Matera to Lecce

This was the guided version. I thought, overall, it was a great trip and I would recommend it. The countryside we cycled through was interesting and we were mainly on paved, secondary lanes/roads - so very quiet, for the most part. The towns we stayed in were very picturesque and the accommodation were wonderful (with one exception in Alberobello, however, it was fine, just not up to the standards of the others). The meals were wonderful - exceptional local fare. Highlights: the meal at an Agriturismo, along with a mozzarella and burrata making demonstration; visiting a local olive oil operation, swimming in the Ionian Sea; Masseria Bosco with it's lovely pool, accommodation and Aperol Spritz. The one thing that made the trip challenging was the weather - 33 to 36 degrees. I highly recommend an e-bike and the guided version. The guide offered a great deal of information about what we were seeing and the history of the area.

Great trip because of staff and expertise and skills of local partner. Knowledgeable, flexible, responsible and fun. The five stars are for the local operator.

Tripsite did a less than adequate job of conveying information about the route and the rides, specifically about length. There needs to be better communication between Tripsite and the local cycling company. We were not given complete or accurate info before we left.

Our guide, Cenzo was the most memorable part of our trip. His friendly, personable & humorous nature added to the wealth of cultural, historical, horticultural and geological information he shared with us. He was earnest and always ready to solve anything that came up.
Rocco also was a joy to be with, always taking care of any issues we had during our travels, giving advice regarding restaurants, and other sites to see.

The entire trip was memorable from the scenery to the accommodation to the wine and food. The tour company was amazing with great GPS tracks and briefing book.

We loved this trip, our first group trip with a guide, and our first biking trip. The guide was knowledgeable and very interactive, and the support staff person thoughtful and proactive. Our guide even shared his traditional music talents, which was an unexpected bonus. The cheese making demonstration and lunch was a highlight, as was staying at a masseria (farm). Good food and great tour stops.

A few tweaks would have made the trip five stars. Some of the bikes had power issues which weren't addressed during the week, and the hotel in Alberobello was not as nice as the others. I wish the last biking day would have had more biking--the other days were full of side trips and culinary/cultural experiences, but the final day seemed to be just a functional direct short ride to our final destination.

Puglia is fascinating, especially the areas around Alberobello. A great place to ride.

Our guide Ernesto was great. The size of our group and lack of support from tour company was the source of most issues!
I loved the locations we were taken. The food was amazing and again our guide Ernesto was great.

Visiting the city of Matera was a truly unique experience. The history and architecture was fascinating. Matera was a great place to begin our adventure through the Puglia region. The food was excellent throughout our tour and great effort was taken to be sure we were served locally grown tasty treats including yummy local wines.

The Bike company organizing this trip was amazing. Their attention to detail, interest in our ride, information given, was outstanding. The chosen accommodation was first class, as were the meals that were included. The state of Italian roads was challenging and s few sections of the ride quite uninspiring, but overall we loved the places we stayed at and the journey along the way, especially Polignano, Alberobello and Lecce. A wonderful experience of Puglia.

Very nice landscape and interesting visits. The logistic worked perfectly and the guide was very good

I think Matera is unforgettable. It’s an impressive city. The experience to see how to prepare all those delicious cheese in Noci was amazing. I’d suggest an optional thing for the end of the biketour, that is a Spa Day. It would be nice to have a massage and a relaxing time after all.

This was our seventh bike trip with tripsite, but our first self guided bike trip on our own! We really enjoyed the experience! The Aberobello / Locorotondo area was our favourite stop on the tour, but we also really enjoyed the extra days spent in Matera and Lecce at the start and end of our tour. My wife took an E-Bike and I took a hybrid regular bike and both were great. My bike had a minor mechanical issue on day three, but a quick stop at a local bike shop arranged by our host resolved the issue completely! We thought the description of the tour in terms of difficulty was just about right, with some tougher challenges but primarily fair easy riding. Some of the gravel sections are quite rough but we did not find it difficult as we had ample time and travelled slowly throughout these areas. Great and varied scenery. Was not a fan of a few short sections on highways, as traffic was heavier due to a national holiday, but we managed. Lovely accommodations along the way.

Wonderful bicycling along rural roads without much traffic. The tour operator was welcoming and attentive. The accommodations were splendid! There was absolutely nothing negative about this trip!

The places you suggested to go to were all great along with the vouchers … and you definitely needed someone to read the GPS correctly since it could be tricky. I would also suggest an electric bike if people are thinking about it all since there are a lot of hills but all doable and needs to be see on the trails.

We really enjoyed the small group of 11 guided experience. The accommodations and dinners included were exceptional nice.

We found the biking experience challenging—not the number of miles, but the condition of the paths. We were often on abandoned, bumpy, poorly kept roads or busy roads. Rarely were we on a bike path.

My e-bike had structural defects that held the battery to the frame and no front shock absorbers.

Our guide Suzanna was very fun, friendly and accommodating to our group!

Most memorable part was our lovely and very fun guide. We loved spending our week with Susanne! She was knowledgeable about the area and so kind and accommodating to everyone’s needs. The accommodations where amazing along with the food and activitie;, wine, cheese and local shop tastings.
I would suggest letting bikers know of the rough roads we had to bike on, not paved. It took a lot of concentration and energy to navigate the rocks and pot holes.

Susanna our guide was amazing. Very good with making all feel a part of the team and informative about the region. Make sure you only bring carry on luggage. Because of the rain and mud I was very glad I ordered an E bike. The lodging and the meals were all excellent

Where to begin for a tour that was wonderful for the easy to moderate rides, stupendous for the foods we were given, joyous for the chance for two 60 yr old sisters to be together for our 3rd Tripsite bike adventure! The tour operator, Guilia, was kind and very prepared so we began smoothly and ended the same. In between we had some easy rides, some challenging rides (weather very hot this July!), 2 flat tires and a whole lot of smiles with breathtaking towns, juicy figs, cherries, olive trees and grapes bordering our riding paths. A cold beer or Rose was our prize at the end of each ride! We were given 4 Tastings: wine, cheese factory, Meat/Cheeses, and more wine!! And dinners to make any who love Italian cuisine salivate! We felt safe throughout our travels. Some of the paths could use some work but we are always the "cup 3/4 full" kind of people, so we plowed through everything and were so happy. We arrived in Matera a day early to enjoy its beauty and would have loved to end with an extra day in Lecce had we known how lovely it was as well. We LOVED the places we stayed!

A sign of a great trip... looking for our next tripsite adventure together before we have finished this one!!