Italy  Bike Tour Reviews (page 8)

  • Sardinia: A Mine of Memories
    (4/5) Mary Ricks September 30, 2023

    Getting to see the real Sardinia

    · Sardinia: A Mine of Memories

    The tour as a whole was good. But getting our bikes and adjusting them to ride was really a nightmare. If this would have been my first trip with BikeTours I would have never come back again. We were pretty much in the town where we were getting our bikes and could have had plenty of time to get them in the afternoon and make sure everything was adjusted correctly. However we were not to get them until 6 pm, then it was changed to 6:30 and finally it was at 7. Everything was rushed and only one guy trying to get out 26 bikes. No communication. We were forced to try out bikes on the street in the dark with cars coming and going. Ebike riders were not told that they would probably have to stop and charge their battery on the really hard day or would run out of battery. And most riders were confused about which day was the day you could get assistance if needed. Again communication was missing.
    Overall the hotels were great, staff at hotels were good, food was fine. The ride overall was good because of the people who were riding. We helped each other out when we didn't know the answer to questions.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Italy
  • Tuscan Wine Classic
    (4/5) Michael Burkardt September 16, 2023

    Beautiful 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
  • Bolzano – Verona – Venice
    (4/5) MelT October 17, 2019

    25th Anniversary Trip

    · Bolzano – Verona – Venice

    A great way to see the beautiful smaller towns of Italy that you would normally drive right by!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 9, 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
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Italy
    • Cycling into Lake Garda (photo by MelT)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 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 Venice
    (4/5) Mickey Shnaiderman October 4, 2023

    An almost perfect tour

    · Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track

    A very unusual and exciting way to explore to Dolomites. Riding the bicycle through the those magnificent views was truly astounding.
    The routes were picked correctly both in terms of distance and terrain.
    Also, the provided booklet with the brief information about the routes and food recommendation was great!
    All the hotels were great with excellent service, breakfasts were good and had us full until arrival.
    The bicycles were good too, although we would expect to have some help adjusting them to our sizes. My girlfriend is very short and we had to find a multi-tool to adjust her saddle horizontal position. If we had all the tools supplied, it would be much easier.
    We also had one miscommunication: one of the hotels was changed, so we got the updated list of hotels before the beginning of the tour. Upon arrival, we got all the maps and another list of hotels. This printed list stated that all previous lists were invalid, so we took it for granted. At the second day of riding, which was the longest and the hardest, we arrived exhausted to the wrong hotel, only to realize we have 3 more kilometres to ride to a hotel outside the city. That, in turn, meant that we were left with only one dinner option - in the hotel itself. It was great, though, but quite expensive.
    The navigation was a bit tricky too. The app is a bit primitive, sometimes got stuck, drained a lot of battery when navigating with the screen on (compared to Google Maps that takes much less battery). In one occasion it also got my phone so hot it had to shut down. In some several places the app tried to take us on to non existent roads or onto incoming traffic. It was also unaware of road constructions. Other than that, when getting the hang of this app, it wasn't that bad. We managed to find our way without too much of a hustle.
    A tip to give to other riders next time: Venice has a secured parking spot for bicycles for a 10€ per bicycles. It is essentially a huge locker for the bike. Also, a big shout-out for Anthony, who called us to help finding the return place of the bikes. He also gave us the tip of riding to Venice and then leaving them in the hotel inserted of in the garage.

    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    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
    •  (photo by Mickey Shnaiderman)
    •  (photo by Mickey Shnaiderman)
    •  (photo by Mickey Shnaiderman)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Bolzano to Verona
    (4/5) Emma2714 August 18, 2017

    Well 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
    • 3/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
    • 4/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Dolomites to Lake Garda
    (4/5) hbth July 29, 2016

    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
    • 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
  • The rise and fall of Rome, revealed
    (4/5) Henk V June 15, 2023

    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.

    •  (photo by Henk V)
  • Florence to Rome
    (4/5) pizza June 5, 2017

    Italy tour

    · Florence to Rome

    We have done two other Eurobike tours and this was very similar. The roads in Italy are a bit less tended than in other parts of Europe and we were often on traffic roads but the scenery and the route was lovely! The weather was fantastic. I would suggest that you be sure to book your sightseeing in Florence and Rome ahead of time because they are both very busy and exciting cities. There were also some long difficult hills but well worth the climbs.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 20-27, 2017
    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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Apulia and Basilicata
    (4/5) Izzz October 1, 2016

    Pulia heel of the boot Italy

    · Apulia and Basilicata: Alberobello to Lecce

    We 4 seniors really enjoyed our bike trip. The second last day was more challenging than we expected. Route was well signed with small arrows except into Lecce. Bikes heavy but reliable and comfortable.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Spring 2015 Belgium
    How many tours have you completed?
    Over ten
    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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) John 327 September 15, 2018

    Fun Trip

    · Apulia and Basilicata: Alberobello to Lecce

    We were on a self guided trip but wound up meeting several fun people we wound up riding with. Scenery was great, the bikes were excellent and well suited to the ride. The accommodations ranged from good to excellent and we found the locals to be engaging and often very helpful. It seemed as though they were happy we were there. One of the bigger surprises was the quality of the local wines. They were excellent and very reasonably priced. The written directions were sometimes a bit confusing, but frankly that added to the fun and adventure. On some of the longer stretches in the countryside it was difficult to find water so it is a good idea to carry an extra bottle in your pannier.

    What was the date of your tour?
    9/2
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • Tuscany and Umbria
    (4/5) karnhaus September 22, 2018

    It was an adventure!

    · Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy

    Beautiful trip through Umbria and Tuscany; although the elevation on some days was more than we expected. The views were spectacular, and all of the accommodations were excellent. Loved the B&B in Castiglione del Lago - it was our favorite. Could have used more tips of places to see along the way, such as wineries, local farms, etc. Ecologico Tours did a great job organizing the trip, the bikes were top notch, and they were very accommodating in helping us switch out our pedals, provide carriers, etc.

    What was the date of your tour?
    9/6 - 9/14
    How many tours have you completed?
    0
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Italy
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Gravel Biking Sardinia's Rugged Beauty
    (4/5) John Foster September 4, 2024

    Beautiful bit challenging :)

    · Gravel Biking Sardinia's Rugged Beauty

    Sardinia has long been on our "bucket list" and the scenery, wine, and food did not disappoint! The 3 different accommodations chosen were all great and each was a bit different. The staffs were great at all 3 and the on site coordinators were terrific! The routes were well laid out and Ride with GPS was a breeze to follow (though I use the app at home all the time) Some of the off-road trails were a bit rougher than anticipated and so they took a bit longer to complete than the estimates.

    How many tours have you completed?
    number 6 out of country, but first with Bike Tours
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Italy
    •  (photo by John Foster)
    •  (photo by John Foster)
    •  (photo by John Foster)
    •  (photo by John Foster)
    •  (photo by John Foster)
    •  (photo by John Foster)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Innsbruck to Lake Garda
    (4/5) Jane Fletcher October 4, 2023

    Good trip - lots of orchards and vineyards

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

    I enjoyed this trip through the Dolomites but didn’t see as much of the craggy Dolomites as I expected. We were almost always in the flat valley with the mountains along the side of the valley. As we went south the mountains seemed to shrink. I enjoyed the Germanic nature of northern Italy and was very interested to learn more about its history and how Austrian the residents still feel. It didn’t feel like we were in Italy until we arrived in Trento on market day. And then it was almost like a switch flipped and we were in Italy. The architecture as well as the countryside changed and became more Mediterranean influenced. Our ride was generally on bike paths that were very busy with cyclists. Weekends were especially busy but even during the week the paths were busy but it was great to see so many people out riding their bikes. Along the paths we found several bike bars that served drinks and snacks to cyclists and they were perfect places to find a WC. We enjoyed the scenery and marveled at the thousands of acres of apple orchards that we rode through. The hotels were generally fine but the hotel in Riva del Garda was a disappointment. I paid extra for single rooms after a friend had to cancel her trip and this room was a real disappointment, it was more like a cell.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    20+
    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?
    Austria, Italy
    •  (photo by Jane Fletcher)
    •  (photo by Jane Fletcher)
    •  (photo by Jane Fletcher)
    • Apple orchards are grown much differently, straight up skinny trees many of which were heavily laden with fruit (photo by Jane Fletcher)
    • Trento piazza (photo by Jane Fletcher)
    • My single room in Riva del Garda, a disappointment (photo by Jane Fletcher)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Lake Garda
    (4/5) Jane Fletcher October 4, 2023

    Great to have one hotel as a home base

    · Lake Garda (Based in One Hotel)

    Lake Garda was beautiful and we enjoyed staying in Desenzano. Our hotel in Desenzano was in the perfect location, right on the water and close enough to the old town to walk to dinner.

    The day trips for biking out of Desenzano were variable in terms of how much we enjoyed them. We really liked Verona but the biking back from Verona was not very enjoyable because of the traffic and a lot of not very scenic areas. However, the day we rode to Brescia, another city, was a good biking day as the route we were on had pretty good cycling infrastructure that kept us separated from cars even though we were entering the city. There was, however, on that day a closed road that we had to navigate around. Luckily with both google maps and ride with gps we were able to find a good alternate route to get around the closure. We used rides with gps to navigate the routes provided by the tour company rather than their app as rides with gps allowed us to enter our individual hotel and ride directly there. It was also better with turn by turn directions. The tour literature said that their app would work on airplane mode if you downloaded the maps ahead of time, we didn’t find that to be the case. Also, their app tended to lose where we were while rides with gps did not lose us.

    Our favorite riding day was the day we rode a loop route in the countryside without a city destination. Lots of nice scenic views without having to negotiate city traffic.

    One day I had a problem with my e-bike, it wouldn’t change power levels, so I called the emergency number and they wanted me to call the guy who manages the bikes but since we were out on the tour I asked if she could call him for me. She said she would and that he would call me back. He never called back. The next day one of our group decided not to ride so I used her bike. However, there were several other bikes that had been delivered. I called the emergency number again later that day to say that I had not gotten a call back but that several bikes had been delivered and was one of them for me. She didn’t know but again told me to call the guy who manages the bikes. This time I did call him and he seemed to imply that the bike that said reserved was for me. We had a little bit of a language barrier. So, the next day I rode the reserved bike and all was good. All of that to say it would be great if the tour company could work on their communication with customers. The replacement bike for me was apparently there the morning after I called but I didn’t know that.

    All in all it was a good trip and we saw some wonderful sites from Lake Garda to Verona to Brescia and in the countryside.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    20+
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat 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
    • Lake garda (photo by Jane Fletcher)
    • The pistachio gelato stop (photo by Jane Fletcher)
    • Verona (photo by Jane Fletcher)
    •  (photo by Jane Fletcher)
    • Our group in Brescia (photo by Jane Fletcher)
    •  (photo by Jane Fletcher)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • A Taste of Italy
    (4/5) John Hastie June 5, 2023

    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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • Dolomites to Lake Garda
    (4/5) JDMM August 18, 2017
    · Dolomites to Lake Garda: Picturesque Cities and Stunning Scenery

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2017
    How many tours have you completed?
    20
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Italy
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Bolzano to Verona
    (4/5) Zephyr February 17, 2016

    The Two Italys: from Alto Adige to Trentino and South

    · Bolzano to Verona: Orchards, Mountains & Timeless Culture

    How many tours have you completed?
    six
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Families with teens, Solo travelers, 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
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Dolomites to Trieste
    (4/5) Boot September 21, 2017

    Weather restricted tour

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

    Unfortunately we ran into a patch of bad weather...snow, rain etc so we were not able to enjoy the gorgeous scenery so much....we know we missed a lot of countryside and we don't have many pictures to show from our trip...these are the chances you take when signing up!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September. 2017
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Italy, Slovenia, Austria
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Sardinia: A Mine of Memories
    (4/5) Kathryn Burnyeat October 16, 2023

    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
    • 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 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Apulia and Basilicata
    (4/5) Ladislav Votruba September 28, 2022

    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