“Two days up (Austria) and four days down apart from the uphill bits (Italy) with the Reschen Pass in between - pretty much sums up the highly scenic cycling tour from Innsbruck to…” Full Review
“Two days up (Austria) and four days down apart from the uphill bits (Italy) with the Reschen Pass in between - pretty much sums up the highly scenic cycling tour from Innsbruck to Lake Garda.
The supplied navigation app downloaded onto your mobile phone works very well - and although the largely paved route is generally very well marked - knowing exactly where you are at all times is both comforting and essential. But your mobile phone battery needs to be in a good state - and it's highly recommended to carry a back-up battery pack.
Overall, the hotels are good (3* & 4*) as are the breakfasts, with the best (Mirage at Lago del Garda) saved for last! But the navigation app does not lead you to your hotel. Upon reaching the day's destination (usually the town or village centre) it's necessary to do a bit of research (eg Google maps) to learn where you need to be that night. Which can be anything from a couple of hundred metres to several kilometres away. Also, deviating off the route (planned or otherwise!) can be a challenge, particularly in the larger villages or towns. This applies in particular to Rovereto as the cycle route skirts the town, but detouring to the historic centre is neither obvious nor easy.
The baggage shuttle service works well, and only once did I reach my destination first - but only had to wait ~20 minutes.
The supplied e-bike ran well and has an excellent battery capacity. The (non-derailleur) gear change system took a bit of getting used to as you need to stop pedalling when changing up or down. Not at all intuitive when used to a derailleur! But an e-bike is not essential for this tour - especially if opting for the shuttle from Landeck to Nauders.
Overall, an excellent and well planned self-guided tour: highly recommended!” Less