Cycling tours of Italy? Trek Travel?

[Mr. SR500]

Here is the write up I did on our Italy trip with Trek Travel:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ong-56k-Beware

[mthomsen]

Here is the write up I did on our Italy trip with Trek Travel:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ong-56k-Beware

Thanks for the feedback both here and on bikeforums Mr. SR500. I work for Trek Travel as a guide and this is always great to see.

[bluebug32]

Here is the write up I did on our Italy trip with Trek Travel:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ong-56k-Beware

Great write-up. Very cool, and I think this is exactly what we're looking for. I'm wondering if you know how early they encourage you to book to ensure a spot? Also, I saw that you saved 10% by booking through Trek? How does that work?

[Mr. SR500]

Great write-up. Very cool, and I think this is exactly what we're looking for. I'm wondering if you know how early they encourage you to book to ensure a spot? Also, I saw that you saved 10% by booking through Trek? How does that work?

I think we booked in the Late Winter/Spring for a Fall trip. Trek Travel has socials at larger dealers etc, to invite people to check out the tour. Our trip was hosted by our dealers and basically everyone was from around the same region. Because they made many of the arrangements, I guess the discount came from that. I'm not sure if you are booking online or via a Trek dealer, but I would just ask - can't hurt.

P.S. Let them know it's your honeymoon. Since we were celebrating our 10 year anniversary our guides gave us a large bottle of champagne on ice one afternoon. Ice is fairly rare in Italy, and my wife was so excited she opened a Coke and used the ice with it. We then went to share the champagne with the other members of the tour, us being typical Americans looked for some cheap/disposable glasses, but the manager of the inn insisted we use proper glasses. Made for great afternoon.

[Mr. BlueBug32]

Thanks for the info everyone.

Question: how much time would you recommend before and after the actual riding trip begins? We were thinking of 2 or 3 days on either side?

-Rob

[Grasshoppergirl]

My DH and I went on a trip to Tuscany with VBT tours, Vermont touring, about 5 years ago. The guides were super. One was an Italian and the other an American very fluent in Italian. Our group bonded really well too. Just the right amount of activities, tours, and time on your own. We rented their bikes which were comparable to what we had at the time. We still get the catalogs and you can't beat the prices which include airfare and beautiful places to stay. We added on three days in Florence at the end.

[Biciclista]

Thanks for the info everyone.

Question: how much time would you recommend before and after the actual riding trip begins? We were thinking of 2 or 3 days on either side?

-Rob

Take the remnants of your first day there to recuperate, then the next day if you're out on a bike all day in the sun you're going to be better off than if you did anything else anyway.

[PinkBike]

just wanted to add my +1 to Trek Travel.

we had the best vacation EVER at the tour of california in 2008. everything about trek travel was professional, well organized, well-planned, the guides gave individual attention all the time, it was the best, i cant say enough good things about that trip!!!

[Crankin]

We booked 3 days on either end of our trip. You need it to adjust to the time zone changes before you are actually riding. At least I did.