A wonderful trip overall. The accommodation was very good, especially in Lansac with Chistine.
With hindsight, even though we are a bike fit couple in our 70s, we would choose the e-bike option for our next trip. More time for leisure en route!
The map apps was good but had a couple of false starts while we got used to it.
We highly recommend this trip.
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.
Very much enjoyed our cycle ride in Sardinia. The bikes and accommodation provided were of a good standard. The route and distances provided a moderate challenge which was expected. Plenty of points of interest to visit along the way including the beautiful beaches for swim breaks.
Rich with medieval villages, historic castles and churches, Catalonia (Catalunya) is contrasted with an impressive rocky coastline, dotted with pretty fishing villages, crystal-clear waters and beautiful golden sandy beaches. Steeped in culture and history, Catalonia's traditions date back over thousands of years.
This gentle and unhurried cycling holiday follows a triangular route through the heart of the great Loire Valley. Highlights include the majestic chateaux of Amboise and Chambord, and the rich Renaissance splendour of Chenonceau. You'll pass vineyards, sunflowers fields and pretty, sleepy villages, before pedalling gently along shady riverbanks and out through open countryside abundant with wildlife.
On each cycling day, you'll have the opportunity to taste dozens of different wines - stopping at big wineries or village vineyards as the mood takes you - in a wine region more varied and diverse than any other in the world.
Enjoy the sweet and peaceful 'Art de Vivre' in boutique hotels and relax with a glass of local wine by the pool.
Our second trip with Explore, and both have been Fantastic. We had an excellent group to ride with, the bicycles were great, and the location, Provence, was amazing and beautiful. But what really pulled it together was our great team leader, Erwin. He was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, provided excellent guidance throughout this journey. And beyond that, he has a passion for Provence, its people, and its history, that he was able to effectively share with the group. He clearly spent the time researching and exploring the area to ensure we had the very best experience! We hope, and would feel very lucky, to ride with him again! Thanks!!!
We loved everything about this trip! We did it in the relatively cooler month of late October and it was perfect! We arrived to pick up our bikes and were issued bikes in excellent condition, with great instructions and repair gear and we had no issues at all with them. The accommodation organised for us was as described; not 5 star but always cute and very clean with great breakfasts provided and lovely people meeting us at the end of each day. Our bags were always there when we arrived. The navigation app was fantastic; we had a bit of a learning curve on Day 1 but then no problems at all. The loop we did was amazing. Would highly recommend the Sierra De Grazalema - gorgeous villages, amazing views, and minimal traffic. We would highly recommend this trip. It exceeded our expectations.
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.
Amazing way to holiday, on a bike - busy but slow paced. The itinerary for each day was a great mix of cycling and activities to do along the way. Plenty of time to enjoy the sights. Loved it being self guided and at our own pace. Easy instructions and maps. Accomodation great.
Trip was well paced. Accommodations were good. Plugged shower drain in two locations one with a good response, another with a bad response. Food was good. Good view of rural France.
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, The Way of St. James, Le Puy-en-Velay, Auvillar, Armagnac, Aire-sur-l'Adour, Maslacq, St Palais, Saugues, Aumont-Aubrac, Estaing, Conques, Figeac, Bouziès, Cahors, Lauzerte
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.
From the turquoise waters of Lake Bled and the white peaks of Julian Alps to the emerald Soča river and green Karst vineyard, finishing at the blue Adriatic Sea. Cycle through traditional villages around Lake Bled before taking a scenic railway journey to Avče from where you'll reach Goriška Brda, the 'Tuscany' of Slovenia.
Explore the local vines and wines before discovering the Karst region and visiting the hilltop village of Štanjel, a medieval stonemason settlement with narrow, stone alleys that wind among the buildings built on terraces and the UNESCO-listed Škocjan caves. Next stop is Lipica, home of the original Lipizzaner horses with the stud farm dating from 1580 to the time of the Hapsburg. It is possible to join a guided tour to see the horses before cycling on to the edge of the border with Italy for views out to the coast towards Trieste in Italy and your destination. the city of Koper. A scenic path takes you along the Parenzana railway line to Koper from where you cycle on to Piran - looking back to the distant mountains gives you a great feeling of achievement.
