Prague to Munich Bike Challenge

Itinerary

Day 1 - Pre-Event - Fly to Prague
Arrive afternoon/early evening for your transfer to the hotel and bike preparation. Evening meal and route briefing for the event.

Day 2 - Prague to Tabor (100km)
A nice warm up ride takes out along the river before heading into the Czech Countryside. The ride climbs slightly during the day - but is manageable! We shall have a few undulations before reaching Tabor and the pretty walled city! Get ready for some hearty Czech Hospitality this evening!

Day 3 - Tabor to Cesky Krumlov (105km)
It's an early start and hit the open country roads of this picturesque part of Europe. We start to move more into the heart of the country. About 2/3 into the day we shall reach Ceskey Budejovice - where we shall break for afternoon tea, coffee or ice cream! This is the home of the original Budweiser, but save yourself until later - our destination tonight is a bit special! It's a further 30km to our days destination in the South Western Corner of the Czech republic - Cesky Krumlov. Cesky Krumlov is certainly a highlight of the trip, a World Heritage Site, and a beautiful town nestling on a sharpe horseshoe bend of the river Vltava.

Day 4 - Cesky Krumlov to Vilshofen (125km) (Option for Ferry Short Cut)*
Today is a stunning days cycling through the Czech countryside, and across the former iron curtain into Germany. It starts gently and we are treated to a special view into the heart of the wild region of Sumava - a sparsely populated expansive forest, with the huge Lipno Lake directly in front of us. We cycle beside the lake for a good distance before starting the challenging climb up to the border. From the border we are then able to enjoy a mighty descent down to the River Danube for our overnight.

Day 5 - Vilshofen to Munich (137km)*
A slightly shorter distance but still an undulating days riding ahead. Passing through many of the charming ancient villages of Bavaria and finally arriving at it's capital - Munich. Having travelled through the simple countryside of the Czech Republic, you may well find Munich with its shiny cars and high rise buildings somewhat of a shock, but at least the beer will taste good, with 4 days of riding and two amazing countries behind you. Our event team will assist you with packing your bike and transfer to the airport. Please note the exact finishing point for the ride will depend upon the team, and how long you wish the last day to be - we often opt for Erding which will be some 35km before the city centre - but this makes a very convenient end to the ride. From here we can catch a local train into the city centre, to celebrate the end of the ride.

Day 6 - Transfer to the airport for flight home! (We suggest a later flight home!)

* The overnight in Vilshofen may be moved to allow an ealrier arrival into Munich

Accommodation

5 Nights Accommodation is included in your fee. Beginning in Prague, we shall be in simple hotels throughout the event (including breakfasts). The standard of accommodation is designed to be functional, and clean - and to enable us to get a good night's sleep - and enjoy the challenge. You will be sharing in twins or triples If you require a single room then please request this at time of booking (a small supplement will be payable). Upgrades are also available for an extra charge if required.

What is a Level 3.5 Cycling Challenge Like?

These challenge rides are either longer, with more ascent, or span several days. In the case of single day events, you can expect up to 10 hours cycling. In the case of a multi day ride, you can expect lower daily durations - but of course - the effort is sustained over a longer period. You need to be a keen cyclist for these events, and to enjoy training, and to ride regularly. If the ride is outside the EU, it is likely to be easier in terms of the physical riding, however, you will need to be more resilient - due to more basic living conditions (in the case of Asia / Africa especially)

How Fit Do I need to be to join a Level 3.5 ‘Bike Ride’?

You need to have good endurance for these events. You must be used to doing long rides in the countryside - 6 hours + . You should be doing regular exercise - with some serious cycle training. Your typical comfortable cycling speed will be at least 22-24 km/hr, and you should be able to cycle at high speed for up to 1 hour or 25 km. You may also be concentrating on other types of exercise - but for longer periods of time (ie sessions in excess of 1.5 hrs.) - however cycling is the best preparation (obviously!)

Medical Issues

Please note, it is extremely important for this physical challenge that you are in good health. If you have any pre-existing medical conditions, please consider carefully whether you should be joining the challenge. Please ensure you fill in the booking form accurately and honestly, this is important. In the case of serious conditions (epilepsy, diabetes, heart conditions, recent illness or operations), please discuss the challenge with your GP. Please also ensure you notify us of any allergies or similar.

It requires stamina and good aerobic fitness - but good willpower will also come in handy! Failure to disclose medical conditions is a serious omission - that could have serious repercussions on any of our challenges.

Special Notes

N.B. Our hotel on the final night will be on the edge of Munich and we shall catch the train to the city for the Beerfest. Entry and food/drink tokens must be purchased beforehand, please contact the office for further details.

Visas / Redtape

When travelling abroad you may require a Visa. Please check the Travcour website (www.travcour.com) for up to date Visa information. Here they can advise you on the best action to take. If you require further information please don't hesitate to contact the Café.

Included In Trip

Experienced Cycle Leader/First Aider, Full Vehicle Support and Driver/Mechanic, Pre-event briefing. Bed and Breakfast accommodation en-route. Full buffet breakfasts every day.

Excluded From Trip

International Flights to and from start and end of the ride. Excess spare parts.

Equipment Required

Kit lists specific to your trip dates and location will be issued upon enquiry...below is our guide advice to give an idea of what you should bring on a multi--day ride in Europe

Bike Items
Road Bike / Hybrid Bike (with puncture resistant tyres) - please call us for guidance on type of bike on a trip by trip basis
2 X Water Bottles (bladder system/cycle water bottles)
Cycling Gloves, Bike Lock, Neck Scarf, Inner Tubes*, Multi-Tool (with allen keys)*
Day Bag for support vehicle, Small Holdall (for overnight gear)
Bike Lights (front and rear, head torch can be worn)
Saddle Bag (recommended - can be used to carry asterisk* items)
Puncture Repair Kit*, Spare parts for your bike (specialist parts and spokes), Pump (suitable for your valve type)

Helmet (compulsory)
Personal Medikit  Suncream, Plasters, Vaseline, Painkillers, Sunbloc, Insect Repellant

Washkit

Warm Clothing Medium Weight Softshell, Long sleeve Jersey / insulating layer Lightweight Gloves.

Cycle  Clothing
Padded Lycra Cycling Shorts, Cotton Shorts, or Long Cycling Trousers (Tights/Tracksuit Bottoms)
Short Sleeve Cycling T-Shirts (wicking type material) or Cycle Top with rear pockets
Cycling Shoes (approach shoes or sturdy traners suitable), 

Spare Shoes/Sandals for after ride

Casual Evening Wear - tracksuits, jeans, T shirts, fleece ...

Waterproof Clothing
1 Outer Fully Waterproof Jacket (gore-tex, e-vent) - comfortable to cycle in

Other
Travel Documents, EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) Credit Cards, Cash, Local Currency, Mobile Phone, chargers, EU plug adaptor, Sunglasses
Snacks for Cycling Days (dried fruits, nuts, flapjacks, cereal bars etc)
Travel insurance (not included), Passport

Important
Make sure you do not ‘over pack’ - bring only what is essential for the trip. It is advisable to check that your travel insurance covers the value of any expensive items of kit that you chose to bring along with you. 

A final kit list will be provided in your ‘Final Joining Instructions’ pre-departure

Safety Information

By nature all activities contain an element of risk.Your leader will be first aid qualified and will carry the appropriate safety kit for the activity, such as first aid kits, our on hand support vehicle, and from time to time mobile radios. Safety equipment carried will be appropriate to trip. The leader's primary role is to ensure your safety, but it is your responsibility to listen to their guidance and instructions. You will be issued with detailed safety guidance for riding safely. It is our primary focus to ensure you arrive safely at your journey's end without any crashes or accidents!

Weather

We should catch the end of the summer - and have mild warm and sunny weather. Be prepared for hot and sunny conditions - so be prepared to protect against the sun. Equally however, we could get unlucky! So pack rain jackets and warmer clothes too! Just in case….

Optional Extras

Bike Hire may be available - please ask at time of booking.

Notes on Cycling Events

This is our standard range of Cycling Challenges in the UK, Europe and further afield. However, we offer completely tailormade itineraries to your specification. Call us to discuss! Please note that for overseas point to point cycling challenges we can transport soft cases for bike transport - but not hard cases, due to space limitations on board our support vehicles. On all our cycling events, please pack sensibly and bring a reasonably sized soft holdall type bag. To participate in an overseas Adventure Cafe challenge - you must carry Travel Insurance (to be for the activity you are participating in, and to include repatriation to the UK). Please also note that you should have a good level of cycling experience and be competent to handle your bike. We ride on roads shared with other vehicles - and you need to be able to deal with this safely.

Adventure Cafe Booking Terms and Conditions

To Reserve Your Space on this Challenge