Web code IT004

Croatia, Italy, Slovenia / Venice to Poreč

The lands of the Ancient Republic of Venice

Three countries in one week between Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. The history of the ancient Republic of Venice, the so called “Serenissima” Republic, provides the background to the entire trip. From the wonderful Venice, you will cycle through the beaches on the coastline up to the plain of Friuli and then continue with the fascinating town of Trieste, finishing with the beautiful Istrian coast, a sight which is truly to be treasured.

Venice to Poreč

Photos (21)

32 Client reviews

Day by Day
Route profile
How to get there
Accommodation and meals
Bikes and accessories
Accompanying material
By your side
Client reviews

Day by Day

map
1. Mestre/Venice mainland
Individual arrival in Mestre (the mainland of Venice) and overnight. The city of Venice will captivate you with its splendour, acknowledged worldwide.

2. Mestre/Venice mainland – Jesolo/Caorle/seacoast (40/65 km)
After a few kilometres by bike, you take the ferry to the Lido passing in front of Piazza San Marco and then the motor boat to reach Punta Sabbioni, the furthest south area of the Adriatic coast, which is north of Venice. From here you cycle along the stunning seacoast, with various opportunities for a refreshing bath in the sea. The overnight will be in one of the places along this famous coastline.

3. Jesolo/Caorle/seacoast – Portogruaro (60/35 km)
Leaving the sea behind you, you will head north towards the Julian Alps. You will be passing through an area with a multitude of “Valli da pesca” (stretches of lagoon enclosed by earthen dikes where extensive fish farming is practised) and “casoni” (constructions used by fishermen in the past during the fishing season). Afterwards you will go to the town of Portogruaro, one of the main centres in the times of the “Serenissima Republic of Venice”, which is impressive even today with its glorious “Palazzi” or “palaces”.

4. Portogruaro – Aquileia (70 km)
The trip can be shortened by 20 km by taking a train from Portogruaro to Latisana. You will spend the day between the region of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, passing through an area abundant in water and history, among rivers, canals and ancient Roman towns. Possible detour to Palmanova, named “the starry city” because from above the town resembles a 9-pointed star. Your destination will be Aquileia, with its Roman excavations.

5. Aquileia – Trieste (55 km)
You will once again head towards the sea: the gulf of Trieste awaits you, with many possible stops along the way, such as Duino with its two castles, Sistiana with its characteristic bay and Miramare with its famous white castle built according to the wishes of Maximilian of Augsburg. Just a few kilometres lie between you and Trieste, the ancient port of the Asburgic Empire, which has much to offer as regards attractions and history. A longer version of the stage (+24 km) gives you the opportunity to discover Grado in the Marano Lagoon, an ancient fishing village with a magnificent historic centre. The trip can then be shortened by 30 km by taking a train at the end of the stage from Monfalcone to Trieste.

6. Trieste – Piran/Portorož (45 km)
After a few kilometres you will cross over into Slovenia, often cycling along cycle paths through famous holiday resorts such as Koper, first for a long time a Venetian and then Austrian town, and Piran, another important centre which was ruled over for a long time by Venice. You then finally arrive in Portorož, a town renowned for its spa and bathing facilities.

7. Piran/Portorož – Porec (55 km)
Cycling southwards, you will pass through the salt mines of Secovlje, a large Slovenian town with a humid environment, which is a key area as regards ornithology. Some kms later you will cross the Croatian border down along Istria, the Adriatic sea’s largest peninsula. In the end you will reach Porec, the tourism capital of Croatia, with its Eufrasian Basilica, which was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.

8. Porec
After breakfast, end of services. Possibility to return to Venice by boat or by van.

Due to organisational reasons, weather conditions or provisions issued by local authorities, the itinerary may be subject to some changes before and/or during your holiday. For example, along the way you may find temporary deviations caused by roadworks, which cannot be foreseen; in this case please follow the indications you will find on site.
Route profile
- Total length: 325 km
- Terrain: 90% tarmac, 10% unpaved
- Train connection among the overnight stays: NO
- Possibility to shorten the itinerary by taking the train: day 4, 5 and 6.
You will ride the first three stages along flat roads, across the Veneto and Friuli plain, and the last three on slightly hillier sections.

Leisure to Moderate: some days the itinerary will be flat, others it will present some hills. Suitable for everyone in good physical condition and with some cycling experience .
How to get there

Mestre is connected with the following airports:
Venice: 10 km, Treviso: 20 km, Verona 120 km, Trieste 120 km.

For information on timetables and prices you can consult the following website: www.trenitalia.com.
Accommodation and meals
We personally choose all the hotels mindful of your comfort as well as the proximity to cycling paths and any relevant local sites.

According to your category of choice you will be accommodated in:
- Cat. A: mainly 4* hotels, with some 3* hotels
- Cat. B: 3* hotels
All rooms have en suite facilities. All category A hotels have air conditioning while in category B there may be some cases of accommodation without air conditioning.

This is a very popular area for tourism so we have a range of hotels that we use. On some days this may alter the distances you cycle and the towns you sleep in. However, the route notes give full descriptions of all the routes and where a route may be longer or shorter on one day, the distance will be adjusted the following day so you will still cover the same route.

When you book the tour please specify the type of room requested:
- double room is a room with one double bed
- twin room is a room with two single beds
- triple room is usually a room with one double bed and a single bed or a sofa bed.
Bikes and accessories
Girolibero bikes are available in different sizes and frames:
- Touring bike 27-gear Shimano Deore
- Hybrid bike 27-gear Shimano
- E-bike 9-gear Shimano
Features:
- aluminium frame
- mudguard (not for Hybrid)
- rear rack
- comfort gel saddle www.selleroyal.com (different model for Hybrid)
- anti-puncture Schwalbe tyres
- ergonomic bicycle grips
- Speed Lifter system
Accessories
All rented adult bikes are equipped with:
- 1 cycle computer
- 1 Ortlieb one-sided saddlebag
- 1 front bar bag per room
- 1 repair kit per room: 1 spare inner tube, glue, patch, a pump, 2 allen keys and tyre levers
- 1 combination bike lock
At the moment of booking you can also rent helmets, suitable for head circumferences from 58 to 61. All helmets have a certification mark according to the DIN EN 1078 (CE) European norm.

Important notes:
We recommend that you bring your own reusable water bottle with you.

In order to cycle smoothly following our App, we suggest that you bring with you a holder for your mobile phone to be fixed on the handlebar, as well as a power bank (even if the App can be used offline, too).
Accompanying material
Before your arrival, you will receive an email from us with the digital information material. It contains:

1. Link to download the App including maps, roadbook, points of interest and GPS tracks (you can use the App offline, too)

2. Link to download the tour information material in Pdf:
- Tour notes
- Final tour details
3. Digital travel documents:
- Final hotel list (due to overbooking or organizational needs your hotel list may change just before your arrival)
- Hotel vouchers to show to the hotel reception upon arrival
You will receive the 24 hours ACTV ferry ticket (bike transport not included) on the spot.

Venice to Poreč Cycling Guide - Girolibero Greens
By your side

Staff support
In the Final Tour Details you will find the contact phone numbers you can call during the tour in case of emergency.
32 Client reviews
- Doris
  
  Departure 26 August - 02 September 2023
  
  Online from 07 September 2023
  
  Wunderschöne Landschaft, Hotels gut bis sehr gut, (zufällig) lustige Mitreißende.
  App mühsam, stark befahrene Straßen unangenehm
- Gayle
  
  Departure 24 June - 01 July 2023
  
  Online from 28 July 2023
  
  We've toured by bicycle on several occasions now and are completely sold on this mode of travel. A very fun and memorable time.
- Russell
  
  Departure 27 May - 05 June 2023
  
  Online from 15 June 2023
  
  Everyone wants me to organize one for next year, if that says anything. We had an absolutely incredible time!
- Patricia
  
  Departure 13-20 May 2023
  
  Online from 28 May 2023
  
  Beautiful countries, beautiful people and a close up view that biking can give you. It was an amazing adventure with just a couple of hiccups.
- Joern
  
  Departure 09-16 July 2022
  
  Online from 22 July 2022
  
  All over a very good experience, (info, e-bikes, service, hotels, app, route, etc). E-bikes proved to be a good choice due to high temperatures in july.
- Emilio
  
  Departure 25 June - 02 July 2022
  
  Online from 07 July 2022
  
  Bel giro
  Attenzione al caldo!
- Günther
  
  Departure 25 June - 02 July 2022
  
  Online from 07 July 2022
  
  Sehr gute Organisation im Backoffice und ein besonderer Dank an Fr. Sandra Hofer die sich um den Transfer sehr bemüht hat nach Venedig. Die Besprechung in Mestre war für 8:00 angesetzt aber zu dieser Uhrzeit war niemand da. Koffertransport hat sehr gut geklappt. Das nächste Mal bitte niedrigere Temperaturen für die Tour buchen (36 Grad...)
- Paul Gerard
  
  Departure 04-11 June 2022
  
  Online from 16 June 2022
  
  Let down by the accommodation, but otherwise very good.
- Heather Mary
  
  Departure 28 May - 04 June 2022
  
  Online from 13 June 2022
  
  Excellent experience. Would recommend this tour.
- Jan Inge
  
  Departure 21-28 May 2022
  
  Online from 08 June 2022
  
  We really like to bike.
- Willa
  
  Departure 14-21 September 2019
  
  Online from 26 September 2019
  
  We were six in our group with an age range from 32 to 72. I can speak for all of us when I say that from meeting with Rafael the first evening in Mestre to the last kilometer in Poreç, we had a wonderful time.
  
  The scenery was often spectacular, the towns lovely, people friendly, and the route well thought out.
- Jim
  
  Departure 08-15 September 2019
  
  Online from 20 September 2019
  
  Very enjoyable — a great way to see the northern Adriatic coast.
- Silvia Maria
  
  Departure 31 August - 07 September 2019
  
  Online from 13 September 2019
  
  Percorso interessante, peccato la frequenza di tratti su strade molto trafficate specialmente nella parte croata
- Emanuela
  
  Departure 17-24 August 2019
  
  Online from 02 September 2019
  
  Percorso impegnativo ma magico! Coniuga pedalate lungo ciclabili che attraversano paesaggi lagunari, riserve naturali, vigneti e uliveti, con attrazioni culturali ed artistiche uniche al mondo.
  Percorso vario che passa dalla laguna, alle colline per raggiungere le bianche spiagge croate.
  Intenso ma appagante al 100%!!!
- Luciano
  
  Departure 17-24 August 2019
  
  Online from 01 September 2019
  
  Very, very good.
- Marco
  
  Departure 13-20 July 2019
  
  Online from 27 July 2019
  
  Percorso molto bello e giro ben organizzato. Solo un poco di incertezza a Venezia visto i molto turisti dovendo prendere dei mezzi pubblici.
  L'unica vera nota negativa da rilevare è che sono state toccate alcune zone trafficate. Per fortuna non molte.
  Queste situazioni erano indicate nelle varie informative, ma purtroppo vivendole creano un poco di malumore in particolare a Trieste.
- Gunnar
  
  Departure 29 June - 06 July 2019
  
  Online from 17 July 2019
  
  This was amazing tour.
- Trevor
  
  Departure 15-22 June 2019
  
  Online from 29 June 2019
  
  The cycling worked perfectly for us and we had a great time thanks to the excellent organisation and attention to detail. Thank you
- Kelly
  
  Departure 15-22 June 2019
  
  Online from 28 June 2019
  
  It was very nice, unforgetable.
- Anna
  
  Departure 26 May - 02 June 2019
  
  Online from 10 June 2019
  
  We were travelling as a family of 5 and enjoyed our trip very much. Were a bit unlucky with the weather on days 1 and 2 (very heavy rain and wind), but that is just how it is and it did not prevent us from enjoying the experience.
  Everything was according to what had been promised and described prior to our arrival.
  
  Personally, I prefer the smaller hotels to the big resort ones. The one in Porec was however good to end in, especially since there were not that many guests at the time. The Marigolf hotel in Caorle, while clean and friendly, was a bit off for me as was the surrounding area.
  All in all, we enjoyed the trip very much and would definitely use Girolibero again :)
- Catherine
  
  Departure 18-25 May 2019
  
  Online from 31 May 2019
  
  My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed the tour.
  The route and materials were well organized, the quality of accommodations and breakfasts was very good.
  We especially appreciated the hard work of the staff when our luggage went missing. They were persistent in solving the problem and communicated well throughout the process.
  Thank you so much for taking such good care of us.
- Margherita
  
  Departure 20-27 April 2019
  
  Online from 12 May 2019
  
  Abbiamo trovato questo viaggio molto interessante, abbiamo attraversato posti bellissimi e lo raccomando.
- Fiona
  
  Departure 2019
  
  Online from 03 May 2019
  
  We were a group of 4 and this was our first trip with Girolibero but I don’t think it will be our last.
  
  Everything went very well, we were very pleased with all aspects of the holiday; communication was good, always in English, the bikes were in first class condition, the accommodation was all to a high standard and the information was very clear and detailed.
- Flavio
  
  Departure 07-14 July 2018
  
  Online from 04 October 2018
  
  con un po' di spirito di avventura si risolve tutto
- Giorgio
  
  Departure 18-25 August 2018
  
  Online from 27 September 2018
  
  da consigliare
- Ermanno
  
  Departure 07-14 July 2018
  
  Online from 26 September 2018
  
  è un viaggio da consigliare che merita essere fatto per la bellezza dei luoghi
- cecilia
  
  Departure 25 August - 01 September 2018
  
  Online from 25 September 2018
  
  Viaggio alla portata di tutti per i pochi dislivelli e le tappe non troppo lunghe con la possibilità di coniugare buona tavola, mare e cultura.
- Michael, USA
  
  Departure 2017
  
  Online from 04 August 2017
  
  Everyone had a great trip! They’re ready to do it again!
  
  We had no real problems on either trip! We had a great time.
  
  We owned the Lake Garda ferry. It was like a private excursion! Very few other people. It was very pleasurable!
  
  Sometimes we couldn’t locate a hotel but with GPS and phones we worked through those issues. A couple of hotels were a little warm because
  of the hot weather and their weak AC systems. But food and wine solves those problems quickly!
  
  We did have to split the group on the 2nd ferry crossing going from Venice. It would have been very difficult if we travelled on a busy day! The first ferry from Venice was very confusing for us as there was at least a .5 Km line of traffic stopped to pay tolls and waiting in line. We just pushed through on our bikes and walked up to the toll station to get our bike tickets. I would recommend that you tell your customers to do this as there was no guidance or information for bikers. Just push through, get your ticket, then wait by the ramp/boarding area. The second crossing utilizes a large and a small ferry. We needed to split into 2 groups to cross at this point. No problem. It just takes time.
  
  Porec was beautiful and the hotel was very nice, Great buffet for breakfast and supper! Actually, the hotels were all very good. We didn’t want to leave Hotel Rosa or Crystal Hotel. Beautiful and so relaxing! The staff at Hotel Al Pini were super helpful and patient with us.
  
  You (and company) did a fantastic job with reservations and taking care of the electric bike switch for three of us. Your attention to detail is commendable as we had no reservation problems. And that was a lot of rooms to get right!
  The bikes worked well and were in excellent shape. All of the restaurant reservations went smoothly and the food was fine and Ristorante Paccagnella was the stand-out favorite. They had some really special foods for us.
  
  The guide books worked well especially once we realized to read them carefully in advance! In English we put our adjectives before the noun but in Italian the adjective goes after the noun - and remains like that in the translation.
  That’s where we had some confusion if we read to quickly while biking. It's a little thing but it can cause a few problems! Nice job on the arrows. A few had become hidden but we worked through that problem with guide.
  
  So, we thank you for all the work you did and for ordering the beautiful weather ( a little hot some days!) That’s two years that we carried our raincoats and didn’t need them.
  
  I hope we can meet again. I’m working on 2018 trip now. Some people want to get to Norway, Sweden, Finland. Some want France, Spain. Who knows where we will end up!
- Carla Agnese
  
  Departure 24 June - 01 July 2017
  
  Online from 10 July 2017
  
  Primo viaggio tra i tanti gia fatti con girolibero che facciamo in Italia. Organizzazione come sempre ottima, la parte ciclistica è il vostro punto forte. Alberghi italiani secondo me di qualità inferiore a quelli di Francia o Austria, a parita di categoria.
  Punti di forza del tracciato il ponte sulla laguna di Venezia ed i due passaggi in ferry e motobattello, Lio Piccolo con la sua laguna, Aquileia e le due tappe in terra straniera, Slovenia e Croazia. A me è molto piaciuta Torviscosa, ma è un parere molto personale in quanto amo l'archeologia industriale. Bellissima Parenzo e anche il rientro con un battello velocissimo, credo un catamarano, in due ore e quarantacinque eravamo gia' a Venezia.
  Da migliorare: alcuni alberghi sono davvero troppo lontani dal paese, forse quando si chiede se A o B bisognerebbe avvisare che è possibile essere dislocati fuori paese, e avere piu' spiegazioni per ricongiungersi dal tratto che porta a Grado. Ci siamo persi ed abbiamo trovati altri stranieri in difficolta'.
  
  Girolibero risponde
  Grazie del riscontro Carla Agnese!!
- Carmen
  
  Departure 20-27 August 2016
  
  Online from 12 September 2016
  
  Vacanza bellissima, abbiamo visto città meravigliose che non conoscevamo prima ( soprattutto in Italia) e paesaggi sempre stupendi. E' stato divertente fare nuove amicizie on the road.
  Abbiamo adorato le tappe il Slovenia e Croazia per i saliscendi che, nonostante la fatica, ci hanno entusiasmato e messo alla prova il nostro allenamento. Il chilometraggio è adeguato ( abbiamo fatto tutte le deviazioni consigliate, oltre ai chilometri stabiliti al giorno, quindi abbiamo pedalato un pò di più). Gli itinerari suggeriti dalle deviazioni sono stati, tra l'altro, tra i più incantevoli (Lio Piccolo indimenticabile). In alcuni tratti abbiamo però pedalato in mezzo a tanto traffico. Gli hotel dove siamo stati sistemati erano quasi tutti belli, puliti e con personale gentile.
  Consigliato.
- ATTENZIONE
  Le seguenti impressioni sono state pubblicate prima del nuovo sistema di rating
  
  John, Ireland
  
  Departure 2016
  
  Online from 29 July 2016
  
  "Hi Anna, I am writing to you to thank you and Girolibero for another wonderful cycling trip, this time from Venice to Porec. Everything worked out amazingly, we enjoyed the cycling very much, the hotels were great and the company along the way was also great fun."
- Gary, Canada
  
  Departure 2016
  
  Online from 15 July 2016
  
  Hi Katia:
  
  Just a quick note to say that my family and I had a wonderful time on our Venice -- Porec cycling trip. The weather was great (but a little too hot), the hotels and food were excellent, and I've become a big fan of spritz Aperol. We're already looking forward to our next Girolibero trip!.
  
  best