My main piece of advice is simple: just do it!
Let me explain.
I have two kids. Matevž is eight, and Cene is four. We live in Kranj, a town at the foot of the Slovenian Alps, about twenty minute drive northwest of Ljubljana. We cycle to school and kindergarten almost every day, and we have been doing so ever since they learned to ride.
So far, my longer trips have all been with Matevž, though Cene's turn is just around the corner. Over the past few years, our rides have grown from a single overnighter into a three-day journey from home all the way to the sea: the full width of Slovenia, from the Alps to the Adriatic. I learned a lot in these three years, and I will try to briefly describe my findings through our bikepacking trips.
Start small, but start
The first time Matevž and I went bikepacking together, he was six. It was the final weekend before his first day of school.
The plan was deliberately simple: ride for a while, swim in Lake Kreda, ride some more, swim in Lake Bled, ride a little farther, set up a camp at River Camping Bled, jump in the pool, then swim in the Sava River. You get the idea.
River Camping Bled has a section set aside for hikers and cyclists, which was perfect for us. We did not need to cover an impressive distance or conquer a famous pass. The goal was to spend the day outside, ride somewhere new, sleep in a tent, and have a good time together.
Going a little farther
The following year, we upgraded. We repeated the first day to Bled, then on the second morning, continued to Lake Bohinj, deeper into the Alps — with the obligatory swims in Lake Bled and the Sava Bohinjka along the way.
The journey was longer, but the formula was the same: break the ride into manageable sections, and always keep something enjoyable waiting ahead.
Children do not care about kilometers, elevation, average speed, or whether a route looks impressive on Strava. They care about what happens along the way. How long until the next swim? Is there ice cream nearby? Can we stop and throw stones into the river? Are we sleeping in a tent tonight? This is the stuff that matters.
The big idea: riding to the sea
Fast-forward to 2026. Matevž proposed that this time we should ride to the sea.
Kranj sits in the north, at the foot of the Alps; the Slovenian coast is a short but hilly stretch of Adriatic in the far southwest. Reaching it by bike means crossing most of the country. I started planning that evening.
I drafted two possible routes. Well, four, technically. We chose a less direct option, which, given that we were riding in the middle of a heatwave, was easily the most sensible one. The route followed the Sava River on the first day, the Soča and Vipava rivers on the second, and reached the sea on the third. Plenty of chances to cool down along the way.
Day one: Kranj to Bohinj
On the first day we rode from Kranj to Bohinj in one go. The year before we had split the same journey over two days, so this was already a big step up.
We stopped for a swim in the Sava near Globoko, and ice cream in Radovljica, before "sprinting" along the new cycling path to Camp Danica in Bohinjska Bistrica. We arrived early enough to spend almost the whole afternoon beside the Sava Bohinjka.
That was ideal. We finished the main riding before the hottest part of the day and still had time to swim, rest, eat, and do absolutely nothing.
Day two: Bohinj to Pliskovica
The second day began with an early train from Bohinjska Bistrica to Most na Soči, through the mountains. The train saved us around 1,000 metres of climbing — and who does not enjoy a train ride? My phone enjoyed it so much it stayed on board a few extra stations, all the way to Anhovo. The rest of us got off at the right stop.
From Most na Soči we followed the cycling path along the left bank of the Soča, the startlingly turquoise river that runs down from the Julian Alps. The views are beautiful, though some are well earned, with a few surprisingly steep ramps along the way.
A morning swim in the Soča near Kanal gave us the superpowers we needed for the ride towards Solkan. Luckily, we did not forget to pick up my phone at Anhovo train station. In (Nova) Gorica we briefly crossed into Italy before stopping for supplies, enough for a long siesta beside the Vipava River in Renče, where we spent most of the afternoon.
It was one of the hottest days of the heatwave, up to 40°C, so there was no pretending that riding through the middle of it would make sense. Instead we swam, ate, rested in the shade, and waited.
Eventually it was time for the crux of the day: the climb onto the Karst, the limestone plateau above the Adriatic, before finishing in Pliskovica. The climb was about five kilometres at an average of eight per cent. Apparently this was no big deal, since it was only half of the Vršič Pass we had ridden a week earlier while going to cheer on the Tour of Slovenia. Upon reaching Pliskovica, we rewarded ourselves with cold bubbly drinks and pasta. That day we covered 72 kilometres and climbed around 1,100 metres. A serious day out for anyone, let alone an eight-year-old.
At the hostel, Matevž announced that he was not even tired. I am not sure I believe him, given that he fell asleep with the bedroom lights still on.
Day three: Pliskovica to the sea
The final day was supposed to be the easiest. It was also the hottest, and unlike the previous two there were no rivers or lakes along the way. The only real chance to cool down would come at the finish.
We followed part of a route we had ridden during Loose at the Coast a few months earlier, taking Cesarska cesta towards Bazovica. Back then we had turned left and climbed towards Mount Kokoš; this time we went straight.
A quick gelato in Bazovica gave us the energy to join the Trieste–Kozina cycling path, which follows an old railway line and gradually descends through Val Rosandra towards Trieste, just over the border in Italy. From there we continued along the coast towards Ankaran and finally reached Sveta Katarina beach.
Success. Less than three days after leaving home, we had reached the sea by bike. We spent the afternoon at the beach and then took the train back home.
What I learned about bikepacking with a child
Let the stops shape the route
We did not pick a route and then look for places to swim. We picked the route because of the water: the Sava on the first day, the Soča and the Vipava on the second. The riding happened between the swims.
That also means resisting the urge to count the hours off the bike as lost time. The long afternoon by the Vipava was not a delay forced on us by the heat. It was half the reason the day worked.
Give them some luggage
A jacket, a sleeping bag, a soft toy, a few snacks. It does not need to be heavy. Carrying part of the kit makes a child feel like a member of the expedition rather than a passenger following an adult's plan.
Trains are not cheating
A train can cut out an unsafe or joyless stretch, save a thousand metres of climbing, open up better routes, and become a highlight in its own right. The goal is not to pedal every possible metre. It is to build a good adventure.
My phone, admittedly, took this philosophy too far.
Do not underestimate them
I would never have planned a ride to the sea for Matevž without our earlier trips behind us, but I also would not have planned it if he had not asked. Children are often capable of far more than we expect when the journey means something to them. That does not mean pushing through exhaustion or ignoring discomfort. It means leaving room to be surprised.
Keep the route flexible, and overpack the food
Know where the next station, campsite, shop, or water source is. You may never touch the backup options, but knowing they exist takes the pressure off both of you. Then carry more food than you think you need anyway. Food is motivation, recovery, entertainment, and occasionally emergency diplomacy. Especially sweets 🍬
Just go
The first trip might be short. You might stop more than you ride. You might carry most of the luggage yourself. You might spend more time swimming than cycling. That is not a failed bikepacking trip. That is bikepacking with kids.
This summer it is Cene's turn. We are starting the way Matevž and I did: one night, somewhere close to home. I have no idea how far we will get, and that is rather the point.
