Bicycle travel · Europe de l'Est

Hi, has anyone recently bought Primus or Butagaz gas, possibly puncture-style, in Dubrovnik or the surrounding area? Same question for Albania... thanks. aichatou

hi, I'm planning a recumbent bike trip from the Pyrenees to Greece. On the EuroVelo 8 route, it doesn't specify the path through the Alps. Are there any experienced cyclists here who can tell me where they go to avoid climbing too high? Also, is there another traveler/bike forum better suited for broadening the responses? thanks

Hi there, We’re heading to three islands in March (Paros, Milos, and Sifnos). Given their small size and lack of major elevation, we’d love to explore them by bike. However, I can’t find any bike rental shops on any of these islands. Has anyone done this before and have any recommendations or addresses? Thanks so much in advance!

Hi there! Every year, we go on a cycling trip abroad with panniers, lasting about two weeks. We stay in step lodgings, guesthouses, and the like. We mostly take small roads and really enjoyed northern Montenegro and Albania last year.

We’d love to hear from anyone who’s cycled in these countries before: tips on finding quiet roads, highlights of the regions we’ll pass through, how welcoming the locals are, and so on. Thanks in advance for any replies or exchanges!

Good evening, I’m planning a solo bike road trip along the EuroVelo 6, starting from Orléans all the way to Budapest, beginning May 1st, 2026! Question: Have any of you used the Warmshowers site, and if so, I’d love to hear your thoughts on using this app—whether responses to hosting requests are generally satisfying, especially for the different countries I’ll be crossing! Thanks in advance for your tips! Philippe

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a bike trip to cycle around the Baltic Sea (gravel). Starting from Rostock. I’d love to hear from any cyclists who’ve ridden through the countries involved—especially tips on wild camping spots, must-see areas, and where to stock up on supplies, etc.

Thanks in advance!

Hi there, I’m planning to cycle the EuroVelo 8 route from Nice to Izmir in Turkey (about 2,500 km), but I’m not finding much info or tips for this itinerary.

I’d like to leave at the end of September and complete the route in a max of 2 months, as self-sufficiently as possible (I have a tent, sleeping bag, and camping cookware).

Is this a good idea (will it be too cold starting in October)?

Are there any precautions I should take? Any areas to avoid? Since multiple countries are involved.

And are there any places worth visiting that aren’t on the main route?

I’m used to cycle touring in France but not abroad, so I’d appreciate any tips!

Thanks in advance.

Hello fellow cycle-tourers! First post on this site for our first big family cycling adventure with our two teens (12 and 16 years old) over 2 months. We're preparing to leave in June/July from Erdeven by bike, then take the train from Auray to Paris, followed by a FlixBus from Paris to Copenhagen with our 4 bikes. After that, we're looking to refine our route: Should we go to Sweden via Helsingborg and then head up to Stockholm along the west or east coast? Maybe passing through the Gotland islands, then via the Åland Islands, why not Turku? Then off to Estonia to Tallinn, ride a bit along the coast, and return by bus if we can find one that takes 4 bikes. :))

Could you share any tips on routes in Sweden: west coast or east coast to prioritize in the south? We’ve heard it’s a shame not to go up to Norway, but we’re worried about the elevation and don’t see how to make a loop work in our 2 months / 1500 km. Any ideas? And the southern Finnish coast: should we go all the way to Helsinki or not? Maybe at the expense of Estonia?

In short, we know choosing means giving something up, but if we can do it with advice from fellow cyclists, that would be amazing! Thanks in advance for your tips! Anne-Sophie and the whole Breton family: David, Axel, and Maude

We're planning to cycle through Slovenia on touring bikes from July 14th to August 14th. We're used to camping, but I get the feeling there are large areas without campsites. Is wild camping allowed? If not, is it easy to stay with locals?

Could you tell me about the must-see spots in Slovenia? I'm thinking of finishing in Istria, at a seaside campsite to relax and enjoy the sea. Is it pretty quiet there?

Thanks so much, Mireille.

Hi, I’m traveling from Budapest to Belgrade. I had a map up to Budapest. If you have a marked route (Route 6) starting from Budapest, that’d really help me out since the signage is pretty poor. Thanks

Hi everyone,

With summer just around the corner, I’m looking for ideas for organized bike trips in France or Italy. I’m pretty used to traveling independently, but this time I’d like to try something more structured—either in a small group or with minimal logistics (accommodations booked, luggage transport, etc.).

I’m open to different difficulty levels, as long as the setting is pleasant (countryside, seaside, well-known routes, or even a bit more off-the-beaten-path). If you’ve already tried this kind of trip or have good recommendations for agencies or providers, I’d love to hear them!

Thanks in advance for your tips! 🚴‍♂️☀️

Hi there,

We're planning to ride the EuroVelo 6 by tandem this summer for two weeks (16 days).

We're torn between two routes: Passau-Budapest or Vienna-Belgrade. A third option could also be to go from Prague to Vienna and then continue to Budapest.

Which route would you recommend? Is the EuroVelo really crowded in the summer?

Thanks so much,

Camille

Assalamu 'alaykum, Hi everyone,

This thread is to echo some posts I’ve read on this forum while researching a potential bike trip from Annecy to Mecca. I came across several discussions where members mentioned being very interested in cycling to the holy city.

So, God willing, I plan to attempt this journey from January to June next year. The idea is to head to Turkey first, then assess the most reasonable routes based on the geopolitical situation around Palestine and as far as Iraq. Since the Turkish-Syrian border is closed, the only remaining (and I mean *only* remaining) overland option would be to go through Iraqi Kurdistan, Iraq, then Jordan, and finally Saudi Arabia.

That’s the first major challenge of this project. The second is timing. Due to the schedule, I’ll be starting in the middle of winter across Europe and finishing in the peak of summer in Saudi Arabia. If I’d had a choice, I’d have waited a good dozen years—but well, twelve years...

I won’t go into too much detail about the planned route in this post, but here are the broad strokes already set: Annecy to Istanbul. The rest is a bit too far ahead to map out properly. Crossing the Italian border via the Montgenèvre Pass. Straight through northern Italy as quickly as possible (not necessarily very pleasant) to reach Ljubljana. The fastest route through Croatia to spend as much time as possible in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Serbia via the Sandžak region. It crosses the Pešter plateau, which intimidates me at this time of year—its nickname, the "Siberia of the Balkans," says it all... Then Kosovo, North Macedonia, Greece, and Turkey.

I’m open to any advice on this itinerary. The choice was made to pass through as many Muslim-majority regions as possible. In the middle of winter in the Balkans, I don’t feel mentally up to bivouacking alone in that climate. So, I’ll try to find accommodations in mosques or even with locals as much as possible.

That’s the project in a nutshell. The big catch—some of you may have already noticed—is that I’m doing this solo. Yet, this is strongly discouraged by our Prophet—peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. So, I invite anyone interested in joining this project, whether closely or from afar, to reach out and contact me. Any contribution is welcome, whether it’s company for the whole journey (one can always hope!) or just part of it. Advice, contact suggestions, places to stay, and information about Hajj or Umrah are also appreciated.

Thanks for reading this far. I’ll try to check my VoyageForum account from time to time to see if anyone has responded to this thread and will happily reply to your messages and questions.

Take care, Assalamu'alaykum.

Sam

Hi there, I’m interested in guides and maps for the Vienna/Budapest and Budapest/Belgrade stretches. We’re planning to leave from Passau to Belgrade in early August.

I’m leaving from Munich in May to reach Bran (Dracula’s Castle in Romania). The plan: crossing Austria, Hungary (via Lake Balaton), and Romania (through the Carpathians). The idea is to avoid following the EuroVelo 6 route.

Do you have any route ideas in Austria to get to Hungary? I get the feeling there aren’t many options for taking secondary networks, and most routes follow valleys carved out by major road axes.

Thanks for your ideas and experiences biking in Austria!

Cheers,

Hi there, No recent discussion here on the topic (2025). Anyone else interested?

hi,

so glad the site’s open for discussion again...

I’m planning a trip on a recumbent bike. Has anyone here tried recumbents with e-assist? I went for this option because climbing mountains is tough without a boost—probably going with a mid-drive motor.

Also, anyone up for joining a stretch of the route heading toward Greece at the end of 2025?

welcome

Hi! I’d like to cycle from Basel to Budapest in August and then take the train back to Besançon. Which website should I use to book, and how far in advance do I need to reserve my tickets?

Thanks for your help!

hi everyone

It's still just a plan, but I'm considering traveling to Antalya in Turkey in autumn 2025 using the following route: - From France to the Croatian coast (route not yet defined) - "Down" the Croatian coast, Montenegro, Albania, and Greece. - Crossing the Peloponnese to Kalamata - Ferry to Kissamos (Crete) - Crossing Crete and ferry from Sitia to Rhodes - Tour of Rhodes and crossing to Fethiye (Turkey) - Connection to Antalya

If anyone has already taken this route, I’d love to hear any tips or advice. For now, I don’t have info on ferries for September and October—have you taken them? Do they allow bikes? Top

Hello,

I’m planning to cycle from Paris to Prague in three weeks. It’s the worst time of year temperature-wise, especially since I’m pretty sensitive to the cold. But I don’t have a choice about either the timing or the destination (it’s a break between two jobs that just happens to fall during this period, and I’m heading to Prague to meet friends for a specific event in mid-February).

So it’s going to be *very* cold. And while I’ve done a few relaxed one- to two-week bike trips before, I’ve never cycled in winter. That’s why I’d love your advice on two things! :)

1- Accommodation along the route On my previous trips, the weather was more forgiving, so I always brought my tent and didn’t have to worry about accommodation logistics. But this time, it’s a whole different story—I won’t be able to sleep outside (too cold + it gets dark too early). So I need to plan all my lodging in advance.

I’ve looked at a few existing threads about cycling from Paris to Prague, but they all focus on campsites/tents since the timing allowed for outdoor sleeping. Does anyone know: 1- If those campsites, which seem to be fairly evenly spaced along the route, have winter facilities (I assume most close in winter, but you never know)? This is especially important for the German and Czech sections (I’ll be fine in France). 2- How easy it is to find affordable youth hostels everywhere, and if so, whether I should book them in advance?

2- Winter cycling gear Since I’ve never cycled in winter before, I don’t have the right gear. I’m particularly concerned about gloves and shoes, since my extremities will take a beating. What shoes would you recommend for temperatures around 0°C? I don’t plan to cycle in winter again after this, and all my other trips have been in regular running shoes, which worked just fine for me. So I’d prefer not to spend a fortune on super technical gear that I’ll only use once. But I also don’t want to skimp on cold protection—being freezing could ruin the whole trip. So if the only solution is "super technical" shoes, I’ll go for it.

> What shoes do you wear or recommend for simple bike trips that keep your feet warm and dry? > Does the overshoe option (over a pair of regular sneakers, for example) seem like a good solution? (I just discovered overshoes—I have no idea how effective they are.) If so, are Decathlon’s overshoes good enough, or should I go to a specialty bike shop?

Thanks so much!

(Oops, sorry for the novel...)

Bonjour 🙂 Je prépare actuellement une traversée de l'Europe et de l'Asie à vélo (départ prévu pour Avril 2021 sauf si contre-indication du COVID).

Je me pose aujourd'hui la question du choix de la tente qui m'accompagnera. Pour mettre un peu de contexte, je vais voyager seul, pour une durée indéterminée et je compte dormir 100% du temps en tente (camping sauvage tous les soirs).

Je me suis déjà renseigné de mon côté et voici mes attentes quant au choix de la tente : - suffisament d'espace pour pouvoir accueillir mes sacoches et moi (donc tentes 2 places) - au moins une abside permettant de stocker un peu de matériel et surtout de pouvoir allumer mon réchaud (même si c'est pas très conseillé) en cas de forte pluie - capable de me protéger de la pluie (même en cas de grosse averse durant toute une nuit - forcément, je serais regardant sur le poids de la tente (je me fixe un 3 kg grand max) -je n'ai aucune contrainte de prix

Après avoir écumé les blogs de de voyageurs et sites de ventes en ligne, j'en suis arrivé à la conclusion que la tente Hubba Hubba NX de MSR semblait être un choix judicieux : https://www.aventurenordique.com/tente-msr-hubba-hubba-nx.html

J'aimerais cependant avoir votre avis quant au choix de cette tente. Avez-vous déja eu l'occasion de la tester en condition de voyage réel ? Quels sont vos retours (surtout les points négatifs) ?

Ma plus grosse inquiétude repose sur l'imperméabilité (1200 mm pour le double toit et 3000 mm pour le sol). N'étant pas un fin connaisseur, ces caractéristiques vous semblent-elles suffisantes pour pouvoir passer la nuit au sec en cas de gros orages qui persisterait toute la nuit ? J'ai vu qu'il est possible d'ajouter une bâche de sol supplémentaire ? (est ce là un choix ou un élément supreflus ?)

J'ai également une 2ème interrogation quant au stockage de mon vélo la nuit. Le fait de laisser le vélo dehors ne risque t-il pas de l'endommager sur le long terme ? Comment faites vous habituellement ? Laissez-vous le vélo dehors sans protection, ajoutez vous- une bâche ? Ou préférez-vous vous munir d'une tente avec une plus grande abside pour pouvoir le rentrer dedans ?

Cordialement, 🙂

Bonjour, je cherche des personnes pouvant m'aider à préparer mon périple : relier Bourg-en-bresse (Ain) jusqu'a Auschwitz (Pologne). Quels itinéraires (eurovelo6 et 4 ??)

Bonjour, je comptais partir en Inde cet automne, mais je crois qu'avec le Covid (ou la covid), ça va devoir être repoussé à l'année prochaine donc je cogitais ou partir cet automne/hiver. et je me suis souvenu de ce pays incroyable que j'avais traversé lors de mon road trip en Croatie il y a 2 ans. et ou je n'avais malheureusement pas pu m'arrêter. mais qui m'avais subjugué par la beauté de ses paysages je connais peu la Slovénie donc ce que j'aimerais savoir, c'est ou je peux aller une dizaine de jours pour faire du VTT en forêt, et du shooting animalier, un endroit sauvage donc. tout en bénéficiant de températures clémentes, pour pouvoir faire du vélo sans avoir à enfiler la doudoune Je compte partir début septembre, car après je redoute qu'il ne fasse trop froid Je pensais à Kocevje qui apparemment est au milieu d'un parc d'état immense. mais il y a quelques montagnes là-bas. qu'en pensez-vous. ce sera pas trop frais en septembre comment dit-on Bonjour, merci, au revoir en Slovène, avec quelle prononciation et pensez vous que la bombe lacrymo pour les ours est une bonne idée, ou too much? J'emporterai le répulsif anti-tiques ça je sais 😄

Le réseau Eurovélo devient réseau transeuropéen de transport à l'égal des réseaux routiers et ferroviaire. Bientôt ?

https://ecf.com/news-and-events/news/eurovelo-and-ten-t-network-tandem-fight

Bonjour, Nous projetons ma compagne et moi de parcourir la cote croate à vélo au mois d'aout. Je sais bien qu'aout n'est pas la meilleure période mais avec une femme enseignante on a pas le choix. L'idée serait d'aller à Rijeka en voiture , de la laisser sur place et de continuer vers Dubrovnik à vélo. Ensuite je me demandais s'il était possible de revenir en train a notre point de départ et si les vélos pouvaient y prendre place. Je suis preneur de vos expériences cyclistes dans ce pays. En attendant de vous lire, bonne après midi !

Destination choisie: ce sera la roumanie! Apres le kirghizistan l'été dernier, nous reprenons nos velos pour la roumanie. le depart est fixé le 9 aout, pour 3 semaines avec 2 adultes et Noam (9 ans). Pour l'instant, pas d'itinéraire de fixé. Nous partirons de Bucarest..... et pensons passer par le chateau de Dracula puis suivre le delta du Danube. Par contre nous sommes à la recherche de toute info, idee, bon plan..... de visite, de resto, de bivouac...... a bientot karen

Bonjours a tous ! Je pars pour l'eurovelo 6 le 18 juin depuis Bâle jusqu'en Roumanie en comptant un rythme sympathique de 60 a 80km par jours en moyenne , avec bien-sûr des arrêts pour profiter des endroit les plus sympa a visiter , je vise environ 3 mois pour arriver a Constanta avant de reprendre le chemin du retour , objectif de ce périple : plaisir , aventure et Liberté en camping , camping sauvage et de temps en temps un bon lit 😋 si quelqu'un veux m'accompagner , n'hésitez pas a me contacter 🙂

Bonjour,

Nous prévoyons de traverser la Croatie en vélo cet été, pour cela nous laisserions notre voiture à Rijeka mi-juillet avant de la retrouver mi-août après être remonté en bus depuis le sud du pays. Est-ce que vous sauriez ce qu'il existe comme solution de parking longue durée à Rijeka ou dans ses environs sans que cela ne coûte une fortune ? Difficile de trouver ce genre d'informations dans les guides de voyage...

Merci et bonne journée

Caroline & Jérémie

bonjour, nous envisageons de partir en Slovénie en voiture jusqu'a Lubljana et ensuite à vélo +bagages rejoindre la cote et prolonger en Croatie (Istrie) et retour Lubjljana Quelqu'un a t-il déjà fait ça merci pr les infos ( nbr kms /cartes /pistes cyclables etc..) Ou laisser la voiture en sécurité à Lubjlana?

merçi d'avance marcello

Hello,

C'est un peu la question qu'on se pose et qui nous oblige à revoir nos plans, pour l'instant c'est très flou, visiblement ce ne serait pas avant Septembre voir même pas envisageable cette année, mais si vous avez des infos de ce côté là n'hésitez pas à les partager.

Gilles