Ride Director Comments

Ride Description

RIDE DESCRIPTION: Salzburg to The Adriatic

Come and enjoy the beauty of Salzburg Austria, the Dolomites, and the Adriatic coast in one ride. This is a supported roaming tour from Salzburg Austria to the Adriatic (Grado, Italy), and it was previous lead by the ride leader in 2019.  

Arrival Day is Monday August 25, 2025 (day #1) at Holiday Inn Salzburg City.  Your departure date is Tuesday September 9, 2025 (day #16) from Grado.  Riders can depart from the Trieste, Italy airport (TRS) (18 miles) or Venice’s Marco Polo Airport (VCE) (~1:30 hours) or by train back to Salzburg.  We will spend day #1 and #2 in Salzburg to adjust to the new time zone and to visit the various historical sites such as Mozart Plaza, the Salzburg Fortress, or the Salzburg Cathedral.  Day #3 we will ride out of the city into the country where we will experience all types of bicycle paths and roads on our way to the small town of St. Johann.  Day #4 we head west and ride by Lake Zell am See to Kaprun, a small ski town where we will stay for three nights.  Day #5 and #6 will provide the opportunity to climb up to the Gross Glockner glacier or take the lifts to hike around Kaprun.  Day #7 will be an adventure as we will ride east and then take a bike path along the road as we ride thru a 1.5 km long tunnel on our way to Bad Gastein.  Day #8 Is an off day to again take the ski tram and hike.  Day #9 we will ride a short way before we load our bikes on a train along with cars and trucks to be transported thru the mountains.  On the other side we continue our ride to Spittal for two nights.  Day #11 takes us down along the Drau River to our first major sized town of Villach.  Day #12 is truly a bicyclist day.  We go thru many converted train tunnels that are lighted & paved to Tarvisio, Italy.  Day #13 is a long day to Udine, Italy (66 miles, but 60 miles of it is downhill 2,000').  Day #14 we ride to Grado where we will stay at a four-star hotel near the Adriatic. Day #15 allows us to walk along the beaches of Grado with a farewell dinner before everyone’s departure on September 9, 2025.

RIDE RATING: The trip is rated a 2B with an average of 35 miles/day and 1,250’ feet of climbing.  However, the rides range from 1A to 2D. The longest day #12 is 66 miles with 60 miles of it downhill.  Day #7 has a 1.5 km tunnel.  

ROUTING EXPECTATIONS:  Due to the complexity of riding in foreign countries, all participants should have Ride with GPS, know how to download the routes to use their smart phones and/or Garmins.   The participants should have better than average map reading and directional skills.  

Also, riders are expected to be comfortable riding on a multitude of surfaces (including cobblestones and compact dirt on bike paths) and riding in city traffic (Salzburg & Udine).   

WEATHER: Riders should plan on cool to cold mornings and evening temperatures turning warm mid-day along with possible days of rain.  Temperatures can range from lows of 47F to highs of 80F when we reach Grado. 

SAG SUPPORT:  The support vehicle is not a SAG vehicle.  Riders are expected to ride on all ride days.  Riders must carry basic bike repair equipment such as spare tubes, tube repair kit, and pump.  All riders should be able to handle their own bike repairs, at a minimum how to change a tire.  If you have a major equipment failure, we will try to get you to the nearest bike shop.  If not, you will need to call a cab/catch a train to the nearest town with a bike shop.  The van will be used to transport bike boxes and luggage from Salzburg to Grado.  Only two carry on size pieces luggage (see your airline carry-on measurements) - (30 lbs maximum).

BICYCLES:  Your bicycle should have tires 28mm or larger in size.  Bike boxes will be transported to Grado.  E-bikes and tandems are welcome.

LODGING & MEALS: Lodging will be in everything from family-owned hotels to 3- and 4-star hotels. All breakfasts and a minimum of 9 group dinners are included in the cost of the tour.  “Happy hours” will include a glass of house wine or a local beer from the hotel’s bar before each night’s dinner.

LOGISTICS: Fly into Salzburg (SZG) or into Munich (MUC) and take a train to Salzburg.  Arrival day is Monday August 25, 2024, which will require you to leave the USA on Sunday August 24, 2025.  There will be a Happy hour on 8/25/25, followed by a formal meeting at 6:00 PM in the hotel lobby.  Our first group dinner will be August 26, 2025. The end of the tour is Tuesday morning, Sept 9, 2025.  Our bike boxes will be transported from Salzburg to our hotel in Grado.  To return home, the two best options are flying out of Venice (VCE) or Trieste (TRS).  Both destinations require a short bus to the train station and a train ride to the airport.

HEALTH & SAFETY: Vaccinations for Covid are recommended, but not required. We will invite participants to a Zoom meeting about 2-3 weeks prior to the tour start date to discuss health and safety rules. Participants are expected to come to the tour in good health and ready to ride. In short, if you are ill on the tour, be it a cold or test positive for COVID but you can ride your bike, then you can stay on the tour with precautions in place. In this case, protocols for isolation, masking, and social distancing are required. If you test positive and cannot ride your bike, then you must isolate in place. That may mean departing the tour or arranging your own transport to subsequent hotels on the tour. Protocols for isolation will be required. We will all need to be flexible as safety comes first. (NOTE-this text may change if the CDC changes their COVID recommendations. But so far it hasn't happened yet so I'm leaving this as is.)

TANDEMS/BIKE OR E-BIKES/RENTALS: Tandems and e-bikes are accepted.  CycleEurope (cycleeurope.com) maybe an option for renting bikes.  However, the Ride Leader does not get involved with rental bikes!  He will direct you to previous riders, who rented bikes in Salzburg on previous rides.  Since this ride is a roaming tour, it means the rental company will need to drop the bikes off in Salzburg and pick up them up in Grado, or the rider needs to return the bikes to Salzburg.  Usually, delivery fees will depend on the number of people renting. With 10 or more delivery fees are usually waived but understand that this location is far from the rental office. 

COST & ADMINISTRATION: The cost estimate is $2,875.  Included in the price are 15 days lodging, all breakfasts, 1 group dinner, happy hour drinks, and 8 dinners where rooms with half pension are included, Ride with GPS routes.   The estimated cost is based on an exchange rate of 1 Euro = $1.20. The initial deposit of $1,400 does not include the BAC registration fee of $100 and both will be due upon acceptance to the ride.  The second payment of $900 is due on February 28, 2025.  The 3rd payment of $575 is due May 31, 2025.  However, the third payment might be adjusted up or down due to finalized travel and hotel expenses.  

SINGLES & SOLOS:  Single and solo riders will be accepted. While we encourage singles to try to find their own roommate, we will assist singles who are looking for a roommate. If a roommate cannot be found by February 28, 2019, participants can cancel without penalty (except the BAC registration fee and the cost for any maps already provided) or singles can pay the solo supplement of $1000.  Solo supplement payments, due March 15, 2025, should be made by Zelle or check. Checks should be made out to “BAC” with a notation of the tour name included on the check and mailed to:  Bicycle Adventure Club, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193.

CANCELLATION POLICY:  The BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fee is not refundable unless the entire tour is canceled due to participation below stated minimum requirements. 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 Ride Leader. While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up. 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 may have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

INSURANCE: 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. (e.g., annual influenza, tetanus, etc.). Coverage is subject to a $1000 deductible. If traveling outside your home country you may wish to consult with a travel physician or nurse to ensure that the appropriate vaccinations are up to date.

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 Release of Liability (ROL), and pay the non-refundable BAC fee ($100) and tour deposit ($1,350) 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 or call Warner at 775-843-3960.