Bike Tour Reviews  Venice To Trieste And Istria


Venice to Trieste and Istria

COUNTRY: Croatia, Italy, Slovenia

7 nights
4.2/5 (25)
Rider Level: Recreational Electric bike tours
Rider Level: Recreational Electric bike tours

4.2/5 (25)
7 nights

Self guided from EUR € 699

Self-guided:
Wednesdays and Saturdays: Apr 17-Jul 27, 2024; Aug 28-Sep 28, 2024 (additional dates available for groups of 5 or more)

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 and Istria
    (3/5) Cycle2017 September 25, 2017

    Our Venice to Porec Challenge

    This tour proved to be more challenging than anticipated, partly due to torrential rains on 2 days and windy conditions most of the week. Concerns included long riding distances with limited facilities between some of the planned stops -e.g. -few restaurants or stores to purchase snacks and more water. The signage didn't always match the tour directions, creating confusion and likely longer rides than planned. The final day -70 km, with 50% uphill is a challenge for casual riders. Casual recreational riders will find some of the days long and some of the terrain challenging. The local provider provided excellent support when we were flooded out of a hotel and unable to ride due to area flooding, and also assisted with transportation for the final transfer when a member of the group was ill, and weather conditions were miserable. Despite this, our group, 3 recreational riders and 1 experienced rider, enjoyed visiting the beautiful cities along the route -when the weather cooperated.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 10-16
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    • 3/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 2/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) Two Michiganders November 4, 2015

    Lost in Translation

    This was our fourth tour with Bike Tours and the first with an Italian outfitter. Maybe that's where the trouble started.
    We're not novices to this kind of travel and expect to spend some time lost and wandering--that's okay--to some extent. The directions for this trip were oddly and sometimes poorly translated, and there were occasions that though we'd asked for the English version, the notes were in German. The sticker signage was missing and incorrect at several critical junctures--crossing into Croatia from Slovenia, for instance. I know we weren't the only people who missed it--others at the hotel mentioned the same confusion.
    I think that this part of Italy isn't quite as used to cycling (fewer cycle paths) and there were long stretches where we were riding with heavy traffic on 50-70k speed roads. The last day was very hilly (we were aware of this) and included some long slogs through unmarked Croatian campgrounds/resorts which were not mentioned in the directions. Despite the directions, knowing that you needed to be near the sea for most of the trip was helpful.
    Navigation being my only caution, this was a lovely and fun trip. The towns and sites along the way were quaint and it was relaxing when we were off the main roads. I appreciated the towns we stayed in, Sagittaria Concordia, Trieste and Piran were especially memorable for the sites and ambiance of each place. The ruins in Aguilia were amazing. The hotels were all excellent, breakfasts hearty and our bags were moved as promised.
    I'd recommend this to someone, but with caution regarding navigation.

    How many tours have you completed?
    Four
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • Jeselo, Italy (photo by Two Michiganders)
    • Day One. (photo by Two Michiganders)
    • Red farm house and fence, Italy. (photo by Two Michiganders)
    • After a rain, Sagittaria Concordia, Italy. (photo by Two Michiganders)
    • Crossing into Slovenia (photo by Two Michiganders)
    • Sunset in Porec, Croatia. (photo by Two Michiganders)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 1/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) Morgan Baumann 10 months ago

    Excellent Trails on which to explore a lovely part of Europe

    Traveling by bike is a wonderful way to enjoy a new place. Our accommodations were Excellent. Our guide, Tony, (with us for the first days), was first rate!- so helpful. A couple of concerns: I would not rate this as a 2 for regular bikes - even with variants, it was a lot of biking and I was disappointed not to arrive in towns sooner. Everyone in our group was similarly disappointed including those on e-bikes. I would have liked a more leisurely pace and instead the days felt rushed. The directions however were my biggest problem. For the most part they were poor. We lost so much time just trying to figure out where to go! Our last stage, into Porec was by far the easiest and so even though the ride itself was more challenging, we arrived in Porec in good time to enjoy the town. This last stage was easier because the red arrows were frequent and well placed all along the route. You only needed to glance at the map and the written directions and then just keep following the arrows. In contrast, on many of the other stages, the arrows were few and far between and often were Not where we needed to make a turn! We spent far too much time studying the map and having to reverse direction to get back on the route. It would also help if the directions noted if we were generally following a set route that was already mapped out by those small brown signs. Those signs were well placed and easy to follow.

  • (3/5) Rudy Paulich 6 months ago

    Italian coast Adventure

    Study maps and cue sheet as early on as possible for a smooth tour.
    I was unable to down load gps files as it said my device was to new.
    Files and info should be updated so all can download files and pertinent info on trip.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 3/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 2/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 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) TF and DD NYC 9 months ago

    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) 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) Suzanne Skinner 6 months ago

    Good but bikes poor

    The hotels were great. The app worked intermittently which meant we got lost with some frequency. The bikes were heavy, with crazy bad seats, and in generally poor condition (worn chains). We were lucky we did not have break downs.

  • (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) Todd Kadas 6 months ago

    Italian countryside, Slovenian coast, Croatian beaches. What more could you want?!

    This trip offered a nice mix of countryside and coastal routes with plenty of options to shorten or lengthen each day's itinerary. We were lucky enough to arrive in the second town on the same night as their annual grape harvest parade. So much fun! Tractors pulling floats, free wine, marching bands, and views from the restaurants on the street.
    We chose the self-guided option for this tour and met up with at least a dozen other cyclists who were doing the same. We were never alone, had amazing weather, and every day except for one (when we cycled too fast and didn't stop frequently enough), our bags were waiting for us on arrival at the hotel.

    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    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
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 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) Visitor42 July 4, 2019

    Unexperienced rider review

    That was nice and fun tour for me, however my girlfriend struggled a bit. It is not completely 2 stars. For example, last day is not plain at all and could be challenging for newbies without some experience (like myself).

    It would be nice to have shortcuts for every day of this tour.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Late june
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) ELHoo 10 months ago

    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) 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) 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
  • (5/5) Thomas Carr 6 months ago

    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) 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) 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) 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