Travel report: Bike and boat in Croatia
From Radweg-Reisen Managing Director Simon Mink
Simon, our Managing Director, spontaneously decided to test a new ship in Croatia together with his two daughters. Quite unexpectedly, he is not only completely impressed by the new steel ship MS Aria. On the return journey, he decides to include the bathing cruises in the Radweg-Reisen program from 2017!
Read his travel report about the classic bike and boat trip in Croatia! Since Simon has already experienced a lot as a bike travel expert, he knows exactly what is important for a successful bike and boat trip...
Show more Show lessWhitsun 2016: off to the sun!
Hail, heavy rain with flooding and high water at home in southern Germany. The children have a two-week Whitsun break and most of my vacation has to be cancelled this year. A short week in Croatia would still be possible.
Quickly checked with the office. The brand-new ship MS Aria is ready and starts its first voyage in a week! A premium steel ship with plenty of space. There are still places available. There are no photos yet. Wouldn't that be a useful addition to our travel program? Get there quickly and see for yourself.
Judith, one of our two bike and boat specialists in Croatia, takes care of everything. Unfortunately, we can't be in Croatia until Sunday morning at the earliest, one day too late. No problem - a special transfer is organized. We have to be in Rijeka at the harbor pier at 10.00 am on the dot. Someone will come there
.
Simon on the road in Kvarner Bay
How to get to Rijeka by car
Munich-Rijeka approx. 520 km:
via A8, Tauern freeway (prone to traffic jams during vacation periods), Slovenia (still winding country roads in places)
- Vignette requirement in Austria (10 days approx. 9 euros, 2 months approx. 26 euros, 1 year approx. 86 euros), additional toll requirement in the Tauern tunnel and in the Karawanken tunnel.
- Vignette compulsory in Slovenia (7 days approx. 15 euros, 1 month approx. 30 euros, 1 year approx. 110 euros), Caution: A 7-day vignette is not enough for a week's bike & boat vacation (7 nights = 8 days)!
- Tolls compulsory in Croatia (toll booths, payable in Kuna or by credit card)
Price information as of 2017.
The journey: Rijeka, transfer island of Krk
Finding the meeting point at the jetty - no problem. And indeed, at 10.00 a.m. sharp, a member of our local team and a driver arrive. With follow me we go to a multi-storey parking lot, everything seems perfectly organized and well coordinated. We quickly transfer our luggage in the parking garage and are already in the car on our way to the island of Krk, while the other guests are already on the first and most difficult cycling stage of the tour. When we arrive in Baska, on the south-eastern tip of Krk, the Aria - Croatian for air - is moored in the harbor.
Baska on the island of Krk
The MS Aria
The crew gives us a warm welcome and shows us around the elegant ship. How generously dimensioned everything is! Anyone familiar with classic wooden ships will be particularly impressed by the spaciousness and airiness of the Aria. A striking amount of space on deck. The sundeck is at the very top, with the upper deck below: in the front part there is space for lounging and sitting, and in the rear, sheltered from the wind, there are a few loungers in the covered shade area.
Show more Show lessOn the main deck is the pleasantly spacious saloon. What I particularly like is that there is a spacious outdoor area with tables and space to eat for an estimated 25 people right next to the salon. I've always missed something like this on the classic ships in Croatia that I've known so far: a place to have a coffee after dinner or a beer beforehand. Where you can also eat outside if the ship is not fully booked.
Then we move into our cabins. Ok, I probably have the nicest and largest cabin on board. And it's fabulously beautiful. On the upper deck next to the captain's cabin.
Right beds. A proper shower cubicle. Space.
Real beds in the cabins of the MS Aria
The island of Rab
The next morning, we take the boat to the island of Rab during breakfast. The weather is just right: Bright sunshine. After the ship docks in Lopar, we get on our bikes. Like the ship, they are new.
As always when you start at sea level, the tour begins with a slight incline. No problem with these bikes. Then we follow the road with hardly any traffic. There are always beautiful views of the blue sea. Then an ice cream and coffee break - the Austrian-Lower Bavarian faction drinks beer - before we reach Rab Stadt, where the beautiful Aria is already waiting for us.
Our guide knows his way around!
Island of Pag
The next morning, bright sunshine again. Another short boat trip to the island of Pag during breakfast. So short that the crew and tour guides have already lifted the bikes off the boat and many are ready to set off by the time I finally realize that I'm on my way.
Another short climb. Then on the country road with little traffic through the barren landscape. Great views of the blue on the right. After a short time, we stopped at a small shop where a lot of cheese was bought. The chef is probably already looking forward to getting a new tenant for his fridge. Today's cycle tour is rather less spectacular. The route gets a bit boring after a while. But at the end it goes downhill and suddenly the Aria lies below us - beautifully in a bay in Mandre.
Show more Show lessLosinj Island
The next day, the boat trip takes several hours. Pure pleasure. The only thing missing are dolphins accompanying the ship. The guests on board spread out and enjoy the trip under a cloudless sky. After a while, we arrive at a quiet bay and drop anchor. Into the water! From the bathing platform at the stern into the crystal-clear water. Early June and already around 20 degrees. Then we rinse off the salt water at one of the two showers at the stern and order a small pivo.
In the afternoon, we enter the port of Mali Losinj (pronounced: Mali Loschin). Palm-lined promenade in fantastic weather. Street cafés, small stores, restaurants and little hustle and bustle. The MS Aria is perfectly positioned at the jetty. For me, that means taking photos from all sides.
Out and about by bike on Losinj
The island of Cres
The next island on our route is Cres (pronounced: Tsres). The special feature: we reach it via a bridge. Today the sun is not so kind to us. It rains a little from time to time and the route is hilly, so the cycling is more meditative than the Ahhhh and Ohhhh of the previous days' panoramas.
A traditional suckling pig meal is on the menu during the lunch break. A must! And a pleasure. And on we go on the bike. My daughters struggle a little with the route, but they bite through it. But then it's time for a thrilling, kilometer-long descent to Martinscica!
While we shower, the captain starts the engines and after a cold beer, we reach Cres town. A beautiful promenade, nice cafés and a very popular wine bar. What more could you want? A bigger awning! Because suddenly it starts to pour.
The traditional suckling pig
The stretch from Losinj to Martinscica has taken its toll on my daughters, so they send me on today's last bike tour to Predoscica and the viewpoint there overlooking the entire Kvarner Bay. And so I can really step on the gas without worrying about the children, while the two of them make themselves comfortable on the sun deck with books. One last lunch on board, then off to a final - unfortunately somewhat rainy - swimming break in a small bay off the coast of Istria. And then we call at the port of Rijeka.
Rijeka
Other ships from the Bike & Boat fleet are already in port and our colleagues on site once again demonstrate their professionalism. Guest advisors swarm out and collect feedback, cab drivers are ready to take guests to their cars and back again. Parking attendants are at the ready. Respect!
Another night on the ship in the port of Rijeka. The city has a lot of charm and life in its historic center. We enjoy our last dinner in a fantastic setting.
Viewpoint on the island of Cres
Departure
The next morning, after paying our surprisingly low drinks bill and the tourist tax, we bid farewell.
Although procedures are always difficult at the beginning and a new crew first has to get to know each other, from our point of view (almost) everything went absolutely smoothly. The handling and logistics were highly professional. The crew were very attentive, always very friendly and at the same time pleasantly reserved. We had an incredibly wonderful week on a fantastic and spacious ship.
Show more Show lessBathing cruises: New in the program!
On the way back in the car, I enthusiastically decided to expand our travel program in Croatia. Children in particular, but also many less ambitious cyclists, often struggle on the bike-boat trips in hilly Croatia.
With the bike and bathing cruises, they too can enjoy a very special kind of cycling vacation!
Simon's conclusion:
The fact that you don't have to cycle on the bike-ship trips, but can also spend a day on the sun deck when your backside hurts, makes this type of vacation perfect for families. And for couples with different ambitions and interests. Difficult cycle tours alternate with easy ones - swimming breaks and boat crossings offer very special experiences.
Show more Show lessThe new ships in 2017: MS Aria, MS Columbo and MS Carpe Diem
The new comfortable premium-class steel ships such as the MS Aria, the Columbo and the Carpe Diem are a good addition to the cozy classic wooden ships, although they offer significantly less comfort and space.
The sun deck on the MS Aria
