Hi - we are 3 active cyclists, normally can do 75 k/day, thinking to tour Czech - Slovakia starting mid October for 2 weeks. Can anyone help on which routes to take, what kind of weather to expect or which towns to stay etc... Any info would be very much appreciated. Thank you

Czech and Slovakia are two different states with different langages, but people can understand each other (when they will)
Both countries lies in the middle of Europe with modest climate, the more to East, the more continental is the climate. May be already snow in the mountains in Octobre.
Both countries have al wide varieta of landscape, flat regions, hills, mountains, high mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes, ..., but no sea and deserts. Thera are interesting cities, caves, rocks, ...
I would recommend a website cykloserver.cz , only in Czech, but I think they understand English too. I didn't found a mail address, but you should take info@cykloserver.cz and ask your question.

Greetings
Jutta

Hello!

We visited Trencin this year. A nice city in the north of Slovakia. The road from Trencin to Bratislava is flat.

I can recommend you the maps of Reise Know How. They did a good job.

Have fun!

Bruno and Sibil

Hello 2 wheels!
The Czech Republic is fine country for cycling. My wife and I were there two weeks in May 2004. We made an unsupported bike tour. The map with the track of our route is available on my home page http://www.velo-idea.narod.ru/Chehia.htm . I would recommend you to visit the province Moravia that is eastern and south eastern area of the country. It is very beautiful land. I liked especially small provincial towns and picturesque villages. Slovakia is much more hilly country. There is much colder in the mountains in October. I wasn’t there, but I was in Carpathians in Ukraine, climate is the same.
Highest daily temperature in Moravia is +15C in the middle of October and +10C in the end. Night temperature falls from +5C till +3C correspondingly. Precipitation level is pretty low - 40 mm.
There is no problem to choose a route in Czech, the network of nice back roads is dense, grocery and provision shops, café are everywhere. We bought in a bookstore the particular 1:100000 map “Cycloatlas” that describes 20000km of marked bike routes over the country. Hotels, hostels etc. are marked on that map also. I think accommodation is not a problem in October at all, so you need not book apartments. If you like stealth camping, it is possible too, except national parks of course, but I don’t know if it is legal in Czech.
As to language barrier, I can say that the second language is German there, so you have to use a phrase book. We were in simpler situation, because Russian, Czech and Ukrainian are a bit similar Slav languages, and nevertheless we used the phrase book.
I wish you good luck.

Alexey

Dear Alexey - Thank you very much for your valued information. We are specifically concerned about the weather from begenning October - We dont mind the cold ofcourse, we will have adequate clothes etc... But the rain, if it does rain a lot during that period then it will cause us to stop etc... If you know about that , it would be excellent. Cheers - Saad

Dear Saad
Autumn is not rainy season in Czech. The rainiest month is July. It is 100mm the average atmospheric precipitation level that time. We were there in May when the level was 80mm and we had three rainy days for two weeks. Thus, 40 mm, as I wrote, means many good sunny days in October. Nevertheless, I think that you have to be prepared for rainy weather because it is not summer already. I would have reliable (not membrane) rain gear and gumboots with me. You may buy all this in Czech also.
I thought about your possible route and I think it is good idea to ride from Prague to Bratislava for two weeks or in back direction. If the distance is too long, you may go some part by suburb train. Some of these trains have special carriages for bikes transportation. They are marked in time-bill and have a special sign. It is impossible to go by bus with bike in Czech even if the bike is disassembled.
I have sent you a map with the most popular bike routes in Czech by e-mail.

Alexey

Hello Alexey -- so we are going! We will start from Prague then south along the greenway route to the austrian border, then north again back to prague -- my friends will continue to poland. One more question please: Good bike shops in Prague? if possible tel number and directions. We will be staying in the center of the city. Thanks - Saad

Hello, Saad!
I’m glad, that you have made the decision to make the tour.
I was not in bike shops in Prague, only in the town Tabor, so I can just help you to find the shops on the Internet.

These two links below are about contact information of two bike shops in Prague:
http://www.bike-eshop.cz/kontakt
http://www.utyrse.cz/?lang=cz&sec=adv_redaction&r_cat=11&s_cat=21

The next link is to the list of Czech bike shops. You can find on these websites the link “kontakt” to find out where the shop is located.
http://www.internetoveobchody.cz/default.asp?idcat=133&advsearch

Key words are “jízdní kola” or just “kola” - bicycle, “horská kola” - MTB, “obchod” - shop, “mesto” - city, “mapa” - map, “telefon” - phone number.

I wish you good trip and good weather.

Alexey

Hi Alexey and thank you for all the valued information. We will be starting from Prague on Sunday Oct 1 , to tour all the country. What is the name of your town and what is your mobile number, if we pass by your house, we will call you to go for a drink. Thanks again - Saad

Dear Saad!
I am Russian, and I live in Moscow city that is the capital of Russia. Russia or Russian Federation is a huge country in the North, the biggest part of former Soviet Union. I can give you recommendations about your tour of Czech only because I have made such tour, so I can share my experience and knowledge about this country. Anyway thank you for your willing to go for a drink together. May be sometime and somewhere in future.

Sincerely yours

Alexey

Da!!! I am sorry I forgot. Anyway, thanks again for all your help and info. Come cycling to Jordan one time, and I will show you a very nice country. Saad