Tuscany Bicycle Tours are probably the most popular of all bicycle
tours of Italy. I'm not sure if that is a comment on the great
diversity of riding opportunities or the attraction to the wine
tasting circuit. Certainly both are true.
Many begin their journey by flying into Florence,. It was named
by the Romans in the 1st century BC with the typical roman baths
and amphitheater. Today it is the world's art capital with an
unbelievable collection of renaissance art, numerous fabulous
churches, museums and gardens. Certainly a great start for a Bicycle
Tour of Italy's Tuscan Valley.
Accommodation:
The most critical agenda item is accommodation. The Tuscan Valley
is premium tourist country especially in August when it is filled
with vacationing Europeans that all get their holidays during
the same 4 weeks. This is one advantage of paying the bucks for
those all-in-one Tuscany Bicycle Tours. It's a larger outlay of
cash, but if this is the only time of year you can go, pay up
and use a tour operator. They have local connections and can get
accommodation in the smallest of hill towns, where the drop-in
tourist doesn't stand a chance.
You certainly can't go wrong with Ciclismo
Classico's Tuscany Bike Tours. It was named "One of the Top
10 Family Trips" by Outside Magazine. If nothing else, reviewing
their travel plans will give you ideas on where you'd like to
go.
Weather and Tourists:
If you have more flexibility in your timing then the best travel
time is late spring and early fall. Summers are very hot (in the
mid 80's) and the shoulder seasons offer some relief from temperature
and tourism extremes.
No one takes a Tuscany Bicycle tour without at least a few stops
along the way at the numerous orchards and wine cellars. So if
you are creating your own itinery do a little digging and plan
the path for your bicycle. Tours of Italy are not complete with
at least a few wine and cheese tastings.
Terrain:
The terrain is interesting enough to give the intermediate rider
miles of rolling hills through olive grooves, vineyards and interesting
historic hill towns. The hills are steady but not rising in elevations
that make it impossible for the fit beginner looking for a challenge.
With careful planning it is also possible to find less challenging
and less trafficked roads, but again this is where a bicycle tour
operator helps… I'd check out a few Tuscany bike tours and their
road maps, just to get an idea on where they are sending you and
what level of difficulty they classify their particular route.
More Information:
Italian Bicycle Tours
