Newbie - is this the place to ask about organised holidays?

Fru T Bunn
Fru T Bunn Posts: 159
edited February 2010 in Tour & expedition
As subject really.

Me (keen cyclist) and the missus (less so) would like to take an easy 5-7 days pootling around Italy or France on provided bikes and not have the hassle of panniers, camping etc. Travelling as part of an organised group would be good too.

Thanks for looking,
Fri

Comments

  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    My g/f and I went with Hooked on Cycling on a self-guided tour of Tuscsany - Chianti last April. The tour is actually run by Eurobike but is sold by various agents such as Hooked on Cycling. We took our own bikes, but hire bikes were available (hybrids, okay, good mechanical order, but not what I like to ride). The accommodation was very good, as was the organisation and itinerary. The route instructions were good, but for 99% of the time it was just a case of spotting the discrete symbols they had stickered to lamposts at every turn. Rides were between 35 and 45 miles per day. The tour guide took all the luggage from each hotel to the next by van every day, and he was available to pick anyone up should they need a rest or a mechanical repair. There were about 12 people on the tour, we didn't cycle with them (but couldn't help seeing who finished first each day :) ) We had a great time, flew Easyjet from Bristol to Pisa, train to the starting point, finished in Florence and bought two extra hotel nights, then a coach back to Pisa airport. Great rides, beautiful countryside and cities, great food and wine, friendly and funny Italians, well organised holiday, thoroughly recommended!
  • Fru T Bunn
    Fru T Bunn Posts: 159
    Just the sort of info I was looking for. Thanks alfablue.
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    I'll be happy to give you any more info you want.

    We did this tour because my g/f had only been cycling 6 months and couldn't cope with loaded panniers. Since then we have done a camping tour in the Netherlands under our own steam, on the flat panniers were fine for her, but the Tuscany trip gave her the confidence, no looking back!

    By the way, Netherlands was brilliant too! We sailed from Harwich to Hook of Holland with our bikes and did about 250 miles trip via Utrecht, Amsterdam, The Hague etc.
  • Fru T Bunn
    Fru T Bunn Posts: 159
    Terrific, thank you. I've downloaded their brochure and we'll have a look tomorrow night.

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