† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.
Ride Description
Ride with the Gods – A Greek Odessey
Come ride your bicycle through the terrain forged by Zeus and Hera, the king and queen of the Olympian gods. See the lands and sights that Hercules roamed in ancient times and relieve his adventures on two wheels as you explore beauty that can only be found in Greece. Highlights of the tour include: feasting on mushrooms you gathered, drinking wines fit for royalty, visiting the Meteora Monastery and the turquoise beaches on the island of Lefkada, and be ready to observe the grecian brown bears, the largest terrestrial mammal in Europe. We will experience the food, culture, and history that only Greece can provide. One BAC member has done two of Steven’s rides, and his only complaint was there was too much good food!
Arrival Day is Saturday May 3, 2025 (day #1) at Holiday Inn Athens’ airport (ATH). Your departure date is Saturday May 17, 2025 (Day #14). Riders will be transported to Thessaloniki airport (SKJ) in the morning or the Holiday Inn at the Thessaloniki Airport. Depending on your flight departure times. You may want to book a room at the Holiday Inn for May 17th, 2025 and depart on May 18th. If you arrive early or stay late at the Holiday Inn Athens there is a complimentary shuttle available to the airport.
May 3, 2025 Saturday - The first night’s accommodations is at the Holiday Inn Athens’ Airport on May 3, 2025.
Day 1 – May 4, 2025 Sunday
NO CYCLING. Arrival Day
Riders will be picked up at the Holiday Inn Athens’s airport and transferred to the starting point in Nafpaktos and meet the GCH team. We will have our pre – tour briefing, as well as the opportunity to set up and check the bikes and equipment before dinner.
MEALS INCLUDED: BF/DINNER
Day 2- - May 5, 2025 Monday
Nafpaktos - Astakos 58 miles 92 km / 1881 ft 573 m
A longer but fairly flat route today as we continue west towards the picturesque village of Astakos. The town of Missolonghi, famous for its sea lagoons and Avgotaraho – dried fish roe, a local delicacy of grey mullet roe is a perfect stopping point mid route.
MEALS INCLUDED: BF/LUNCH/DINNER
Day 3 – May 6, 2025 Tuesday
Astakos - Lefkada 48 miles 76km / 3246 ft 989m
Lefkada- or Lefkas is our destination today. A well-known island with tourists, it is joined to the mainland via a bridge and is famous for its beaches and turquoise waters. Here we will spend 2 nights to be able to visit the Metora Monasteries!
MEALS INCLUDED: BF/DINNER
Day 4 – May 7, 2025 Wednesday
Lefkada –Parga 51 miles 81 km / 2600 ft 792 m
We start to head north but continue along the coast to the beautiful town of Parga, the Riviera of the Epirus region. We will also get to visit the Archaeological site of Necromanteio, a notable site featuring the ancient temple of necromancy devoted to Hades & Persephone.
MEALS INCLUDED: BF/LUNCH/DINNER
Day 5 – MAY 8, 2025 Thursday
Parga – Syvota 17miles 27 km / 1809 ft 551 m
A short ride today to Syvota- considered one of the most exotic destinations in Greece. Make the most of the long-sheltered beaches and crystal waters as tomorrow we head off into the mountains!
MEALS INCLUDED: BF /DINNER
Day 6 – May 9, 2025 Friday
NO CYCLING
Today you will be transferred by bus to Ioannina, the Capital and largest city of the Epirus region. Ioannina is situated on the shores of Lake Pamvotis. Feel free to explore Ioannia and one of its many restaurants as you are free for dinner tonight
MEALS INCLUDED: BF
Day 7 – May 10, 2025 Saturday
Ioannina – Metsovo 34miles 54 km /4678 ft 1425m
A shorter but hilly day as we head into the Pindus Mountains to the traditional town of Metsovo
MEALS INCLUDED: BF/LUNCH/DINNER
Day 8 – May 11, 2025 Sunday
Metsovo – Meteora 44 miles 72km / 3900 ft 1232m
Another hilly day today finishing at the town of Kalabakas and a chance to visit the majestic monasteries of Meteora. Here we stay for 2 nights
MEALS INCLUDED: BF/lunch/ DINNER
Day 9 – May 12, 2025 Monday
Meteora Loop 8 miles 13 km / 1140 ft 350 m
Today you have a short ride today. However, we get to visit 3 of the monasteries with a guided tour followed by lunch. You will be free for the rest of the evening to Explore the local town.
MEALS INCLUDED: BF/ LUNCH
Day 10 – May 13, 2025 Tuesday
Meteora - Grevena 39 miles 64km / 3388 ft 1032m
Another hilly day today finishing at the Macedonian town Grevena surrounded by high mountains, lush forests and streams. Stop off for some mushroom foraging and lunch on the way
MEALS INCLUDED: BF/LUNCH/DINNER
Day 11 May 14, 2025 Wednesday
Grevena – Kastoria 48 miles 76 km/ 2881 ft 878m
Another charming town situated on a lake, this time Lake Orestiada
MEALS INCLUDED: BF/DINNER
Day 12 -May 15, 2025 Thursday
Kastoria – Nymfaio 38 miles 62km/ 4261 ft 1361 m
Another tough ride finishing with a 10 km climb to the beautiful village of Nymfaio, one of Greece’s highest villages at 1400m and voted one of the 10 most picturesque villages in Europe. Also, you may want to visit the local Bear Sanctuary
MEALS INCLUDED: BF/LUNCH/DINNER
Day 13 -May 16, 2025 Friday
Nymfaio - Edessa 42 miles 69 km/ 738 ft 247m
Less climbing today as we head east to the charming town of Edessa, the final destination on this tour, famous for its waterfalls. We will also stop off at the winery Ktima Alfa to taste some wines.
MEALS INCLUDED: BF/DINNER
Day 14 – May 17, 2025 Saturday
No Cycling
It’s time to say farewell as you will be transferred to The Holiday Inn at Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) by bus. Depending on your flight departure times, you may want to book a room at the Holiday Inn for May 17th, 2025 and depart on May 18th.
MEALS INCLUDED: BF
RIDE RATING: The trip is rated 3B! with an average of 35 miles/day and 2,707’ feet of climbing. However, the rides range from 1B to 4D. The longest day #2 is 58 miles. Day #7, 8 & 12 have 4,678, 3,900, & 4,261’ of climbing respectively.
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 some city traffic
WEATHER: Riders should plan on cool to cold mornings and evening temperatures turning warm mid-day along with possible days of rain. Average temperature for May is of 50F to highs of 85F.
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. You are allowed only two carry-on size pieces of luggage (see your airline carry-on measurements) - (25 lbs maximum).
BICYCLES: Your bicycle should have tires with minimum width of 28mm. Bike boxes will be transported to Thessaloniki. E-bikes and tandems are welcome. Greek Cycle Holiday (GCH) also has nice bike rentals for €350, and E-bikes for €580.
LODGING & MEALS: 14 nights of Lodging will be in everything from 3 and 4-star hotels or a private villa. All breakfasts, 6 lunches and 10 group dinners are included in the cost of the tour. Dinner will include wine, beer and soft drinks. There will be a daily route review where drinks will be available for purchase. On the nights when dinner is not provided, a drink will be provided during route review.
LOGISTICS: Fly into Athens (ATH). Arrival day is Saturday May 3, 2025, which will require you to leave the USA on Friday May 2, 2025. You will have a room reservation at the Holiday Inn Athens’ airport the night of May 3, 2025. On May 4th, you will be picked up at the Holiday Inn Athens’s airport and transferred to the starting point in Nafpaktos and meet the GCH team. We will have our pre – tour briefing, as well as the opportunity to set up and check the bikes and equipment before dinner. The last day of the ride, May 17th, you will be transferred to the Thessaloniki airport (SKG) or the Holiday Inn at the Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) by bus. Depending on your flight departure times, you may want to book a room at the Holiday Inn for May 17th, 2025 and depart on May 18th.
HEALTH & SAFETY: Vaccinations for Covid are highly recommended, but not required. I will invite participants to a Zoom meeting about 3-4 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.)
COST & ADMINISTRATION: The cost is $4,600. Included in the price are 14 days lodging, all breakfasts, 6 lunches, 11 group dinners, Ride with GPS routes. The estimated cost is based on an exchange rate of 1 Euro = $1.20. The initial deposit of $1,800 does not include the BAC registration fee of $100 and both will be due upon acceptance to the ride. The second payment of $1800 is due on January 15, 2025. The 3rd payment of $1,000 is due March 15, 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 15, 2025, participants can cancel without penalty (except the BAC registration fee and credit card fees) or singles can pay the solo supplement of €1,100 directly to GCH. There is an additional charge of $114 for the first night's lodging to be paid to BAC. GCH will provide solo riders with payment instructions. Payment is due February 15, 2025.
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. Personal travel insurance is recommended. It runs ~$600 for a year.
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 ($1,800) 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.
Bicycle Adventure Club
PO BOX 23998 San Diego, CA 92193
Telephone (858) 715-9510 office@bicycleadventureclub.org