Bicycle tours in Italy can imply almost anything in both the
focus of the trip and the expectation of biking expertise so it
is critically important to read the itinerary quite carefully
and ask the right questions, otherwise a trip that was suppose
to be a once in a life time experience could turn into a nightmare.
Bicycle Tours of Italy: Biking Tour Challenge or Cultural
Experience?
Active family vacations have become a growing segment of the travel
industry, but not all family members are equally addicted to biking
As such tour operators have had to come to grips with a wide variety
of interests and physical capabilities that make up the typical
family group. Approaches in designing a bike tour in Italy must
incorporate all these interests into one flexible package. Here
is an idea on what is possible:
Cultural:
Italy has a long history of fine art galleries and an extensive
inventory of ancient architecture and interesting hilltop abbeys.
In fact some tours will actually make a point of staying in these
unusual and historical locations, with trips to local museums
and galleries. Decide whether this is important to you. Then ask
if the cost of admittance to these off-site locations is included
in the price of the tours, or a separate add-on. A waste of money
if you've no interest in art or architecture, or an unexpected
expense if you are figuring it is included in the package price.
Culinary:
There are quite a number of tour operators that have made great
connections with some of the top cooking talent in Italy. They
balance the time delegated to biking with cooking demonstrations
and restaurant experiences. There is one operator that even brings
along a chef that teaches and creates special recipes of Italian
gelato. Most operators include visits to cheese factories and
of course wineries to compliment regional food specialties
Language:
As the world becomes more global, there is a growing interest
in learning multiple languages. Certainly combining the physical
aspects of a bicycle tour in Italy with the mental challenges
of learning a new language has its advantage. If this is an interest,
be clear whether your hope is to take classes with an accredited
organization that will offer a scholastic credit recognized by
your home school, or whether your interest is only to gain conversational
skills.
Multi-sport and Physical Training:
There are many other sports opportunities on a tour of Italy,
cycling only one of them. Most coastal locations offer scuba,
windsurfing and sailing. Some have yoga and/or a health and wellness
focus and some are designed for cycle training. Get a clear answer
of the program focus, on the technical expertise of the instructors
and the sophistication of the training regiment.
The last suggestion is if you are traveling with younger children
or teenagers you may want to question what accommodations they
have made for children. Are the bike routes suitable for the rider
you are bringing along? What facilities are available ie. Swimming
pools etc. that your young ones might be looking for? You may
appreciate the ancient architecture, but I some how guess they
will not be impressed.
If you're going to spend big bucks for great bicycle tours of
Italy, you want everyone in your party to have a awesome time.
If you are looking for a more no frills version of cycling you
may want to review the itineries of a self guided bike tour.
More Information:
Bicycle
Tours of Italy
