Ride Director Comments

For safety reasons participants must ride with a partner. No one is allowed to ride alone on the tour.

Ride Description

This tour was led in 2008, 2010, 2014 and 2019. Slovenia lies at the heart of Europe on the "sunny side of the Alps". There are 5 2-night stays during the 14 nights of the tour. After two nights in the Old Town of Ljubljana, nestled at the foot of Castle Hill, we ride to the Julian Alps. The Julian Alps include the towns of Bled, Bohinj, Kranjska Gora, Bovec and Kobarid (WWI/Hemingway Museum). Most of the area is within the Triglav National Park which measures 84 thousand hectares and is one of the largest natural parks in Europe. We proceed to the Adriatic coastal towns of Trieste, Piran and Umag before returning to Ljubljana.

After spending two nights in Ljubljana we stop for two nights in the charming town of Bled, which is situated on an alpine lake that has a 17th century church on Slovenia's only island. Our next day is a beautiful loop ride to Lake Bohinj. Then Triglav National Park to Kranjska Gora for two nights, including a loop ride into Austria and Italy. Next we ride into Italy and return to Slovenia via Passo del Predil to the Soca Valley towns of Bovec and Kobarid, to see the famous WWI/Hemingway Museum. After a night in the Soca Valley we stop in a town near Nova Gorica, a young city built after World War II, followed by two nights in the former Slovenian neoclassical city of Trieste, Italy. Trieste is on the Adriatic coast near Maximilian and Carlotta's castle at Belmar. From Trieste we ride down the Adriatic coast to the old seaport of Piran, Slovenia. We spend two nights in Piran, with a loop ride to Umag, Croatia. Finally we head back to Ljubljana spending one night in Postojna, near the Postojna Caves. The day from Piran to Postojna includes an optional train ride from Koper to Divaca. We will ride on small roads and bike paths. Road surfaces are asphalt or top quality macadam. Participants must be comfortable using maps with route sheets and following bike path signs.

HEALTH AND SAFETY: Participants should be vaccinated for COVID and be prepared to present vaccination documentation for viewing by the Ride Leader, if requested. Participants are expected to come to the tour in good health and ready to ride. Prior to the final payment for the tour, an infectious disease plan will be developed and communicated. The plan will identify possible actions for dealing with persons with an infectious disease on the tour that could affect their ability to ride or the health of others in the group. The plan will include items such as isolation protocols, testing, masking, distancing, and leaving the tour.

RIDE RATING: The ride is rated 2B with an average daily distance of 37 miles and average elevation gain of 2420 feet. There are 4 days with altitude gain that exceeds the rating with 2570, 2880, 2830 and 2590 feet of climbing over 41, 42, 35 and 44 miles, respectively. There will be one day with a short distance of a grade greater than 8%. There are 8 required riding days over 296 miles and 4 optional rides over 135 miles. Electronic versions of maps and route sheets will be sent, and participants are expected to print their own copies of them. GPS tracks will be provided for those who want them, but it is up to the rider to know how to use his or her GPS before the trip begins.

WEATHER: Expect the unexpected. Temperatures can be either warm and dry or cool and rainy. Temperatures range from highs in the 70s to lows in the 50s. Remember to bring rain gear, just in case. Check your favorite weather site on the web just before your departure for a long range forecast.

LODGING: The accommodations on this trip are very nice 3 and 4-star hotels. Daily route reviews before our group dinners will include a glass of wine, beer, soft drink, juice or water with a small snack. Drinks at dinner are normally extra.

GROUP DINNERS
We use Preferences in your Profile to try and accommodate your special medical and dietary needs. In order to provide you with some choice, we ask hotels to serve two main dishes to each couple. If you receive one dish and prefer the other, you may trade with others. Very few hotels allow a group to order off the menu and some insist on serving only one main dish. Participants may not wear jeans, shorts or t-shirts to group dinners. If there is still COVID, our breakfast and dinners may change to accommodate social distancing mandates.

LOGISTICS: The tour begins in Ljubljana at 6pm on August 29, 2024 and ends after breakfast on September 12 in Ljubljana, Slovenia (airport code LJU). The hotel is in the center of town. The best way to get there from the airport is by hotel shuttle. The first meeting and dinner will be at the hotel with the meeting beginning at 6 PM and dinner at 7:30 PM. We will have a van driver. The van's primary role will be to transport luggage and supplies. While it will be available to assist with any emergencies, it will not serve as a sag vehicle and participants are expected to complete the ride each day. Tandems are welcome. Ride Leaders prefer that you bring your own bicycle, as rentals are limited and have been unsatisfactory in the past. Bike boxes will be stored at the hotel.

COSTS & ADMINISTRATION: In addition to the $100 non-refundable  BAC Fee the estimated cost is $2500 per person (at exchange rate of $1.17 per Euro) double occupancy for 14 nights including 8 dinners, 14 breakfasts, social hour refreshments, luggage van, maps, route sheets, bike box storage and sightseeing information. Tickets for sight seeing are not included in the cost. The initial deposit is $1000 and the second payment, $1500, is due November 1, 2023. Depending on currency rate fluctuations, there may be an additional payment a month or so before departure.

SINGLES & SOLOS: Singles are welcome, but encouraged to find compatible roommates and/or riding partners. Ride Directors will introduce and assist singles to find roommates, but singles must make their own rooming decision. You must have a rommate before you can be added to the tour. Please talk with the Ride Leader about bed preference, as we have some limitations on rooms with twin beds. One hotel for two nights has no twin beds, only Queen Plus and King size beds. We do not accept solos, as the number of rooms available are limited.

CANCELLATION POLICY: The BAC Ride Registration Fee and Payment Processing Fees are not refundable unless the entire tour is canceled because the number of participants registered is less than the minimum established for the tour. Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped. The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations. If the canceling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time. If the canceling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed. If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the canceling roommate may also be liable for the solo supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour. BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

RIDE PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY: Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support. Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles. All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour. We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from the Ride Leader. While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and cleanup. Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour. Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you might have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

Before participating in any BAC tour, you should assess whether your medical and travel insurance coverage is sufficient. BAC maintains insurance that covers expenses related to accidents, medical emergencies such as sudden and unexpected sickness, and repatriation. This coverage applies when touring outside the US and your home country, regardless of your nationality. It will cover you door-to-door for a maximum of 90 days but will expire if you make a side trip not related to the BAC tour for more than 7 days before or after. There is limited coverage for a family member to join a covered person in an emergency. The policy covers the cost of treatment for COVID and other unexpected illnesses, but not quarantine. You should ensure that your vaccinations are up to date. Coverage is subject to a $1000 deductible.

SIGN-UP: To register for this ride, use the sign-up links just above the Ride Description. After preliminary acceptance, you will be moved to the pending list and receive an email requesting you to go back to the BAC site to digitally accept the terms of the Release of Liability (ROL), and pay the Tour Deposit and the non-refundable BAC Ride Registration Fee by credit card.. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. BAC members with questions may contact the Ride Director by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description.