Dear Dubrovnik & Venice Participants,
We received 2 separate emails inquiring about flights out of Venice, so we wanted to make sure everyone had the correct flight information for our cruise this October. As a reminder—our cruise embarks in Dubrovnik, travels up the Dalmatian Coast to spend a day in Venice, then travels down the Dalmatian Coast, and disembarks in Dubrovnik.

  • Oct 9 - Dubrovnik (embark day)
  • Oct 10 - Kotor
  • Oct 11 - Trstenik & Korcula
  • Oct 12 - Sibenik & Zadar
  • Oct 13 - Rovinj
  • Oct 14 - Venice
  • Oct 15 - Koper & Umag
  • Oct 16 - Primosten, Trogir, & Split
  • Oct 17 - Stari Grad, Hvar, & Vis
  • Oct 18 - Dubrovnik (disembark day)

The following text is a copy/resend of our November 24 email:

I am happy to report that after an 18-month pause, Santana experienced a successful restart of events this past July. In the span of four months Jan and I hosted 7 overseas Cycling Cruises on chartered ships. Taken together, nearly 1250 cyclists joined us for over 60 days of group rides and exploration spanning 12 foreign countries. Santana’s crew and participants took thousands of cruise ship and/or government-mandated Covid-19 tests. Not a single hint of Covid infection was detected. Instead, over a thousand cyclists enjoyed the healthy vacations we needed.

Airlines have scheduled thousands of additional transatlantic flights for 2022.

Although Covid-19 has proven itself to be unpredictable, the health and travel experts we’ve been following cause us to believe your 2022 event will occur on schedule.

Here is some important information for you to read before you book your flights!

Unless you’ll use frequent flyer miles (or are persnickety about airlines, seat selection and connections), there is no reason to buy October 2022 airline tickets this early. A large selection of flights will remain available until the final weeks. Because airlines eventually discount excess seats, the predicted “sweet spot” for airfares is 90-120 days in advance.

If you haven’t recently flown with your bike, this page (originally written for tandem owners) has money-saving ticketing tips that should be reviewed before you choose your flights.

Flying to Dubrovnik
 
To reach Dubrovnik’s DBV International Airport in time for our October 9 embark, you’ll need to leave the US by October 8.
 
The obvious problem with arriving in Dubrovnik on the day our ship sails to a foreign country (Montenegro), is the SEVERE hassle you’ll endure if you or your luggage misses a connection. Additionally, your choice of flights becomes 5x greater if you don’t need to land at DBV by 2pm (the latest possible arrival time on embark day). With a wider range of flight options you'll almost certainly save enough to cover the cost of taxi rides and a one night stay in Dubrovnik (where our group hotel has a two-night minimum). With this slightly better plan you’ll leave the US on October 7, and make your own way to embark.
 
Better still, to encourage you to arrive early enough to explore the area, Santana is offering a bargain priced PreTour package with either two or three nights at a luxurious and perfectly-sited Dubrovnik hotel. If you'd like to join the 3-night PreTour, leave the US by October 5 (to arrive at DBV at any time on the 6th—shuttles will be from 8am to 6pm). If a 2-night PreTour is all you need, leave the US by October 6 (to arrive at DBV before 12:30PM on the 7th). 

Either option includes custom airport greetings, a guided exploration of Dubrovnik, two or more nights in a 5-star resort hotel, and a welcoming dinner with selected wines. Our PreTour’s final morning includes hosted bike building (or rental bike acceptance) and a pleasant warmup ride to reach our 1pm embark. In June you’ll receive full PreTour details and pricing.
 
After 7 full days with rides, a non-cycling intermezzo day in Venice, and 9 nights aboard La Belle de L’Adriatique, we’ll return to Dubrovnik. 
 
On October 18 our earliest ship-to-DBV airport shuttle will allow you to catch a 9AM flight out. Most of you will be able to arrive home that same day. 

Quick Reference Guide
  • Dubrovnik 3-Night PreTour - leave the US on or before October 5 to arrive at DBV airport on October 6. If your flight arrives by 6pm, we’ll meet your flight and provide a shuttle to our resort hotel. This day will have the greatest number of inexpensive flights.
  • Dubrovnik 2-Night PreTour - leave the US on or before October 6 to arrive at DBV airport on October 7. If your flight arrives by 12:30 PM, we’ll meet your flight and get you to our PreTour’s guided kick-off event. If your flight arrives later, every taxi driver knows the location of our resort hotel. At check-in you’ll find instructions on where and how to join us for a guided tour through the center of the old city. That same evening you’ll return to our resort for a welcoming reception and festive dinner. 
  • Dubrovnik 1-Night Option? Although our resort does not offer attractive rates for a 1-night stay, this option includes an embark day ride and luggage transfer from your resort room to your stateroom aboard La Belle de l’Adriatique. This option won’t include an airport greeting or transfer.
  • Embark day - leave the US on October 8 to arrive at DBV airport by 2pm on October 9. If you choose to make the mistake of selecting a later arrival, you will miss embark.
  • Disembark day - Earliest shuttle will leave the ship for DBV Airport in time to check-in for a 9AM flight on October 18. 

More info on PreTour options
Our offers for our Dubrovnik PreTour will be emailed in July, which is near the sweet spot for airline ticketing.