Sardinia itself is very unspoilt and the people could not have been more friendly or accommodating. Our guide and support were enthusiastic, attentive and made sure that everyone had a great time.
Amalfi coast is one of the most dramatic coastline in the world and this well organised Exodus Trip will guide you on bike along the coastal road all the way to the end (Termini). There are great do-able climbs, long descents, fantastic scenery, great food, great temples and most beautiful gardens - i.e. just about perfect!
Stress-Free tour with excellent accommodation, luggage transfers that was always waiting for us the end of the day.
Scenery was unforgettable, people along the way were welcoming and most spoke English although we did try.
The barge and crew were magnificent. Warm. Welcoming. Shining clean and food exceptional. Guide, Tammy, made time for all while keeping things moving. Herding cats is difficult! But she did this with grace and courtesy. Biking was easy. This was our first guided tour and surprised at all the knowledge Tammy shared plus all the interesting side visits we went on. Loved the cheese and Grappa tasting!!
Our Backroads to Venice self guided trip was absolutely fantastic. The bike paths In northern Italy are incredible and so well maintained we were on a few minor back road but never with a lot of traffic. Scenery was absolutely incredible all the way, much of the path was along the Adige river which was stunning. We upgraded to electric bikes which we were extremely happy with. We had no problems at all. They were easy to use and very long battery life. We were also provided with a lock to lock the bikes up in town. They also had a lock as a part of the bike frame, so we always felt safe leaving them
The week of our ride was 35 Celsius plus every day which was a little unfortunate but we were thankful for the electric bike, we just had to leave earlier to avoid the heat of the day
We upgraded to the better quality Hotel. They were all excellent, particularly the Bolzano Hotel. All of our breakfasts were delicious and plentiful.
The app was very easy to use and very accurate. Highly recommend a handlebar holder for your phone. We took a padded seat cover, which I’m very thankful for.
Highly recommend this ride.
This was the first time that this trip had been run using E-bikes, so everyone was keen to see how the trip would unfold. We were introduced to our bikes on the first evening, and because of a change of hotel we had the opportunity to cycle into Monopoli, and return in the dark after an amazing first meal. When I checked the itinerary I could see that the first two rides were going to be the most challenging in terms of ascent and distance, but I quickly realised that E-bikes are a great leveller. There are four levels of assistance, with turbo being the most powerful. The motor rewards effort, the faster you peddle, the more assistance it gives you, up to its maximum speed - these bikes are not chipped like the delivery cycles that whizz around around our streets bringing takeaways to the masses. Each person in the group decided how much effort to put in, getting up the many hills, but hats off to the one person in the group who rode the whole way on an ordinary bike . . . . and he was not at the back. Respect!! With uphills come downhills, and there were plenty of those. Long sweeping downhills that went on and on. Great fun. We were well fed and watered on this trip, both at lunchtime and in the evenings, and for the most part the weather behaved itself.
Explore the beautiful, culturally-rich but lesser-known and uncrowded area of the Cilento National Park by bicycle on this self-guided 9-day cycling tour.
The region of Campania has been known as a paradise on earth since ancient times. The Greeks built some of their most impressive temples here and under the Romans it became known as ‘Campania Felix’, or the Happy Land. When travelling through this region it is easy to be overwhelmed by the wealth of cultural and natural attractions, from the great city of Naples to the well-known Costiera Amalfitana, with its towering cliffs and picturesque coves.
But Campania’s real secret is located south of Salerno. Here, the coastline bulges out into an expanse of mountainous landmass known as the Cilento, now one of Italy’s biggest National Parks, with World Heritage listing.
This tour brings you into the real ‘Heart of the Cilento’, from ancient Paestum up to Monte Stella, and along the pristine Cilento coast towards the impressive Alburni Mountains. Inland, the Cilento is largely undisturbed by the 21st century and you will encounter few other tourists along your way. You will cycle past world-famous cultural sites, through pristine natural areas and dreamy coastal scenery. Your trip will take you on small country roads passing through rough mountain scenery, as well as attractive countryside, with vineyards and olive groves.
The first few days you will stay close to the coast, only occasionally reaching some small hamlets on the foothills further inland. You will go past the archaeological site of Paestum on your way to a genuine mozzarella farm and climb up to some nice viewpoints on the coastal plain. Further on you will cycle around Monte Stella, dotted with several typical medieval hamlets, and continue along the coast towards the tiny fishing villages of Acciaroli and Pioppi to the Greek site of Velia.
You then turn inland and discover the rolling foothills around lovely Ceraso before climbing up along the Calore River to the hamlet of Piaggine, located in the very heart of the Cilento National Park. Here you’ll visit some of the nicest medieval villages in the area, where the traditional way of life is still evident. And you’ll enjoy visiting some of the Cilento’s greatest (but unknown) cultural treasures, like St. Michael’s cave church in Sant’Angelo a Fasanella, the ruins of Roscigno Vecchia and the castle of Laurino. All connected by great well-paved and quiet roads, ideal for cycling.
Your route back to Paestum takes you along great panoramic roads on the slopes of the Alburni Mountains.
The team were terrific to deal with in the lead up to the trip. They were extremely responsive and knowledgeable and we're able to answer all our questions. This was our first e-bike trip and all our concerns were alleviated by the team. When we arrive in Sardinia, the representative who met us walked us through the bikes, how to get the best out of them and maximise our enjoyment of the tour. Each day was terrific with great views (and yes there were some hills to climb but the e-bikes make this a lot easier). The accommodation was great, the food particularly enjoyable. I would highly recommend them and their self guided tours. We'll be back for another trip for sure.
Wonderful trip. It was amazing to be able to travel from one hill town to another, each one so different from the others.
Highlights of our trip included an art exhibit in Perugia on how medieval artists perceived nature - absolutely beautiful and we had the place to ourselves, quite a contrast to the crowds at the Uffizi; staying in a 14th century pilgrim guest house in Assisi; walking out to the aqueduct bridge in Spoleto; hearing all the bells in Narni suddenly start ringing when the new Pope was elected and running outside along with everyone else to find out what had happened; and, my husband would say, the wild boar stew he ate that evening at a restaurant in the square.
Logistics were well organized and the routes well planned. It was a challenging route, however, with many steep climbs. We were glad we reserved e-bikes. There were also a number of places with poorly maintained roads, quite a bit of springtime road construction, and some areas where the route took roads with heavy traffic. Italian drivers were quite considerate, though.
We had a great time and were sad to go home. We could have stayed in each town longer, and will hopefully return to Italy soon.
The cycle paths from the Dolomites to Lake Garda and on to Verona were amazing. The leader (Fabio) was fantastic; he was friendly, efficient, knowledgeable and above all patient. He took us to, or recommended, excellent places for lunch and supper each day. The extras in addition to the cycling were great fun, e.g. the cable car ride in Bolzano and the wine tasting in Soave.
The bikes were sturdy and well maintained. There were only two up-hills of note during the trip. If you are reasonably fit you will get up them easily, otherwise be prepared to get off and push for a short distance.
The accommodation was very good with en-suite rooms in all hotels and great breakfasts, including lots of healthy options. On the last night we stayed at a place outside of Venice but very close to the Mestre train station (it took 15 minutes to reach the Grand Canal). We were able to go back to Venice on the Sunday morning, after the organised holiday finished, but before our flight.
We had an excellent holiday, enjoyed with like-minded people who were good fun to be with. Well done to Explore for offering and organising such an interesting and action-filled week.
We had a wonderful time on this cycling trip in Sardinia!
It was a great route with lots to places to stop along the way. So much good food, and all the accommodation was wonderful. Some of the roads were a bit busy for my liking, not sure if I would be comfortable taking children on those roads but for adults it was fine. A very enjoyable week- a highlight of our month in Italy!
