Italy Tour Reviews — 331 to 360 of 669

Fantastic trip and really well looked after by the local representative

The tour was overall great! It was like biking in a painting with this beautiful senery

The scenery was incredible

Italy was beautiful, historical, and interesting. But what made this trip stand apart from others was the crew. Our guides were committed to giving us an amazing experience. Hugo shared his knowledgeable of Italian history, economics, culture, and the transitions taking place in their society today. He included interesting stops along the way, my favorite being the Museum of Fairground Rides. He made and shared videos of our daily rides and entertained us with his antics. Francesco was from Italy and helped us with its language and culture while also being the caregiver of our trip. The meals were delicious and the entire crew joined in to ensure our comfort, safety and entertainment throughout the week. This was my fourth bike and barge through Tripsite and all of the crews have been good. This one was exceptional!!

Most memorable part: Barge staff and bike guides

We really loved the Venice to Poreč tour. Pedaling along the Adriatic with the wonderful views was stunning! We also enjoyed the Italian, Slovenian and Croatian countryside and extensive bike paths, most of them paved. Biking in these countries is a way of life so we felt respected by the car drivers when we were on the roads. We would suggest to future self-guided travelers that reading the extensive information on the "Ride with GPS" app enhances the trip experience and helps avoid confusion. We did not realize until after the tour was complete that scrolling past the prominent "Navigate" button each day would also give us a turn-by-turn cue sheet. We would have avoided a lot of extra km each day :-)

The crew and food and boat comfort were all great. The ebikes were good quality but such a flat topography and not much riding each day made them unnecessary, save your money! Another tip…this is ALWAYS a group tour, no self guiding so you only move as fast/well as the slowest mover in the group. There were several inexperienced cyclists on our tour so unfortunately, we moved like snails.

The Ave Maria entire crew and our bike tour leaders were fabulous. Food was awesome as well. Our only complaint is that we thought we would be on a self-guided tour and most of the trip that was not doable. Therefore we were in a group of 30 bikers at all different levels making stops for sites and commentary, often which we would have passed on. Riding in a group of 30 was not at all what we had in mind and very disappointing. Our tour leaders did a great job herding us and really did their best to meet everyone's needs and desires. The country side was flat, mostly farm land however and not terribly remarkable. We were told that Italy was not very advanced as far as bike paths went. Even though the countrysidewas not that great for us, we did get to see some beautiful and historic cities in the areas and of course ending in and around Venice was beautiful. So if you enjoy being part of a big group tour, then you will love this. If not, look for one of the bigger boats that give you maps and let you go your own way and pace.

The crew was an exceptional team and demonstrated the camaraderie they tried to build within the guests. It was a fully led trip so that was important and made the experience so much more fun. Hugo was an informed and energetic leader supported by Francesco and a fabulous kitchen and boat navigation crew. Each day was packed with biking and walking activites, interesting sites, and lots of learning activities. In the end, though, it is the people you met along the way that make the difference.

Excellent food; schedule done as advertised; crew was upbeat, helpful; guide in great shape. I suggest on the middle days to check out some of the small nearby towns to break up the long distances. Very good bike also.

We are so glad we did the extension of Bolzano to Mantova! Absolutely stunning scenery along a paved bike path! 'Ride with GPS' provided the perfect directions for the first three days. Although we were surrounded by the mountains, the path was basically flat, following the River Adige downriver. When we reached the boat (early) we were welcomed aboard with a cool drink, our luggage had been transported, and we were able to continue to explore the city on foot.
Of course the boat & bike trip was equally memorable, especially the food -- a gourmet meal every night, prepared by a chef, who excitedly announced the meal, it's relation to the region and the perfect wine to pair. Bike tour guide was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and caring to all. Aboard the Vita Pugna, we were 18 total bikers, a perfect number! We became attached to all! The majority had booked through Tripsite for this and many other previous trips. Nice to hear they were very much pleased with the service, commenting on the excellent website, to find the the most details that enabled them to choose the perfect tour. Loved the side trips on the bike too! Museums, cheese factory, coffee stops, historical tours with local guides! This trip had it all!

The crew of the Vita Pugna was first class. Sylvia prepared delicious meals using fresh local items. She gave us a book of the recipes used. Hugo was a fantastic tour guide providing us with a wealth of information and lots of laughs. He woke up early to see our group of three get underway to the airport in Venice safely. Good thing he did because when we got to the marina gate it was LOCKED! Promptly he called the night security guard to unlock the gate and we were on our way once again. Hugo videoed highlights of each day and provided everyone with the link. This was a really special surprise and a wonderful keepsake of the trip.

Staff was wonderful. Hugo was great. Food was delicious. Very enjoyable experience. Would’ve liked to spend a few more hours in Ferrara, that was my only suggestion. Most memorable was the the small things Hugo went out of his way to show us like the nighttime cemetery and the cat house along one of the trails. He was a pleasure to be around. All the staff was. Francisco was a doll. Very nice experience indeed.

We really enjoyed exploring Assisi, Montefalco, and Bevagna on foot.

This was my fourth bike and barge trip. Vita Pugna and it’s team (Samuele, Silvia, Francesco and Hugo) have ruined all future bike and barge rips! Our tour guide, Hugo, went above and beyond everyday and the food was amazing.

The trip was very enjoyable , the boat was excellent in every respect, the crew was superb, and the food was top notch. We enjoyed ourselves immensely, and I would recommend this tour.
The bikes were great, the cycling routes themselves were not overly difficult and perhaps a bit lacking in scenery, but nevertheless enjoyable.

I also think that the tour leader Hein and his spouse added much to the enjoyment of the trip by all.

The bike-barge trip from Mantova to Venice was wonderful and a great way to see the country. Our tour guide was fantastic - very knowledgeable and attuned to the group. He spoke Italian and knew many of the people with whom he made arrangements for the stops. He was well versed on the route as well, and while there were exciting moments, he also ensured our safety including stopping traffic to allow the whole group to cross major thoroughfares. We had wonderful rides through a variety of terrains, learned about Italian culture and history, and had many interesting stops along the way. The country side and cities were equally thrilling. Food on the barge was exceptional. Our young chefs prepared the food with such care. All of the staff were exceptional in making sure our needs were met. A special surprise arranged by our tour guide, Hein, was to be able to go to the top floor of a building in Venice to oversee the city from on high. It was breathtaking. We got to know the other 28 guests and really enjoyed the entire experience.

The trip was very enjoyable , the boat was excellent in every respect, the crew was superb, and the food was top notch. We enjoyed ourselves immensely, and I would recommend this tour.
The bikes were great, the cycling routes themselves were not overly difficult and perhaps a bit lacking in scenery, but nevertheless enjoyable.

I also think that the tour leader Hein and his spouse added much to the enjoyment of the trip by all.

The dinners on the tour were terrific. The chefs were funny and creative. You certainly didn’t want to miss their daily descriptions and wine recommendations. I loved that many of the meals were vegetarian.

My husband and I loved biking through the mountains and valleys adorned with vineyards, rivers and numerous towns..
The scenery was amazing!!
One of the best parts of the trip was..... we were on safe bike-paths most of the way!!
The food was excellent. Each day the Chef introduced and featured a new flavour of Italian Food pertinent to an area of Italy.
Hein, was an awesome guide who had many surprises in-store for us each day. A FEW of the main attractions were: he would stop here and there along the way for history lessons, we visited a few castles, a clam farm and a cheese factory, plus we had chats about agriculture, and gave the bird enthusiasts time for bird watching. Hein, then concluded the week with a spectacular tour of Venice.
The people aboard the "Ava Maria" were very friendly. It fun making new friends and we found we had bonded with many by the end of the week.
I would highly recommend this bike-tour and was very sad when it ended!!

It's hard to name a single thing as the trip was great. The crew was so friendly and had a great sense of humor, the food was great and our guide was wonderful. The group of passengers were so fun. The riding was flat and easy. The routes were fairly well planned. A few were on roads with traffic but it tured out ok.
The change in direction of the barge three weeks before the start of the trip was a little challlenging considering we had travel plans made already. I do understand why that happened and it turned out ok. Due to a drop in reservations, they also combined two boats into one but chose to move everyone to the boat with a non working HVAC system. The rooms were hot and they wound up buying fans for the rooms which helped a lot. Despite all of this, it was a great week.

We did this tour self-guided and it was a memorable and remarkable experience. In late October, this part of Italy is nearly empty so there was very little traffic and in some of the hotels and restaurants, we were the only guests. The route is spectacular and we were very lucky to have perfect weather. There are a few long, steep climbs and some of the unpaved sections were pretty rough. It would have been significantly harder in rain or heat, but the easy-moderate rating is fairly accurate. The local tour operators were great. There were a few glitches along the way but they were always very quick to respond and worked everything out for us. Using the gps required a bit of a learning curve and was a little tricky in the towns where there were a lot a quick turns.
The hotels, meals and tastings that were included in this tour were all outstanding and very unique. Would highly recommend this adventure in a part of Italy that is definitely off the beaten path.
This was our second bike trip with tripsite and we look forward to planning our third!

Scenery riding on the bike. Sunrise and sunset. The staff were amazing and the food delicious. The staff went above and beyond to handle special requests.
Disappointed the AC didn’t work and the room was between 75-77 F at all times. The WiFi rarely worked. The staff did get fans for some of the rooms. With the rooms being so hot and no option to have laundry done other than in the sink, things took days to dry.
Thirty people riding as one group is too many.

Overall, the scenery was pretty-perhaps a trip in the summer would have been more brilliant. I would suggest bringing your own helmet or the boat supply appropriate helmets.

The excellent guides scenery and food. My only suggestion if the trip is full of North Americans that the suppers start and end earlier. Going to bed at 11 after just finishing a large meat supper is hard on my gut.

The Tripsite Culinary Sardinia E-bike tour was one of the most unforgetable experiences I've ever had!
The route was well-planned and offered variety in landscape, routes and hotels..... the breathtaking coastline with it's spectacular views of natural beauty and pristine blue waters will remain as some of my favorite memories.
The equipment was well-maintained. Our guides, Michaele and Lukas were professional, caring and competent. They went the extra-mile for everyone to make sure our trip was the ultimate biking-experience from beginning to end...no one was left behind, neither in biking nor with special needs and requests.
Our interests were in the foreground with short refreshment breaks, a coffee when needed, wonderful gourmet lunches featuring local specialties ( including good wines) and wonderful dinners. The combination of biking, short guided cultural tours, beach stops and culinary delights were a perfect combination. Thank you very much for this unforgetable experience. I would look forward to another Tripsite adventure!

The beautiful rides, the unique tall ship sail boat, the great guides and crew, and all the fun interesting people we met onboard.

Great trip plan - enjoyed all of the cities. Highlight was biking over the Apennes. Hotels were all very nice and wonderful people along the way. I would recommend confirming that the bicycle has been recently tuned as one of our bikes would not utilize one gear and slipped a bit. Also a couple of construction areas required us to navigate our way around but overall fantastic!

I absolutely loved this tour! The route had everything you would want. The daily distance we rode was a perfect length for sightseeing, eating and picture taking. The hotels were nice. I would love to ride it again! Several friends and family members have taken this tour after us and all have loved it!

My wife Clara and our daughter Stephanie did this tour in the fall of 2019. Tripsite was once again outstanding in providing service and information and all the GPS files for the bike route. The hotels were all top quality and friendly service with the best ones in Innsbruck and at the hot baths of Padua. I was at first worried about the quality of the bike paths as we have done a dozen or more trips (10 through Tripsite) through the Netherlands and Germany where the paths as excellent. To my and everyone else's surprise the bike paths were well marked and of great condition with a few not-so-great patches here and there but great overall. We made good friends on the trip and we cycled alone and with others on some days and typically had meals with others in the group of 12 or 14 people. The sights are panoramic. I must note that we started on September 5th from Innsbruck at -2 degrees Celsius and snow on the very first day and ended in Venice with +30 Celsius on the last day. What a ride! On the 4th day and with temperatures ranging between 6 to 9 degrees Celsius we started with rain and cycled the entire route in rain getting to Trento absolutely soaked to the bone. So be aware that you should carry rain gear if you plan to do this route late in the summer and early fall. The entire trip was well worth it but I would like to make a recommendation to the organizers. On the 5th day, Trento to Peschiera should be changed to make the overnight at Riva Del Garda for three very valid reasons. First, the ride from Trento to Riva is long and many riders get to Riva almost too late to catch the last ferry to Peschiera. Secondly, the ferry gets to Desenzano in the dark and riding in the darkness is not very safe even for experienced riders. Third reason is that Riva Del Garda is a magnificently beautiful city with many great restaurants and boutiques and sporting events and a swim in the lake after a long ride would be such a treat instead of waiting on the lineup for a ferry. Clara and I have spent a week in Riva and also in Malcesine nearby and can verify that they are great places to stay and enjoy the tasty fresh seafood from the lake. So for safety and better relaxation consideration should be given to these suggestions particularly for the late summer and fall tours when darkness comes so early. Overall 5 stars to everyone and every place and to the young men who fitted every one on their bikes at the start of the trip and the fact that the bikes were of top quality and excellent condition. I know I am a year late to submit this review but have had a very difficult year with respect to my health soon after we came home. I am now well and looking forward to more adventures on the bike paths of Europe and hope to "bump" into you all over there in 2021. Keep the tires on the road and the wind in your back. Happy Holidays to all.

***** STARS ALL THE WAY. Again do not forget your rain gear and bring along a few essential bike tools for the adjustments needed by any rider who uses their bike day and day out for 2 weeks. Also, download an APP on your mobile phone so you can use the GPS files provided and minimize any possibilities of wrong turns. Happy cycling.  SHOW MORE