Italy Bike Tour Reviews (page 2)
-
★★★★★ George Ouimet 8 months ago3 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
-
★★★★★ Andrew Cochran 8 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
-
★★★★★ Joseph Lutkenhaus 8 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
-
★★★★★ Ladislav Votruba 8 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
-
★★★★★ Nancy Nestler 8 months agoEven 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.
-
★★★★★ Jean Olson 8 months ago
Beautiful Scenery
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
The Dolomites were amazing. The bike paths were good and traveled through some beautiful areas. The hotels were all great. The drections from the maps and app were good, we only got a little off track a couple of times. We rode regular bikes and although the hills were tough, they were doable. I definitely want to go back to the area between Toblack and Bled and explore more.
The roads into Trieste were busy but there was a good shoulder most of the time. The views were worth the busy road. Castello Duino was cool.
-
★★★★★ Don Thain 8 months agoMostly fantastic
· Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
This trip used rental bikes and was self-guided. The basics worked well with hotel bookings and luggage transfers. The bikes were fine for this but had minor deficiencies. The joining instructions were incorrect but were sorted out with a phone call. Routings were chosen to highlight scenery and views while avoiding traffic. The map sets were disappointing as directions were muddled. Other cyclists had the same complaint. But it was a great trip nonetheless.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ VICTOR GONZALEZ 8 months ago
Very nice experience
· Tuscany Getaway: 4 Nights in Siena, Montalcino & Pienza
The trip was perfect. The hotels, the bikes and the support team, the routes, everything. I will strongly recommned the trip. The hotels locations, breakfasts, the retaurants recomendetions, the APP to get the indications during the routes.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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
-
★★★★★ Vijay DSouza 8 months agoVery fun
· Bolzano – Verona – Venice
Trip was well organized and very scenic. Would recommend. Lodging was generally very nice. First couple days were most scenic. A lot of gravel and dirt surfaces which I’m not used to but was fine on hybrid bikes.
- 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Scott Eckhoff 9 months ago
Three countries with great scenery and variety.
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
We experienced a true feel for three countries as we biked through this amazing area. There is much variety with this trip. We experienced small quaint villages, ski towns, beautiful mountain scenery, quiet forests, beautiful lakes and rivers, great restaurants, nice accommodations, mostly safe biking on trails and quiet roads. We took the slightly longer route through the hinterland into Trieste which gave us a peaceful ride until the city of Trieste. The App which was provided gave us peace of mind that we were always on the correct route. There were no worries about getting lost. We would advise having a phone holder that fits on your handle bar. We highly recommend this trip and would recommend Ebikes. There are many up and down slopes on a few days.
-
★★★★★ Dewey Forward 9 months ago
Spectacular if very challenging
· Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
It was certainly the most dramatic trip I’ve ever taken. By the end of the trip I was complexly familiar on how the app works and appreciated the care that went into all of the planning.
The hotels were all interesting being uniquely Italian and well placed in the towns we stayed in. All and all a lifetime memory of joy. Harder than a 1 difficulty which was advertised.- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2022
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ John (Jay) Bonitt 10 months agoSignificant elevation!
· Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy
This was our fourth self-guided Biketours.com trip, the firs three were five-star successes. This one was the most disappointing, not because of the region or places to stay…all were good! But, this trip had over 16,400 ft. Of elevation..even on E-bikes (for the first time) it was VERY difficult. We saw only one or two road bikers the entire trip, whereas on the previous trips we saw lots of road bikes. As experienced bike tours.com travelers we’re pretty attuned to following direction…this particular trip had poor written and app directions. If you are interested in this particular trip you had better be in the best shape of your life. It is not a moderate level trip…even on an e-bike.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
BikeTours.com staff reply from Kirsten from Biketours August 19, 2022
Hi John,
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us feedback. We do realize this tour is difficult and that is a likely reason you saw fewer cyclists on the route than in past trips. We're sorry to hear you had trouble with the GPS application. For future, we'd be happy to review it with you ahead of time to ensure there are no troubles on your tour. And remember, help is always a phone call away! I hope you were able to bring home some good memories from this beautiful area.
-
★★★★★ Amanda De Wet 10 months agoBest holiday ever!
· Tuscan Wine Classic: Pienza to Castellina via Siena
Tuscany is beautiful, and it was amazing exploring by bike. We had the best time! Organization was excellent, local company was amazing and helpful, hotel accommodation was perfect - really cannot fault anything. Highly recommended!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our first.
- 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
-
★★★★★ Llewellyn Fernandes 10 months ago
Beautiful Italy from Mountains to Coast
· Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
The views of the mountains and countryside were fabulous ! And best experienced on bike. All the hotels along the way were nice and comfortable. Luggage usually delivered by 4pm, so sometimes we toured the town and had a bistro stop before ending the day at the hotel. Since my daughter was having some challenges with the distances, we just hopped on a train to complete the day's journey and toured the town. It was actually a great way to spend the day. Only issue we had was that all the instructions were in German. This did cause some challenges because there was a major detour one day. We figured it out but would have been much easier if all information was in English (as we expected since we communicated in English throughout the booking process). Otherwise it was a fabulous trip !
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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
-
★★★★★ Kari Abrahamson 10 months ago
Amazing trip for the whole family.
· Bolzano – Verona – Venice
Excellent route. Family friendly. Good accomodations. Very happy we went with BikeTours again for yet another amazing family vacation.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- Three
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Margareta Hefti 10 months ago
Great scenario! Biketrails where very good
· Dolomites to Lake Garda: Picturesque Cities and Stunning Scenery
Perfect way to experience Italy!
Tirol was our favorite !- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Larry Cady 10 months agoGreat route but TERRIBLE directions
· Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
The good things about the Euro Cycle tour were:
1. Very nice route through the Italian Tyrol
2. Generally very nice hotels.
3. Bike were adequate but so-so quality. On other tours I have had better quality bikes.The BAD thing - Directions were very poor. The main problem was there were no turn by turn directions to the hotels. This is standard on other tours. The printed directions routed you into the center of a town and then stopped. You were given the address of the hotel, but not directions on how to get there. Sometimes we were given a map of the town, but not always. We ended up using Google Maps on our phones to get the hotels. In one town (Maran), the hotel was well away from the town center and difficult to find. We spent a lot of time tracking it down.
I would not take a Euro Cycle tour again. Other tour companies you represent are fine and I intend to take more tours - but not with Euro Cycle.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Italy
-
BikeTours.com staff reply from kirsten August 8, 2022
We're happy to hear that you enjoyed your bicycle route for Innsbruck to Lake Garda! We appreciate your feedback on all aspects of the tour and will be sure to get in touch with our partner regarding equipment upgrades and clear directions for the future. We hope to see you traveling with us again soon!
-
★★★★★ Dwight Chapman 10 months ago
All on bike trails
· Dolomites to Lake Garda: Picturesque Cities and Stunning Scenery
Seriously. First two days were outstanding forest and river stretches. Last couple of days were a bit more urban and flat, but still nice riding. And the towns were all beautiful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 15
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
