Italy Bike Tour Reviews (page 5)
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★★★★★ Emma2714 August 18, 2017Well organised
· Bolzano to Verona: Orchards, Mountains & Timeless Culture
I appreciate the arrangement of transfering baggage service and the staff in Bolzano, who helped me get my passport because the previous hotel kept my passport. However, i am so stupid that I could not follow the route , its better to have direction, for example , head South.... The worst thing is the attitude of hotel is not good when I request I put my bike into my room, because, every accessory can be removed very soon, for example, my saddle, wheels, one point is money, my bike is expensive, because I can cycle fast if I ride my own bike,the other point is what can I do if my bike was stolen, it will ruin my trip,right? Although, they will help to lock into somewhere, Hotel San Marco, I have to push my bike going up and down from ground to basement 2, I could not use LIFT, it is not friendly !! Anyway, I will join again,hopefully, people try to understand others who bring their own bike!
- What was the date of your tour?
- 2 Aug 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- no
- 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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★★★★★ Cheryl A Erlandson Erlandson 6 months agoWe needed more information.
· Sardinia: A Mine of Memories
Day 2 was awful. The road is full of rocks and sand, not easy to bike on. Plus Marco told us to use eco or tour not to bother with sport or turbo which would have been good on the steep incline. Needed more information about how to use an ebike would have been very helpful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Kathryn Burnyeat 6 months ago
Very Enjoyable Trip
· Sardinia: A Mine of Memories
Equipment supplied was generally very good. Enjoyed the e bikes very much. Scenery was spectacular along the coast. Nice blend of coastal scenes, countryside and local villages. Hotels were generally good. Maybe there was more cycling on busy highways and gravel trails than we expected. Overall, we enjoyed the trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- 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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★★★★★ Boris August 10, 2016Great trip
· Bolzano – Verona – Venice
It was a part of my overall trip to Italy and definitely was a highlight. The only thing I would have done differently is to do a little more research in advance myself. There are so many things to see along the way one simply cannot get them all. So I could have been more selective and that would have give me more time at the sights that more interesting to me. For example, I was interested in a little wine testing and there were opportunities along the way, but because I found out about them just a bit too late, I had no time to stop.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 25 - Aug 2
- How many tours have you completed?
- First with this company
- 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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★★★★★ Marv September 29, 2019First European Bike trip
· Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
This was an amazing trip. Well organized, excellent hotels and breakfast. The route was beautiful. The bicycling was more challenging than we expected, but we are casual cyclists. If you are somewhat of a serious cyclist, it would be no problem. 95% of the directions were excellent. 5% were very confusing or ambiguous. Everyone in our group got lost at one point or another. Overall, well organized and beautiful trip. We will book again with Biketours.com.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 09/14/2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- 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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★★★★★ hbth July 29, 2016Great 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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★★★★★ Ladislav Votruba September 28, 2022Italian 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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★★★★★ 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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★★★★★ carlosferreira January 9, 2018· Florence to Rome
- What was the date of your tour?
- october 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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
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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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★★★★★ Bubbles November 11, 2018
Good bike tour, great scenery, with caveats and NOT a level 2 difficulty
· Apulia and Basilicata: Alberobello to Lecce
This tour benefits from some spectacularly gorgeous scenery, two unique and fascinating cities, and the excellent bike support staff (they were prompt in communicating and resolving equipment problems). Cyclists need to be aware of some of the drawbacks, too. The difficulty rating for this trip is misleading. It is NOT a level 2; it is definitely at least a level 3. I did a level 2 ride the week before, and a level 4 ride the week after, and this ride was closer to the 4 than the 2. The elevation maps provided appear to be inaccurate (day 2 was at least as hilly as day 1). Cycling expectations, and therefore preparations, matter. The on-route directional sign postings are usually present (kudos), but quite small and easy to overlook. Then, unfortunately, there were some things that detracted from the experience that cannot be fixed by the tour operator: inconsiderate auto drivers, very rough pavement in many places (patches upon patches and big, deep potholes), and a truly remarkable amount of litter (garbage, discarded washing machines and refrigerators, cans, bottles) that mars large swaths of the route in otherwise very scenic countryside. We cycled in the shoulder season, and some coastal in the far south towns were nearly closed down, but the traffic was also nearly absent. All things considered, it was a positive experience and worthwhile, but it doesn’t compare favorably to other equally beautiful trips.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 6, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Dantzel Crane 11 months ago
Beautiful sights, okay directions
· Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
We absolutely loved our trip to Italy! It was such a treat to be able to be outside and spend significant time in the Italian countryside, seeing the beauty that is there. My only critique is that often times the directions were a bit difficult to follow. It might just be that I am unfamiliar with the Italian road system, but there were several times where we needed to check the map that was given to us by the tour company against Google maps to make sure that we were in the right place and hadn’t missed a significant turn. Otherwise, the hotels were fine but nothing special (we did not pay for upgraded hotels), the bikes were great, and we loved our time in Italy so much!
- 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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★★★★★ Cathie Macmillan 6 months agoEnjoyable trip through the food bowl of Italy
· A Taste of Italy: Emilia-Romagna
This tour was well organised and easy to follow using the Ride with GSP App. It was great to spend 2 nights at each destination and not rush from one town to the next. The e bikes were very well maintained and comfortable to ride. Unfortunately one of my drink holders broke as I cycled down a hill!
The route was a mix of bike paths, main roads and smaller roads. We didn't enjoy the main roads as the traffic was quite busy and passed us very quickly which was scary at times. I wouldn't recommend the tour to first time bike tourists or families as it was a bit dangerous on so many main roads.
Most accommodation was comfortable and met our needs. Our favourite accommodation was definitely La Razza Agritourismo! Hotel Button was our least favourite as it didn't have a fridge or tea making facilities in the room.
Cycling through the food bowl of Italy gave us the opportunity to see how Parmigiano Reggiano and Balsamic Vinegar are made. Tasting the products was even better! We took the dinner options but in hindsight probably would have preferred to organise our own dinners.
On reflection, we probably should have chosen a tour with a harder rating and more hills. The route was very flat so we didn't experience many good views of the scenery. We enjoyed the loop ride into the hills of Reggio Emilia. We didn't do the loop ride from Modena due to illness and poor weather so perhaps missed one of the good scenery days.- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct 23
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Paul Clark October 16, 2022
Cycling a Disappointment but Good travel Itinerary
· Florence to Rome
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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★★★★★ LKDCG October 29, 2017
Bolzano to Verona - Great Way to see Italian Countryside
· Bolzano to Verona: Orchards, Mountains & Timeless Culture
We chose the self-guided tour and would highly recommend it. Next time, we will have a GPS device. Most days were easy to follow, but one very tactical day resulted in us not seeing many sites, as we needed to keep an eye on our maps. The support was great in the sense that our luggage was available at our next hotel each day. All accommodations were very nice.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 14-19, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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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★★★★★ ELHoo 11 months agoA good first bike tour experience
· Venice to Trieste and Istria
This was my first bike tour with a bike tour company, so I have nothing to compare it to. That said, it was pretty good. The person who presented the tour at our intro meeting was very nice and honest about what each day's route had in store for us. Bikes were OK, they suited the varied surfaces we rode on. The hotels varied from fine to nice. Luggage delivery was great. The towns we stayed at along the way all had something interesting about them. We were given an app, maps and cue sheets for navigation as well as arrow stickers along the route. We did not get lost, but I would suggest refreshing the faded arrows along the way. I would do another BikeTours.com tour.
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★★★★★ Christine Comi 11 months agoLovely look at rural Italy
· Florence to Rome: E-Bike through the Heart of Italy
Of the tour group of 15 people, only 3 of us spoke English. We didn't know this tour was actually being executed by Rotalis, a German touring company. It was still a wonderful experience but not what we were expecting. Also, most of the group was using e-bikes. This meant that the cruising pace was much faster than I think it would have been if everyone was riding on their own power. I was one of 3 people riding on my own power and found it a real work out every day.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 20-27, 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- none
- 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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★★★★★ Michael Burkardt 7 months agoBeautiful Countryside
· Tuscan Wine Classic: Pienza to Castellina via Siena
Our Bike Tour Company Cicloposse was exceptional, the best we ever had. There was not a single detail they missed, providing a booklet covering highlights for a given day of each town we'd pass through and as well as where to eat. We had a minor issue that was no fault of their own and the customer service was top notch. They're professional and knowledgeable. The only hiccup was a closed bridge that added a hour to our ride that day. Warning: unless you are a very strong rider get an E bike. Some climbs are miles long with a 14% grade.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Charlie October 1, 2018
Beautiful Ride.
· Florence to Rome: E-Bike through the Heart of Italy
Our ride was a wonderful way to see the Italian countryside from Florence to Rome. The riders were similar in skills (7 of 8 retired) and the routing matched our skill set. The guides (furnished by Rotalis) were knowledgeable and accommodated requests from our team quickly and to everyone’s satisfaction. There were a few very short instances where the ride was on busy roadways when we transitioned from one backroad to another. The guides did not rush the transition and were focused on safety during those transitions.
At each stop things were in place and there was no confusion. Meals and lodging provided by the tour were greatly appreciated.
If you want to see Italy at a human scale (not at 60 mph), this is a wonderful way to do it. We will go back!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was #2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ John Hastie 11 months ago
Wonderful trip!
· A Taste of Italy: Emilia-Romagna
Evrything was great, but we didi have a couple of issues:
* The Garmin GPS unit was programed for an incorrect departure hotel. Destpite our attempts to join up with the route, it constantly told us we were off course. We ended up abandoning it and using google maps to get from point to point.
* Our hotel in Parma informed us that our reservation didn't include breakfast, which was unexpected.Other than that, the trip was wonderful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- many self-guided. two through tourig companies.
- 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
