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We are considering a cycling trip in Italy some time this year - late summer most likely. I was wondering if anyone on this forum has any recommendations for tours/trips and would be willing to share or recommend options. Any insights appreciated and you can pm me if that is easier...
Thanks in advance.
We are also thinking of doing a cycling trip in Italy! We haven't done a lot of looking yet, but we know we want some mountains in it and lots of good food.
What kind of trip are you looking for?
Unless you go to northern Italy, it will be very hot (90s-100). The Lakes region or near the Italian Alps would meet your criteria. Lot of wine and good food, along with mountains.
We are going to Torino/Milan for 9 days in August and plan to visit some of the Lakes area. This is not a bike tour, but I have a feeling we might be convinced to do some riding while we are there.
I have ridden in Tuscany; get ready for lots of climbing, with scenery that makes up for it.
In talking about this more, we are now thinking of Maine or Vermont as alternates. My husband does not ride (yet) and I am thinking a week or more in Italy on a bike for a beginner is not the right thing.
Any thoughts on Maine or Vermont? August?
We are also interested in the different groups that host these tripos so any feedback is appreciated.
Thanks for the advice Crankin. Can't wait to go! ( I hope we do. We're just "thinking" now)
Maine and Vermont are both beautiful. In Vermont the Green mountains are really nice. But I wonder if your husband is a beginner whether a flatter ride might be more to his liking. You could do a coastal ride in Maine, which would also be very nice. If you like seafood, there will be plenty of fresh. August days will be warm, even very hot, but up north the nights can already start to get cool in August, so you'd need to bring pants and a light jacket/sweatshirt.
I'm originally from Maine. I LOVE riding there. Rev3 put on a triathlon that went through our home town last summer and we had so much fun riding on roads from our youth. Wide shoulders and good pavement, unlike here in CA where much of the pavement is chip seal, nasty stuff. On our pre race ride we covered much of my elementary school bus route. It was a slow ride because I was pointing out the houses where all the kids lived back then.
A few years ago we did our own tour of the Gaps in Vermont, supported by my husband's parents who schlepped our stuff from hotel to hotel and geo-cached while we rode. Riding in Vermont was absolutely beautiful, but it is hilly,. certainly doable by someone who is fit though.
The tour company, Easy Rider, does tours in New England. We did a tour with them a few years ago, around Sao Miguel, one of the islands in the Azores. They're a good company, really enjoyed our tour.
Have fun planning!
Veronica
There's not too much flat riding in Vermont... For our first tour we tried out Trek Travel on a weekend tour of the Stowe area, so we could drive there. Some of the people on the trip were from the midwest (triathletes) and were challenged by the climbs. I would vote for Maine. Coastal areas are busy in the summer, it could be rainy and cool, too, but there's plenty to do, besides ride. I love mid-coast Maine (Camden and Rockport)
Thanks for the great information about Maine v. Vermont. Trek Travel has a Vermont trip that looks good but other companies have Maine trips that are also appealing. Being from Atlanta, I am not worried about heat so much as hills for my husband. Again, thanks for the insights. We will decide shortly so he can train through the spring and summer.
My husband and I spent a week in Maine this past September, but we did not do a tour. We rented a house on Mt. Dessert Island, just outside of Bar Harbor. We brought our touring bikes and rode a couple of days along Acadia National Park's carriage roads (which are fantastic and traffic free). We also spent another day just riding around the island. We kayaked a couple of additonal days (sea kayaking with a tour and lake kayaking on our own with rented kayaks), and we hiked another couple of days. If your husband is not much of a cyclist, perhaps you should consider something like that, i.e., having a base where you can participate in a variety of activities including, but not limited to, cycling. While we were there we ran into a group of cyclists from VBT who were touring the area by bike. After talking to a couple of them about their itinerary and seeing them on the road near our rental house, I would have bored to tears. It just looked like a really slow moving group with too many inexperienced riders for my taste. I'd be afraid that whatever may be your speed may not be your husband's.
We really like the area, especially since the worst of the main tourist season was over. Our house rental was awesome. If you want any more information, let me know. There are several places to rent bikes in Bar Harbor, although we were glad that we brought our own.
Croatia is beautiful and slightly less expensive than Italy. The Dalmation coast (Adriatic) has many great historic towns, including some on islands where cars aren't allowed (Privc Luka, for one). Some tour operators offer package tours by bike.
I have been on 5 supported tours and on none of them were we expected to all be at the same speed. Sure, there was a leader and a sweep, but there was a very far distance between the 2 (or 3). Most tours have several routes for the day, within a given level, and you can always choose to go in the van. It's not a group ride. Backroads has several trips at level 2 or 3 where this would be a good option.
The only tour I went on where we were more of a tight riding group (with some days different than others) was when I went to Spain and there was a group of 10 (smaller than most US tour companies) and we just happened to be of similar riding speeds. They passed me on the downhills and I passed them on the climbs :).