Apulia Bike Tour Reviews
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★★★★★ Elizabeth Blanchford 3 weeks agoPerfect Trip and Exactly what I was looking for!
· Cycling in the Heart of Puglia
This trip was perfect in so many ways. The logistics were amazing from the great hotels to the perfect mileage on the bike each day. I appreciated the level of support that was just enough and not too much given I wanted the time to myself without too much engagement with the company. The bike was wonderful and the routes were full of beauty and adventure. I also really loved the time of year at the end of the season when things were quiet..including the roads! The team at biketours.com made the planning easy and they listened to exactly what I wanted out of the trip...interesting hotels and experiences. I can't say enough positive things about the experience. I will definitely be back for another trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Kenneth Waldhauser 4 weeks ago
Amazing cycling in Puglia
· Cycling in the Heart of Puglia
We enjoyed the six days of cycling through the heart of Puglia. The local cycling group took great care of us. Our e-bikes were perfect: comfortable and easily powerful enough for this trip. We had great weather which made our travel very enjoyable. Accommodation was excellent. Great rooms and breakfasts. The ability to stop along the many rural paths and explore other towns in route was great. The nav app was good for points of interest, restaurants and the route was definitely off the beaten path and safe. The additional organic wine tasting ( exceptional), tuk tuk tour in Ostuni and olive oil tasting were fun and informative. Only small drawbacks were the nav device with satellite lagged inside the high ways of the old cities. The device worked great on my phone so we used both. Sometimes we saw trash on the roadside of some of the trails but mostly we just soaked in the amazing harvest of the olives, the groves, stone walls and in areas the vast vineyards and amazing stone farm houses including Trulli. The Trulli homes were actually better outside of the tourist areas. The app info of the route, elevation gain/loss was really helpful as you knew what was coming ahead. We swam in both the Adriatic and Ionian seas. App showed us which beaches- helpful. Also fun meeting other cyclists at hotels along the way and getting great info on other cycling adventures. This was our first but won’t be our last! Also recommend renting a pannier each- helps for extra gear. Our bikes had suspension which was essential and worked great on our bikes. This route overall great towns, countryside and we thought six days was perfect length. Ending in Lecce was great and we added another day to rest and explore,
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Bill Allured 3 months agoA great way to experience Puglia in Italian
· Learning Italian from the Saddle: Language Classes & the Coast of Apulia
The bicycling was magnificent with varied and spectacular views. A vary civilized break for coffee and Italian language every day, along with delicious lunch stops (with more Italian) really illustrated the concept of “Slow Tourism”, which the local partner specializes in. Our teacher and guide, Giovanna, was a gentle and excellent teacher as well as guide. When thunderstorms were predicted, she anticipated possible stopping places so we were confident in our ride. The only down side was that we don’t know what to follow it up with next year, except maybe do it again!
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ victor dubugras 5 months ago
I’m Giovanna’s fan
· Learning Italian from the Saddle: Language Classes & the Coast of Apulia
In overall the experience was fantastic.
The region is beautiful, the wines great, nice restaurants, nice bikes and most of all our teacher Giovanna. I became her fan. When I returned home in Milan, I could understand Italian much better and speak a little.
If the group was bigger than ours, two families only, an end of the line additional guide to look after the low speed participants would make the front group biking experience more pleasant.
We also had a small accident with no big consequences that was handled by the guide and one participant that was a doctor. But if anything worst happened, I’m not sure what type of rescue would be available.
Me and my wife were lucky that the other family was fantastic. The bond was 100% and only happy moments all the time happened.
In other tours with other companies, there was always someone that became an unpleasant weight for the group due to the attitudes.
I recommend this tour.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 22, 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Marc Parks October 17, 2023Great exposure to the highlights of Matera and Puglia
· Apulia - Heel of Italy
Overall our 14 experienced cyclists very much enjoyed our tour, in spite of a few start-up issues for those with no previous ebike experience. The route included several scenic, interesting places, in “the heel of the boot in Italy”, including fascinating Matera and Alberobello, and the lodging was wonderful, with sumptuous breakfast buffets. In addition our guides, Paolo and Alessandria, added interesting insights into local history and culture as well as attending to our every need, all while while maintaining a great sense of humor. All of us felt we'd love to return to some of the destinations for several days - a new destination each day of the tour prevented in-depth exploration. And in hindsight, those with no previous ebike experience should have used them for a couple of rides before coming on the trip.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Sue Collins-Larson October 13, 2023
A superior trip[
· Apulia - Heel of Italy
The region offered so many fascinating aspects of the unique culture of Apulgia. This was enhanced so greatly by our tour guide Paolo Maragliulo. He was from the region, had an amazing sense of humor, and was patient and understanding. Our accommodations were in keeping with the uniqueness of the locale. It was, however, concerning that the bikes were not in good condition and many of our group struggled with bike problems. Additionally I found the planning process difficult due to not receiving emails that others in your group received. Three times I tried to correct this and it never was resolved.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Beverly Feucht October 13, 2023
Heel of Italy
· Apulia - Heel of Italy
Paolo and his wife were the BEST. They made the ride perfect. They were able to guide us effortlessly through cities.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ mary lynn OBrien October 13, 2023
Everything was perfect!!
· Apulia - Heel of Italy
We had the best Guide ever - Paolo He was fun , funny , so knowledgeable and of course a bike expert The hotels were first class and we saw the highlights of Puglia We recommend this tour highly and especially recommend it c Paolo and his wife Alessandra
- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct 1
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Rosemary McDougall September 14, 2023
Best of both worlds: Italian language and cycling in Italy
· Learning Italian from the Saddle: Language Classes & the Coast of Apulia
What a fantastic tour! The rides were perfect and the teachers/guides were outstanding. Giovanna and Carla were the best Italian teachers, patient and helpful. The riding itinerary was challenging yet doable for all participants. The idyllic terrain from Otranto to Lecce showcased the Salento region and the spectacular views of both Adriatic and Ionian Seas completed the picture. All accommodations were great as well as the scrumptious Italian food and Orecchiette cooking class. Visits to various beaches helped to relax everyone along the route. An ideal tour for anyone interested in learning Italian and enjoying the scenery along the way while riding a bicycle (bici).
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 1-10
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Charlene Cestroni June 29, 2023
Do it! You won’t regret it!
· Learning Italian from the Saddle: Language Classes & the Coast of Apulia
Loved, loved, loved it!! Giovanna, our guide and instructor was THE BEST!! She had varied teaching styles and lessons, addressed the different levels of proficiency well, and was a really fun person to share time with. She was very knowledgeable about the various cultural sites we visited and incorporated them into our lessons. Throughout the whole experience I felt like family. We literally spent time w different members of families of the tour operators and staff - you don’t see that everyday! The level of biking was easy. The excursions were excellent! I was even able to take a private yoga class at one location. The accommodations were very good. We were a small group so we were able to stay at a couple masserias - very charming. One had a couple small service issues due to lack of staffing but nothing significant. Masserias were Uber charming but the standout hotels for me were in SM de Leuca and Arco Vecchio in Lecce. I was always in a single room and they were all very nice, comfortable, and had showers bigger than a phone booth (important to me!) If you want to have fun, enjoy diverse experiences, do a little biking, and be immersed in the Italian culture and language (with support,) then this is the trip for you!! Thank you Giovanna and Salento Bici Tours for this incredibly fun experience. I can’t wait to hear about your next tour offering!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Darcy Billinkoff November 8, 2022Italy’s best kept secret
· Apulia and Basilicata: Alberobello to Lecce
After visiting Puglia, we marvel that we had not really heard much about this spectacular region until three years ago.
We started our trip by staying in a cave hotel in
the stunning city of Matera in its historic section “sassi di Matera”. This ancient city, steeped in history , has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and should be on everyone’s bucket list.We started cycling in Alberobello, a touristy town famous for its whimsical whitewashed trulli with their signature cone-shaped roofs. As we left the town and worked our way toward the coast, we cycled on quiet roads passing by beautiful olive groves with rich red soil and fields dotted with trullis.
Magnificent views, picturesque seaside towns, a few challenging hills that got our hearts racing, and delicious fresh seafood became the norm as we cycled along the Aegean and Ionian Seas.
We finished the trip in the elegant city of Lecce, which is aptly nick named “the Florence of the south”. We would recommend spending at least two days in this beautiful city wander its beautiful historic Center, take in a walking tour and visit the fascinating Museo Faggiano.We cycled on hybrid bikes and they were comfortable and had good low gears to take on the coastal hills.
We would highly recommend this trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2022
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ George Ouimet October 7, 2022
3 out of 5 legs were good, one was exceptional.
· Apulia and Basilicata: Alberobello to Lecce
It was very interesting and educational to be in this party of Italy. Our last guided tour was in Tuscany. Alberobello was an amazing town and the Trullia were a wonder to see, even more fun to stay in. The restaurants in the area that we tried were all good. It was also fun to walk around town and see the old churches, museums and parks. Our guide Marco was excellent and spent good time explaining the route and the attractions to us. All the bikes worked fine, and I liked having the panier to store things in. Based on the type of riding we ended up doing the hybrid bikes were very appropriate and comfortable.
The first day of riding from Alberobello to Ostuni was interesting - lots of small roads, not much traffic, lots and lots of olive trees (which the area is noted for). One thing we noticed right away unfortunately was the garbage. Lots and lots lots of garbage, all over the sides of the roads. Single use plastics mostly, but also household trash, construction debris, old appliances, tires, and millions of glass bottles and metal cans. Combined with the large number of abandoned and dilapidated properties in the area (abandoned olive farms) it felt like the next 2 days of riding in many parts was through the apocalypse. The old abandoned buildings were interesting, especially the small farm huts, and we did see lots and lots of the Trullia, and nicer properties that were fixed up closer to towns though. We later learned that this area was very very poor in many parts, and that it wasn't until the EU formed that money started to flow into the area to improve things for people. Depending on who you talked to the trash was from "trash collection being a low priority for the local infrastructure" - to people just being ignorant and not caring about the environment. The towns and cites were a bit better, but for the most part the rural areas felt like a 3ed world country on these part of the ride. It looks like this from Alerobello to Ostuni, Ostuni to Manduria, Manduria to Gallipoli to Santa Maria di Leuca (our favorite town next to Alberobella, the hotel was beautiful and we wished we had two days there). Manduria was pretty much abandoned, as was the hotel. The hotel restaurant was closed, and the only place we could find to eat was a pizza express and the grocery store next door. The saving grace was the wine tour at a local fermenting/processing plant, and the wines themselves from the Primitivo grapes were spectacular as was the tour and museum in the winery. We shipped cases of it home :). The ride to Gallipoli was an adventure. 20-30 mph headwinds and blowing garbage the whole way , however the landscape was interesting - it felt like southern California desert. Fortunately Gallipoli was a great town with lots restaurants open, and shopping. It was raining, but that's OK was was still nice. The ride from Gallipoli to Santa Maria di Leuca was short and uneventful. Threatening rain so we made a bee line to town at a fast pace. We found a great little restaurant by the water/harbor where we had a great meal and lots of the Primitivo wines :).
The ride from Santa Maria di Leuca had to be our favorite of the whole trip. Fantastic scenery along the Adriatic coast, lots of places to stop, the wind at our backs and it seemed cleaner. Swimming in the little beaches and Grottos were so nice. Again, we wished we could spend more time here. Maybe make 2 loops from Santa Maria di Leuca or add another town on this coast. We loved the riding off pavement and along the beaches as well, and that goes for the first part of the ride from Otranto to Lecce. Sadly the latter part of the ride inland to Lecce was more abandoned properties and lots and lots of garbage. Again the feeling like we were riding through the apocalypse. Lecce was great though - what a nice town! Lots to see in the "Florence of the South" in the old town. The surrounding 'modern areas' less so as the roads were very busy. I wrote something for my cycling friends about riding bikes in Italy. I will share it here;
Thoughts on cycling in Italy. Tongue in cheek: If anyone has to take a test to drive (seems not?), these would be the lessons. 1. The person who drives, walks or pedals the fastest has the right of way. 2. No cars in Italy have blinkers/signals. 3. Three point, U turns and parking is allowed anywhere, so is passing. It's especially fun to play chicken when cars are coming from the opposite direction. 4. Traffic signs aren't even suggestions! Traffic lights, sometimes. And signs that say what road you are on. 5. The most common controls pushed are the accelerator and the horn. 6. No problem if you don't have trash collection or an ashtray at home, the car window works fine. 7. If you can squeeze your car in there, you can drive there. 8. Speed bumps are "suspension tests".
With all that being said: People pay attention, they have to! Otherwise the country would be one giant pile up!! No one is on their phone! If you signal a turn on a bike, drivers see and respect you, until it's time to pass. I never felt in danger even though drivers get VERY close to you even at high rates of speed. Cycle confidently, don't wander around in the road... and pay attention! Also being in SMALL groups helps so that cars can pass quickly without hitting the oncoming cars head on.
All in all we had fun and am glad to see another part of Italy. After our riding we went to Greece and on to Munich, Germany. We also had just spent 6 days riding in Catalonia, Spain before this tour in Italy. Germany has by far the best infrastructure for pedestrians and cycling, similar to the Netherlands. Spain was pretty good and has improved since we were there 3 years ago. This part of Italy has a long long way to go, unless thousands of people clean the roads and streets and they develop a different culture. Not something Bike Tours or Giro Libero can affect I am guessing. We would not ride most of these routes again :( SHOW MORE- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 20+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Ladislav Votruba September 28, 2022
Italian hospitality is exceptional
· Apulia and Basilicata: Alberobello to Lecce
Disappointed that the route of the trip was changed ( took the same trip 8 years ago )
Bikes - loved the e bike , the company has to have better maintenance program I almost ran into traffic going down the hill the first day of the trip
Emergency number - called to get assistance x 3, only got one call back
Navigation- the GPS is great when it works, starting from hotel or finding hotel at the end of day is challenging- we used google map to help us- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Biketours Team Member October 19, 2022
Dear Ladislav,
Thanks for taking the time to leave us feedback, we really appreciate it. In 2023 we will offer 24/7 assistance from our local office, so we can always help you in emergent cases.
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★★★★★ Collette February 12, 2022
Lecce Loop of the Trip is Beautiful
· Apulia and Basilicata: Alberobello to Lecce
The segment of this trip within the Puglia region provided stunning views almost all day long of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. We took frequent advantage of public beaches, stopping for a swim along the way, and the towns were charming, making it easy to linger over an espresso and seaside lunch, or tour on foot once we were settled into our hotel for the night. Our E-bikes made us happy as this Puglia section of the route is quite hilly. The hotels were excellent to good, and the GPS mapping on our phones made it super easy to stay on track or find the route after we had chosen to deviate from it. This portion of the trip was a delight.
The first third of this bike trip includes the the route from Matera to Alberobello and Ostuni. A previous reviewer had mentioned, "an inordinate amount of garbage," on this section. I cannot stress enough how the garbage surpasses the word "inordinate." Hundreds of thousands of water bottles, household trash, appliances, used diapers and debris of all sorts litters the first three days of this trip, like riding through an open landfill.
This section of the Basilicata route has long been abandoned for repair. We had to turn off the "emergency SOS" app on our phones - the one that calls your emergency contact using severe shaking of your phone - due to the broken concrete and tar on these roads as our phones kept sending SOS pings out to family members in the US. Where I live, I often have to ride on gravel roads and those seemed like a dream compared to these first 3 days of road conditions. The Lecce portion of this trip was great but I cannot recommend this trip if it includes the first section. Bike Tours is wonderful, this was our second trip with them and we plan more, but I will heed reviews, which is why I'm offering this one.- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 26 - Oct 1, 2021
- How many tours have you completed?
- two
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ FunL October 27, 2019
The best way to see Puglia!
· Apulia and Basilicata: Alberobello to Lecce
A great experience riding a bike thru the heel of Italy. A great way to see the country and ride off all those calories. I ate like a Roman, rode my bike like a Maserati and enjoyed La Dolce Vita.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 5, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Randa September 12, 2019
· Apulia and Basilicata: Alberobello to Lecce
Great cycling route. Some hills, but not as bad as I had figured. Disappointed that they did not have the meet and great on the day, as stated. It was on our day 2...when we had 70k to go. Otherwise the arrows showed that we had taken the right turn, and with them and the odometers it made for smooth sailing......never got lost!!! First time ever, in 6 tours that we have never been lost!! Great scenery, great accommodations. Some breakfast needed more protein on their tables to get us going until lunch time! All in all, we would recommend this trip!!
- What was the date of your tour?
- Aug. 24-31, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Dickiev01 July 18, 2019
Interesting Scenery
· Apulia and Basilicata: Alberobello to Lecce
A scenic and pretty tour displaying the unique attributes of the region. The roads were generally rural and low volume thoroughfares with a few busy areas, but all in all a wonderful and decently designed tour. We upgrade our bikes so we will rate them higher than normal
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 8th, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Kris January 28, 2019
Great bike ride through historic sites, splendid scenery, and fantastic food.
· Apulia - Heel of Italy
We did a self-guided tour with e-bikes–and were happy with our arrangements throughout. We picked this ride because of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the fact we hadn't visited this part of Italy. It's so cool to bike through agricultural areas, small towns and the regional centers. A highlight was the stay in Masseria Bosco in the middle of the vast olive orchards–a lux experience and fine restaurant in an historic agricultural property. All the city hotels were great, too. We loved both Matera and Alberobello and took some extra time there on our own. The ride from sea to sea (Adriatic to Ionian) was truly spectacular. And, wow, the food! In short, the whole experience was well-curated. Anyone wanting to try a bike tour would be wise to start here with the expert recommendations and support by biketours.com and their local partners.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ paul22 November 13, 2018
great trip
· Apulia and Basilicata: Alberobello to Lecce
a fantastic part of Italy - unspoiled. tour is well organized, hotels are good. highly recommended
- What was the date of your tour?
- october 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
