Mixte

Looking for suggestions of a Tuscan hill town to stay in that would allow me to explore that town on foot, and take a bike ride into picturesque surrounding countryside at least one day. I have 3.5 days to play with, when I'll be on my own without a car. (I'm an active middle-aged woman from California.) My preference is to stay in one town and bicycle a couple of days from there using it as a base if there are pretty rides of 15 or 20 miles - perhaps to other towns, including towns I could ride to and train back from with the bike. I could also bicycle just one day, and bus/train to another town for the day, or overnight.

I need a store to rent the bike, affordable hostel/hotel options, nice restaurants that aren't too pricey. I'll be there the last week of June on my first trip to Tuscany. I don't want to spend a lot of time in lines to get into popular sites during the high season - walking the streets of a town, riding in the countryside, and eating good food are priorities. I know it's going to be warm. Need to return to Florence fairly easily.

I will have already spent 3 days in Florence, and stayed in an agriturismo for three nights near Pienza, and visited Pienza, Montepulciano, and Cortona.

Thanks for any thoughts.

Jean

In a nutshell, you want a town that you can reach from your last base (near Pienza) without a car. It has to have easy transportation to towns nearby and to Florence, and it has to have a bicycle rental shop.

I'm not sure that it's possible to cycle one way and train back because I think the bicycle needs to be in a case on the train. You'd have to research that point, or perhaps someone here can comment.

I think I'd start with identifying towns with rental shops and then investigating the transportation options from those towns. Maybe you can Google to find a cycling blog for solo riders, but most of the info I've seen is for small group tours.

bilboburgler

Local regionale trains will take a bike without a box. You need to buy a dirt cheap bike ticket for it and place the bike in the area of the bike with a Bike symbol on it. (Normally on one end or the other), if in doubt ask. Once on the train there will be anything from a open area to some weird hanging hooks to hold the bike. If there are yellow marks on the floor that means keep the bike out of this route (say to the driver's cabin). If you can't lift the bike onto the hook, look for someone who can and ask. I tend to carry a small bag of tissues so any helper can keep their hands/clothes clean.

Jean is right on all her advice. Stick the phrase "noleggio di biciclette" or "noleggio di bici" into the search element of Google maps when hovering over the area of interest. Prices should be E40 to E10 for a day depending on quality/style.

Note that the place is hilly and the main roads and trains go along the valley floors.

This may also help

http://www.mybikeguide.co.uk/Article_Bike_on_Train.php

I'd look at Colle di Val d'Elsa.

Two thoughts
1) You may find that some hotels include offering free bikes
2) some of the bike hires will be very very sporty

sandralist

Both Siena and San Gimignano have bike rentals, and you can hook up with tours or go on your own.

bilboburgler

Ah, but St Gim does not have a railway station, so you'd have to ride out and back. Not a bad area to ride around with loads of quiet roads and because it is on the side and top of a hill surrounded by other hills you can get wonderful photos of the towered city from the next hills over.

Siena is a fair bit steeper, there are escalators (is there full height lift Sandra?) which you an use to get back to the centre with, there are a couple of wonderful ridge roads which are a bit busy but not too bad you can descend along the ridge for miles with great visibility and then return along valley bottoms. I'd probably prefer Colle and St Gim to Siena but within the issues mentioned I'd be comfortable with any of them.

I had a quick look at Buonconvento (a nice little town on a valley bottom) but no station and no web advertised bike hire.

sandralist

I didn't want to say this, but I think you and Jean are misreading the OP's request.

"My preference is to stay in one town and bicycle a couple of days from there using it as a base if there are pretty rides of 15 or 20 miles - perhaps to other towns, including towns I could ride to and train back from with the bike. I could also bicycle just one day, and bus/train to another town for the day, or overnight."

San Gimignano is reachable by bus from Florence, Pisa and Siena. It could make an attractive base for many bicycle trips, although one would have to ride the bike back to San Gimignano for the night. But I don't see that as precluded in the OP's list. Riding outward and training back is just one possibility being considered.

One doesn't need to stay in Siena to rent a bike there. One could stay nearby -- perhaps Buonconvento -- and go into town and rent the bike.

bilboburgler

Sandra, we are all good, I think.

Mixte, any thoughts?

Jean

My husband is an avid cyclist, me less so, but we haven't ridden in Italy. I for one would not want to cycle in/out of Siena to nearby towns because of the traffic while my husband might not be fazed by it. I'd prefer a much smaller town. San G is smaller, but I wouldn't want to be riding solo back from a train station at dusk or in the dark, so the time of year would matter to me.

I would buy, rent or borrow a GPS unit that mounts on the handlebar.

sandralist

I think in general if you want to bicycle in Italy you should pack bright, reflective clothes and shoes.

Jean

"I think in general if you want to bicycle in Italy you should pack bright, reflective clothes and shoes."

That applies to cycling everywhere. I'd add lights facing both forward and backward, unless you're absolutely, positively sure the rental shop will provide them, and I'd use the lights all day. I think riding solo presents a particular set of safety issues.

Mixte

Thanks everyone. Sounds like I have lots of options - but I didn't think about safety! Good idea to bring lights. Has anyone heard it's unsafe for women to travel alone - bicycling in rural areas, etc?

I've been poking around and discovered that Italy has national and regional bike trails, including one that is used for a big bike race on the Bianchi Strada. So now I'm looking for rides that follow these packed dirt farm lanes and back roads.

Question: Does anyone recommend eating or sleeping in or near these towns between Florence and Siena? Greve, Radda, or Castellina? These seem to be enclaves reached by these trails or back roads. Also, between Siena and San Gimiano there is Casole d'elsa.

bilboburgler

http://www.bella-toscana.com/stradebianche.htm

gives you an idea of strade bianche, you can see them on Google maps or equiv. Sometimes they start as black top and then just convert to white.

You will get great advice and often a map from local tourist info.

The websites on the Italian bike system are not so hot as in other European countries (please, if you find one let me know), but local knowledge is very good with a fair bit of money going into publicity on bits of paper at TI, even so you may still find the odd dust road guarded by a tired barking dog. With relatively high level of bicycling in the country people give bikes space. They may drive fast but they slow for bikes and give you room.

Dogs, never been attacked in Italy so not worried but if you are, offer your pump between your hands and let the dog grab it "here boy/girl", then lift and kick it where it hurts. Rabbies does exist in mainland Europe but at very low levels and the UK Gov describes Italy as "no risk".

The whole clothing safety thing; my view is that the important thing is to be seen, so riding at night you need lights and if you have a bright yellow top then great, but to be honest in a hot Italian climate I've cycled all over in T shirt and shorts and never been worried (touch wood). Sun burn is a far more serious issue on hands, wrists and ankles.

Choosing the right road out of Siena, yes don't take the main one.

Casole d'elsa, never stayed but been there in the evening after the other tourists are gone and it was lovely (though on the top of a hill). It looked fine to me.

Greve, Radda, or Castellina sorry don't know.

Has anyone heard it's unsafe for women to travel alone - bicycling in rural areas, etc? Over to Jean and Sandra, as a man I cannot tell, but from my perspective the Tuscan male seems pretty sensible.

While this is "country" it is also a pretty wealthy area, so the guy in the field could be on minimum wage or could be driving in a Ferrari. This is not some sort of red-necked dumb-male area. I just asked Mrs Bilbo if whe would cycle alone in Tuscany and the answer was "Yes and no need for all the lights during the day or the super reflective clothes"

Good luck

zoecat

Pienza has bike rentals and cycling in that area would be ideal. There are lots of dirt roads and paved country roads through the Val d'Orcia that would be wonderful to explore by bike. I suggest extending your stay near Pienza and do some riding while there.

Mixte

Thanks for the tip on Val d'Orcia - I see now that the countryside is a world heritage site.

Thanks for the Strade BIanche link. Sure wish there was a good map of these lanes! Maybe Michelin . . . . I also found this site which goes into detail about the routes between towns and seems to have downloadable maps: http://italy-cycling-guide.info

I also found maps on the sites of a couple local bike shops (Siena) and (Florence) and a link to a site to find bike-friendly lodging.

I also see warnings of the heat. One tour company even said the rides weren't recommended for summer! Has anyone ridden in late June/July? I'm guessing it's best to ride in the morning and keep distances short.

zoecat

I've never cycled in the area but I have done many day hikes in May, Sept, and oct. It does get very hot in the afternoon and you will be exposed to a lot of sun, so I recommend morning rides, especially if you are not used to cycling in sunny July heat.

If you decide not to cycle in the Pienza area, be sure to do some day hikes on the dirt roads. It is a great way to experience the beauty that will surround you. Just be sure to start out early, carry lots of water and a snack, wear a hat and sunscreen, and don't forget your camara.

sandralist

>>I'm guessing it's best to ride in the morning and keep distances short.<<

Yes, and unless you are utterly committed to solo biking, you might find it simpler to hook up with a group that offers a day tour, if one can be found. They will know the best routes with no suprises.

I simply have no information to share about solo biking for female tourists when it comes to personal safety.

bilboburgler

Yes, lunchtime is for lunch. The days are long but everyday is different, sunglasses, tanoil (factor 40) and a hat plus water on the bike, should be ok. If it gets too hot, find a tree or a church and rest.

BritishCaicos

Kompass produce a very small scale maps (1:25,000 I think) which cover very specific areas of Tuscany. It details many dirt tracks and small roads wich don't appear on many road maps.

It proves invaluable for mountain biking. Non of the land owners that we encounteed had an issue with us using the tracks. In Scotland and Scandinavia there is a legal right of access, I can no idea about public rights of access in Italy.

I would also plan days carefully, some of the inclines can be arduous. I can quite easily cycle 150 miles in the UK in a day. The heat and hills of Tuscany can be demanding.

Mixte

Thanks everyone. The Kompass maps are amazing!

TuscanCyclist

Hello,

I am Tuscan and I ride a lot, I hope I can help you.

Personally, for your needs I would reccomend Lucca (even if I live on the southern coast - Monte Argentario-, and, believe me, it's paradise on eart).

Lucca is not too far from Florence and you can get there by train.

Moreover, it has all you're searching for ("store to rent the bike, affordable hostel/hotel options, nice restaurants that aren't too pricey.").

Its surroundings are lovely and the city itself is a little treasure.

Check out this web site for all practical information for a cycle trip or daily excursion to Tuscany.


http://www.cycletoscana.com/en/


To date, it's the only available one in English with really detailed information, such as bike rentals, hotels, cycle routes, public transportation,...


Hope I 've been helpful and, of course, enjoy your stay in Tuscany

Cheers