Self-guided tours are designed for sporty tourists who like cycling on their own and who want to spend their biking vacation in the great outdoors and combine the ride with visiting castles and chateaux or sites of UNESCO Heritage. In addition, some tourists may dislike group tourism with strangers or they have their own group of friends with a passion for biking, they like adventure and want to ride by themselves at their own pace, without any tour leader or supporting vehicle.
It is, of course, necessary that at least one person in the group has a certain level of technical ability in the event of technical problems such as a flat tire or minor mechanical adjustments. Each group is given a basic repair kit. The ability to orientate and navigate using maps is also important. We provide you with GPX or KML data for your smart-phone. We can also provide GPS device with recommended routes.
The disadvantages of AVE Self-Guided bicycle tours are obvious: lower comfort levels, no guide, no daily supporting vehicle, no full board prepaid (only accommodation with breakfasts), no foreign travelling companions, no practical bike-ride course, but on the other hand: lower prices, many more possible adventures and flexibility of starting the tour on the day of your choice (any day from the beginning of April until the end of October).
Every AVE Travel Self-Guided tour starts with a pick-up from Prague Airport or from your hotel in Prague and welcome briefing. We personally meet our clients to give them all the information materials, maps, itinerary and to explain everything that they need. We solve their possible problems and answer their questions. We adapt bikes to their body dimensions and give them a brief review of biking technique on our mountain bikes, if necessary. Cell phones are tested and checked so that you will always be in contact in the event of an emergency. We attach a GPS console to the bicycle handlebars of one member of each group and record the ordered route into it.
We transport all members of the Self-Guided tour to the first place of accommodation with their luggage and bikes. The group rides according to the chosen programme. Luggage is always transported to the next place of accommodation.
The AVE hot-line assistance service ensures immediate help in solving problems that may occur during your trip.
We can also propose a Self-Guided tailor-made tour based on your desired destination and time requests.
The size of the group
The size of the group is not limited. Couples also can order any of the Bike tours with any starting day. You choose the day you would like to start the tour. This is the main advantage compared to the scheduled Guided group tours, where the start and end dates are fixed.
Solo traveller
Solo traveller - a single person on a self-guided tour. We calculate the car and luggage transfers on our tours based on a minimum of two people. If you go solo on a self-guided tour then you will pay Solo traveller surcharge to cover the cost of the extra person not going. This is in addition to the single room supplement.
Starting date
The usual season for the tours is from the beginning of April until the end of October. You can buy your air tickets to and from Prague and we will adapt the tour to the time of your landing and departure. It is recommended to come one or two days before the start day of the tour to become acclimatized to Central Europe and acquainted with Prague and the Czech Republic.
Recommended starting day of the tour – Self-guided tours are of the same duration as the appropriate Guided Group tour. By choosing the same start day of your self-guided tour as the appropriate guided group tour, you can easily take advantage of sharing some services with the guided group. These services include for example technical service and health care on the route, immediate assistance if you get lost etc.