Erica & Allison Share Their Experience on Slovenia’s Self-Guided Gourmet Route by E-Bike
What happens when two ladies (both vegetarians), an experienced bikepacker and her friend, who has never traveled by bike in her life, go on a gourmet bike tour? We are publishing the interesting story of Erica and Allison, who experienced the 10-day Bike Slovenia Green: Gourmet Cycling Holidays self-guided cycling tour with e-bikes in May 2026. After we ate a (vegetarian) hamburger together at the end of their tour and toasted with a dark local beer in Ljubljana, they sent us a fun and inspiring description of their adventure.
Erica is an experienced bikepacker, for Allison this was her first bike trip.
Tell us about your cycling experiences.
Erica: In the summer of 2025, I bicycled 3.000 miles on the newly developed Trans Dinarica cycling route through eight Balkan countries as a celebration of retiring from a 27-year career in the fire service. I began and finished my 4-month ride from a friend’s home in Innsbruck, Austria. Because of my route, I rode through Slovenia two times. On my way south, I became enamored with the beauty and ease of cycling in Slovenia, and by the time I finished my ride north, I wanted to share it with all my friends!
Allison: Erica returned from her trip raving about Slovenia. Soon afterwards, she exclaimed, “HEY, we should rent e-bikes and do a tour together next year!” Although I had NEVER done any bike touring and had never even ridden an e-bike, Erica’s enthusiasm made it irresistible: I was IN!
They set off on the trip in May, when the temperatures are very pleasant for cycling.
Why Slovenia (again)?
Erica: Because I had traveled on the west side of the country, I wanted to see and know more of Slovenia. Is it all this beautiful? The 10-day Slovenia Green Gourmet tour would lead us there. Kudos to Allison; she didn’t think twice about taking on a 10-day (e-bike) cycling tour in early May for her first tour. With my years of independent bike travel experience, we chose the freedom of going self-guided.
Allison: It certainly was as beautiful as Erica remembered!! The Slovenia Green Gourmet route took us to both East and West Slovenia, a perfect whole-country tour. I found the stages to be very doable and manageable for a total newbie like me. The route was extremely peaceful, with few motor roads but mostly gorgeous trails and cycling paths that wound through Tuscany-like valleys, charming villages, and ethereal forests. I was amazed myself at how much I already loved bike touring within the first day!
Bike Slovenia Green: Gourmet Cycling Holidays is a 10-day trip through different Slovenian regions, in the central, western, southern and eastern parts.
How did Visit GoodPlace make your self-guided trip easier?
Erica: Discovering the hotels at the end of each day was a consistently wonderful surprise and pleasure. And while the dinner suggestions at some of the places were stunning, we often went in search of local and casual cuisine. One evening we even cycled 8 km (one way) for pizza. One constant was our enjoyment of Slovenian wines.
Going into the trip, my only hope was that I could introduce another person to the joy of seeing the world by bicycle. Thanks to Visit Good Place with their capable, kind, and responsive team, and the expertly crafted bike tour, Allison is hooked. We’re already planning the next trip to introduce more friends to the joy and beauty of bike touring in Slovenia.
Allison: here are a few ‘helpful hints’ from our experience:
- Preparation: The pre-trip briefing from VGP is excellent – take notes for the day-to-day recommendations about routes and options. Super helpful, and we often referred back to them during our ride.
- Bike Skills: If going self-guided, you need good working knowledge of Ride With GPS, and some basic bike maintenance skills, like changing a flat tire – we had two, from a vengeful rose bush! (For me as a first-timer, these flats were very intimidating. Fortunately, Erica had lots of experience, and I learned!)
- Snacks: We had bought snacks prior to our trip and were glad to not have to go in search of these while traveling. Some of the route does not have much in the way of shops.
- Vegetarian: If you’re vegetarian, when you arrive each evening, let the hotel restaurant know in advance so they can ensure they have a vegetarian option for you.
