Creating your own ‘reverse Trans Dinarica route’ with Ride With GPS App

Can the Trans Dinarica cycle route also be traveled in the opposite direction? Some of you are planning to use the route during your trip between Greece and Germany, for example, or you might want to take advantage of one of the suggested itineraries. The simple answer is yes, of course, the Trans Dinarica bike trail can also be traveled in reverse, but for comprehensive turn-by-turn guidance and the use of all utilities, some clicking will be required. Or not (see last paragraph).

The RWGPS App is a must-have tool for navigating the Trans Dinarica cycling route.

As mentioned in the Suggested itineraries page, for any special itinerary that uses a stage traveling in the opposite direction, cyclists can, if needed, download the required route track (as part of the country Nav pack) and reverse it by him or herself, using Ride with GPS (RWGPS) or any other preferred application. This way, you can create a correctly oriented bike route with the proper navigation cues, allowing you to use active navigation with graphic and/or voice guidance aligned with your direction of travel.

To edit tracks, you will need to create a free RWGPS account

It’s important to point out that while using the RWGPS App, reversing the route cannot be performed within the existing Nav pack (Experience) since this is a finished product intended solely for country-specific built-in navigation. As mentioned, you can download individual Trans Dinarica GPX files and manipulate them as preferred, once imported into your own personal RWGPS account for free (Starter plan). In this case, you lose certain functionalities of our Nav pack, and the downloaded GPX file becomes only a source for creating your own cycling route.

Once you have uploaded the GPX file and created your own route, you can use the “Reverse Route” tool in your RWGPS Route Planner. Similar actions can also be performed with the Mobile Route Planner, although precise cartographic work likely requires the desktop version. Moreover, for advanced use of the RWGPS App, you can also opt for the Premium plan/Subscription to enjoy the advantages of Advanced Route Planning tools, which is especially helpful when planning a long-distance cycling tour.

However, using the “Route Planner” tools requires a certain amount of experience and precision. For example, the RWGPS Application will perform an automatic “Reverse Route” function only between existing control points on the route. If these points do not exist (which can happen when importing a new Trans Dinarica GPX file), then the reverse route will be automatically drawn between the existing end and start points of the original cycling route. For more detailed information, we recommend reading the available tutorials on the RWGPS help page. Of course, there are other tools for processing GPX files that you may already know or use.

Don’t forget to take breaks and enjoy the stunning Balkan landscapes as you ride along the Trans Dinarica bike trail.

Riding in the opposite direction is also possible in a simpler way

Finally, a small piece of advice: it may not be necessary to worry about the correct orientation of the route and active navigation. In most cases, it may be sufficient to simply display the Trans Dinarica cycling route on the screen of your navigation device and follow it visually, without active hints about when and where to turn at intersections.

Using tools like RWGPS, the Trans Dinarica GPX routes are easy to modify and follow, even in reverse. Creating your own personalized route is simple and allows for more flexibility as you navigate the Balkan bike trails. If you’re looking for advice or experience from fellow travelers on the Trans Dinarica bikepacking trail, you can join our Trans Dinarica Travelers Group. Connect with other cycling adventurers, ask questions, or even find your next Balkan travel buddy.