Italy Bike Tour Reviews page 5
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★★★★★ Beverly Langsch
Ups and downs
Sardinia: A Mine of Memories
We had A hotels and it was wonderful to have a swim after a hot (+30°C) day of riding. But, these hotels were often away from town centers. Route was very doable on ebike, but riders do need instruction from local operater, regarding battery range. Several in our group had to do last 10 km, uphill, without battery assist. Only GPS instructions were provided; no maps or written navigation cues for backup, so cyclists need to be used to this system. The heat was difficult, so I would never consider this ride in summer. I loved the long downhills, generally low traffic, views to coast on day 5 and 6. Day 4 was a slow, easy day with 2 ferries, but was much appreciated after the hill climbing and heat on days 2 and 3.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 9, 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- Many! Probably 15 or more
- 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
-
★★★★★ Pete baker
Great support for scenic ride
Bolzano to Verona: Orchards, Mountains & Timeless Culture
Stefan and staff gave good and prompt support when needed. Day with ferry across lake garda a bit too long. Equipment was excellent.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Nancy Nestler
Loved the area!
Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
We loved exploring the area. There was a lot of variety going in different directions each day. We found the paths and day trips to be different enough that we felt like we were exploring a new place every day. Well done!
One comment - don't do the Toblach to Lienz ride on a beautiful weekend day, especially at the same time the train arrives. The route was too crowded to enjoy for about 1/3 of the ride.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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
-
BikeTours.com staff reply from bozena_kusovac
Hi Nancy, we're so glad you enjoyed exploring the area and appreciated the variety in the daily routes. Special thanks for your note about the Toblach to Lienz ride. We'll take that into account and recommend avoiding peak times to enhance the experience.
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★★★★★ Pamela Oberst
Island of Italy
Sardinia: A Mine of Memories
Overall the trip was great. The hotels were wonderful and each had a pool which was very nice after a hot ride.
My only negative review is the company that sponsored the tour. The bikes came very late in the evening for setup. There was no time for questions and they were still setting up bikes after 21:00.
The communication was nil. I never could get the GPS to work after several attempts. Also it would be nice if each group could of had one printed map. As it was only one of our group had the route on the phone. I ask for help but the company reps were too busy. I have done several rides with Bike tours and by far the Dolcevita was the worst.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- Six
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Pankaj Mulye
Dolomities
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
Perfect way to explore and experience a region is by cycling. It was a great hassle free experience everything went as planned and would definitely recommend bike tours to all
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★★★★★ Patrick
Beautiful and challenging
Florence to Rome
A great way to experience Tuscany and Unbria regions of Italy. At first we thought the bikes were somewhat heavy and cumbersome, but after a week we realized they were the right bikes for the road conditions. the road routes were carefully selected to get away from as much traffic as possible. The secondary roads were often not in the best condition, so we appreciated the stability of the bikes. Be prepared for hills. Intermediate rating was definitely on the upper side of intermediate, so prepare for the trip. Eurobike route stickers were very useful. We wish the bikes had water bottle cages.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 27 - June 3 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 12
- 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
-
★★★★★ 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
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★★★★★ Steve Srebnik
Great experience
Venice to Trieste and Istria
This was a great adventure for my wife and I taking us to small and not so small great beach towns as well as a pretty big city , Trieste, all in the Adriatic. Jasolo was a rocking town with a very nice beach. Most of the included breakfasts were very good and all were very acceptable. The hotels were also good, nothing special but certainly comfortable. Most of the hotel rooms were very small. Only reason I took off a star was I think I would have enjoyed it more if we were able to spend a stop over or two without a ride the next day. Since we typically arrived after 1 and sometimes closer to 2 or 3 we didn’t get to spend any significant relax time at the beaches. Overall I’d go again or do another trip. All was very well organized.
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★★★★★ Retired Teacher
Great Scenery, but... poor bikes
Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
The rental bikes were NOT up to standards. One bike had defective derailluer and and to be substituted. Pedals and seats were hard to replace with ours, mechanic had to return next day with WD430 and oversized wrenches to get pedals off.
The hotel was very cute and nice, but across plaza from 2 churches that ran LOUD bells. Hotel room had no AC and no screens on windows and we spend time killing flies! The breakfast was good, dinner was good except for one night...do not get venison (2 of 4 of us could not cut with serrated knife!) There was an alternate choice most nights had we know that is better choice.
This is NOT traditional Italian food. Villabassa and Toblach are in the German speaking section of Sud Tyrol. It is an interesting combination of Austrian and Italian 'fusion' food. White table cloths and waiters. Lots of local wines to choose from.
The bike routes were VERY Scenic and for the most part enjoyable. We got lucky and only had rain at night, but bring your rain gear just in case! There is some
gravel surface that gave some of the group tour we bumped into a little trouble, but we had no problems. Most of the rides do not take most of the day, so stop and take all the photos you want. The weather in Dolomites is about 10-15 degrees cooler than Lake Garda because it is about 4000 feet. We started with layers and soon got down to short sleeves on most days in late September.- What was the date of your tour?
- Mid-Late September
- How many tours have you completed?
- Lots
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Poetry64
Guide made the trip superior.
Florence to Rome: Bike through the Heart of Italy
The elderly people on my tour kicked my butt with their level of skill in bike riding.
The guide was fluent in English and very experienced leading groups, she was fantastic.
The driver had no problem negotiating small turns with a trailer full of bicycles. He also prepared picnic lunches. The food was superior.
I feel lucky that the weather was somewhat hot, but no rain.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 8
- How many tours have you completed?
- First time
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Alexthegr8
A Bumpy Ride at Times, but Worth It.
Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
The scenery ranges from pleasant (Asolo to Treviso) to spectacular (Cortina to Belluno), and the hotels (all of which were nice) were conveniently located with the exception of those in Belluno and Treviso, which are located too far from the center to walk. Bikes were OK, although the pump provided did not fit the tube stem, and the extra inner tube was too large. We saw very little signage on the first day, although the frequency of signage increased over the length of the trip. The GPS, for which we paid extra, did not work, and is unnecessary in any case. All that said, we enjoyed the riding very much, and would definitely recommend it to others, most particularly if they have some prior experience (there are a few detours along the way) .
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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
-
★★★★★ Paula Zoccano
Beautiful trail
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
Pros:The hotels were very good. Wonderful cycle routes. Lovely towns.
Cons: In Riva I would have preferred to be in the old town beside the water. We had 2 hotels who did not have all our group booked. Unfortunately one couple had to stay by the airport a taxi ride to join us in Innsbruck (still trying to get reimbursed for hotel and cabs) and in Riva another couple were not booked but the hotel was able to give them a room. We also learned in one town we were not booked in the same hotel, our group of 5 couples were split up. I found that strange.
The meet and greet at the beginning was not at the hotel the company booked us to stay. We were expected to go to another location to get our briefing and bikes. I’ve never had that when booking with other cycle companies. We missed that in our notes and not until 7:00pm when the hotel gave us our booklets did we realize we should have been somewhere else. As a result we never had a meet and greet and bikes fitted to us. My husbands bike had a brake dragging and he needed a torque head screw driver to make adjustments and no torque head screw driver was supplied. He had to find one. The bikes should have been tested,
No water bottle cages on the bikes. -
★★★★★ Catherine Cram
Convenient Way to Explore!
Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
We enjoyed our self-guided bike trip in the Dolomites, with great support from BikeTours.com. We appreciated the detailed route information and app support. My only complaint is that I would liked to have had a better bike to ride instead of the heavy, upright positioned bike provided. The bike didn't make the hills easy and it would have been more enjoyable to be on a lighter, more responsive bike.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 31st-June 6th, 2023.
- How many tours have you completed?
- One
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Catherine Hicks
Italian cycling
Bolzano – Verona – Venice
the trip was very well organised and the hotel were very good. and meat lots of nice people doing the same trip. The routs were good but only having the on GPS I think we should have had a map as well as when the road was closed and no diversion in place it was difficult to get back on track. The transfer back to Bolzano was very good and again well organised. The 1st night our luggage did not turn up until 18.35 and that was after a phone call from me .The only part of the trip that we did not like was the 5 hour boat trip backwards and forwards across Lake Garda this was very long and we did not get to the hotel until 20.45. you could do a bike transfer along Garda or miss it out all together and go direct to Verona.
- What was the date of your tour?
- june 24
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Cathie Macmillan
Enjoyable trip through the food bowl of Italy
A Taste of Italy: Emilia-Romagna
This tour was well organised and easy to follow using the Ride with GSP App. It was great to spend 2 nights at each destination and not rush from one town to the next. The e bikes were very well maintained and comfortable to ride. Unfortunately one of my drink holders broke as I cycled down a hill!
The route was a mix of bike paths, main roads and smaller roads. We didn't enjoy the main roads as the traffic was quite busy and passed us very quickly which was scary at times. I wouldn't recommend the tour to first time bike tourists or families as it was a bit dangerous on so many main roads.
Most accommodation was comfortable and met our needs. Our favourite accommodation was definitely La Razza Agritourismo! Hotel Button was our least favourite as it didn't have a fridge or tea making facilities in the room.
Cycling through the food bowl of Italy gave us the opportunity to see how Parmigiano Reggiano and Balsamic Vinegar are made. Tasting the products was even better! We took the dinner options but in hindsight probably would have preferred to organise our own dinners.
On reflection, we probably should have chosen a tour with a harder rating and more hills. The route was very flat so we didn't experience many good views of the scenery. We enjoyed the loop ride into the hills of Reggio Emilia. We didn't do the loop ride from Modena due to illness and poor weather so perhaps missed one of the good scenery days.- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct 23
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Christine Comi
Lovely look at rural Italy
Florence to Rome: Bike through the Heart of Italy
Of the tour group of 15 people, only 3 of us spoke English. We didn't know this tour was actually being executed by Rotalis, a German touring company. It was still a wonderful experience but not what we were expecting. Also, most of the group was using e-bikes. This meant that the cruising pace was much faster than I think it would have been if everyone was riding on their own power. I was one of 3 people riding on my own power and found it a real work out every day.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 20-27, 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- none
- 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
-
★★★★★ Chantal Bayley
A fun excursion in busy palermo
Palermo Old Town Bike Tour
We enjoyed our tour around Palermo’s historical sites with the larger than life Paulo! A special shout out to the owner of the bike shop who was very nice and extremely helpful.
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★★★★★ Cheryl A Erlandson Erlandson
We needed more information.
Sardinia: A Mine of Memories
Day 2 was awful. The road is full of rocks and sand, not easy to bike on. Plus Marco told us to use eco or tour not to bother with sport or turbo which would have been good on the steep incline. Needed more information about how to use an ebike would have been very helpful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Charlie
Beautiful Ride.
Florence to Rome: Bike through the Heart of Italy
Our ride was a wonderful way to see the Italian countryside from Florence to Rome. The riders were similar in skills (7 of 8 retired) and the routing matched our skill set. The guides (furnished by Rotalis) were knowledgeable and accommodated requests from our team quickly and to everyone’s satisfaction. There were a few very short instances where the ride was on busy roadways when we transitioned from one backroad to another. The guides did not rush the transition and were focused on safety during those transitions.
At each stop things were in place and there was no confusion. Meals and lodging provided by the tour were greatly appreciated.
If you want to see Italy at a human scale (not at 60 mph), this is a wonderful way to do it. We will go back!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was #2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Chloe
A Taste of Italy
A Taste of Italy: Emilia-Romagna
- What was the date of your tour?
- 3/9-3/16
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- 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













