Umbria Bike Tour Reviews page 3
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★★★★★ Bike man
Pedaling through Umbria
Umbria’s Green Valleys From the Pilgrimage Town of Assisi
This trip was perfect from start to finish thanks to Petra and Paolo. Bikes were like new and well tuned. Organizers met us, went over trip details, and made overnight accommodations in beautiful hotels and B&B’s. Luggage was transported and waiting for us at each new stay. Our stay in Italy was wonderful. We were a self-guided group of 4. We will be back.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept. 9-14,2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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
-
★★★★★ Giovanni
Our best BIKETOURS...so far
Umbria’s Green Valleys From the Pilgrimage Town of Assisi
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- 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
-
★★★★★ KSBowman
50Th B-Day Celebration
Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy
It was an amazing trip with excellent weather. The rides were mostly off the beaten path, through rolling terrain with steep uphill climbs to various towns/forts. The hotels were great, we upgraded. We ate locally and did not purchase the dinner with the room package. I will say, we are in very good shape and bike 3-4 days per week at home. It was a difficult ride at times, especially getting into Orvietto, Todi, Cortona, Assisi and Chuisi. Very, Very steep climbs, but well worth the effort. The B and B, Antica Gabella, in Castiglione del Lago was our favorite. Givanna was the ultimate host. The hotel in Todi was also amazing with great views and use of a pool if its warm. I highly recommend taking your time through the small towns and site seeing, wine taste and eat off the beaten path. The written maps and Mapsme got us to our destinations with a few u-turns. Next time we will see if we can have an extra day of not riding scattered in, so we can explore more. We also had a few days on the coast prior to riding and then finished in Rome for a few days. It was perfect!
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 14-21
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Tom33
Our first self-guided tour
Umbria’s Green Valleys From the Pilgrimage Town of Assisi
Umbria was beautiful. Incredible scenery with rolling green hills and fields of red poppies. Most of our biking was in the valley so fairly flat. We had electric bikes expecting more hills. The climb to Montefalco would have been challenging otherwise. Hotels were very nice and it was great to spend 2 nights at each of 3 different hotels so you didn't have to pack up each morning. Our orientation was very thorough from Paolo. There were a few occasions on the road where we had questions about written directions but we figured things out. We were mostly on backroads with little traffic so that was great. A group of 4-6 people doing a self-guided tour would be fun. We rode 4 days out of 5 and took one rain day off. Longest day was 33 miles and shortest about 15. We had plenty of time to stop and explore, take pictures, open church doors, etc. Overall this was a great experience and we look forward to returning to Umbria!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 1-May 7, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- 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
-
★★★★★ franks
A great trip but you had better be in good shape!
Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy
This is an excellent trip. The scenery was incredible. It would be good to leave early in the morning or take some extra days so you can explore the towns; there is a lot to see. Hotels were a mix of great and medium quality. The food and wine were outstanding and very reasonable in price. We used the hybrid bikes which were very good, but a bit heavy. I would recommend the road bikes, although at times the roads are not so good. My wife and I are in good shape and experienced cyclists but had some difficulty with the very steep, long hills. Our sons are in their late 20's and did fine. Some of the climbs were more than 8 km long and quite steep, up to 15% grade. The directions in general were very good, but a bit vague at times, especially on leaving Todi and Orvieto. You had better be in good shape to do this tour. I would say it is closer to a level 4 than a 3. However, you cannot see Umbria or Tuscany on bike without doing a lot of steep hills. Overall a great experience.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 31 to June 7, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- 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
-
★★★★★ 0341MM
Pretty Scenery and Wonderful People
Florence to Rome
This is my third European bicycle trip but the first one in which I did not follow a river. The navigation was more difficult than I imagined.
I would strongly recommend three things: 1. Study your maps and instructions so you know what landmarks to expect on each day's ride. 2. Download the EuroBike app and be sure to load the gps coordinates into BEFORE your trip. (You may need a computer to do it.) You can find a helpful pdf document on how to do it via an internet search. 3. Watch for the cycling directional stickers at intersections. You hardly notice them when you first start the trip but rarely miss them once you get a hang of things. These stickers are very helpful and will keep you from making wrong turns.
Once I integrated these three things into my daily ride navigation was easy and I could just the beautiful Italian countryside and the wonderful villages.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 18 - 24
- 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
-
★★★★★ AAWT2017
Vines, Olives, Castles ...
Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy
Wonderful way to see Umbria and (a little bit of) Tuscany at our own pace. It was a pleasure to be welcomed by small bars in areas less frequented by tourists. All details provided by the tour operator were first class. Bikes were good quality, trip notes were easy to understand (and although it only happened a couple of times, it was clear when we went wrong!). All accommodations were welcoming and friendly and all had secure, undercover places for the bikes. The B&B in Castiglione del Lago is particularly worthy of compliment.
We upgraded to road bikes (we are keen road cyclists) and were glad that we had. In hindsight, we should have realised that all mediaeval towns are built on hilltops so although the pre-ride info suggested rolling hills, be prepared for some very steep (although not long) climbs. According to my Garmin, the approach to Orvieto reached nearly a 20% slope for 500m.
Italian drivers all appeared to be very courteous and we had no problems negotiating traffic. The route has been chosen to avoid traffic as much as possible and I would not expect even timid cyclists have a problem with other road users. Unfortunately, some of the quieter roads are also less well maintained, so be prepared to pick your line carefully to avoid potholes and rough road surfaces in some places.
We will treasure our memories of riding through centuries old town gates towards our nightly accommodation - that's not an experience we can have in Australia.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Revtodd
A great adventure!
Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy
Our tour through Umbria and Tuscany was inspiring on many levels. The landscape, the food and the small cities full of history made the trip deeply meaningful. The hotels were all high quality, and the carbon frame bikes were excellent. BikeTours staff was great at helping us, since we added a couple of days, and explored different options. I highly recommend both Umbria and BikeTours.com.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 15, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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
-
★★★★★ LMOC
Challeging and beautifull tour
Umbria’s Green Valleys From the Pilgrimage Town of Assisi
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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Dotty
Beautiful bike trip through the Umbrian countryside
Umbria’s Green Valleys From the Pilgrimage Town of Assisi
Beautiful tour through the countryside. Lots of old mountaintop towns to explore (Assisi, Montefalco), beautiful scenery, and lots of agriculture (olive trees, vineyards, vegetables, tobacco). Food prepared by Carla at Countryhouse Casco dell'Acqua was the best we had in Italy.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 9/26/19 - 10/1/19
- 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?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ DrFerro
Magical Umbria
Umbria’s Green Valleys From the Pilgrimage Town of Assisi
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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ rubbernecker
Florence to Rome
- What was the date of your tour?
- 10/5 to 10/11
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1st
- 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
-
★★★★★ Aging Cyclist
Great countryside, food and hotels
Umbria Road Cycling: Loop Tour Through Lush and Scenic Landscapes
We had a tremendous trip. The hill towns and mountain views were superb, our rental bikes were of excellent quality, and the hotels and breakfasts were terrific.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- this is the first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ John (Jay) Bonitt
Significant elevation!
Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy
This was our fourth self-guided Biketours.com trip, the firs three were five-star successes. This one was the most disappointing, not because of the region or places to stay…all were good! But, this trip had over 16,400 ft. Of elevation..even on E-bikes (for the first time) it was VERY difficult. We saw only one or two road bikers the entire trip, whereas on the previous trips we saw lots of road bikes. As experienced bike tours.com travelers we’re pretty attuned to following direction…this particular trip had poor written and app directions. If you are interested in this particular trip you had better be in the best shape of your life. It is not a moderate level trip…even on an e-bike.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
BikeTours.com staff reply from Kirsten from Biketours
Hi John,
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us feedback. We do realize this tour is difficult and that is a likely reason you saw fewer cyclists on the route than in past trips. We're sorry to hear you had trouble with the GPS application. For future, we'd be happy to review it with you ahead of time to ensure there are no troubles on your tour. And remember, help is always a phone call away! I hope you were able to bring home some good memories from this beautiful area.
-
★★★★★ Elizabeth Bevier
Tuscany Umbria biking
Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy
It was a fun experience although a bit more strenuous than we anticipated. Lesson learned - check the difficulty level when you book a bike tour.
The ebikes worked well and we were able to follow the directions on our self-guided tour. Our luggage was always at the next hotel before we arrived.Looking forward to doing another bike tour at some point in the future.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Paul Clark
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
-
★★★★★ Michael Kelly
All roads lead to Rome
Florence to Rome
This tour was spectacular. This trip checks all the boxes — it has the art, beauty and walkability of Florence; the majestic history of Rome; tied together by the bike ride that got us away from the crowds in both cities and into the countryside and small towns, traveling at a perfect pace to appreciate this beautiful region of Italy. The luggage transfer was seamless. The hotels were very comfortable and (except in Rome) all were small and conveniently located near each town’s important sites and central piazza.
You asked for feedback.
One layover day would have been great, probably in Assisi where we found there’s too much to see in just one afternoon/evening. I don’t know how you would make it work, but you asked for suggestions.
The intro session on Day 1 was a serious weak point in the tour. The evening talk was cancelled and the bike distribution on the morning of Day 2 was handled by a nice employee who only spoke Italian. It could have been a disaster with no instruction about the route or the unfamiliar ebikes, but the group worked it out.
The hotel in Rome was comfortable but it was the only one not located in a convenient part of town and it’s focus on large groups traveling by tour bus was a jarring contrast to everything else about the tour.
Some of the hills were longer and harder than expected, and traffic on a few short stretches was difficult. But our lasting memories will be the vineyards and olive groves, the quiet side streets and bike paths, the breathtaking hill towns, and the flexibility to stop at a cafe for pastries, cappuccinos or afternoon beers.- What was the date of your tour?
- October 1, 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our second
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ KAY SINGLETON
Most challenging of all bike trips we've done
Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy
There was a great sense of accomplishment each time we reached the hilltop towns, often after an over 1000m climb; all of the towns were beautiful with awesome views; the accomodations were excellent; we found the descents scary at times and were glad to have good brakes; sooo glad we got the road bikes! would not do this trip without them!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Louise C van Vonno
Fantastic but more challenging then we are used to!
Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy
My husband and I have done over 10 bike tours around the world and this was by far the most challenging. If we had received the itinerary earlier than 6:30pm the day before we started we might have requested some route adjustments but there just wasn't time. We were assured by the local cycling company that provided the excellent e-bikes that we should be careful about battery usage but we would be OK. We were ok but truly exhausted at the end of most days. The route was excellent and we wanted to go back to some of the towns we visited when we weren't so tired.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June/ July 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
