Italy Bike Tour Reviews
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★★★★★ Bozena Kusovac Derkovic 2 months agoGreat way to discover Milan
· Milan Hidden Treasures Bike Tour
The tour is fun, and very well organized in terms of places it takes you. Besides all the Milan's major sights, it also includes some of the less known, not that obvious touristic spots, which I found was very neat. My major highlights were Chinatown, and few new and ultra modern neighborhoods, architecture wise. These are all located in the vicinity od the immediate city centre. Our guide Polina was beyond great, you could tell she takes pride in her work, and the city she lives in. She also taught us some fabolous aperitivo places, as we were passing by them, the type of place you wouldn't know for unless a local showed you. Another bonus goes to the way Milan is laid out, being all very flat and extremely easy to bike.
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★★★★★ KAY SINGLETON 3 months agoMost challenging of all bike trips we've done
· Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy
There was a great sense of accomplishment each time we reached the hilltop towns, often after an over 1000m climb; all of the towns were beautiful with awesome views; the accomodations were excellent; we found the descents scary at times and were glad to have good brakes; sooo glad we got the road bikes! would not do this trip without them!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Lisa Schmitz 4 months agoBeautiful scenery every minute
· Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
Great trip, but an e-bike would have been a better choice. Beginning days were very challenging, especially with heavy touring bikes. The downhills, though, were exhilarating. We relied on Google maps because the route maps were not up to date and less efficient.
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★★★★★ Dayna Stern 4 months agoMy favorite bike tour
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
I love this trip! Gentle cycling, stunning scenery and nice accommodations. We requested half board which exposed us to south Tyrolean food. Highly recommended! Remember to dress warmly because you’ll be in a wooded valley part of the first few days.
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★★★★★ Dayna Stern 5 months ago
My favorite bike tour
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
I love this trip! Gentle cycling, stunning scenery and nice accommodations. We requested half board which exposed us to south Tyrolean food. Highly recommended! Remember to dress warmly because you’ll be in a wooded valley part of the first few days.
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★★★★★ Darcy Billinkoff 5 months agoItaly’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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★★★★★ Michael Kelly 5 months agoAll roads lead to Rome
· Florence to Rome: Calm, Mystical and Unexplored Countryside
This tour was spectacular. This trip checks all the boxes — it has the art, beauty and walkability of Florence; the majestic history of Rome; tied together by the bike ride that got us away from the crowds in both cities and into the countryside and small towns, traveling at a perfect pace to appreciate this beautiful region of Italy. The luggage transfer was seamless. The hotels were very comfortable and (except in Rome) all were small and conveniently located near each town’s important sites and central piazza.
You asked for feedback.
One layover day would have been great, probably in Assisi where we found there’s too much to see in just one afternoon/evening. I don’t know how you would make it work, but you asked for suggestions.
The intro session on Day 1 was a serious weak point in the tour. The evening talk was cancelled and the bike distribution on the morning of Day 2 was handled by a nice employee who only spoke Italian. It could have been a disaster with no instruction about the route or the unfamiliar ebikes, but the group worked it out.
The hotel in Rome was comfortable but it was the only one not located in a convenient part of town and it’s focus on large groups traveling by tour bus was a jarring contrast to everything else about the tour.
Some of the hills were longer and harder than expected, and traffic on a few short stretches was difficult. But our lasting memories will be the vineyards and olive groves, the quiet side streets and bike paths, the breathtaking hill towns, and the flexibility to stop at a cafe for pastries, cappuccinos or afternoon beers.- What was the date of your tour?
- October 1, 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our second
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Russ Gibfried 5 months agoGreat locations, trip pace and places to stay
· Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
Perfect way to see Bavaria, Tyrol, the Dolomites and into Venice. Old train tracks have been converted to bike trails, so you see towns and places that you would miss in a car. The mobile app keeps you on track. I'm convinced this is the best way to see a country and all my future trips will include a one week bike tour (if possible)
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Aaron Schwartzbaum 5 months ago
What a fun trip!
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
My partner and I had a ton of fun on this trip, which was our honeymoon. The stops were nice, especially with the ability to upgrade accommodations. I'd highly recommend doing the extra day in Bled if you're looking to get some relaxation in, too. Some parts of the route, especially if you're not taking the train into Bled, are would be extremely strenuous without an electric bike, I'd highly recommend one in general. There are a couple of points where there's a bit of car traffic, but I felt safe enough in a high viz. But what a fun way to travel, we saw a lot of things we wouldn't have ordinarily and the route is SCENIC as can be!
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★★★★★ Steve Srebnik 5 months agoGreat experience
· Venice to Trieste and Istria
This was a great adventure for my wife and I taking us to small and not so small great beach towns as well as a pretty big city , Trieste, all in the Adriatic. Jasolo was a rocking town with a very nice beach. Most of the included breakfasts were very good and all were very acceptable. The hotels were also good, nothing special but certainly comfortable. Most of the hotel rooms were very small. Only reason I took off a star was I think I would have enjoyed it more if we were able to spend a stop over or two without a ride the next day. Since we typically arrived after 1 and sometimes closer to 2 or 3 we didn’t get to spend any significant relax time at the beaches. Overall I’d go again or do another trip. All was very well organized.
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★★★★★ carol friefeld 5 months ago
Great trip!
· Venice to Trieste and Istria
Loved this trip! The route was fun and scenic, the accommodations were great, no logistical problems. The local tour agency was very helpful, and the GPS app worked well. Would work with this group again!
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★★★★★ Paul Clark 5 months ago
Cycling a Disappointment but Good travel Itinerary
· Florence to Rome: Calm, Mystical and Unexplored Countryside
My partner had a biking accident and, after completing the first day’s 60 km ride nonetheless, we decided to take the train and just enjoy this lovely part of Italy. There was just too much traffic and too few shoulders on the roads for us to feel safe and relax. The hotels were comfortable and clean and typically in the historic centre of these charming little towns. There were many sites to see and the daily hiking up and down the local hills while site seeing provided more than adequate exercise. Overall, a wonderful experience-despite the biking misadventure-which we will remember forever.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Sharon Aikens 5 months ago
Spectacular scenery, great trails, mediocre hotels
· Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
The route from Toblach to Venice was fantastic. We were surprised at how much of the route was on beautiful paved trails, along rivers, mountain ridges and through lovely small villages. The bikes provided were excellent. The FunActive app is very good but, the the bikes do not come equipped with a cell phone mount so every time you want to figure out directions, you have to stop and hassle with your phone. This added a lot of time to completing the route each day. We had rented a mounted GPS for this purpose, but were told when we got there that they no longer offer this because they have the app. The ride itself is at an intermediate level of difficulty because there were a few challenging spots, mostly when the trail was steep gravel, but also a couple quite long climbs. The big disappointment were some of the hotels or hotel rooms. Many hotels were nice but they seem to reserve the worst rooms for FunActive. When we realized this, we started asking for nicer rooms. One night when we were supposed to stay in the lovely town of Belluno, we were housed in a horrible hotel far from town after after riding 75 kilometers (Hotel Villa Capenada). It was like out the the movie "The Shining." Old and tired, deserted and creepy. We were too tired to go back into town and the food at the hotel was inedible and very expensive. We never got to see Belluno. A few other hotels were barely acceptable with dusty bedspread, curtains and dirty carpet. The hotel in Mestre put us in a room that smelled like cigarettes and sewer and the floor was linoleum. On our return stay there, we insisted on a nicer room and got a lovely room on a higher floor. The moral of the story: Don't accept an unacceptable room! But BikeTours.com and FunActive need to know that this is going on. We have been on many bike tours and never require fancy accommodations but some of these were pretty disappointing. All that said, the BikeTours.com and the FunActive staffs provided excellent service in setting up the tour for us.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Elizabeth Bevier 5 months ago
Tuscany Umbria biking
· Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy
It was a fun experience although a bit more strenuous than we anticipated. Lesson learned - check the difficulty level when you book a bike tour.
The ebikes worked well and we were able to follow the directions on our self-guided tour. Our luggage was always at the next hotel before we arrived.Looking forward to doing another bike tour at some point in the future.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ George Ouimet 6 months ago
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 :(- 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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★★★★★ Andrew Cochran 6 months agoWonderful experience
· Tuscany Getaway: 4 Nights in Siena, Montalcino & Pienza
My wife and I spent 9 days in Italy, with the first three days being our bike tour and that was by far our favorite part of the trip. The tour operators were so kind and friendly and helpful and were also very flexible as our travel plans were delayed last minute. We will absolutely being doing another one of their tours!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- One
- 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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★★★★★ Joseph Lutkenhaus 6 months agoGreat scenery
· Dolomites to Lake Garda: Picturesque Cities and Stunning Scenery
This was a great trip mostly on bike paths and mostly downhill. The scenery was great and and we had gorgeous weather (end of Sept 2022). Two of the hotels were 4 star (in Brixen and Trento) and were fantastic. The other three were fine and all were bike friendly. The picture included above is typical of the scenery - apple orchards in a valley surrounded by mountains. We were surprised by the number of great looking apple orchards everywhere on the trip. The average distance was about 30 miles per day. On the first day we took the train only about half way which was maybe a mistake because they scenery on day 1 is the best in our opinion as it is higher up in the valley. We were surprised how little meals cost so that was great. Would like to do it again.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- 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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★★★★★ Ladislav Votruba 6 months ago
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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★★★★★ Nancy Nestler 6 months ago
Even better than I imagined!!!
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
We did the self-guided tour. The routes were well described. They were beautiful and varied, from bike paths in remote areas to bike lanes in busy cities. I always felt safe. The scenery was amazing from river valleys to mountain views. There were options to explore along the way. The length of each day's ride was a good amount, and it often offered a shorter or longer version so you could decide along the way what you wanted to do. The hotels were also a nice variety. I thoroughly enjoyed each day. I would highly recommend this tour. I went with a friend, but hope to do it again and take my husband.
