Cycling

Explore Slovakia from the seat of your bike and discover the secret gems of the Slovak countryside. Cycling in Slovakia means adventurous mountain tours, riding alongside gurgling mountain streams, and navigating through rocky canyons and dense forests. It’s weaving through scenic valleys dwarfed by rocky peaks, stopping in a local vineyard for refuelling and pausing to photograph bright, flower-filled meadows. Our tours suit hard core cyclists and those who ride for relaxation. Whatever your preference, we guarantee that you will enjoy the best our country has to offer.

The season for cycling in Slovakia is relatively long, which starts in May and ends usually in the first two weeks in October. To choose the best time that would work for you, you should consider several facts when booking a bike tour in Slovakia. The most important fact is the weather and climate in different seasons that you are likely to experience during your holiday.

MAY

The winter is behind us and we can fully enjoy the beauty of Slovakia´s spring. The snow has melted even in higher parts of the Slovakia´s mountains, the fauna and flora has fully awakened. You will see countless flowers everywhere around you. Trees such as cherry, almond, apricot, peach and apple are in bloom and even the alpine meadows in the mountains turn into colourful carpets. Mornings might be a bit cooler, but daily temperature can go up to 20 C, sometimes even higher. So if you prefer cooler weather this might be a good time for your cycling adventure in Slovakia.

JUN
Summer is just around the corner and nature starts to offer various fruits in the south-west of the country. Stopping en-route, picking cherries is particularly enjoyable and great opportunity for a break. Mornings and evenings are warmer and the daily temperatures can go up to 30 C.

JULY - AUGUST
These are the hottest months in the year and often the most popular months for a holiday in general. Mornings and evenings are often warm and the daily temperature can get easily above 30 C. with more frequent storms. The temperature of water in natural dams, reservoirs and rivers can be very pleasant, which gives us a great opportunity for a nice swim or just to relax a bit.

SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER

In terms of rainfall and storms September is the most stable month of the year. The temperatures are similar what you would experience at the turn of May and Jun, but some warmer weather might occur, this is the time of the year what we Slovaks call an Indian summer. September is also the time of grape harvesting! Yes, there are several areas in Slovakia where you can find fertile vineyards, where locals make excellent wine, so why not to enjoy wine sampling with a local wine dresser in 500 years old wine cellars?

Each tour has a grade. The grade determines how easy or difficult the tour is in terms of activity level. The grading system goes from number one to five, with number one being the easiest, and number five the hardest. This helps you to decide if the tour is suitable for you in terms of fitness, and if you think you’ll enjoy it. Below is a description for each of the numbered activity level grades.

Level One
A leisurely trip suitable for cyclists who enjoy easier and shorter rides on flat terrain. These trips are for those who enjoy exploring a region by bike, but at a relaxed pace. Some days may involve a few gentle climbs.

Level Two
This is a moderate cycling trip with a combination of shorter and longer rides. Sometimes the terrain will be flat, and sometimes it will be undulating. The difference with the Grade Two trips is that they have some longer days, and a few more hills.

Level Three
These are intermediate trips suitable for regular and fit cyclists. Rides will be consistently longer than on level two, there will be undulating terrain and the occasional energetic climb.

Level Four
Every day will involve full-day cycle rides and more challenging terrain. These trips are suitable for more experienced cyclists who are physically fit and want to push themselves on more difficult rides.

Level Five
Long and physically demanding rides with hilly terrain. Rides may involve adventurous, off-road cycling. There will be ascent and descent, and you will be following mountain ridges, so a head for heights is essential. You must be extremely fit and an experienced cyclist to join this trip.

Our self-guided bike tours are a perfect option for cyclists who prefer cycling at their own pace, but still want to have the support of a local experienced tour operator.

Self-guided bike tours organized and run by SLOVAKIA EXPLORER meet the highest standard even of the most demanding cyclists. We book all of your accommodation and meals, organize your luggage transfer, you get a professionally prepared detailed routing for each day as well as bike maps, maps of the towns where you stay and of course emergency numbers should you need any assistance during your stay. Simply we take care of everything so you can fully enjoy your cycling holiday.

Enjoy the full support from the beginning to end, take the advantage of our superb bike trailers and support vehicles, while enjoying the company of our professional English speaking guides, whom will lead you safely throughout your tour. Our experienced leaders belong to the best ones in Slovakia.

Your guide will organize all of your activities on each day and book restaurants for your lunch and evening meals. He or she will recommend places that are worth visiting which you should not miss. Your guide will tell you interesting stories and legends about places that you will visit and will be simply there for you to give any assistance or advice you might need from the beginning until the end.

On our bike trips you have the option to either bring your own bike or take the advantage of our quality bikes that you can hire locally. This is either a hybrid bike or a mountain bike depending on the nature of the trip. If you would like to hire a bike from us please tell us at the time of booking.

Bikes used: AUTHOR, quality Czech bike.

Price: on average 10-15 EUR per day. Each bike comes with a pannier bag, locker, spare inner tubes and tools.

Our vehicle support belongs to the best ones in Slovakia. Bike trailers provided by SLOVAKIA EXPLOER can safely carry bikes and luggage for groups consisting of up to 20 passengers.

Your caring driver will be always near you should you need to change a bike or simply to hop-on if you want to relax a bit. As an added value our vehicle support provides water and snacks for the whole duration of your cycling adventure for no extra cost.