Prague to Dresden: Elbe Cycle Path

This cycling tour is suitable for most regular cyclists. You’ll spend much of the day in the saddle and you should be experienced with this to enjoy your holiday. There is time to explore en-route: long lunches, museums, wineries and castles.

Before your tour, we recommend cycling a couple of consecutive days, so you get used to riding back-to-back days and incorporating some hilly terrain into your routine. Be sure to take into account the daily distances and elevation changes outlined in your itinerary.

The cycle path in the Czech Republic frequently follows unpaved field roads or tracks (some of which have a gravel surface), especially along the Vltava River, or along country roads with light to moderate traffic. Well developed paths can be found between Litomerice and the German border. Once in Saxony the route follows quiet country roads, but mostly runs along even, paved bicycle paths.

The first day has a small ascent, otherwise the route is relatively flat.

This tour is graded easy-to-moderate. Within the tour individual days may vary in difficulty - some rides may be slightly more difficult or easier than the overall grade suggests.

Accommodation on this tour is in well-maintained hotels, guesthouses and inns, mainly of a 3-star standard, each offering a warm welcome to cyclists and comfortable en-suite rooms.

Yes, solo travelers are very welcome. There will be a supplement because some costs, like transfers, aren't shared. Or if you'd like to book a single room, just ask. These are available for a supplement.

This is a popular route, so if you're traveling solo you'll likely find plenty of other cyclists to chat with along the way.

Breakfast is included every morning. Lunch and dinner aren't included, which leaves you free to choose from the many options around you - you'll pass through towns and villages along the route where you can pick up provisions for a picnic lunch, or you're welcome to eat at your hotel in the evening if you prefer.

This tour runs from the beginning of April to the end of October, and you can start on any day of the week within that season.

Your bags will be collected from your accommodation each day and moved onto your overnight accommodation. On this tour you can bring up to two bags per person, each weighing no more than 20kg/44lbs.

It's vital that you adhere to these limits. Heavier bags, or additional items might not be transferred, and you may be charged locally. Airlines may have different allowances, but our luggage handlers do not have the same capacity or equipment, and their health and safety is our priority.

Navigation is straightforward using our app which has maps, tracks and daily route info. Simply download the information and tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone. Once on the trail you do not need signal for the app to work and follow your progress.

Getting to the start

Prague is served by plenty of flights into Prague Airport. From the airport, take the Metro (about 18-24 minutes) or the Airport Express bus (about 35 minutes) into the main train station in the city centre. Prague is also well connected by rail within Europe - see Deutsche Bahn for timetables and fares. From the UK, you can take the Eurostar from London to Brussels, then the European Sleeper direct from Brussels to Prague in a couchette or sleeper.

Getting from the end

The tour ends in Dresden, where Dresden Airport has flights to London, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Stuttgart, Hamburg and Munich - an S-Bahn train runs from the city centre to the airport in about 12-20 minutes. Berlin Airport is also a good option, with direct train services between Berlin and Dresden taking about 2 hours 10 minutes. You can also take the train back to Prague - Deutsche Bahn has timetables and fares - or the bus, which takes just under 2 hours. FlixBus has timetables and fares.

You'll need your standard cycling gear. Bike hire comes with a pannier rack and bag, a pump, lock, a basic repair kit, and handlebar phone. On booking, our Tour Info will give you a complete packing list.

Since you'll have your bike with you, shortening or skipping sections may not be easy. For the best local advice on transport options for cyclists, please consult your accommodation provider or reach out to our local bike partner, where applicable.

We hire bikes suited to the terrain, including e-bikes for a bit of extra assist, in a range of sizes - just let us know your height when booking so we can get your frame right. If you would like to bring your own bike then, in the majority of cases, this is not a problem - please contact us to talk it through. We encourage all cyclists to wear a helmet, and it is law in many countries across Europe. We recommend bringing your own helmet for hygiene and safety reasons, however on most tours you can hire one.

The following bikes are available for hire:

Hybrid bike: Kalkhoff, BBF or Lehmkuhlor, with either a 7-gear hub (with back-pedal brake) or a 21/24-speed derailleur (without back-pedal brake).

E-bike: Atlanta Ruckenwind 1.0 or Raleigh Kingston 500, in unisex and ladies' models with step-through or low-crossbar frames, suited to heights from around 1.60-1.90m. Disc brakes, a mid-mount motor and a Bosch battery.

Tandem bikes aren't available on this tour, and brand and model may vary depending on availability. The minimum age for e-bike hire is 16.

Please let us know your height for bike sizing when booking. Bike hire includes a repair kit and pump, a pannier bag, a lock and, for e-bikes, a battery charger - rental bikes don't come with a water bottle holder, so bring your own, and a phone mount is also a good idea.

Helmets aren't included and you'll need to bring your own (this is a legal requirement for under-18s in the Czech Republic).

We highly recommend that you have travel insurance when you book with Macs Adventure. Your policy should cover medical treatment (including repatriation and emergency evacuation by air ambulance or helicopter), injury, death, third-party liability, and trip cancellation