Italy  Bike Tour Reviews (page 6)

  • Sardinia: A Mine of Memories
    (5/5) Patricia October 12, 2017

    Totally exceeded all expectations!

    · Sardinia: A Mine of Memories

    What a fantastic biking experience. Our guides - Encrio & Michela were the absolute best and 'made' the trip. It was awesome to see their eyes light up when they shared the history of Sardinia with us at every stop. So knowledgeable, so engaging, can't say enough! Everything planned down to the smallest details.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept 22-29, 2017
    How many tours have you completed?
    10+
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    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
    • 5/5 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
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Florence to Rome
    (4/5) Steven October 13, 2017

    Fun trip

    · Florence to Rome

    Great way to see Medeval towns not jammed with tourists. Nice hotels, excellent local cuisine and sights. I wish the roads were better maintained with less car traffic and the bikes were lighter.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 22-29
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    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
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 2/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 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
  • Umbria’s Green Valleys
    (4/5) Wrightriders October 14, 2017
    · Umbria’s Green Valleys From the Pilgrimage Town of Assisi

    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 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
  • Dolomites to Trieste
    (4/5) Doyle October 16, 2017

    Italian Bike Tour

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

    Loved our bike tour. Great way to see the Italian countryside

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept 12-19
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Umbria’s Green Valleys
    (5/5) KVWright October 16, 2017

    A wonderful tour of Umbria Valley

    · Umbria’s Green Valleys From the Pilgrimage Town of Assisi

    My friends and I have completed two similar bike tours (bike rental, luggage moved, etc). This was our first tour in Italy. Previously we had done a point A to point B ride. This tour consisted of only three location bases with day trips out and back. The routing was done in an attempt to keep us off as many of the main roads as possible. There were times when going onto busy streets was unfortunately necessary. The area does have some hills. None of us are avid riders and we managed the journey which did include walking up some of the grades. The maps provided mostly clear directions (we had a couple missed turns). It's a good idea to have a phone with a map as a back up. The accommodations were excellent: clean rooms, friendly staff, and great food.
    The owner of the tour company personally met with us, went over the maps, and made any needed adjustments on the bikes before our journey. The bicycle were of good quality (mine was a 27 speed hybrid) and we were provided with one pannier for each bike.
    Overall a great experience.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 8, 2017
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    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
    • Photo 1 (photo by KVWright)
    • Photo 2 (photo by KVWright)
    • Photo 3 (photo by KVWright)
    • Photo 4 (photo by KVWright)
    • Photo 5 (photo by KVWright)
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from Brittany October 17, 2017

      Karen, we're so glad to hear you all had a great time in Umbria! The Umbrian towns are full of history and if walls could talk I can only imagine the stories they could tell. We hope to help you with another bike vacation!

    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 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
    • 3/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Dolomites to Trieste
    (5/5) mattybee October 17, 2017

    Enjoyed the whole adventure

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

    Great way to see 3 countries on one bike ride. Weather could have been better in the beginning. We started in mid September and encountered one day too wet to ride. But nevertheless made the most of it. Great accommodations all the way throughout the trip. Scenery was superb. Bike paths were wonderfully uncrowded. Rarely had to travel with any kind of vehicle traffic on any of the roadways. All luggage transfers and shuttles were seamless. Tour staff very friendly and helpful. The cycling itself wasn't particularly difficult, but a little endurance is needed because of the length of the daily rides. Didn't have GPS so we relied on the maps which were adequate in the outskirts and country, but could have used a bit better map in the city of Gorizia for sure. Don't miss the pizza a Al Lampione in Gorizia, and the strudel at Gasthof Post, in Oberdrauburg. We opted for the layover day in Lake Bled which was one of the highlights of the trip. Stunning. The walk around the lake with first snow on the mountains was spectacular. Nice way to spend a day. Also, would recommend a day after spent in Trieste. Plenty to do and see along the waterfront. We rented bikes from the Hotel and made another wonderful day of it. Would highly recommend this trip albeit maybe not as late in the season as when
    we went.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2017
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 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
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • A Taste of Italy
    (5/5) DeniseCS October 19, 2017

    By Far, the Best Bicycle Tour Ever

    · A Taste of Italy: Emilia-Romagna

    We encourage any cyclist with a spirit of adventure to take this tour. We call it a self-guided tour with training wheels! We have used other companies (Back Roads, VBT) but by far BikeTours.com and the local tour company (CycleEurope) was the best experience we ever had.

    Even though this is a self-guided tour, the local representative, Giovanni, spent over two hours with us at the inception, going over every detail. They provided us with a huge binder with everything needed: maps, written instructions; points of interest; restaurant recommendations; info on each city we visited.

    Their titanium framed bikes looked brand new and were maintained beautifully.

    Giovanni informed and reassured us that if we had any trouble along the way, he could reach us within two hours maximum wherever we were.

    Do take advantage of their provided GPS. It was the first time we used one on a bike and it was a blast.

    The hotels were all 5 Star and our suites in Modena and Reggio Emilia were incredible. The cooking class included with Manuel was one of the best experiences. We learned so much and will use our new cooking skills at home. The included dinners were at top restaurants in that particular city and the food and staff were phenomenal. The included meal at the Agritourismo was one of the best we have ever had. The steak was truly the best beef we ever ate. The owner, Paolo and his wife Cecelia treated us like family.

    Please do not miss this experience. The staff at BikeTours.com will make your self-guided tours the most fabulous trip of a lifetime.

    What was the date of your tour?
    9/22/17 to 10/1/17
    How many tours have you completed?
    9
    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
    • True Parmesan Cheese (photo by DeniseCS)
    • Castello Torrechiara (photo by DeniseCS)
    • The Beautiful Dining Room at La Razza Agritourismo (photo by DeniseCS)
    • Reggio Emilia (photo by DeniseCS)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 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 to Verona
    (4/5) 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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 2/5 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
  • Tuscan Wine Classic
    (5/5) Rasp November 24, 2017

    BEST honeymoon ever!

    · Tuscan Wine Classic: Pienza to Castellina via Siena

    Well planned itinerary. Italian Guides were very friendly and knowledgeable and Set us up quickly and efficiently. Accompanying materials had great suggestions and option to do long or short ride every day was terrific.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October-nov
    How many tours have you completed?
    Several
    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
    • 5/5 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
  • Venice to Trieste and Istria
    (5/5) alda December 19, 2017

    absolutely fabulous

    · Venice to Trieste and Istria

    What a wonderful itinerary with varied scenery from the lagoons and beaches of Italy to the more mountainous coast of Istria. Going through three countries was very interesting and the accomodations and places we visited were top notch.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept 24, 2017
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    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?
    Croatia, Italy, Slovenia
    • Photo 1 (photo by alda)
    • Photo 2 (photo by alda)
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from Brittany December 20, 2017

      We're glad to hear you had a fantastic time on tour. Thank you for your review!

    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 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
  • 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
  • Umbria’s Green Valleys
    (5/5) Sandyp May 3, 2018

    Fun week in Umbria!

    · Umbria’s Green Valleys From the Pilgrimage Town of Assisi

    This was our third self-guided bike tour with Bike Tours and once again they did not disappoint. The Umbrian countryside was beautiful, the food and wine the best and the people very friendly. We especially enjoyed the Country House and Carla’s hospitality. Her meals were wonderful and we enjoyed meeting her family. Paulo (local tour rep) was also great and he and his wife were able to make some last minute changes for us to take advantage of the weather. Only a couple of climbs all week although the last one into Assisi is a doozy.

    What was the date of your tour?
    April 6-12, 2018
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    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
    • 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
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • A Taste of Italy
    (5/5) TomS June 18, 2018

    the combination of biking and food was excellent

    · A Taste of Italy: Emilia-Romagna

    This was our third time out with biketours and each has been unique and fun. The Taste of Italy was well-named. Stops to see the production of parmesan cheese, gelato, and especially balsamic vinegar were terrific. Loved the cooking class! Level of difficulty was not bad--although some of the hills on the first day required us to dismount. The night at the Agritourismo was memorable.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 3
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    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
    • the central square in Parma (photo by TomS)
    • the first stage of Parmesan cheesemaking (photo by TomS)
    • at the Parmesan cheese factory (photo by TomS)
    • our hosts at the traditional balsamic vinegar producers (photo by TomS)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Tuscany and Umbria
    (5/5) Dave64 June 19, 2018

    Loved this tour!

    · Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy

    We enjoyed our tour very much. We loved this method of touring the Italian countryside. The itinerary took us on very quiet country roads (sometimes on dirt roads) where we could stop at our leisure and take pictures. We are both 64 years old, and ended up using e-bikes for this trip, which turned out to be a very good decision. We worked just hard enough, we could enjoy the countryside, get a good physical challenge each day, but have enough gas in our tank to enjoy the evening tour and meal in town. The towns we visited were very enjoyable, a break from the crowds in Florence and Venice. Other bikers we met on our travels were friendly and helpful with tips. The Italian drivers were very courteous to bikers. It was a fantastic trip.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 17-24 2018
    How many tours have you completed?
    Only this one
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Italy
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 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
  • Dolomites to Trieste
    (5/5) Star June 20, 2018

    Dolomites to Trieste

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

    We had a great time. The accommodations were great and all staff very helpful.
    We had some rainy days but hotel staff were very welcoming. Local vendors for bikes very helpful especially when we had a bike malfunction.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 19,2018
    How many tours have you completed?
    Never before
    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
    • Day 3 On our way to Lake Bled. (photo by Star)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 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
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Umbria’s Green Valleys
    (5/5) Bufo Spodimus June 24, 2018

    Ideal bike tour through Umbria for our family

    · Umbria’s Green Valleys From the Pilgrimage Town of Assisi

    Our family of four was in Italy for two weeks, and our self-guided bike tour through Umbria was the highlight of our trip. Our kids are 20 and 17 years old respectively. We were attracted to this particular itinerary, because of the location and moderate degree of distance and hills. All said and done, the tour exceeded our expectations. The local tour company provided everything we needed. The bikes and equipment were excellent quality. The tour briefing and advice provided from Paolo were excellent, and detailed directions were most reliable. You would really be unlucky to get lost on this tour. We appreciated that about ninety percent of the riding is on dedicated cycling trails or quiet back roads with little traffic. The countryside and the views along the way were impressive, and the many towns and villages we visited were attractive, friendly, and brimming with history. For accommodations, Casa del Acqua were most comfortable, and Torgiano had the best views and recommended restaurants. We were fortunate that we enjoyed excellent weather during our tour with mostly sunny skies and moderate temperatures. I recommend this trip for families and for anyone considering their first self-guided bike tour.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2018
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Italy
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Innsbruck to Lake Garda
    (5/5) Nancy71 July 1, 2018

    Far exceeded our hopes!

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

    The bike ride was a dream through beautiful orchards and vineyards! The bike paths were excellent and we had a trip to remember! We rented e-bikes, and we were very glad we did. The extra "boost" from time to time made the trip more enjoyable and didn't leave us exhausted at the end of the day - yet we got plenty of excercise. We did have 2 bikes run out of battery on the first day which was
    disappointing. This particular bike tour is WONDERFUL!

    What was the date of your tour?
    6/16 - 6/23, 2018
    How many tours have you completed?
    one
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, 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
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Umbria’s Green Valleys
    (5/5) Nora July 1, 2018
    · Umbria’s Green Valleys From the Pilgrimage Town of Assisi

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 18-24
    How many tours have you completed?
    This was the first
    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
    • 4/5 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
    • 5/5 Route selection