BBA Tour - Baltic Bicycle Adventure by Connal Tours

BBA Tour -  Baltic Bicycle Adventure Tour by Connal Tours.

Greg and Jen's 2025 cycling adventure. Flying Perth to Riga (Latvia), via Istanbul, for our cycling adventure lap around the Baltic Sea. Our previous two tours were labelled as the trips of a lifetime (BCA Tour 2024 and ABC Tour 2023). Both journeys provided many elements of history, cultural diversity, natural beauty and the unknown. In planning this cycling tour we looked at safety, weather, timing and exciting elements as provided by the previous cycling tours. 

The route was plotted from a mixture of “what one must see” and blogs from other peoples’ experiences, using the app: Komoot, based on a mix of “Bike Touring” and “Road cycling”.  As we progressed, had conversations and saw different maps, we had the flexibility to select other roads and villages to get to the end point.  

Our perception was, for climate comfort, we needed to be in Sweden and Finland when it was mid-summer, so towards the end of the circuit.  From average climate data we struck on ’in and out’ of Riga, Latvia, beginning 26 May and heading south through Lithuania and Poland, then north to Stockholm, and east across the Åland Islands to Helsinki, then ride again south through Estonia back to Riga in Latvia, finishing 14 August.  This meant we may strike school holidays in Stockholm and Helsinki ... but should be warm. 

The planned route:

This time we were staying in Europe longer, but hopefully our "slow" paced cycling tour would be a little easier in the flatter Baltic countries. Once again nervously contemplating how it would all go. The Baltic Bicycle Adventure (BBA) took 82 days and covered 3170km cycling km. Cycling into the major cities of Vilnius, Warsaw, Gdańsk, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn and Riga and all the countryside and cities and villages in between. This adventure just kept giving and giving and was a wonderful experience. 

Our accommodation we booked along the way usually 3-4 days in advance. This allowed flexibility if we needed a route change, the weather turned foul or we wanted to stay longer in a place. The Hanza Hotel was booked in Riga for our arrival and our departure with assurity that they would store our bike bags at the hotel whilst we were on the road.

Our daily cycling experiences can be seen on our YouTube Channel in a series of 14 stage videos covering the 52 cycle days plus 30 walking or travelling days. These have all been published to our YouTube Channel Kit JS Connal.  Please feel free to share these touring ideas with your family and friends. Several video links are embedded below.  

Fly Perth, Western Australia via Istanbul to Riga, Latvia. (Late May).
4 nights in Riga, Latvia.
Stage 1: Starts in Riga and then 4 days cycling via Tukums, Kuldiga and Pāvilosta, to Liepāga.

Stage 2: 5 days of cycling from Liepāga, Latvia, crossing the border into Lithuania, then to Palanga, Klaipéda, Šiluté and Tauragė, to Šakiai.
Stage 3: 3 days cycling from Šakiai to Kaunas, Kaišiadorys and via Trakai to Vilnius for 3 nights. 
Stage 4: 7 days cycling from Vilnius to Varéna and Druskininkai, both in Lithuania, then crossed the border to Suwałki in Poland for 2 nights. In Poland we continued to Grajewo, Wisna, Ostrów Mazowiecka and Wyszków.
Stage 5: 3 days cycling from Wyszków, then Warsaw where we spent 4 nights before continuing northwards to Sochaczew and Płock. 

Stage 6: 3 days cycling from Płock to Włocławek, Toruń, and to Grudziądz.
Stage 7: 3 days cycling from Grudziądz to Malbork, then to Gdańsk before catching the ferry to Sweden.
Stage 8: Crossing the Baltic by ferry to Nynäshamn, then cycling via Ösmo to Stockholm, Sweden. 2 cycling days, 3 nights in Stockholm. 
Stage 9: 4 cycling days, with many ferries. Stockholm, Sweden to Kustavi, Finland, travelling across the Åland Islands.

Stage 10: 4 cycling days from Kustavi via Turku, Salo and Karis to Helsinki, Finland for 3 nights.
Stage 11: 2 short cycles to and from the ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn for 4 nights. 1 full cycling day around Tallinn, Estonia. 
Stage 12: 4 cycling days from Tallinn to Palmse, then Tamsalu, Türi and Viljandi, Estonia.
Stage 13: 4 cycling days from Viljandi via Tartu, Võru, Karula National Park (staying in a rural Sauna House) to Valga, twin town with Valka on the Estonian - Latvian border. 
Stage 14: 4 cycling days from Valga (Estonia) across the border to Valka (Latvia) and on via Valmiera, Cēsis, Sigulda and finally end our lap of the Baltic by returning to our starting point in Riga.

A few more days in Riga to pack and relax prior to our flight home to Perth, Western Australia via Istanbul and an unexpected stop in Denpasar, Bali. 

Thankyou to Hotel Hanza, Riga for storing our bike bags for 12 weeks. 

We had gone a bit blank, living in the tranquillity of Australia, as to the history that daily affects those living in the European nations. In Riga we walked around with Janic, our "free" tour guide, telling stories of parts of Riga ... like during Napoleonic times the ruler of Riga heard news Napoleon was soon to attack and erase. He decided to defend and in doing so burnt all the houses outside the city wall - displaced 500,000 people, burnt everything 1812 - to create a bare battlefield. Turns out Napoleon news was false news. The ruler couldn't live with what he had done, killed himself. ... & this is why no old buildings <1812 outside city wall. Then, there are the horror stories of the WWII, & the heroic nature of many Latvians who hid >600 Jewish people; then to be hit with a double whammy when The Russians moved in. 

Each country, each town and city had its stories to tell, the hardships, the horrors, invasions, wars, triumphs, heros, the legends, passions and beliefs. 

 So, our education continued throughout.  This journey was about the people, the experiences - the sites and sounds … smells – all so available on a bike.  The bicycle is a wonderful means of transport, able to be stopped at any point and open to the natural elements, we felt the country; and within cities there are only certain spots that are tourism favorites, so on a bike one can soon be out of the hustle.  Large cities also are so easy to ride in with cycle infrastructure increasing daily. 
 
The “slow” approach (def’n: retaining always a degree of energy and time) meant we took in more but also felt there is more - we can’t say we “did” Tallin or Warsaw etc, but we did get a feel for the places, including the small villages. Distance covered each ride day averaged between 60 and 70 km, meant leaving around 9-10am and arriving in the next town by 3-4pm. 

Being totally self supported we carried about 10-11 kg of clothing, toiletries, tools & parts, food and water in Topeak handlebar and seat post bags plus a couple of small Tailfin small pannier style side bags.  Clothing comprised of Connal Kit (was so good!) and a few other street clothes and wet weather gear. The range of Connal Kit clothing makes the issue of what to pack so simple.  It is comfortable and an efficient choice for Bikepacking/touring being wearable on and off the bike.

We took our own Norco “Search” gravel bicycles (11 speed, 11-40 t and 46-30 on the crank, around 12kg with racks) in Evoc bike bags, leaving the bags and excess luggage at the hotel in Riga. 

Are we bike-packing or touring? Whilst we had no support and carried all our luggage on the bikes for the 11 weeks, we stayed each night in (mostly) apartments and carried only snacks for daily nibbles on the road.  So, for us … possibly more “packing” than “touring” as touring has connotations of support.   

As with out 2024 Balkans Cycle Tour we once again recorded our daily thoughts, photos and the map of our progress on the Kit Connal Polarsteps site. On YouTube is not just this 2025 Baltic Bicycle Adventure (BBA), but also the 2024 Balkan Cycle Adventure (BCA) and the 2023 Adriatic to Baltic Cycle (ABC), plus 4 Western Australian Connal Cycling Tours.  

We felt so fortunate to have found a means to experience some of the everyday culture and life of the Baltic States.  It was the (another) trip of a lifetime.  Thank you to all the road drivers that were so courteous, the people that were all so friendly and helpful ... and the food and beverage – never a bad meal!  

Our constant talismans throughout the Baltic cycle. Storks nesting in impossible places. As the weeks progressed the chicks grew larger and were fending for themselves.

Since being home, we do miss the “pilgrimage” of cycling with our own thoughts, day in day out ... the anticipation of riding into a large city or a new country ... the history that hits you in the face, the excitement of the adventure, not knowing what was around the next corner or over the next hill.  Where to next???

The 2025 Baltic Bicyle Adventure was such an amazing journey, that we have begun searching and planning for the next cycle tour. Possiblities shaping up are southern Spain and back up through Portugal. Or Sardinia and Corsica. Probably not until 2027. Feel free to share your suggestions or ask us about bike touring in Europe. 

... Jen & Greg April 2026