Information

Welcome to all cyclists!

Do you want to find out more about cycling (holidays) in Italy? Great! Because there is a real cycling culture in Italy. Most people associate the bike to the color pink, the color of one of the oldest cycle races in the world...the Giro d'Italia. People still close the shop and kids finish school earlier to greet the cyclist as the pass by. In the early edition of the Giro they used to start at night to get more time to finish the endless stages but more important not to get the thousands of people blocking the traffic! 

Bycicles are more and more present in the everyday life of people, used as an alternative to car or scooter for the daily commute to work...the foldable bikes are also becoming quite a frequent view on busses and trains: in our office - located in Florence - one third of our staff commute by bike! 

There is also a growing trend to consider the bike as an option to go on holiday, a stress-free way to visit our evocative and charming country! 

Information from A to Z

Arrival 

Day 1 of your holiday is the arrival day, the day you travel to the starting point of your tour. We haven’t planned any cycling on this day. 

Alternative Starting Point

If you'd like to start your tour at a different town from the one we have assigned as the starting point, this can usually be arranged. Please contact us for further details. 

Bicycle Hire and Insurance

The price for the bike hire is specified in the booking form. Do you wish to insure your bike against theft? Let us know. Please see the General Terms and Conditions for Bicycle Hire and Insurance.   

Booking

The easiest way to book your bike holiday, is to fill out our online booking form. But feel free to use e-mail or phone if you prefer. The booking will be definitive and irrevocable as soon as the booking confirmation has been sent to you. Please also read our Conditions of Booking. Should you wish to make changes to your booking, this will be possible up to 14 days before the start of the holiday (if the hotels are still able to accept the changes). We charge €25, - per booking for processing the change irrespective of the number of participants.

Breakdown

You will receive a puncture kit in case you have to fix a flat tire. For minor repairs you can turn to a bicycle repairman. For anything bigger, call our service hotline.

Cancellation

Please refer to the section of our website dedicated to terms and conditions. 

Children

Some of our bike tours are suitable for families with children. You can rent child bikes, child seats, trailers and trailer-bikes.

Cycle Hire

If you don’t bring your own, you can rent a bicycle from our partners. Our touring bikes are frrom 18 to 30-speed gear.

You can also hire E-Bikes.

For photographs, see our website. 

You will receive your rental bike at the start of your holiday and return it before you go home. All bikes are provided with chain locks. If a rental bike gets stolen or damaged, we will hold the client responsible. If your insurance does not cover this event, you will have to pay the costs yourself.

Departure Day

The last day of the holiday is departure day: the day you check out of the hotel and travel home. We have not planned any cycling on this day. Rental bikes will not be available to you on this day. 

Extra Nights

It is possible to stay extra nights at any of the hotels on your route, just ask us!

Flexibility

The starting date is flexible: set off any day between April 1st and November 1st. Some extra winter departure may be available in the southern regions. 

Full Payment

The total amount due must be in our possession 4 weeks before the start of your cycling holiday. The deposit is 30% of the total amount and is asked to proceed with the hotel booking. 

Hotels

After a wonderful day’s cycling, there’s nothing like a comfortable and pleasant hotel to top off the experience. We make a point of selecting hotels that have a good atmosphere and ample luxury and comfort. You will stay in hotel rooms with en-suite shower/toilet or bath/toilet. 

Insurance

For a holiday without a care, you need to set off well insured because in the event of unexpected incidents you’ll want help. Moreover, it is in your best interest to limit your financial risk as much as possible in case of cancellation or other unforeseen circumstance. We recommend to take out a travel insurance at home before your trip starts. We do offer the possibility to take out a cancellation insurance with us. 

Luggage

Your luggage – one suitcase per person (max. 20 kilo) – will be transported by us from hotel to hotel. The luggage is picked up after 9 a.m. and usually delivered to your next hotel before 5 p.m. 

If you wish to bring more luggage, please let us know in advance. This is possible for an extra fee. 

We will handle your luggage with care. With normal use scratches, dents and other minor damages of your suitcases can occur. For this, we are not responsible. For large damages you can file a claim with your travel and/or luggage insurance. 

Level

We have cycle tours for cyclists of all ability levels, as our tours have varying degrees of difficulty. 

Distances

We have listed explicitly all the daily cycling distances for each tour. Please study them carefully before you decide on a holiday. Moreover, you may want to take into consideration how much time you want to spend sightseeing in relation to the hours spent cycling. Remember, you can always book an extra night if you need more time to see the sights.

Terrain

Italian territory vary from mountains to hills, from flatlands to roller coaster, so be prepared to face a large vaiety of teritory within the same bike tour.

On the whole, it is hard to predict how cyclists will experience the level of difficulty of their tour. It depends on a range of factors, some of them subjective. To name but a few: 

-Wind direction and speed on a certain day. Headwind or tailwind?

-Weather conditions. Thirty kilometres may feel like longer in the rain. 

-The number of gears on the (rental) bicycle.

-The general level of fitness of the cyclist and how (s)he is feeling on the day.

-The number of consecutive cycling days. 

The classification below should be regarded as a global indication of cycling difficulty levels and is intended only to help compare the tours in this brochure.

Level 1 *

Easy cycling trip on relatively flat terrain, suitable for people with little or no cycling experience. Daily cycling distances span roughly 30-50 km.

Level 2 **

The terrain is slightly hilly. You will encounter a short incline from time to time. With some cycling experience you should easily be able to handle this level. Daily distances span 30-65 km. 

Level 3 ***

You can expect a journey through hilly terrain with regular climbs, some of them strenuous even to the point of perhaps having to get off and push for a bit. Daily cycling distances span 30-75 km. 

Level 4 ****

Hilly to mountainous terrain. Inclines are longer and steeper than in level 3. A good level of physical fitness is a must-have. Daily cycling distances can vary from 30 to 80 km. 

Level 5 ****

Stages on mountainous terrain with long and heavy climbs. This level is only for really well-trained cyclists.

 

Payment

As soon as you book a trip, we require a 30% deposit, after which we will book all your accommodation and services. As soon as availability is fully confirmed, we will send you a travel confirmation complete with your final price and payment information for your remaining balance.

Pets

Some hotels don’t accept pets. If you want to take your dog with you on your holiday, please contact us to discuss the options.

Rental Bikes

We have a wide range of rental bikes. Click on Rental Bikes to check them out.

Route Pack

After full payment has been made, we will send you the hotel list per e-mail. You will receive the first part of your documentation via email, approx. one month prior your departure day. The rest will wait for you in your first hotel.

All the documentation will also be sent to you via email: you can also request not to have a printed paper version at the hotel