SELF-GUIDED: On days when you cycle from one hotel to the next, our delivery service picks up luggage in the morning and delivers it to the folloowing hotel by mid-afternoon. Most of the time, these vehicles are not available to shuttle people – so you will need to plan to complete the ride yourself. In cases of emergency, our staff is available is available to help via telephone, and we or the hotel staff will help locate taxis or alternative means of transport.  
 
GUIDED: Our support vehicle will transport luggage from one hotel to the next every day. Vehicle support for tired cyclists is available most days, as is our accompanying cycling guide – please check the specific itinerary for details. 

SELF-GUIDED: Bicycle rental is available with our self-guided  and guided bike tours. We offer premium titanium hybrid bikes (with upright handlebar), titanium road bikes (with downturned handlebars), aluminum frame hybrid and road bikes, tandem bike, pedal-assist E-bikes and tag-along bikes and trailers for children.  Please see the specific tour webpage for bike types available on each tour.

Most tours don’t cover more than 65 kms (40 miles) per day, and range among low-intermediate-advanced difficulty levels. Be sure to read the distance and difficulty description for the specific itinerary of your interest, as well as our difficulty ratings description page with detailed parameters, and send us an email if you have questions.

To best enjoy your tour, however, you should be riding your bike at least twice a week and be comfortable spending time on the saddle!

Our standard routes on each tour are designed for the average recreational cyclist. That said, almost every tour allows for added mileage for those with extra energy. We’ll suggest optional longer rides on most days. 

We recommend you start you packing list with the following items:

• A few pairs of bicycling shorts and jerseys
• A few non-bicycling outfits to wear for your time off the bike
• Helmet (we recommend attaching it to the outside of your carry on if it does not fit in your luggage)
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Toiletries
• Spare glasses, contact lenses
• Dress pants/ skirts and shirts (layering is always encouraged)
• Two pairs of shoes (a pair for cycling and a pair to wear around town after cycling)
• Any prescription medication you might need and prescriptions in case you need to refill.

All breakfasts are included on our typical bike tour. Breakfast is normally served continental style and includes assorted beverages, rolls or pastries, fruit, cereal and yogurt. Some hotels provide cold cuts and/or eggs in addition to the continental breakfast. If you have any dietary needs or food allergies, please ask and we’ll be glad to help! On some of our tour packages, dinners or additional meals may be included – please check the specific itinerary for details. We often include meal suggestions for lunch, dinner or stops along the way.

Many of our customers purchase picnic supplies for lunch. If you prefer to stop at a café or restaurant, there will be plenty on your route (listed in your road book on self-guided tours, or suggested by the tour leader on guided tours). For dinner we’ll suggest local restaurants, typically within walking distance (dinners may be included – check the itinerary). If you are vegan, vegetarian or you need a gluten-free meal, you’ll find these options most days on our itineraries – please ask and we’ll be happy to help.

Getting a good night’s sleep is essential, so we choose comfortable, well-managed accommodations. All rooms have a private bathroom. We also look for charm and personality, as well as hotel staff and hosts that go out of their way to make your stay a delight!

The type of accommodations vary slightly by tour and destination – please check your specific itinerary (or email us), for more details on the lodging.

SELF-GUIDED: We use 3- and 4-star hotels, small inns or farmhouse / country B&Bs. On some of our itineraries, we offer upgrade options for rooms – please check the tour information for more details.

GUIDED: Generally, we use comfortable 2- or 3-star hotels and local-style inns or farmhouse / country B&Bs.

If you are interested in any changes to your self-guided itinerary, please ask us. We can often add or subtract nights at different locations (depending on the itinerary; a customization fee may apply).

We are also experts at designing custom-tailored holidays for groups of friends and families, whether it be a point to point, itinerant tour, or a fixed-point cycling holiday (for example, based in an Italian villa). If there’s a specific itinerary you like, please let us know how to adapt it to your needs and desires.

We have often rented to groups of friends who have rented a villa in Emilia Romagna or Tuscany, as well as other locations in Italy or Europe. We are happy to deliver and do a bike fitting for the group, and we can even prepare your routes and included extra activities like a wine or olive oil tasting, or a parmesan cheese factory visit. It is important you make sure the approach to your villa is acceptable to ride on a bike. Although hilltop villas are nice, cycling up a 2 mile dirt road is not always pleasant.  Look for villas with easy access to great roads when planning your stay.

GUIDED and SELF-GUIDED: On most tours, the group will meet the tour leaders late in the afternoon or early evening of the first tour day – the bike fitting usually occurs at that point, as well as the tour briefing. There are a few tours where the meeting is in the morning time and cycling starts on day 1. Tours normally end after breakfast on the last day, with few exceptions. You may want to consult with us on the best time to plan to arrive on Day 1 and when to leave on the last day.

GUIDED and SELF-GUIDED: Our tour webpages include general information on starting and ending points, as well as how to arrive to and depart from there. Once you’ve booked, we’ll send you detailed travel instructions on how to arrive to the hotel where your trip begins, at the agreed upon meeting time – on most tours, the starting point is easily accessible by train, bus and/or taxi. On some guided tours, transportation to the tour starting point and/or from the tour ending point is included – please check the specific itinerary for details. If you’d like to reserve private airport pick-up at an additional cost – please ask us, we’ll be happy to help.

We will also provide detailed information about the tour ending point, and how you can travel back home from there.

Please let us know, and we’ll make an effort to find you a roommate if you are alone. If we can’t find you a roommate you’ll have to pay the single supplement.

SELF-GUIDED: There is a good possibility that others on the same departure will want to cycle along with you, but of course we cannot guarantee this on every departure. If this is important to you, please ask us and we will try to find out for your specific departure.

GUIDED: Yes! This is a group tour, so welcome on board! Depending on the itinerary, there will be days where the group can spread out, giving some participants the chance to cycle on their own or in smaller groups. But generally, the group will ride together, along with our tour leader.

We’ll provide all the necessary contact numbers for you to communicate changes or last-minute requests.

Please check the What’s Included section of each tour webpage for specific inclusions. On most of our guided tours lunches and dinners are on your own as well as any entrances to museums or visits you might want to choose to see while in larger cities. Some itineraries may include meals or extra activities.

Self-guided tours are not normally “supported.”  That means there is no guide or support vehicle with you as you to cycle from one hotel to the next.  Ideally, you should either know how to fix a flat tire or have someone with you who can. If you have trouble on the road, we provide a support number to call. Most support issues are solved over the phone, with our indications (our bikes are kept in excellent working condition, and it is very rare that they malfunction on the road).

if  If it rains we suggest “Plan B,” – put on your rain gear and follow Plan A (or sit at a cozy café while waiting for the storm to pass).

Each individual “Tour Details” page specifies what the tour includes. Most self-guided tours include bicycles, luggage transfers, a roadbook (in printed or digital format), hotels and all breakfasts; on our guided tours, a guide cycling with a group, support van providing luggage transfer, hotels with breakfast, and some group meals. Inclusions may vary by tour package – please check the specific tour webpage for what is and what is not included.

We suggest choosing the type of bike you are most familiar with at home – if you are up for it, you may want to try a new type of bike! On some tours, you will have the option of renting a road bike with drop-down handlebars, or a  hybrid bike with flat handlebars. On most tours, we also offer pedal-assist e-bikes. If you have any questions about our bike options please check the specific itinerary page or ask us.

Yes, we can normally fit children taller than 4’10’’ (1m47). For smaller kids we offer “Tag-Alongs” and “Kid’s Trailers”. On GUIDED TOURS, please consult for your specific departure as not all group tours may be suitable for children. We also offer private group departures, and we love preparing tours for families – please ask us!

SELF-GUIDED: Every self-guided tour begins with an introductory bike fitting and briefing in which our English-speaking staff will share tips and information on local road safety; this information is also provided in Bike Safety handouts, in our tour roadbooks (on our Casual Self-Guided Tours, provided through our digital roadbook app).

GUIDED: On the first day there will be an introductory briefing, which includes a detailed safety talk given by our English-speaking tour leader. Throughout the tour our cycling guide will be your “North Star”, looking out for your enjoyment as well as your safety.

We require everyone to wear a helmet on tour. We recommend you bring your own for best fit and comfort (as well as hygiene reasons). If you prefer to not travel with your own helmet, we can provide a lightly used helmet upon request. Please be sure to provide your helmet size.

In our years running cycling tours in Europe, we’ve found that packing light will help you have a more enjoyable travel experience. Keep in mind that you will be toting your luggage at different times during your vacation (for example, when going from airport to the train or bus station, or you may have to bring your bags down to the hotel lobby in the morning before leaving for the next destination).

Preferably limit your luggage to two medium-sized pieces. The best combination of luggage is a medium-sized (22 -24”) suitcase on wheels and a small or medium carry-on bag, such as a backpack, overnight bag, or a small duffel bag. However, to avoid exceeding our luggage weight limit we prefer you add a third small bag as opposed to overloading the first two. If you have any additional questions about baggage limitations, please ask!

We highly recommend purchasing travel, trip interruption and medical insurance. Please let us know if we can help with suggestions. In addition, please check our Terms & Conditions page for important details when you book your tour.

You are responsible for bike damage or theft, and you’ll agree to this when you sign our contract at delivery. so please be careful! That said, we offer plenty of advice and tips on how to properly store and secure your bikes every night or when you stop along the way every day. On Guided Tours, our tour leader will store the bikes for you every night.