Conditions of Participation

The BaltiCCycle (BC) is not a commercial tour, all organizers are volunteers, and the collected membership fee goes only for covering organizational expenses. Joining the BC you become a part of the team, and we expect from you the goodwill, the right understanding of our principles and rules, as well as the offering assistance when organizers need it.

The BC 2017 “Discovering Southeast Asia” is scheduled for advanced participants having experience in travels. You should be ready for adventures, adverse weather conditions (hot days and rain) and different obstacles. The ride is open for everybody but before signing you should think about your potential to complete it not bringing troubles to yourself and others.

BC participants gather for the ride from different countries and continents. We recommend bringing on your bike a national flag or other symbols that local people could see us as international friendly cycling community.

Organizational principles. It is a similar trip to the previous BC tours.

• Usually the daily cycling distance is ~80 km.
• The rest days are planned one time per week in interesting places.
• We will sleep in tents in official camping sites (if available), in mini hotels and rural villas, sometimes in wild nature, or in other suitable places. Not all sleeping places are arranged in advance; the BC support car will go ahead looking for them.
• The maps with a marked day’s route and description will be distributed during a map-meeting every morning as well as the day’s program explained.
• From sleeping to sleeping place you can travel individually or in small groups. When according to the program some common event is planned we will cycle in one group wearing T-shirts and other ride symbols.
• The car of organizers will follow during the whole ride. In case of serious emergency you can call the driver asking to transport to the nearest first aid or service centre.
• Planning the route we try to avoid the roads with high level of traffic but not everywhere it is possible.

Arrival / Departure. The cost of arrival/departure is not included in the membership fee; you have to arrange transport by yourself. If you are going to join or finish the ride in another place than the planned start or end, you have to arrange it yourself too. We can pick you up for the additional fee (4 Euro per 10 km) in the radius of 50 km. You have to inform us about it at least 2 days in advance. Though the ride schedule is already fixed but the real dates can be slightly shifted (plus/minus 1-2 days) because of unexpected obstacles. Have it in your mind when planning your travel.
The cheapest flights to Ho Chi Minh are offered by the Russian Aeroflot and the Turkish airlines.

Ferries / Boats. We will not buy tickets in advance. The price of the boat through the Tonle Sap River and the Tonle Sap Lake (~255 km, 7 hours) is 18-25 USD, express 40 USD, other much more chepper.

Visas. Citizens of the EU need Vietnam and Cambodia visas. You must apply for one month multiple Vietnam visa on the internet. It costs 20 USD. You will have to pay additional 50 USD in the Ho Chi Minh airport. The Cambodia visa we will obtain at the border. It costs 35 USD. You should have your recent photograph (2 inches x 2 inches) to attach to the visa application. In order to be admitted into the country, tourists may need to demonstrate that they have sufficient funds for their stay and a return ticket.

Catering. It depends on you. Food is cheap and tasty in these countries, but it is recommended to bring along a gas cooker for preparing own meals in campsites. You must have enough drinkable water during the day – it will be hot. If the tap of drinkable water is not available in the campsite, you will find water in our van.

Vaccination. You should take care for the prevention of malaria. It is always good to vaccinate against Hepatitis A and B viruses, ticks, Typhoid fever, Tetanus and Diphtheria. More recommendations about Vietnam click Vietnam, Cambodia and Cambodia

Necessary equipment and documents:

• bicycle prepared for the travel (carriers with panniers or saddlebags, safe brakes, reflectors and lights); click here for the recommendations how to prepare the bike;
• cyclist first-aid kit (more medicines in the support car);
• bike spare parts and keys to service it (some bike repair equipment will be in the support car);
• valid passport with visas;
• INDIVIDUAL MEDICAL INSURANCE is obligatory, no group insurance is provided;
• camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, gas cooker, light etc.)
• waterproof and sun protected clothes, etc.;
• money for personal expenses (bicycle repair, food, museums, boat, and other expenses);
• mobile phone;
• it is recommended to have GPS navigation device with off-line maps.

Children until 18. Children can take part in the ride only together with parents (one or both) or another adult who is authorized by notary to take care and is fully responsible for the juvenile.

Luggage transport. We recommend carrying the necessary personal stuff in the panniers on your bike. The service of luggage transportation by the car is limited to 20 kg, and it is included in the registration fee. Your stuff should be packed to a standard bag (you will receive the bag after arrival). In case of emergency (car accident or some other unexpected circumstances) you should be ready to carry all your stuff on the bike for 1-2 days. If you plan to transport any additional bag in the support bus you will have to indicate it when registering and pay in advance (2 Euro per day)

Neither organizers nor drivers are responsible for safety of your luggage. You should insure or protect your luggage personally.

Membership fee. 15 Euro per day. You have to indicate the number of days you plan to travel in the table of the Registration Form, and your membership fee for the whole tour will be counted automatically. Full membership fee must be paid at least 7 days before your start day; otherwise it increases by 10%.

The membership fee will not be required from the local cyclists who help in organising the ride and will cycle less than 3 days. They have to cover only the sleeping costs. The organizers will appreciate if local participants will purchase a package with ride symbols (T-shirts, flag and sticker).

The membership fee includes:

• sleeping places;
• car following the group;
• transportation of 1 standard bag up to 20 kg;
• copy of maps with the marked route and a description – daily consultation regarding the route;
• a package with ride symbols: T-shirts, flag and sticker;
• cosy surprises prepared by organizers.

Discounts:

• 10% – pupils and students (not more than 26 years old), and families (3 and more people);
• 15% – BC participants who cycled 100 days and more in BC rides 2003-2016; if a participant reaches 100 days during the ride, the discount is calculated since that day;
• 100% – participants who fully prepare some part of the route (maps, descriptions, camps) will NOT have to pay membership fee for that part of the route and for the same number of days in the same ride or the next BC rides or they receive other gratification agreed with organizers;
• discounts can’t be summed up;
• the discounts are applicable only if the Registration Form and at least the half part of membership fee are received before December 12, 2016;
• participants who obtain potential sponsors or support the expedition in another way will receive a Privilege Discount or other gratification agreed with organizers.

Additional paid service (optional):

1. booked by registration

• transportation of additional personal luggage (one standard bag up to 20 kg – 2 Euro per day);
• additional BC2017 T-shirt (10 Euro per unit).

2. booked during the ride:

• possibility to use van transport of organizers for arrival/departure to/from the ride in the radius of 50 km (4 Euro per 10 km counting the distance both ways).

Resignation rules. The date of resignation is fixed on when the resignation letter is received by organizers (before the ride by email rolandas.klaipeda@gmail.com or zaliamatis1@gmail.com, during the ride it should be delivered to the leaders of expedition and confirmed by them). The date is important, because resigning from the tour the participant receives his membership fee back in the following manner:

• up to 30 days before the start – 100 %;
• 10-30 days before the start – 70 %;
• less than 10 days before the start – no money repaid, however 50% are deposited in participant’s account for the next year BC tours;
• after 10 and more days of cycling – 80% of unused money (for the first 10 days no refund), the money could be deposited in participant’s account for the next year BC tours;
• money are paid back under mentioned above circumstances within 30 days after the end of the tour;
• money is not paid back for the excluded from the tour participants;
• if you decide to change the sleeping place provided by organizers to another, you will cover a cost for it yourself, the organizers don’t give money back if you don’t sleep with a group;
• if due to some reasons the participant separates from the group for one or more days (nights) no refund for this lost time is applicable.

Organisers:

• The coordinators: Rolandas Liutika, rolandas.klaipeda@gmail.com,
  Edvinas Kudrevičius, zaliamatis1@gmail.com;
• GMPR Lithuanian Fund, +370 686 59375, bc2017@bicycle.lt;
• CROTOS – Travellers Association, +48 663 266553, bc2017@bicycle.pl.