eleanorw

I'm planning a bicycle trip in Italy and wonder if anyone has any experience with tour groups?

Gretchen

Butterfield and Robinson is top notch for everything, including price.

PalenqueBob

ditto for Vermont Bicycle Tours but at a slightly less outrageous price. In business for years and mostly good reports i've heard.

PalenqueBob

I have biked on my own there - went one August Venice to Florence to Livorno and we found by noon it got so hot that we didn't feel like biking much more - i'd avoid July and August at all costs.

eleanorw

thanks. We'd like to spend a little less than B&R. What do you think you lose by going down a price point. We're planning on going early June, either Umbria or Puglia.

PalenqueBob

Nearly all bike trips i've looked at stay in very nice hotels - part of their allure - B&R stays in especially luxury digs so a step down is nothing to worry about.

One thing to ask a tour is the average age of the group - some Vermont are geared to young folks, but most bike trips appeal to older and richer folks.

If you look at a copy of Bicycling magazine in a bookstore in the classified you'll see ads for many bike tours.

Gariem

Add www.backroads.com to your search list. They are a tad less expensive than B&R. Have travelled with both.
Tuscany and Umbria were particularly hilly. Puglia and Bologna to Venice were more for the casual cyclist.

Go4Fun

I have used Vermont Bike Tours (aka VBT) for trips in both the US and Europe although not Italy. I would highly recommend them for the value they offer. They will be significantly less expensive than the luxury tours like Backroads because they normally stay in three star hotels rather than the Relais and Chateaux type extablishments. They also seemed to be oriented towards the casual cyclist who is just as interested in seeing the sights as logging high mileage every day. A google search will reveal dozens of companies that offer cycle tours in Italy but these are some of the most well known.

bigtyke

check with some english tour operators

eleanorw

thanks for the advice. has anyone had experience with either ciclismo classico or bike riders?

amyb

I road through Tuscany in May 2005 with VBT and cannot recommend them highly enough. They cater to all levels of experience and will help you make the most of your rides each day. We stayed in villas in the rural areas and quite nice hotels in Florence on either end of the trip. My only slight quibble with it would be the two meals at the villas weren't the best meals I've had in Italy but the restaurants we ate at either with the group or that were recommended by the guides were phenomenal (c'mon, homemade pasta, wine and lemon gelato on a family's porch in the middle of Tuscany? Life doesn't get any better!). I think for the price (includes airfare which others don't) you can't do any better. I am planning to go with them again next year if I can manage it. I have a full trip report if you click on my name above and scroll back to spring 2005.

beaux

Try looking @ www.biketour-reviews.com. We were quite pleased with VBT in Tuscany as well as with CBT (www.CBTtours.com) in Croatia. Friends who used Ciclismo said it was great, just too expensive

schnauzer

Duvine adventures always some great trips. Check them out. Can't speak from personal experience, but receive their newsletter and wish each time they send me one that I could join them. Worth a look anyway.

bigtyke

i ran across this site recently and it looked interesting
www.biketoursdirect.com

eleanorw

Thanks for all the advice. We're actually leaning toward a group called bike riders - same price as ciclismo but seems to stay in slightly nicer hotels. Does anyone know anything about these people? Buterfield and Robinson is simply more than we're going to pay. Looked at backroads but I can't figure out what I'd be getting for the extra thousand dollars/person and their grou[ size is pretty large. I'd appreciate input on that also.

LarrySt

My wife and I used Cicloposse (www.cicloposse.com) on a self-guided tour in Tuscany in 2004 and had the time of our lives. They provide the bikes (24-speed hybrids) and daily maps/ itineraries, and transport your luggage. We stayed in wonderful 2-3 star hotels. The owners (Marco and Guiliana) are completely involved and concerned for your well being. We enjoyed Tuscany so much that we're doing their Umbria ride next September.

JeffreyJ

Are you considering self-guided or guided? I'd recommend the former; one isn't tied to the pace or itinerary of a group.

eleanorw

Thanks, I just emailed cicloposse for information. I agree self-guided would be nicer for lots of reasons but we're travelling with our daughters (older teens) and I think we should have a support van available for the girls the 1st time we do this. How hilly was tuscany? how much riding do you usually do?

JeffreyJ

We did the Dordogne...which was Godawfully hilly...this June past with my eighteen and twelve year old daughters, who are by no means athletic. When the hills got too steep, they simply got off the bikes and walked. Not a big deal at all. I'd advise you to try to keep your travels fairly short, though, no more than maybe sixty kilometers a day. Any more than that, if you aren't fairly experienced cyclists, you or your family might find yourself overtaxed, and what should be a fun trip becomes a misery.

Get some time on a saddle BEFORE you go. If you're not somewhat toughened to it, you'll be too sore to enjoy yourselves! Twenty-thirty mile training rides are about right. It's not as long as it sounds, with a little bit of practice.

The local agency, if you elect to a self guided tour, will have a local guy available to respond to emergencies should any arise.

eleanorw

My husband and I ride regularly and our older daughter uses her bike for transportation at school so it's only the younger one I'm worried about but I find your experience encouraging. When you say the local agency what do you mean? who did you use?