4 Star Italy Tour Reviews — 31 to 60 of 99
Gary M.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
Not to overlook the moderate exercise we got on bikes everyday, which was helpful because the delicious food our crew served was difficult to turn down. I would have Read More preferred longer distances, but the biking was as advertised: easy.
A couple of tips: take precautions to protect yourself from Covid. If you choose a water taxi to get you around Venice, ask the boat driver when reserving your ride, and again before you board the boat, what the fare is; the cost tends to inflate when it comes time to pay the bill. And ask your tour guide to reserve tickets in advance to see the interior of San Marco Basilica and the Doge's Palace in Venice. I didn't do this and was unwilling to wait in a long line to get in, so I missed both. But we did see a number of other unbelievable churches from the Rennaissance era all week in Verona, Mantova and Venice.
Barb • 8 months ago
Thanks for the great advice about the water taxi and reserving tickets for San Marco Basilica and the Doge's Palace. Do you think the tour guides on the Ave Maria would be able to reserve those tickets once we are there on the boat, or is there another way you would suggest?
Also, I wonder if you have a recommendation for how to get from the airport to the boat? Thank you very much. Barb :)
Ward A.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
Crew was amazing. Everyone helpful. 30 person biking too big. Suggest it be split into 2 15 person groups.
Linda N.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
Margaret Jay B.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
Lovely route, wonderful guides, comfortable accommodations. Absolutely superb food!
Bring your own water bottle - despite the tripsite literature, one is not provided
Rita P.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Matera to Lecce
Italy
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!
Dick S.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
The food was outstanding! Great chefs. Amazing how hard our small crew worked to provide everything needed. All ran smoothly. Michaela was an outstanding leader. We were disappointed in the lack of coordination between the leader and the bikers as we ride. Corners were not posted at turns; some ended up going the wrong way, and we spent time finding them. Fortunately one person in the “lost” group was able to call our leader. There should always be arrangements for a “sweep” with phone communication to the guide.
Coming home, the pack with the trip literature was stolen. I would like to get another copy of that excellent information. How?
Nancy P.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
The food on the trip was excellent. We enjoyed the local fare, the wine pairings from the various regions .
The crew work very hard to deliver a positive experience . Helmut was a great guide offering lots of information about the different places we stopped at. We loved the cheese factory tour and tasting
Laurie H.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
What a wonderful mix of larger cities and small villages and towns that we would never have been able to locate on our own . An opportunity to enjoy both Venice and all its treasures while staying on the barge in beautiful, quiet Giudecca with it's charm of churches and artisan craftmanship . The biking along the Po River nature reserve was beautiful and a reminder of how important it is to care for our environment. Mantova along with other stops were charming with guides who shared their expertise of cities. The guides and staff on the Ava Maria did an admirable job of following the itinerary and keeping everyone safe, The chefs and dining staff served Italian local dinners that were the best I have eaten and a breakfast that appealed to all. Despite Italy being in a heat wave we were still able to enjoy the beauty of Italy.
Kerry l.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Puglia Food & Wine
Italy
Fantastic group of riders from all over the world..ride from Lecce to Otranto was simply the best
Breakfast and dinners were very well organized
Would like to have seen more snacks during the day and more visits bt the support van
Should also consider an additional guide for the back of the group…cycling pace was very slow at times
Steven M.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Florence to Rome - Self Guided
Italy
Had a wonderful time cycling the Florence to Rome self guided tour. Stayed in beautiful little historic towns along the way with lots to see and do. The food and wines were absolutely delicious. The hotels were friendly, accommodating and provided a great breakfast to start the day. Most importantly, the navigation app was easy to use and provided worry free navigation while cycling through bike friendly routes.
Maria F.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Bolzano-Mantova-Venice
Italy
Wonderful trip cycling. The Ave Maria crew were friendly, helpful, and clearly worked well as a team. The bikes were well maintained and rode smoothly.
Some communication with the TripSite org (most notably the portion before the Barge part of the trip) could have been better but overall it was a fun and enjoyable adventure.
Robin P.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Bolzano-Mantova-Venice
Italy
I most enjoyed the first three rides of the tour from Bolzano to Mantova, the scenery was amazing.
Iris Raiman • 7 months ago
How hilly was the ride on the first three days from Bolzano to Mantova? would you reccomend an e-bike for those days? I do bike and can do rolling hills.
JV • 7 months ago Tripsite Staff
This is not a crazy hilly ride. E-bikes make it easier but if you are comfortable with rolling hills you should be just fine.
Ali B.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Bolzano to Verona
Italy
Hotels were pleasant. Well organized tour.
Ambrose M.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Venice to Poreč
Italy, Slovenia, Croatia
Overall very enjoyable. There was however a big discrepancy between some of the accommodation eg Neptune Hotel was superb while the hotel in Porec didn’t have an elevator. Some of the bedrooms were very spacious and others were very very cramped.
Tracy R.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
Enjoyed everyone on the boat, great staff and food. Good bikes, some of the paths and roads were a bit on the rough side.
Yael N.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Umbria
Italy
Overall the trip was a great success.
The accommodations were fine. All clean and well kept. Air conditioning did not always work properly.
Bikes were in great condition throughout the entire trip.
Suggestions: we took road bikes for the trip and followed routes for these bikes yet several locations were very uncomfortable for riding. Roads with lots of potholes and gravel not meant for road bikes.
Overall experience was very positive and the company's organiztion was great.
Jim P.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Innsbruck to Bolzano
Austria, Italy
The scenery was incredible. The bike paths are well maintained and made for an easy trip. My only suggestion is to have the hotel in Bolzano closer to town. It was pretty far from downtown however the people were very pleasant. Luggage was late a couple of times. One was due to car trouble. Can't predict that.
Amber E.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Brenner Pass to Venice
Austria, Italy
The scenery was incredible
Cynthia A K.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
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.
Ruth B.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
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.
Michael b.
3 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Sardinia: Culinary Delights E-Bike Tour
Italy
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.
Nelson P.
4 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Venice to Florence
Italy
It was my 4th trip with Tripsite. There are some points I would like to mention- 1) Actually the company was Eurobike. No problem but I think I should know before. The others trips were with local company. Eurobike clients have an app with the route 2) The bikes wasn't so good 3) In others trips you offered me to rent helmet. In this trip nobody offered and I supposed there were helmets to rent. But Eurobike doesn't rent helmets. So I should bought. Since I doesn't have space in my luggage I let 2 helmets (mine and my wife) in the last hotel 3) The beginning of the Journey in Mestre was very difficult to find the route.
Well apart from this 3 points the trip was Ok. I am wondering in my next trip If I am going with you or with Eurobike directly.
Jehiel from Tripsite • 4 years ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Nelson,
Thanks for leaving this feedback. We are very proud of our partnerships and the relationships we form with our partners. You can see this information on the tour page above, you must have missed that detail.
We mention in your pre-travel information that bike helmets are not included. Helmets are listed under "what to pack". To make this more clear, we have listed helmet under what's not included on this tour page.
We are glad you enjoyed your trip and we would love to help you plan your next, whether it is in Europe or elsewhere!
Charlotte S.
4 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
Being in Venice, great dinners, excellent staff, incredibly good background material and maps (wish we got this before the trip so we could have been better prepared). We would have appreciated “corners” and a “sweep” when biking.
Tina C.
4 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
I truly enjoyed this tour that included daily rides through the picturesque Italian countryside. Each day we biked through a variety of landscapes, stopping in small towns along the way for cappuccino breaks, lunch and local tours. The bike tour staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. The boat crew was equally as wonderful, preparing wonderful meals each evening and serving them with a smile. Everyone bent over backwards to make this a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
As for suggestions, I think the last leg from Pellestrina Island to Venice could be improved. The morning was wasted in a small town that was not really open for business. Why not take an earlier Ferry to Lido and spend more time there before heading to Venice?
Matthew B.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy
The Crew on the boat (Captain Eduardo, Sylvia, & Barb) and our biking guide Antonella were all PHENOMENAL. The service and the food are first class.
Maria Luiza L.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Sicily - Syracuse, Noto Valley, & Baroque Villages
Italy
The cities of Noto, Syracuse, and Modica. The architecture, atmosphere, and food...
Neil M.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Venice to Florence - old version
Italy
We loved the small roads and bike paths often used to take us in to the villages. The accommodations were well placed in the towns with easy access to restaurants.
Most memorable was the last day (finding the climb quite the challenge ) but the exhilarating run down worth it .
To mention more signage in busy areas would be appreciated to put one at ease.
Rachel F.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Bolzano-Mantova-Venice
Italy
The best part was the first three days self-guided tour near the Dolomites on our 10 day tour.
Terry W.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Ave Maria Bolzano-Mantova-Venice
Italy
As professional as the staff were and as delicious the food, the most memorable part of the trip was interacting with fellow travelers. Since the boat can only berth around 40, I was able to get to know almost everyone and learn about their countries and personal histories.
Rosana S.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Lake Garda & the Adige River
Italy
The best trip i’ve ever done was through Danubio, from Passau to Vienna. It was perfect, the scenery, the route, the boat. It was my first time in a bike and tour trip. It was in 2016 and since then it,’s the only way i like to travel. A new world for me, I felt like a child recovering my childhood near from nature!
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