Italy  Bike Tour Reviews (page 6)

  • Florence to Rome
    (4/5) Christine Comi June 1, 2023

    Lovely look at rural Italy

    · Florence to Rome: 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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
    • 4/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Sardinia: A Mine of Memories
    (4/5) Cheryl A Erlandson Erlandson October 16, 2023

    We 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
    • 3/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 1/5 Tour documents
    • 1/5 Local tour company services
    • 1/5 Route selection
  • Florence to Rome
    (4/5) Charlie October 1, 2018

    Beautiful Ride.

    · Florence to Rome: 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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • A Taste of Italy
    (4/5) Chloe March 31, 2017

    A Taste of Italy

    · A Taste of Italy: Emilia-Romagna

    What was the date of your tour?
    3/9-3/16
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat 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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • Innsbruck to Lake Garda
    (4/5) Thomas Albrecht June 28, 2023

    Fantastic Trip!

    · Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps

    The route is wonderfully scenic, riding through endless apple orchards and vineyards, with many picturesque villages along the way. Plenty of opportunities to stop for a nice piece of strudel and coffee/tea. The hotels were very nice, in fact a bit nicer than the BikeTours trip we took last year (Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled), and the bicycles were good quality and in perfect repair. Navigation on this trip is a bit challenging (although we were always able to figure things out using the various resources available — phone ap, map, and route signs. Once you get into Italy, the route signs are less helpful, since there are often multiple routes to the destination, and following signs won’t keep you on the recommend route (which usually really is better than the alternatives). One part of the route that perhaps should be simplified is the section just south of Merano, which seems needlessly complicated (for example, the southern part of Merano, and the diversion to Lana). It would be nice if printed maps showed locations of hotels in each town; we had to find them ourselves using our phone maps.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    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?
    Austria, Italy
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Dolomites to Trieste
    (4/5) Kathy D August 5, 2022

    MIghty Dolomity

    · Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps

    Truly enjoyed the trip. Great bike paths for most of the route. Beautiful scenery and great overnight stays. A few hotels didn't have air conditioning but that is not unusual in this part of the world. Unfortunately, Europe is experiencing a very hot summer in 2022. We greatly enjoyed the route and all there was to see and do along the way. The bikes were not what we had expected. Very heavy, more like a beach bike w 21 gears. If you take this trip and are used to a better bike, as we are, upgrade the bike you use. Very difficult riding these very heavy bikes up some of the hills. We took a train on Day 3 for a break - mostly because of the bikes. Saving grace - the train system is fantastic and they all have capacity for bikes at a minimal cost. The app was very good once we figured out how to use it. Would have been helpful if FunActive Tour Company had given us some instruction on how to use it prior to us departing.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    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, Slovenia, Austria
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 2/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Piedmont Region
    (4/5) Robin L 2 months ago

    Unique Italy

    · Piedmont Region: The Italian Garden of Eden

    The bike company was great! Excellent notice on all necessary details of where bikes would be, how to operate bikes and how to contact bike company in the event of an emergency.
    Which we did need for my husband. They were great and took very good care of him!
    Routes were good, not all on bike trails, but on roads with traffic, gravel and some spots poor maintenance.
    Hotels and food were good!.
    WC were hard to find and were far and few between.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 14-19, 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    None, before we went on this one
    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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Bolzano – Verona – Venice
    (4/5) Boris August 10, 2016

    Great 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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Bolzano to Verona
    (4/5) Deb 6 months ago

    Good trip

    · Bolzano to Verona: Orchards, Mountains & Timeless Culture

    Overall it was a great trip but bikes need to be upgraded to 21st century! They were dinosaur 🦕. Trip notes were good & hotels nice. We had a great trip with our friends.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Italy
  • Florence to Rome
    (4/5) 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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 1/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Tuscany and Umbria
    (4/5) Severa July 6, 2018
    · Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 22
    How many tours have you completed?
    5
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Italy
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Bolzano – Verona – Venice
    (4/5) Catherine Hicks June 27, 2024

    Italian cycling

    · Bolzano – Verona – Venice

    the trip was very well organised and the hotel were very good. and meat lots of nice people doing the same trip. The routs were good but only having the on GPS I think we should have had a map as well as when the road was closed and no diversion in place it was difficult to get back on track. The transfer back to Bolzano was very good and again well organised. The 1st night our luggage did not turn up until 18.35 and that was after a phone call from me .The only part of the trip that we did not like was the 5 hour boat trip backwards and forwards across Lake Garda this was very long and we did not get to the hotel until 20.45. you could do a bike transfer along Garda or miss it out all together and go direct to Verona.

    What was the date of your tour?
    june 24
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Italy
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 1/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • A Taste of Italy
    (4/5) Cathie Macmillan November 7, 2023

    Enjoyable 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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Bolzano – Verona – Venice
    (4/5) Dan1 September 19, 2018

    With the Dolomites as your splendid background, ride through ancient towns until you reach the unique watery world of Venice.

    · Bolzano – Verona – Venice

    Highly recommend getting to Bolzano early so you have time to spend a day visiting the Italian Alps. The Dolomite Highway is awe-inspiring.

    The bike trails were great. Mostly paved, and when they weren't, the majority were well packed. The tour route goes through picturesque countryside. The daily destinations are beautiful and historical.

    The tour includes a 5+ hour ferry ride on Lake Garda. It is a gorgeous ride with the ferry zigzagging down the 35 mile length of the lake. Feels like you are in a National Geographic special. A couple of other recommended "must do's" - visit the Scrovegni Chapel in Padova and take in an opera at the Roman Arena in Verona.

    Girolibero was our tour company. They provide great tour book of entire area and towns on route. However, they give it to you (along with bikes) the morning that the tour starts which allows little or no time to really utilize the great information. It would be much better if they provided a month earlier so you have time to research in advance. Should also provide bikes the prior evening so you can get up and leave earlier in the morning.

    Some of the directions along the route could have been marked better. We followed other tour companies' markers more often because Girolibero's were fewer and far between. The bikes were excellent. In great shape and mechanically solid with smooth shifting.

    We paid for the upgraded hotels. However, a few of them were in sketchy areas; like near train stations.

    I don't mean to sound negative. Overall, it was a great trip and very glad we did it. Only offering suggestions to make the tour even better for future riders.

    What was the date of your tour?
    August 26-31
    How many tours have you completed?
    Two
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat 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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Dolomites to Venice
    (4/5) Dantzel Crane May 28, 2023

    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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) Deb Glazer September 23, 2024

    Great trip!

    · Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track

    This is my 4th trip with Biketours.com & I'm already looking forward to scheduling another. The scenery on this one couldn't have been better - it was simply stunning. The route was easy to follow & the biking was pretty easy. Some of the hotels were lovely, and while we're not picky, a few fell short. At the last one there were no blankets in the room & when we asked, they said they didn't have enough for all the rooms. That was a head scratcher for us and made it difficult to sleep.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept. 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    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?
    Italy
    • 5/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • A Taste of Italy
    (4/5) Desmond Barnett September 23, 2023

    Nice way to see parts of Italy

    · A Taste of Italy: Emilia-Romagna

    Self guided, hotels generally good but thought the hotel in Reggio Emilio was poorly sited. One restaurant fully booked little opportunity without taxi’s. Accomodation needs to be located in a town.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    4-5
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Italy
    • 4/5 Value
    • 1/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Florence to Rome
    (4/5) Kiwisabroad September 23, 2016

    Bike trip recommended

    · Florence to Rome

    The scenery was great - how could rural Italy be otherwise! The maps and instructions - and especially the 'E' stickers posted along the route, were excellent. The bikes were fine - no suspension but certainly good seats.

    We only saw our contact person briefly at the beginning and end of the ride and didn't feel especially well supported although I'm sure if we had had a major problem, someone would have stepped up. (I'm comparing with a Czech Bike Tours 5 day trip we did last summer.)

    We sought a gradient map of the route before booking it and only got a fairly hard to read and un-useful GPX one. Again, last year in the Czech Rep we found good gradient maps for each day on the website. It's quite nice to know when there's a big hill coming up! That said, the maps which were provided in the briefing the night before we set out had arrows in 2 colours showing steep uphill and steep downhill.

    We are 4 relatively fit 60-year-olds. The biking was tough at times but we certainly managed it. We WOULD recommend it. (As an indication, with a coffee mid-morning and a picnic lunch and photos taken along the way, we were on the road from about 8.30am-4pm, perhaps a little less.)

    The hotels were great, more charming than they looked on the website, although not always easy to find! (There are no more E stickers to follow). And - as we'd expected - accommodation was invariably in a town on a good sized hill! Hotel staff were great.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2016
    How many tours have you completed?
    5
    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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Dolomites to Venice
    (4/5) Don Thain September 23, 2022

    Mostly 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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Bolzano to Verona
    (4/5) Anne Stanek 2 months ago

    Quiet roads and bike paths through lush orchards and dramatic mountain valleys.

    · Bolzano to Verona: Orchards, Mountains & Timeless Culture

    The first half of this tour was an enjoyable ride with quiet roads and beautiful scenery. The hotels were varied and comfortable. We had the bad luck of rain on Days 3 and 4. In fact, we skipped the boat ride and took the train on Day 4 as the weather forecast was for a lot of rain. The rest of the time we had sunny weather and enjoyed the quiet rides through the countryside around Verona. Some of the rides were longer than we would have liked but having Electric Bikes made the rides a breeze!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    14
    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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection