For those of you ready to jump on the bike, let us briefly explain the form the Trans Dinarica GPS navigation packages — with GPS or GPX tracks and Points of Interest, or POIs — will take. We want to be clear about the tools available when cycling through the eight countries of the Western Balkans.

You will be using the Ride with GPS mobile app for navigation on the Trans Dinarica cycling route.

1. The Trans Dinarica route exists in digital format only.

Trans Dinarica cycling route will only be available in digital format. This extensive Balkan cycling route will not be marked on-site. Can you imagine how many signs would be needed to physically mark approximately 5,000 kilometers of trails? So, don’t expect signs at crossroads.

2. The general Trans Dinarica map and data.

The general map of the entire Trans Dinarica route across all countries is available free of charge. Each stage is presented with an official pdf map available for free download, showing route track, vertical profile, and basic technical info about the length and elevation. This way, you are able to see where the route leads and use it to plan your own cycling trip and navigate through the Western Balkans with ease  – with some ingenuity and more clicking, of course. But, to make the life of an adventurer easier … (see point 3)

3. Extensive Trans Dinarica GPS navigation packages.

FULL and BASIC Navigation packages for each of the individual countries are available for a small fee; for Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, and Serbia. You can check the prices here: Navigation Pack. And there is a discount for everyone who chooses to buy the navigation package for the entire Trans Dinarica.

These fees associated with the Trans Dinarica bike tour navigation packages are for the route’s sustainability. The fees will be used to offset the cost of keeping the navigation packages and GPX tracks accurate and so that the trail is updated with local businesses that offer accommodations, food, and services. In short, we are committed to making a positive impact on communities across the region. You can find some idea about why we believe the cycle route has a positive effect on the local community in this story: Why do I believe in Trans Dinarica?

4. For the navigation, you’ll be using the Ride with GPS mobile app (or others).

After thorough research of the possibilities, we decided that the navigational package of the Trans Dinarica cycling route will be available on the Ride with GPS App, in the form of the so-called “RWGPS Experience”, the excellent performance of which we have already tested in practice. A free-to-use mobile app allows active turn-by-turn navigation without an internet connection after preloading the entire map. The process is fast, and easy, with plenty of display options and help along the way.

For those in favor of different mobile applications or special GPS navigational devices like Garmin, Wahoo, Hammerhead, etc., the navigational package, once purchased, will offer the possibility of downloading GPS data for active navigation with those devices or apps, too. To be precise – you can manually download GPX files from the RWGPS App (just tracks, no POIs or any other Experience content). 

Even without using the RWGPS mobile App for navigation, you can still use the RWGPS Experience on your mobile device as a secondary source of maps, POIs, and itinerary information, since all these are accessible offline. We’re sure you’ll enjoy it.

If you don’t think you need extensive navigation information, choose the BASIC package, which only contains a GPS route map and POI points.

Cyclists can download GPS tracks for navigation through the RWGPS app, or use the packages with other mobile apps.

What does the country-specific Trans Dinarica navigation package contain?

FULL Navigation Pack:

• Accurate GPS tracks,
• surface data (paved, unpaved),
• information on the height difference (altitude/climbs),
• useful POIs (warnings about important route characteristics, accommodations, inns, shops, bicycle workshops, natural and cultural heritage, …),
• descriptions of individual stages (interesting sites along the way, difficulty of cycling, specifics regarding accommodation …),
• information about the so-called hubs that you can use for easier logistics (connecting routes to major cities with airports, bus, and rail connections),
• sustainability tips.

In short, the navigation package is informative enough that you should have no problems planning a cycling trip and navigating through the Balkans. This still means that you will be cycling in a foreign country in a ‘self-guided’ way, i.e. on your own. Please do not count on someone from our team to help you look for a place to stay in the middle of the Bosnian mountains at 9 pm. If you’re getting curious and want to know more about planning a long-distance cycling trip, check out our other articles for tips on cycling holidays in the Western Balkans, recommended gear, and more.

BASIC Navigation Pack:

• Accurate GPS tracks in the form of GPX files,
• numerous Points of Interest (POIs) from various categories, displayed as general waypoints,
• sustainability tips.

Using detailed Trans Dinarica GPX tracks and navigation packages provides cyclists with useful POIs, route information, and surface data.

What about guided Trans Dinarica cycling tours?

For organised guided and self-guided tours or bike rental contact one of the official Trans Dinarica tour operators.

Traveling through each Balkan country is always multifaceted; we experience it ourselves, and we are surrounded by nature, settlements, locals, animals … After our last cycling trip in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, we believe that meeting people—locals who have been cultivating the Balkan soil for decades—is a more important component than in the case of traveling through more touristic countries. In this article, we will share one day of our journey to highlight the deep sense of hospitality that makes Balkan travel truly unique.

Locals might generously offer you some homemade meals, coffee, and rakija, and welcome travelers like family at every stop along the cycling tour.

A Serbian breakfast to remember

Our first stop on the Serbian section of Trans Dinarica was the small town of Sjenica. “Whenever you want! If it’s at 7:00 a.m., let it be at 7:00 a.m.,” answered the owner of a house, in which she rents out a few rooms this year when asked when we can have breakfast. When I went to prepare the bikes for the next trip in the morning, at 6:40 she was already walking from one kitchen to another (outside) kitchen. Inside she was putting different kinds of cheeses and pickled vegetables on plates, outside she was frying ‘uštipci’ (a kind of fried bread) and fresh green peppers, and under the tablecloth, freshly baked homemade bread was cooling. At 6:58, the table was so full that we couldn’t finish it. But she wrapped up some uštipci, cheese, and some dried meat for us to go on our way. Here, we had lunch.

Afternoon coffee in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Early in the afternoon, there were signs of a storm coming from the west. We were late with the day’s plan, a little earlier we found ourselves on a path we wouldn’t have liked to see under a five-and-a-half-meter van. Slowly, it worked. But the scene before the rain is fantastic; we are on a high plateau, the Albanian and Montenegrin mountains can be seen in the distance, covered with snow, and we are in the screaming green mountains, overgrown with juniper and pine and spruce. We MUST take some photos and videos here! We stop near a lonely house, prepare the camera and walkie-talkie, and start working. If I wasn’t really in a hurry because of the coming rain, I would first go and ask if I could park at the house, but … A minute later, when the cyclists were already moving away, a lady greets me from the porch and asks if we want coffee. Oh, please, thank you!

By the time the shots are finished and the bikes are stowed back in the van, the house already smells of strong coffee, and there is sparkling water, some candy, and slices of dried beef on the table. We talked about life in these remote places, about where the five daughters moved to, how they are waiting for a better road, and how many cyclists pass by here. They refused to accept the payment.

Evening rakija and a table full of delicious food

In the evening, just a few kilometers before our last checkpoint of the day, we wanted to see the possibility of accommodation in a small village. An elderly man was outside making rakija and called his son from the house to ask for information about rooms. After a short conversation right through the windows of the van, we decided to stay right here, in the village. And here – again, in a few minutes, in addition to the promised clean beds, the table was full of homemade goodies, bread, meat, and fresh vegetables. And of course, glasses for rakija as we finished driving for the day.

Cycling any part of the Trans Dinarica bike trail, you will find that locals go above and beyond to make you feel welcome. From offering coffee to packing you extra food for your ride, the people you meet will be a major highlight of your trip. Plan your next bike adventure with us, stay updated with the best tips for exploring the Trans Dinarica, and sign up for our newsletter to stay connected.

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