bikes but didn't think too much of it. After a couple days I contacted the tour company and they brought me a different and better bike. Kudos to the tour operator.

    At one hotel there was confusion about a reservation for someone travelling with us. Again, the tour company stepped up. The real measure of the tour company is how they handle problems. They were terrific.

    Had a couple directional issues. We have T-Mobile so GPS worked perfectly. Previously we had AT&T with the international package. It was underwhelming to say the least. I highly recommend T-Mobile.

    Final day was a bit of a climbing challenge for Mrs. But we managed. The highlights of the tour were riding along the Adriatic, taking the occasional swim and the people we met.

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 5th
    How many tours have you completed?
    5
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) alda December 19, 2017

    absolutely fabulous

    What a wonderful itinerary with varied scenery from the lagoons and beaches of Italy to the more mountainous coast of Istria. Going through three countries was very interesting and the accomodations and places we visited were top notch.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept 24, 2017
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • Photo 1 (photo by alda)
    • Photo 2 (photo by alda)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Petty July 26, 2019

    Was great!!

    I have already written to you about tour - really enjoyed every moment! Hotels were great and personnel very friendly

    What was the date of your tour?
    9-16 july
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • Wonderful routes (photo by Petty)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 2/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 1/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) J and S June 14, 2019

    Perfect way to see the Country

    My Wife and I had a great Self-Guided trip. The people were super kind, hotels were good, food good, sites were the best. The maps were good, we used GPS points on our phones which did help a lot. So all in all, a can't miss trip.
    We especially liked starting the trip in Mestre, the train over to Venice was a 5 minute walk from the Hotel Elite, cost was minimal. We explored Venice as well as old town Mestre, which was a extra treat.
    Your first leg is to either Jesolo or Carole, we stayed in Jesolo and on the next day we stopped for a snack in Carole. If we were able, we would do the extra miles and stay in Carole the first night, town is really cute.
    We did take two layover or extra days, one in Piran the other in Porec, both well worth it, so ask when you book if that option is available. The Ferry Ride from Porec to Venice was great but a a little of a challenge to schedule until we found there are two ferry companies, they run on opposite dates. After that, was super simple.
    Hard trip to pass up, this was our third Self Guided trip, and already starting to plan for 2020. This has been our main way to see Europe and Loving Every Trip!!

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) OR bikers June 12, 2019

    Couldn't ask for a better 1st bike tour experience

    We did the self guided tour with another couple friend of ours. We all had ebikes which made it very enjoyable and easy to do the distances and the hills on the last 2 days. The stickers on street poles pointing the way along the routes were really helpful. The scenery along the routes were so pretty, many red poppy fields. The towns we passed through were fun to explore. We really enjoyed the routes along the water (sea, river, canals), which were many. We had one and a half days of rain, and there were some muddy dirt road we had to go through. We enjoyed the towns we stayed in overnight, pleased with the accommodations and the bountiful breakfast buffets. I would recommend staying an extra night in Porec (end of tour), just to get a little more time to explore, enjoy and relax before heading back to Venice on the early ferry

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 25-June 1, 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    this is our first one
    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
    • On the way to Aquileia, stage 3 (photo by OR bikers)
    • End of 1st stage in Lido di Jesolo (photo by OR bikers)
    • Caorle, our rainy day (photo by OR bikers)
    • Grado (photo by OR bikers)
    • Grado (photo by OR bikers)
    • Novigrad (photo by OR bikers)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) Karl57 September 12, 2018

    Great trip

    Great trip. Would highly recommend. Every stopover destination was well worth exploring. If we did it again we would customize the tour with an extra day to explore each stopover destination.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2018
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) Pedalann December 28, 2015

    Interesting Tour around Part of the Adriatic Sea

    This tour gave us a chance to see much of the coastal region of the old Venice/Roman Empire. We enjoyed the lovely towns, pastoral countryside and views of the Adriatic. We sometimes had difficulty navigating as the cue sheets. maps and route marks did not always agree. The tour operators had warned us that some of the routes were being revised. However, we are good navigators and did find our way without too much back tracking. Concordia, Grado, Trieste, Piran and Porec were wonderful to visit. The new sections of bike trails were joys to ride.

    How many tours have you completed?
    More than 10
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) Juiti September 29, 2018

    Unforgettable!!! The hidden beauty of the Venetian region and Croatian Adriatic:

    I love this route. It combined beautiful nature landscapes with historic spot and charmy littles towns.
    We had great experience sharing time with fun bikers around the world.
    Even if the hotels were in general ok we would have preferred to pay a bit more for better quality and location.

    What was the date of your tour?
    8 september
    How many tours have you completed?
    now 3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • Photo 1 (photo by Juiti)
    • Photo 2 (photo by Juiti)
    • Photo 3 (photo by Juiti)
    • Photo 4 (photo by Juiti)
    • Photo 5 (photo by Juiti)
    • Photo 6 (photo by Juiti)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) kiki1970 October 21, 2016

    The overall experience on this bike trip was good. The rain that occurred on 4 of the 7 days of the trip was unexpected. The locals informed us that it hadn't rained in 2 months so it caught up to us. The accommodations and food were excellent. The real problems were the maps that were provided. They need to be more tour specific. When arriving in the destination city, specific directions should be included in finding that hotel. We spent too much time looking for our hotel for the evening. Also the written instructions are a translation from the German guide. In some cases the instructions didn't match what we saw on the ground or what the sign posts indicated. In general, the people that we dealt with in the States and Italy were great. I only wish that we would have taken a day break some where in the middle(Trieste?) to refresh and recuperate. We didn't know we could do it. I highly recommend this before heading into Croatia.

    What was the date of your tour?
    14-21 Sept. 2016
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) Steve Srebnik November 7, 2022

    Great experience

    This was a great adventure for my wife and I taking us to small and not so small great beach towns as well as a pretty big city , Trieste, all in the Adriatic. Jasolo was a rocking town with a very nice beach. Most of the included breakfasts were very good and all were very acceptable. The hotels were also good, nothing special but certainly comfortable. Most of the hotel rooms were very small. Only reason I took off a star was I think I would have enjoyed it more if we were able to spend a stop over or two without a ride the next day. Since we typically arrived after 1 and sometimes closer to 2 or 3 we didn’t get to spend any significant relax time at the beaches. Overall I’d go again or do another trip. All was very well organized.

    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) ELHoo May 31, 2023

    A good first bike tour experience

    This was my first bike tour with a bike tour company, so I have nothing to compare it to. That said, it was pretty good. The person who presented the tour at our intro meeting was very nice and honest about what each day's route had in store for us. Bikes were OK, they suited the varied surfaces we rode on. The hotels varied from fine to nice. Luggage delivery was great. The towns we stayed at along the way all had something interesting about them. We were given an app, maps and cue sheets for navigation as well as arrow stickers along the route. We did not get lost, but I would suggest refreshing the faded arrows along the way. I would do another BikeTours.com tour.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    0
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) TF and DD NYC June 24, 2023

    Great destinations!

    A highlight of the trip was seeing all the different towns and cities along the way. The route varied from day to day – coastal paths, farmland and former border crossings. We stayed in modern seaside towns, ancient inland towns and cities. We even saw flamingos in the lagoon!

    The biking was challenging at times, with strong headwinds the first couple of days. We rode on roads, bike paths, dirt farm roads and raised dike walls. The navigation, directions and app were easy to follow, but many of the arrow stickers should be replaced. Bikes were standard hybrids, but note: step through bikes do not have water bottle cages!

    We opted for trains and boats when available. This allowed us to have more time to explore the towns, while still having plenty of biking. Each place we stayed was unique and a couple of the hotels were better than expected. It was nice visit the towns just before the summer season. There were many tourists, but not big crowds.

    We would recommend this trip to those who are confident riders. Plan to stay a couple of extra days in Venice and/or Porec if you can, as there is plenty to see and do!

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    5
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • Piran sunset (photo by TF and DD NYC)
    • Piran (photo by TF and DD NYC)
    • Exploring (photo by TF and DD NYC)
    • Dog cafe (photo by TF and DD NYC)
    • Boat from Trieste (photo by TF and DD NYC)
    • Along the way (photo by TF and DD NYC)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) Garbo 55 June 17, 2017

    With this being our very first bike tour, and we had chosen the self-guided option we found the adjustment to the directions a little difficult (some vital information was lost in translation) but having said that, there was an incredible sense of accomplishment after completing each day. We also were not prepared for the climate we encountered, we had looked at the temps. before we left and it looked like 22/24 C., but ended up being in the high 20's and low 30's, this really depleted our energy levels. The destinations could not have been more diverse with each one having its own unique quality we really enjoyed. They all had an amazing breakfast to start the day with and were very helpful with storing the bikes etc... The journey through the countryside and along the coast was so spectacular, our only wish I guess would have been to have had more time to enjoy each day. After our first couple of days we were a little overwhelmed with trying to stay on track rather then enjoying the moment. Having been home for a couple of weeks now however and looking back we would challenge ourselves again in a different place.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 27, 2017/June 3, 2017
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection