My girlfriend and I are cycling from Cologne to Athens with fully loaded bikes and camping gear. We’ve made it to Slovenia, and this is our plan for the next part of the trip:
Bosnia → Montenegro → Kosovo → North Macedonia → Greece
Before we commit to it: what would you change?
If you’ve cycled anywhere along this route, I’d love to hear about roads you’d avoid, amazing sections we shouldn’t miss, border crossings, traffic, wild camping, or simply places where you thought: “You HAVE to cycle here.”
We’re not looking for the fastest way to Athens. We want the route we’ll remember.
So: looking at the map, what are we getting wrong? 😄
by surfavi
10 Comments
I would never ride a bike on a road with cars in Balkans.
Recently I have watched several videos from Trans Balkan Race and how people drive in Bosnia or Montenegro is insane
No. I would choose to ride near the coast.
It’s hard to say just by looking at the picture. What would you most like to see? Are you riding paved roads, or are you willing to ride gravel hills, too? When are you starting your ride in Croatia?
yeah I went from Salzburg to Athens – but the coast and there were too much cars so I would do it your way
At a glance, you’ll have like 10x more elevation than if you took a costal route
There’s a famous cycle route that follows a similar path called Trans Dinarica. Maybe you could follow some of that
Looks good. I suggest you to study the way step by step cuz Komoot sometimes … you know !
If you haven’t seen the Adriatic coast before. It’s worth it to dip down there a few times, but definitely not the full coastal route. Maybe south Croatia, some island hopping by ferry, it is quite nice for cycling. South Albania is nice too (Llogara pass, Albanian riviera). Would not skip inland Montenegro, Durmitor. Definitely a highlight.
I didn’t ride this exact route, but I can share my experience from the Balkans to give you a better idea of what to expect.
I started in Dubrovnik and rode through Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania.
Check the elevation first. On a heavily loaded bike, riding uphill for days or even weeks with no shade can be extremely exhausting, especially in Montenegro.
The main roads can be narrow and busy, and I had a few scary encounters with drivers honking like crazy while deliberately passing very close and very fast.
A local explained that cyclists are still quite unusual there, so many drivers simply aren’t used to sharing the road with bikes.
In Montenegro, the tunnels are often completely unlit and poorly ventilated, so be prepared to ride in total darkness and thick exhaust fumes on very narrow lanes. A bright front and rear light, together with a reflective vest, is absolutely essential.
That said I’d try to stick to the small, dusty side roads as much as possible and avoid the main roads.
Put Korce in albania in and then go down SH71..i did 2 weeks ago. Stunning
18% ramps waiting you 3.times tho