Ride Description:

 

Cycle through the heart of Europe through parts of the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. Our route meanders by castles, through rustic villages, and along waterways as we enjoy the former territories of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The highlights include UNESCO heritage Sites, national parks, and wine making regions. Prague and Budapest International airports make for easy access to our start and finish locations.

Tour Fees & Bike Rentals

Cost of tour is €2850, payable to Sitnica Tourist Agency (details for payment will be sent after participant selection). Single supplement price is €900 and this option may be limited due to hotel room constraints.

Bike rentals are €340 for hybrid bikes; €650 for ebikes, payable to Sitnica Tourist Agency.

About the Tour Company

Alen Augustin, the owner/operator of Sitnica Travel Agency, lives in Croatia.  He has provided many tours for CCCTS members in past years, including Croatia, Munich to Venice, Portugal, Spain, Sloenia, and Prague to Budapest. Alen and those working with him have done a fantastic job with every tour they have led for our club and our club members.

Accommodation Reservations:

Accommodation is based on two sharing a Double/Twin room on basis of either B&B or HB in 3 and 4 star hotels/guesthouses/B&B.

• All breakfasts and six dinners included – see meals included below.
• Costs are based on two people sharing. Single supplement is €900. If you are travelling solo and would like a roommate, we will attempt to find one for you after the lottery closes. Please inform the Tour Coordinator when you register whether you want a single room or are looking for a roommate since it affects the number and type of rooms needed.  If you are sharing with another person, make sure to sign up as a Couple with that person.

 

 

Riding Conditions:

Intermediate/Advanced

• For those who cycle regularly. Includes some steep climbs and distances of between 50-100 kms per day.
• You ride quite regularly and enjoy cycling as one of your forms of exercise. Your rides occasionally see you spending the day in the saddle exploring routes of up to 100 kms which take in some steep climbs. If you’re generally fit and manage to ride regularly, this could be the level for you.
• Climbing Level – Average Daily Climbing Required – between 500 and 1000 m.
• Most of the riding will be on paved roads and paths with some unpaved sections.  Due to the unpaved sections, skinny road tires are not recommended.
• Refer to the daily itinerary for more information on distances and elevation.

Fee Includes:

• Accommodation – 18 nights based on two persons sharing a room
• Meals: All breakfasts and 6 dinners
• Supporting vehicle + luggage transport (also bike boxes)
• Water, fruit, snacks and energy bars on the van
• English speaking cycling guide and driver
• GPS data / maps through Ride with GPS
• SITNICA liability Insurance- though each participant should have their own medical insurance
• Basic technical assistance
• 1 wine tasting
• 1 beer tasting

Fee Does Not Include:

• All other dinners as stated in proposal
• Lunches (buy or sit down in a restaurant/cafe/picnic in nature!!)
• Transfers on free days
• Single supplement is €900 for a single room
• Bike rental
• Tour coordinator fee (waived)
• Arrival transfers from airport to Prague
• Departure transfers to airport
• Health Medical Insurance
• Travel or trip cancellation insurance
• Tips for contractor, staff or guides

 

Itinerary:

B = Breakfast included, D = Dinner included

Day 1: 18.08

First official day of the tour. Prague, City of a Hundred Spires, a UNESCO monument and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Get to know it in person!

On Day 1, we’ll meet with Alen (our guide and owner of Sitnica Travel Agency), receive a briefing and sort out our rental bikes.  There will be a Welcome Dinner with traditional Czech food.  

• D

Day 2 : 19.08

Prague – Benesov (approx. 70 km/760 m ∆ – 6% unpaved)

Cycle through Central Bohemia, a region where splendid castles and chateaux await you.  There are valleys of several rivers, mining museums, silver mines and enchanting countryside to view!

We finish the day in Benesov, the town known for Konopiste castle .

• B/D
  

Day 3 : 20.08

Benesov – Tabor (approx. 82 kms/1130 m ∆ -2% unpaved)

Visit a chateau where one of the first electric lifts, electricity and plumbing mains were installed! Walk through the sitting rooms and guest rooms, the dining room and armoury and imagine yourself for a moment in the life of the chateau before World War One. 

The day ends in Tábor – an ideal medieval city . A labyrinth of medieval streets, monumental city walls, and a fascinating history. You’ll find all this in the South Bohemian city of Tábor, founded in the 15th century as a model of the perfect city, where everyone is equal.

• B

Day 4 : 21.08

Tabor – Hluboka nad Vltavou (approx. 57 kms / 660 m ∆ – 1% unpaved )

South Bohemia is a dream paradise for holidays whether you decide to spend time sightseeing or relaxing. The countryside here offers endless possibilities for visiting places of natural beauty, but also has lots of historical monuments and great conditions for cycling and water sports. A great tip for romance is the neo-Gothic Hluboká Chateau .

Hluboka nad Vltavou has a place in Czech history because, amongst other things, King Václav II had his enemy Závis of Falkenstejn executed there in 1290 .

• B
  

Day 5 : 22.08

Hluboka – Cesky Krumlov (approx 63 kms/780 m ∆ – 0% unpaved)

Today we arrive in the Czech Renaissance gem, Ceský Krumlov. Poetically called the Gate to Sumava, this is a town where you either want to live in or at least visit repeatedly. The town is  surrounded with meanders of the Vltava River and used to be a seat of many powerful Bohemian families. Today, there is a protected monument reservation in the centre, a large collection of the work of Egon Schiele, a fascinating photo studio, and one of the most beautiful castles and chateaus in the Czech Republic. Thanks to its unique preserved medieval core, Český Krumlov is included on the UNESCO list. Get to know Krumlov and fall in love with it.

• B

Day 6 : 23.08

Free day in Krumlov.

• B
  

Day 7 : 24.08

Cesky Krumlov – Jindrichuv Hradec (approx. 80 kms / 730 m ∆ – 4% unpaved)

The listed landscape of Třeboňsko, a part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves, can be found in South Bohemia, in the flatlands between Jindřichův Hradec, Tábor and Ceské Budějovice. Here you will find hundreds of ponds, rivers and canals, gradually built up from the 15th century. The elegant Renaissance chateau mirrored in the Vajgar Pond has been the symbol of Jindřichův Hradec for hundreds of years.

• B/D
  

Day 8 : 25.08

Jindrichuv Hradec – Telc (approx. 45 kms / 625 ∆ – 1% unpaved )

Jindřichův Hradec is not only a city of unique historical monuments but also a gateway to the park of Czech Canada. This protected natural area got its name from the character of the local landscape . We finish the day in Telc. It would be hard to imagine a more fairytale-like little town than Telc. A square which looks like it has come straight from the stories of Hans Christian Andersen, with a romantic chateau and crystal clear fishponds surrounding the city. Telč is the most perfect example of the Italian Renaissance north of the Alps and a town with one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. It is rightly thus also part of UNESCO world heritage.

• B
• OPTION FOR BEER TASTING
  

Day 9 : 26.08

Telc – Znojmo (approx. 90 kms / 1040 m ∆ – 3% unpaved)

The Znojmo wine region lies in the rain shadow and on the foothills of the Bohemia-Moravian Highland, whose stony soils are excellent for the cultivation of Riesling, Grüner Veltliner and in certain parts and wine villages (Dolni Kounice even) for red varieties such as Blaufränkisch and Pinot Noir. Znojmo – a marvellous, historic town in an imposing setting above the Dyje River . The historic town centre with its numerous churches, all surrounded by mediaeval city walls, has preserved its Renaissance look and is full of crooked lanes, romantic views and picturesque nooks and crannies.

• B

Day 10 : 27.08

Znojmo – Mikulov ( approx. 72 kms / 345 m ∆ – 2% unpaved)

This is a wine region that spreads along the border with Austria in the vicinity of an ancient wine town Znojmo that played an important role in Czech history and whose name has given the name to the whole wine region. Mikulov is a beautiful town amidst vineyards. You could hardly find a town with a more beautiful position than Mikulov. It is spread on the last hills of the Pálava Mountains and surrounded with vineyards. This is the centre of the Mikulov vineyard sub-area and wine is everywhere – in the scenic historical streets and in the chateau. The Mikulov wine sub-region and its wines is characterized by the limestone soil found in the Palava Highlands. The vineyards are spread mostly along the hillsides and slopes of the Highlands producing predominantly white wines with distinctive fruit driven aroma, minerality and refreshing acidity.

• B
  

Day 11 : 28.08

Mikulov – Poysdorf  in Austria (approx. 44 kms / 530 m ∆ – 7% unpaved)

There are not many places in the world which have received such care as the elegant area around the spectacular Lednice and Valtice chateaux. An absolutely unique park has been created here over the centuries, full of rare tree species, romantic little buildings, fishponds and beautiful little corners. The Lednice-Valtice Complex, which has been included in the UNESCO list, is known as the Garden of Europe to this very day.

Poysdorf in Austria , our destination for tonight as the center of the Weinviertel triangle, is not only a wine metropolis, but also a paradise for recreational athletes. 

• B/D
• WINE TASTING INCLUDED
  

Day 12 : 29.08

Poysdorf – Bratislava in Slovak Republic (approx. 94 kms / 600 m ∆ – 21% unpaved)

The Capital of the Slovak Republic BRATISLAVA, also referred to as the Beauty on the Danube, can not only boast interesting history but it also is the centre of the most dynamically developing region of central Europe at present. A modern city on the Danube in which centuries old history combines with an exciting present.

• B
  

Day 13 : 30.08

Free day in Bratislava.  There is lots to do and see in the social and cultural life of the region.  Bratislava is home to several universities, museums, theatres and galleries.

• B
  

Day 14 : 31.08

Bratislava – Gols (Austria) (approx. 76 kms / 350 m ∆ – 7% unpaved)

Back to Austria, cycling around the Neusiedle Lake. The market and wine-growing community of Gols is located in the Austrian state of Burgenland and belongs to the Neusiedl am See district. As a wine-growing place, it is mainly known to wine lovers.

• B
  

Day 15 : 01.09

Gols (Austria) – Gyor (Hungary) (approx. 73 kms / 350 m ∆ – 0% unpaved)

Back to Hungary. Venture into the city of rivers: Győr and the surrounding area, a plethora of miracles to be discovered. Hungary’s north-western region is rich in natural treasures and monuments: the city of Győr and Pannonhalma Abbey, as well as the wildlife in Szigetköz are sure to enchant you. The Old Town, the historical town centre, is situated at the junction of the Danube and Rába rivers. The town centre has managed to protect its historical character.

• B
  

Day 16 : 02.09

Gyor – Tata (approx. 70 kms / 280 m ∆ – 16% unpaved)

Tata is among those rare cities that engrave themselves in your heart straight away, whether you’re young, old, man or woman. A real gem at the border of the Gerecse and Vértes mountains. There are two larger lakes in the city: Lake Öreg (Old) and Lake Cseke. The large lakes, streams, channels and hot water springs colour the city, and you can have a great walk among them, admiring the water-mills ands dams built on the water.

• B/D

Day 17 : 03.09

Tata – Visegrad (approx. 74 kms / 480 m ∆ – 3% unpaved)

The Danube Cycle Path is one of the most scenic cycling routes in Europe. It extends for about 1,200 kilometers from Donaueschingen in Germany to the Hungarian capital of Budapest.

The Citadel of Visegrád will take you back to the Middle Ages. The Renaissance palace of King Matthias I comes alive with knight tournaments and a host of authentic accessories. All of this is topped with the breath-taking views from the citadel, from where you can see the whole Danube Bend.

• B

Day 18 : 04.09

Visegrad – Budapest (approx. 50 kms / 250 m ∆ – 6% unpaved)

Short day into Budapest and enjoy the aftetrnoon in a fantastic city.

A city in a stunning natural setting with a rich architectural and historical heritage, offering an unmatched combination of culture, fine cuisine and thermal baths; Budapest — with the majestic Danube in the middle. Buda, with its romantic atmosphere on one side, and Pest, a dynamic cultural center on the other.

• B
• FAREWELL DINNER INCLUDED.

Day 19 : 05.09

DEPARTURES

• B

Registration and Participant Selection:

Registration will be on the CCCTS website on the date shown.  A computerized lottery system and waitlist will be utilized in the event that the ride is over-subscribed. A $100.00 Cdn payment is required at the time of registration. The lottery signup will run for 7 days, after which the Tour Coordinator will review the results. The selection process will consider the following criteria in evaluating candidates:

• fitness, riding ability and experience required for the tour,
• a history of demonstrating safe riding practices, and
• acceptable social behaviour.

The Tour Coordinator may interview riders or others who know them to verify their suitability for the tour. The Tour Coordinator also has the option to prioritize 30% of the tour applicants up to a maximum of 6 people.

• the Tour Coordinator will notify registrants of their selection status. If the ride is not filled to capacity, registration will continue until the closing date shown.
• tour member selection is done primarily by lottery results, but the Tour Coordinator will have the final decision on who is accepted or not for the tour.

Dates and Amounts for Tour Payments

• After notification that you have been selected for the tour, you will be given instructions on how to make payments to Sitnica Travel Agency.
• A deposit of €1000 is due January 15, 2025 + single supplement if applicable (€900).
• Second payment of €1850 is due April 15, 2025
• Fees for bike rental, (€340 Hybrid, €650 e-bike ) if applicable, are due in cash upon arrival at the start of the tour

Tour Cancellation by Sitnica

Sitnica reserves the right to cancel the trip for reasons beyond their control or if the minimum number needed to operate the tour has not been met. Sitnica will advise you of this no later than 14 days prior to departure. In that case, your payments will be fully refunded.

Tour Cancellation by the Participant

The registration fee is non-refundable when a member withdraws from the tour. If a replacement can't be found, refunds for tour fees paid will be in accordance with Sitnica's cancellation policy, as stated below.

Cancellations must be made in writing to the Tour Coordinator and to Sitnica Travel Agency (sitnica@pu.t-com.hr or info@sitnica.t). The following charges will apply:

• 90-76 days before departure 10% (May 20 - June 3, 2025)
• 75-59 days before departure 30% (June 4 - June 20, 2025)
• 58-45 days before departure 40% (June 21 - July 4, 2025)
• 44-15 days before departure 80% (July 5 - Aug 3, 2025)
• less than 15 days before departure 100% (Aug 4 - Aug 18, 2025)

Communicable Illness Information

• The CCCTS Commicable Illness Policy takes intoconsideration regulations from the Public Health Authority of Canada, BC Centre of Disease Control, and Public Health Ontario.  In the case of illness while on tour, it is expected that all participants will follow the procedures outlined in this policy.  Please refer to https:cccts.org/club-document/communicable-illness / updated March 30, 2024 for details on the club's communicable illness policy.
• CCCTS strongly encourages all participants to be up-to-date on their vaccinations for COVID and all other communicable diseases.
• Everyone should bring 3 Covid test kits with them on the tour and take responsibility for self-testing if they feel ill.

Air Travel Emissions

A return flight from Vancouver to Europe is approximately 18,000 km and will produce about 3.5 Tonnes of total emissions per person. For comparison, one year of driving a gasoline-powered car produces 2.0 Tonnes of total emissions. For more information on the impact of those emissions on climate change and extreme weather events, see https://cccts.org/club-document/air-travel-emissions-from-cccts-tours/.

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