Italy Bike Tour Reviews page 16
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★★★★★ Lisa C
Bicycle paths of the Dolomites
Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
This was a great trip for our family of four to explore a beautiful area. The hotel was very comfortable and the included food was excellent. The local tour company was very helpful, although it was a little confusing to follow their paperwork so make sure to meet with them directly before you starts to confirm routes and days for transfers. It would also be helpful to check with the bike company to see if there are any route closures or events that may interfere with your trip. We had a large bike race which closed one of our trails one day which we didn’t know about and had to ride on the road and another day had a partial path closure of unknown reason. This could hav easily been avoided if the bike company had shared this information. The bikes were great but you may have to be proactive/assertive to determine details of route changes. All in all we really enjoyed our trip.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Lisa Schmitz
Beautiful 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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★★★★★ Lisa LeRoy
Great way to start with self-guide cycling trips
Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
The Hotel Laurin in Toblach-Dobbiaco was a truly wonderful base from which to explore the Tres Clims area of the Dolomites. The hotel was beautiful, new and clean with great views from the balconies. The food was spectacular. Every meal was a work of art. The hotel staff were kind and helpful. The pool, saunas and spa were relaxing. The cycling paths are bike/pedestrian only paths and mostly well marked. The scenery is fantastic on all of the rides. Each town has something special about it. The bicycles are pretty good. The maps were fairly good and the GPS program that is provided is also pretty good. The navigation could be a little better. I'd recommend communicating with the local tour company in advance of starting the trip to get an orientation to ride packet and the GPS program. There are bus and train transfers needed which we didn't realize and did not have one for each person in our group - the hotel provided them when we asked. The tour company was unclear on how many people were in our group and that led to extra clarification that was important. The packets did not include all of the same materials.
Tour Operator is located near the hotel but they have a call center that is elsewhere and depending what language you speak, you might need staff members in one or the other location. The order of the daily rides may change depending on availability of vans for days when transfers to or from a ride start/end are needed. We didn't realize this before setting off on our first day. We also wished we had known that there was an Austrian holiday the day we went to Cortina because everything was closed and we could not visit the museum or other attractions. More communication with the local company would have helped us with better planning. It was rainy and cold the week of our trip and we had to buy extra waterproof gear which is easy in Dobbiacco because there are several sporting goods shops.We were a friend group of 4 women -- all experienced cyclists and intrepid travelers. This trip is perfect for that type of group.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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
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★★★★★ Llewellyn F.
Fabulous Views and Vistas
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
It was a great trip! Just amazing views of the mountains through Austria and then Italy. Was generally flat or downhill so not difficult. Allowed us to enjoy the cycling and then enjoy the towns we stayed in.
Mainly separate bike paths that were perfectly maintained. Best I've seen. Signage for our route was very good. Easy to find coffee/strudel/beer stops along the way. Only issue was that instead of a GPS we were given an app. While the app explained the route, it just had a picture map with a purple line that sort of followed the route. We had to use Google Maps to figure out exactly where we were related to the map. Not very easy to do. I've been on tours with a GPS and it was perfect. Note that when approaching Lake Garda on the last day, the map showed us going off the bike route to a road that looked dangerous along the mountain. We stayed on the bike path that led us to amazing views down to Lake Garda and the route that all other cyclists were going.
There was a little issue with the timing of the shuttle on the way back to Innsbruck. Very thankful for Stephano (the local tour operator) who stepped in and personally picked up another client, so that we could leave earlier and reach Innsbruck by noon to catch a bus to the Munich airport. Next time will try not to have immediate plans after the tour. Can't say enough about Stephano and his team. One thing to consider, is for the local tour operators to be accessible via WhatsApp. Not all of us had voice access on our phones, only data.
Hotels were very nice except one in Mals...more like a two-star. Elevator had no light. Shower had little water pressure. Breakfast very limited. The one in Lake Garda was perfectly located with amazing views. All were easy to get to from the main bike path.
Some sights worth doing: just past the Italy border at Lago di Resia Reschensee stay on the right side of the lake on a beautiful bike path with picnic tables to stop and take in the view (brings snacks and drinks), Mendel Cable Car/Funicular (cool on top, there's a little town there), Wiengut Waldthaler wine tasting in Ora (Clemens was amazing and joined us for pizza where we ordered his wine), most towns have nice parks and areas to walk before/after dinner.
I've done several bike tours and this one was one of the best in terms of route, paths and scenery.
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★★★★★ OR bikers
Couldn't ask for a better 1st bike tour experience
Venice to Trieste and Istria
We did the self guided tour with another couple friend of ours. We all had ebikes which made it very enjoyable and easy to do the distances and the hills on the last 2 days. The stickers on street poles pointing the way along the routes were really helpful. The scenery along the routes were so pretty, many red poppy fields. The towns we passed through were fun to explore. We really enjoyed the routes along the water (sea, river, canals), which were many. We had one and a half days of rain, and there were some muddy dirt road we had to go through. We enjoyed the towns we stayed in overnight, pleased with the accommodations and the bountiful breakfast buffets. I would recommend staying an extra night in Porec (end of tour), just to get a little more time to explore, enjoy and relax before heading back to Venice on the early ferry
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 25-June 1, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- this is our first one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia, Italy, Slovenia
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★★★★★ Claudia Lutke
The best way to have an immersive experience in Tuscany
Tuscan Wine Classic: Pienza to Castellina via Siena
The route, the bikes, the hotels. All received an A+ grade. Except the part of arriving in Pienza and leaving Castellina. The topic “How to get there”, part of a e-mail sent by you should be improved. The option TAXI from Chiusi train station doesn’t exist. No taxis there. There is only one bus/day to Pienza that departures in the morning. And we arrived in the afternoon. After asking four different people we realized that the only way available would be to take a bus - a city bus, not prepared for the transport of passengers + luggage - to Montepulciano and then find a way to arrive in Pienza. We thought that we could take a taxi there. But no taxis either. Fortunately, cel phones were charged and with internet access, so we contacted the local operator, explained the situation and they went to “rescue us”.
The same uncertainty happened by the time we left Castellina. We had 4 bags (it was a 20 days vacation trip, with different activities, including a meeting in between - with a “social” dressing code). It would require a considerable effort to carry the luggage until the bus stop, to take another city bus until Siena and then find a way to go to Florence (the place where we would continue the trip). The lovely cities that we visited in Tuscany are in fact villages. There are no taxi services overthere.
Again, the tour operator helped us passing the contact of a private driver who led us from Castellina to Florence.
My suggestion: include the transfer to the starting point and from the finish point in the “to do list” for the local operators when cities have such a limited options of transportation.- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct/Nov 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- 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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★★★★★ debor
Dolomite to Trieste was varied and interesting
Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
I thought the design of the route was excellent. We spent much of the first 2 days on bike paths. I loved the small towns we stayed in. The range of hotels was quite broad-from very family run and quaint, to lavish. I quite liked the variety-that someone else chose them for me. I appreciated the list of recommended restaurants-we never went wrong using their recommendations, and frequently did when we used our own. I should have chosen to spend an extra day in Bled. We arrived in a thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening, and early the next morning we had to bike to catch the train-so I don't think I really got to experience any of Bled. I loved staying in the old city in Cividale. There was quite a bit of detailed route finding on the last two days, that kept you watching the map, but we succeeded fine. The last day we chose to take the short route along the Adriatic to Trieste and the traffic was not nearly as bad as I thought it might be-the tunnels can be negotiated by walking your bike along the pedestrian way which keeps you completely out of the traffic.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 8, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- none
- 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, Slovenia, Austria
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★★★★★ Marissa
Really great first trip
Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
Highlights:
- Handy navigation app that usually seemed to work well.
- Really neat variety of hotels with absolutely ridiculous breakfast spreads. Dinners at the hotels were also incredible.
- Staff were very helpful when they could be - this includes rental shop, phone contact, and transfer assistant staff.
- I'd estimate about 60-70% of the route was on dedicated bike trails that were wonderful to bike on, especially compared to terrible US bike infrastructure.
Lowlights:
- We did not use navigation features on the app, just used it as a reference map. As a compulsive mapper, an easy way to export GPX/route info from the provided app would have been appreciated. I was able to download GPXs several weeks in advance, but the routes on a couple of days ended up extremely incorrect and misleading.
- It would have been helpful to have general guidance or resources on alternatives in the event of bad weather. We got fairly lucky on the timing of some heavy rain, but it definitely caused some anxiety.
- Nova Gorica and Trieste were kind of awful and hectic to navigate, but I don't know how you'd avoid them.The route was gorgeous and mostly easy. I'd recommend taking the long and hilly routes to Bled and Trieste if you're physically up for it. As an enthusiastic cyclist, it was hard to adjust to the heavy and clunky rental bikes (obvious solution: bring your own bike) and I can't say we'd have tackled any mountain passes, but they were comfortable and well maintained. I felt like we definitely got value for what we paid and I'd recommend this trip to anyone who wanted an intro to easy touring!
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★★★★★ Elizabeth Frisbie
One of my best trips
Cycling and Cooking in Tuscany
This was the best way to see the beautiful countryside of Tuscany, Our two guides, Panos and Tom, were AMAZING. This is one of the best bike trips I have been on. The terrain was very doable with Ebikes. The accommodations and food were fabulous. Everything was very well organized. I would highly recommened this trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- 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
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★★★★★ Sue Collins-Larson
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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★★★★★ ShopTherapy
Beautiful Scenery, 249 Miles Total
Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
Cividale del Friiuli, Bled, Udine, Trieste, beautiful cities. Special moments, the manager at the Aguntum Museum (near Lienz) gave an unforgettable welcome to our soggy group (it poured buckets the first day out) and Hannes Grimmer Holzdesign (near Reisach) - amazing wood carvings. Nice hotels overall. Only issues were an A/C outage at the Bled hotel, and "the outbuilding" at the Cividale del Friuli hotel - tiny rooms that were nicely appointed but it was a walk from the main hotel that posed a challenge for older bikers in our group with walking issues. Tour operator customer service was excellent - second tour with them, would definitely use them again. Ebikes were new with strong motors and the techs on site took care of changing the displays to English/miles for us. Recommend completing this tour by mid-June due to summer temps in Italy.
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★★★★★ Llewellyn Fernandes
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
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★★★★★ LMOC
Challeging and beautifull tour
Umbria’s Green Valleys From the Pilgrimage Town of Assisi
Umbria is beautiful and we loved to visit the old and historical towns throughout the tour.
However, there were a bit more steep climbs than what we were expecting and the 40 degrees made them more challenging :/
Paolo and Petra were very helpful and friendly and the overall tour was well thought out.- What was the date of your tour?
- 20 of July
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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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★★★★★ William Loewe
Italian jaunt
Bolzano – Verona – Venice
Great way to see northern Italy. Accommodations were fine, except for the last, where the room was difficult to access and the bathroom downright dangerous. Disappointing end to an otherwise lovely ride.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2024
- 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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★★★★★ Louise C van Vonno
Fantastic but more challenging then we are used to!
Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy
My husband and I have done over 10 bike tours around the world and this was by far the most challenging. If we had received the itinerary earlier than 6:30pm the day before we started we might have requested some route adjustments but there just wasn't time. We were assured by the local cycling company that provided the excellent e-bikes that we should be careful about battery usage but we would be OK. We were ok but truly exhausted at the end of most days. The route was excellent and we wanted to go back to some of the towns we visited when we weren't so tired.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June/ July 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much 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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★★★★★ Slick
Wonderful scenery
Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
Some directions going through the towns were difficult to follow. Also some of the starting points of the bike route were difficult to find and our driver was vague.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 22 to Sept 29
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much 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
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★★★★★ Larry Warshawski
Great trip Bolzano to Venice
Bolzano – Verona – Venice
We enjoyed the bike trip. The GPS courses were very good as were the tour descriptions in Ride with GPS. Unfortunately there was not enough time to see many of the sites. The hotels overall were average with some below average and a couple that were above average. They were all outside of the main old town vicinity and we missed out on the wonderful ambiance of the historical towns.
The 5 hour ferry ride on Lake Garda was too long and we arrived after sunset in late August. It was dark when we arrived at the hotel, which again was away from the downtown area and we had difficulty finding it.- What was the date of your tour?
- August 21
- How many tours have you completed?
- 30
- 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
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★★★★★ Gudrun58
Group of friends
Lake Garda (Based in One Hotel)
Hotel was very good and the staff also. Italy is so beautiful and charming.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 14.09-19.09.2017
- 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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★★★★★ hbth
Great tour from Dolomites to lake Garda
Dolomites to Lake Garda: Picturesque Cities and Stunning Scenery
We chose self guided tour which was perfect for our group. We biked through amazing landscape and beautiful villages with nice restaurants and friendly people.
The travel documents were very helpful and the luggage transfer was perfect. It was
just a great tour!- What was the date of your tour?
- 3.-10. July
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was the first
- 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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★★★★★ Henk V
All the sights in 3 hours
Rome Highlights Bike Tour
My daughter and I took the tour with Allesandro as our guide. We only had one day in Rome and the bike tour was a perfect way to get the most out of our day. The bike shop is on a very pretty street with flowery vine plants covering the street over the power lines.
Allesandro is a biking enthusiast and he knows the city very well. Rome is quite busy but the route was mostly back streets without too much traffic (car or pedestrian). However, there were a few spots where we needed to be in traffic and the tour has a bit of climbing so I'm glad we took the e-bikes. The bikes were heavy but quality.
We got some great pictures at each stop on the way. It was only the three of us so we moved fairly quickly and didn't dawdle much at the sites. Allesandro offered to take us to a couple more spots beyond what the normal tour had but unfortunately it started raining.
I would easily recommend this tour, especially if you have limited time. And Allesandro was a nice guide for the tour. His English was 6/10 but he knew a lot and was very friendly.
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