Umbria’s Green Valleys From the Pilgrimage Town of Assisi Bike Tour Reviews (page 2)

★★★★★ (4/5) atlantacyclist72 September 24, 2018

Beautiful part of Italy

The scenery is lovely and the accommodations were very nice. The upper church at the basilica in Assisi is spectacular--don't miss it. Just remember that European air conditioning is not the same as US air conditioning if you go during warm months.

What was the date of your tour?: September 10-17
How many tours have you completed?: more than a dozen
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: As expected
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes

3/5 Value
5/5 Included meals
2/5 Bikes + equipment
4/5 Hotels or boat
5/5 Scenery
1/5 Ease of navigation
3/5 Tour documents
3/5 Local tour company services
3/5 Route selection

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★★★★★ (4/5) LMOC August 21, 2019

Challeging and beautifull tour

Umbria is beautiful and we loved to visit the old and historical towns throughout the tour.
However, there were a bit more steep climbs than what we were expecting and the 40 degrees made them more challenging :/
Paolo and Petra were very helpful and friendly and the overall tour was well thought out.

What was the date of your tour?: 20 of July
How many tours have you completed?: 3
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: Somewhat harder
Who is this tour suitable for?: Solo travelers
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes

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
4/5 Route selection

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★★★★★ (4/5) DrFerro October 20, 2019

Magical Umbria

The first couple days in the Umbria region were almost magical. Riding through the olive groves and vineyards, passing by the fig trees that were offering their ripe luscious fruits brought special significance to this region of great spirituality. (These fruits are all mentioned in the Bible.) Experiencing the places where Francis of Assisi had his illumination, along with countless others who are nameless, reminds the visitor that all these churches, chapels, and basilicas are there because of the Italian people's expressions.
This was our sixth European bike tour. It was our first tour in Italy, and also the first tour we had done that was almost completely on roads (as opposed to dedicated bike trails). That said, we felt somewhat vulnerable, especially in heavily populated areas. Italian drivers are not overly aggressive or careless, but they do like to drive fast. Pavement conditions on several roads were pretty bad, especially near the edges where one would ride. Distances on the daily rides were about right given the riding conditions, there were interesting things to see and the written directions were excellent. The accommodations on this tour were outstanding, the food remarkable, and the hospitality of the Italian people warmed our hearts. Of the six tours we have taken, this is the first one where we gained weight after five days of riding!

What was the date of your tour?: Sept. 18, 2019
How many tours have you completed?: 6
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: As expected
Who is this tour suitable for?: Families with teens
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes

4/5 Value
4/5 Included meals
5/5 Bikes + equipment
5/5 Hotels or boat
4/5 Scenery
4/5 Ease of navigation
3/5 Tour documents
5/5 Local tour company services
3/5 Route selection

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★★★★★ (4/5) Henry Furlott 4 weeks ago

Excellent organization, hotels and bikes provided.

The Ride with GPS instructions were excellent and so well done. Some roads are close together and bike paths with are right next to roads. All was clear where we had to go. Paolo was terrific to work with, initially when he delivered the bikes, assisting with the routes, etc. He had to follow up as my wife's bike had shifting problems. This was dealt with immediately the next morning (she could still continue the first day, she was concerned that it might damage the bike).
It would have been good to have greater detail of what to expect on the routes we selected. For example, we took the ride only loop on day 5, rather than to Perugia. It was a hot day and the route did NOT go through towns with water available. (fountains particularly to cool off). We had enough drinking water with us, but no extra to pour over ourselves. Also, this route has a lot of loose gravel, even a long, scary, treacherous, winding descent on gravel. I was fine as I'm an experienced mountain biker, but my wife was quite upset with this. People should know ahead of time that you need much greater cycling skills than casual riders on simple bike paths.
I would also HIGHLY recommend that you take the eBikes. I am a strong road rider, but there were many steeper climbs that I expected, not to mention going up those narrow lanes in the hilltop towns. I sure was grateful for this extra power assist, esp. as I carried both panniers (and Paola gave us two extra huge heavy chain locks!!!) If you had your own light (empty) road bike, then you would be okay, but not in such heat. I really didn't want to take an eBike, but I admit it was an excellent decision (pushed by my wife, so that I wouldn't be cooked at the end of each day, even though the distances were quite short). I then had plenty of energy to enjoy the evenings after dinner.

What was the date of your tour?: May 2026
How many tours have you completed?: 2 with companies, but many on my own or with a friend.
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: Somewhat harder
Who is this tour suitable for?: Solo travelers
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes