Frequently Asked Questions
(as answered by our tour partner)
What are your most popular cycling vacations?
Our bestselling Czech Republic bicycle tour is Greenways from Vienna to Prague. It has a high
density of points of interest as well as varied landscapes along the route.
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Do you have a brochure I can look at?
Yes. We have a full-color brochure detailing more about our tours. It is available to
download in a PDF format. If you give us your address, we will mail you a hard copy.
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Can I get some references from someone who has traveled with you?
Yes, you can. Let us know which route you are interested in. If we
cannot find someone willing to provide references for a particular route, we can put you in
contact with someone else who has done a tour with us. They can give you an idea about
the organization of our tours. It is worth checking out the external websites and reports of
people who have been on our tours listed on our Testimonials page.
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Can I get travel insurance through you?
Unfortunately not, you are responsible for your own travel and health insurance.
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Do I need a passport or visa for a bicycle tour in the Czech Republic?
The Czech Republic joined the European Union in May 2004.
We recommend double-checking with the Czech embassy in your home country to see if you will need to present a valid passport or ID card.
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What is the standard of your accommodations?
We book a minimum of quality, comfortable 3-star hotels and pensions. All the rooms have
private bathrooms. The accommodation is centrally located, in the old town center if not
on the square itself. The hotels and pensions are often in historical buildings and because
of this, many do not have a lift. In the smaller towns and villages we use the best available
accommodation in town.
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I do not have enough time for the full tour. Can you shorten the itinerary for me?
Email us detailing how much time you have, how many km you
could cycle in a day and your preferences of places to visit. We only customize self-guided
tours on the routes our tours cover. In most cases, we will be able to design a shorter
itinerary for you. Sometimes, due to logistical reasons, this will not be possible.
Many people want to shorten a tour by riding the equivalent or two or more days in one.
While this is possible, we do not recommend it. If you are thinking to shorten a tour and
have some ambitious daily cycling km, then consider the following. First, you will be
following a route you have never done before. This will require you to stop more often and
check the map and route descriptions. Second, riding in Central European terrain will be
different than at home. Third, the weather may not be ideal all the time. All these factors
can significantly reduce your average cycling speed and increase the time it takes to cycle
the daily distance.
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What comes with the bikes?
All bikes are equipped with mudguards, rear luggage rack, bar ends, bell, rear light, clips
and water bottle holder. We also provide free of charge: helmet, pannier bags, handlebar
bag, cyclocomputer, repair tools, puncture repair kit, inner tube, pump, water bottle and
lock.
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Can I bring my own pedals / saddle / helmet?
We provide all of the above but feel free to bring your own. On our reservation form, there
is a space to let us know you are bringing these. We will bring the tools to attach pedals
and saddle to the bike.
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Can I bring my own bike?
Yes, feel free to bring your own bike. However, we do not give any tour discount if you do.
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How far will I cycle each day?
The daily cycling distance varies from 30 - 70 km (19 – 45 miles) per day. Bicycle tours
with flatter terrain have longer daily cycling distances. On challenging tours with serious
hills, we shorten the daily cycling miles.
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Will I be fit enough for the tour?
We rate our tours as Easy, Moderate, and Challenging.
Easy – the bike tour follows a course of a river, usually downstream; the terrain profile is
almost level. Beginner bikers can easily travel the route.
Moderate – the bike tour is evenly distributed over hilly terrain and less demanding flat
parts; 1 or 2 more challenging days of ascents and descents (crossing a mountain range).
The route is suitable for recreational cyclists who ride regularly at home.
Challenging - only 1 or 2 easy days; the rest of the route is challenging in terms of
terrain: several highland or mountain ranges to be crossed during the tour, with long, steep
climbs. The route is suitable for well-trained recreational cyclists or accomplished sports
enthusiasts, who will enjoy the very difficulty of the terrain.
We recommend looking at the daily cycling miles on the detailed tour itineraries and
checking out the route profile for each tour on this website. It is important to get saddle
time in before you go on distances and hilly terrain comparable to the tour you have
chosen. Being fit and being a fit cyclist are different things.
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What are the routes like – paved or off-road?
Most routes are on paved third-class roads - backroads. Some sections are on dedicated,
paved cycling paths, which are a joy to cycle on. Other sections are on forest tracks or
off-road, light-gravel paths, both of which may also be cycling trails. All of the routes can
be handled by our TREK 7300FX, hybrid bikes.
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How hilly is the terrain?
All of our tour pages have a route contour profile, including a map of the route.
We make a distinction between mountainous hills (hills that you will encounter near a
mountain range) and rolling hills (a nice-sounding word for all others, but hills that you
would normally expect anywhere). Our Moderate tours have rolling hills, but only our
Challenging tours have mountainous hills.
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Are the roads and routes you use safe?
You will ride mainly on paved, third-class roads. These are backroads and have the
minimum amount of traffic. Although this traffic consists of traffic between villages, you
still have to be vigilant (as you would be on any road). Sometimes a route goes on a busier
road. This is often unavoidable as it is the only road into an overnight town or you will go
on the busier road for a few hundred meters before turning off on to a backroad again.
A warning note about the route will always be in your route descriptions. Some tour
sections are on forest tracks or off-road, light-gravel paths. The challenge here is to look
out for the occasional stone, fallen branch or pothole.
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What about safety in towns?
Central Europe is as safe for tourists as Western Europe. So take the same precautions.
Do not flash around your valuables and be careful of pickpockets in busy, tourist places.
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I am a woman traveling on my own. Will I be safe?
Yes, you will be safe. In fact, on a tour in the countryside you will be safer than usual.
This is because you will be in rural areas where the crime rate is low if non-existent.
In cities you have to use your common sense and take precautions as any other tourist
would. Our stand-by support service for self-guided tours includes a mobile phone.
You can call us (24 hours) in case of any problems.
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I am a vegetarian – is this possible in Central Europe?
Central European cuisine is admittedly meat-heavy. Most restaurants will have vegetarian
choices on the menu, but it is a good idea to say that you are vegetarian at the
restaurant. Some dishes may contain meat and this might not be apparent from the menu.
If you are not a strict vegetarian then we recommend that you try some of the meat
dishes as these are dishes representative of the cuisine. You will get some information in
your tour information materials about meals and options for vegetarians.
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I have a particular allergy. Can you help me if I do a tour with you?
Let us know what your allergy is and we will try our best to accommodate you on our
tours. We have had people with wheat and gluten allergies on our tours. They brought
special food with them and we provided a coolbox for storage each day. We also wrote
notes people can show to waiters in restaurants to explain their allergies when they are
ordering.
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Is April / May / June / July / August / September / October a good time to go?
Our tour season is from April to October. Personally, we think May (flowers) and September (ideal sunny
weather) are the best times to tour in this region. However, the other months are also
good. The weather in continental Europe consists of hot summers and cold, snowy winters.
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What will the weather be like in the area for my tour?
The weather in continental Europe consists of hot summers and cold, snowy winters.
We recommend checking weather.com. You can search for a particular Czech Republic
city and get information on yearly weather averages.
Basic advice - bring waterproofs just in case.
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Do people speak English? / Will I be understood?
Your bilingual guide will help you on a guided tour. On a self-guided bicycle tour, we include
basic useful phrases in your tour information materials. However, we recommend bringing a
phrasebook as people always love it when you communicate in their language (or at least
try).
The numbers of people learning English in the Czech Republic are increasing. Generally, younger
people will speak better English. Many Central Europeans also learn German, so this is a
good language to try to communicate in.
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What are the differences between a guided and a self-guided bicycle tour?
For a side-by-side comparison, the table shows which services are common to both guided
and self-guided bicycle tours and which services are unique. We arrange self-guided and
guided bicycle tours as packages and we do not break up the services.
| Service |
Self-guided |
Guided |
| Accommodation in selected hotels and pensions |
Yes |
Yes |
| Quality bike rental |
Yes |
Yes |
| Luggage transfer |
Yes |
Yes |
| Buffet breakfast |
Yes |
Yes |
| Welcome briefing upon arrival |
Yes |
Yes |
| Transportation by car according to program |
Yes |
Yes |
| English route descriptions |
Yes |
Yes |
| Detailed cycling maps with route highlighted |
Yes |
Yes |
| Town maps |
Yes |
Yes |
| Global Positioning System (GPS) console |
Yes |
Yes |
| Stand-by support: cell phone rental and contact person |
Yes |
No |
| Support van |
No |
Yes |
| Dinner |
No |
Yes |
| Private guided tours at chateaux, castles, museums, etc. |
No |
Yes |
| Special events, including wine tasting and picnics |
No |
Yes |
| Professional bilingual guide |
No |
Yes |
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What does a self-guided bicycle tour include?
• Accommodation in selected hotels and pensions
• Buffet breakfast
• Luggage transfer
• English route descriptions
• Detailed cycling maps
• Town maps
• Global Positioning System (GPS) console with programmed route
• Transportation by car according to program
• Welcome briefing upon arrival
• Quality Trek or Scott bike rental
• Stand-by support (cell phone and contact person)
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What is the extent of your "support service"?
We rent you a cell phone and provide the mobile numbers of at least two people you can
call in case of any problems. This is a 24-hour service. Feel free to call us at any time
during your tour (emergencies, unexpected situations, if lost or problems with the language
barrier). People on our tours have told us that this services allows them to have an
adventure, but always have the peace of mind that they can call at any time.
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If I am finding my way along the route by myself, what do I get to help me?
We provide three methods of navigation on our self-guided bicycle tours:
• Route descriptions / cue sheets with helpful info on each overnight town
• Maps with your route highlighted
• Town maps with your overnight accommodation marked
• A Global Positioning System (GPS) console with programmed route
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What do I do if I get totally lost?
With the navigation and information we provide for the self-guided bicycle tour,
getting lost is a rarity. You can also give us a call from your mobile phone supplied as part
of the stand-by support.
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Can you help if my bike breaks on the tour?
We provide a spare inner tube and a puncture repair kit with the bike to cover a flat tire.
We also give some repair tools for light repairs and adjustments. For anything more serious
you will have a list of bike shops in your tour information materials and/or we can replace
your bike. Our bike mechanic checks all bikes before they are ridden so the chances of your
bike breaking are very low.
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What happens if I cannot complete the cycling each day?
We recommend choosing a self-guided tour suitable to your ability, and preparing for the terrain and weather to be expected. We can advise you on all of this. If the weather is
really terrible then it is possible to take you with the luggage transfer service in the
morning. See this as a back up service and aim to complete the cycling each day.
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Why is there a 15% tour supplement for a single person on a self-guided tour?
We calcuate the car and luggage transfers on our tours based on a minimum of two people. If you go solo on a self-guided tour then you will pay the 15% tour supplement to cover the cost of the extra person not going. This is in addition to the single room supplement.
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What does a guided bicycle tour include?
• Professional bilingual guide
• Accommodation in selected hotels and pensions
• Support van
• Buffet breakfast
• Dinner
• Luggage transfer
• English route descriptions
• Detailed cycling maps
• Town maps
• Global Positioning System (GPS) console (one for the group)
• Quality Trek or Scott bike rental
• Guided tours at chateaux, castles, museums and other select attractions
• Special events, including wine tasting and picnics
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How large are your groups?
The maximum group size is 25 people. However, our guided groups tend to stay quite small
reaching only up to 10 people or so. The more popular tours attract perhaps 15-20 people
(one or two groups a year). We assign two guides to large groups.
The minimum number for a guided tour to be guaranteed is 4 people.
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What happens if not enough people sign up to the tour?
If you sign up for a guided tour and the minimum number of 4 people do not sign up for that tour,
then there are some options. We realize that you may have already booked non-refundable
flights and extra nights. In all cases, we try to come up with a solution.
First, we can arrange a self-guided tour for you in the same dates and refund the
difference. Second, you can pay extra and have the guided tour anyway. You will pay the
share for the missing people. Third, we can advise on guided tours that are going ahead
around the time you are traveling. You can join another guided tour. Finally, if none of the
previous solutions work then we will refund you any money you have paid.
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Are your guides local?
Our professional, bilingual guides are nationals of the main tour country. Who better to
explain the incredible changes that Central and Eastern European countries have faced
over the years than a person who has lived through them? They will cycle with you and
can explain the points of interest you will see. Ask them lots of questions!
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I see breakfast and dinner are included – what do we do about lunch?
Depending on the day, lunch might be in the form of picnics (food bought at a local shop)
or at a good restaurant or pub. The guide will help in any case.
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I am a slow cyclist. Will I hold up the group?
Not at all. Since all participants on a guided tour are provided with English route
descriptions and maps, there is flexibility on our guided tours. The guide rides with the main
group (usually the slowest riders). You need not feel this pressure on our guided tours.
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Will I have to cycle at the pace of the group?
No. You can race ahead at your own faster speed or stop for a bit longer at a particular
point of interest. Everyone gets English route descriptions and maps with the route
highlighted. You can still find your way along the route without having to rely on the guide.
You can arrange with the guide to meet up with the group again at a particular place.
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How do you choose your guided tour dates?
The dates we choose for our guided tours usually correspond to the cultural calendars of
particular towns along the route. This means that the guided tour will usually be at the
same time as an interesting festival or event along the way.
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Can I do a guided tour outside of the dates on your website?
If you are in a group of 4 or more people then we can arrange a private guided tour for you
starting on any date. Get in contact with us and let us know which dates and route
interests you. The cost will be the same per person as the
scheduled guided tour cost.
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(Between April and October of a particular year): I would like to do a guided tour
next year – any dates available?
We update our guided tour dates from October to December for the following year. Get in
touch with us to register your interest in a guided tour. When we set
our dates we can send you an email. Alternatively, bookmark our website and check back.
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How do I sign up for a tour?
Please fill out the reservation form on this website.
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Do you require a tour deposit?
Yes, this is 100 EUR per person. You can pay this by check, bank transfer or online by
credit card on our 3-D Secure payment gateway.
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When do you require the final payment of the tour?
We require the whole tour balance to be paid 45 days before the start of the tour.
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Is it OK if my friends sign up for the tour later?
Yes, however we will usually hold from reserving the accommodation until everyone has
signed up. It is easier for us to reserve the accommodation "in one go". Other people have
until 45 days before the tour starts to sign up. This is the time when the final balance must
be paid.
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What are the steps of payment for bike rental?
Your bike rental is only confirmed when you fill in a reservation form sent out by us. If you
are renting the bicycles in a place other than Mikulov then we require a 25% deposit on the
rental cost. This is payable by check or bank transfer. The rest of the balance can be paid
by cash on arrival.
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What is included with the bikes?
All bikes are equipped with: mudguards, rear luggage rack, bar ends, bell, rear light, clips
and water bottle holder. We also provide free of charge: helmet, pannier bags, handlebar
bag, cyclocomputer, repair tools, puncture repair kit, inner tube, pump, water bottle and
lock. Read more about basic and supplementary equipment.
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Can I bring my own panniers?
Yes – all our bikes are fitted with rear racks for panniers.
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What about maps of the route I intend to do?
You are responsible for getting your own maps. We supply maps on self-guided and guided
tour packages only.
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Where is the bike drop off point?
In some towns and cities, we have the address of a hotel or pension where you can drop
off the bike. Otherwise, it is your responsibility to leave the bike in a safe place (ideally in
your hotel or pension, in a lockable or watched room) and to let us know the address.
If you are not staying the night, but dropping the bike off and then leaving, we can
arrange to meet you and collect the bike from you directly.
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What is the latest time I can reserve bicycles from you?
Book as early in advance as you can to be sure. In the summer, our bikes are often
completely booked out for our bicycle tours and group biking trips.
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