Italy Tour Reviews — 61 to 90 of 668

It’s hard to pick just one thing that made this trip outstanding - the food was outstanding- better than I had at restaurants in Venice and Florence - and they accommodated my vegan diet. Biking, touring, and dining with people from all over with an entertaining and knowledgeable guide and crew was just the best. The scenery was beautiful and the little side tours, including to a grappa winery and cheese producer to break up the day were so much fun. A great combination of touring and biking.

Wonderful trip, we had the good luck to do this on the weekend of the Eroica ride and passed through a number of the small towns which host the ride including Gaiole where the finish line and festival are held as well as ride some of the Strade Bianchi that the ride covers. The first few days give you the opportunity to stop at some of the wineries along the route for tastings, some are open without booking and often have lovely views to enjoy as you taste the wine.
Lucca was probalby our favourite town, the hotel was lovely and the suggested restaurants were also very good.
I would suggest you ensure you have a key to the bike battery as some of the hotels struggled to accomodate charging the multiple bikes as other groups will likely be on the same itinerary and not having the key made things more difficult than needed.
The bikes were very good and comfortable.

1st I have to complement Claudia for all her help! The crew of the Vita Pugna were exceptional, particularly George our guide. This was our 4th boat bike tour in Europe. I would not recommend anyone cruising on the Vita Pugna. The walls were paper thing and we got one good night's sleep. We asked the people next to us 2x to be quiet. They kept talking to late in the night and we felt we were in the room with them. The meals and chef were excellent. Captain was the hardest working one I have ever seen. I definitely would go with this crew on another boat in the future. Bikes were good. Touring/ sites were special. Some people should have rented ebikes as we had to wait up to as 1/2 hour at times for them to catch up and we were not going fast. Crew was extremely helpful both at the beginning during and at the end of our tour. Back to Claudia. she answered all of my questions. Help us get on the right transportation from the airport to the island of Quidecca, where we stayed in a hotel the night before the trip. We met 4 other couples at the hotel. Only difficulty we had was finding the boat on the date of departure. I was unable to load the map for direction. We were finally able to find the boat. I would recommend a separate email at the end with the necessary directions/ map to the boat. One more time I need to mention how much I appreciated Claudia's and the other tour specialists. You were the best I/ we ever have had! Thank you. Steve and Barbara Ferrin.

We loved our bike and barge trip from Venice to Mantova. The guides were helpful and friendly, the barge was extremely comfortable, the chefs were masterful and the scenery was gorgeous! It was one of the best bike and barge experiences we've had.

We had the best of many worlds on our trip. Patient, helpful and friendly guides; outstanding chefs; competent and patient captain and crew. The scenery was gorgeous and we especially loved the areas around Venice and Murano. Our cabin was super clean and comfortable. And our fellow travelers were so easy to be with. We noticed the shower was actually the biggest shower we used during our three weeks in Italy! A little rain towards the end of the trip, but nothing anyone can do about that.

Venice back canals. Swimming in adriatic sea. Feedback bikes should have mirrors or tell people to bring them.

The cruise was interesting and extremely well organized. The tour guide, Hugo, was exceptionally good and well informed. He was a very good riding guide and for tours of the cities we visited, and he adapted to changes in weather very well.

Best event was the Wine Pairing meal at ENOTECA PROPERZIO, food was the best and wines were so tasty!
Other wine tastings also good and loved the cooking lesson with the Pasta making!
Hikes were much more difficult than posted, hardly suitable for families, trail on last day from Spoleto was not well signed but we found it! The trail near the farm with the dogs was poorly marked and much of the trail has been affected by erosion. Great value for money on this trip, all hotels were excellent!

The trip was well organized. I met with the tour staff in Italy before I started as well as at the end of the tour. I appreciated the GPX tracks which made navigation easier. The materials were well organized, train tickets included with schedules, and I enjoyed the hotels where I stayed. The luggage transfer was efficient and my suitcase was always waiting for me when I arrived at the hotel. I enjoyed visiting the major cities on the tour: Lecce, Otranto and Gallipoli.

As I mentioned to the staff, the final day of walking in the nature park needs a major improvement. I got very lost in the woods and the GPX tracks failed to give helpful directions. It was stressful as I was traveling alone. I also suggested that the food and wine portion of the trip be improved or just dropped from the tour. I never located the wine tasting shop (nor could the local folks that I asked for assistance) and the sampling of local products at a bakery was a slice of pizza. 4 dinners were included but it was unclear what was included in the dinner which was confusing.
I was happy to visit southern Italy and see so many historic locations

This was our fifth bike and boat trip in Europe and was by far the best one yet! The captain Salvatore, first mate Angelo, and chef Vanessa are the boat owners, and took great pride in making this an unforgettable adventure. The Sundial is a very comfortable and clean boat, our room and private bath had lots of space for clothing, suitcases and all essentials. Bed and pillows comfortable. Air conditioning was kept on until midnight, so we kept windows open and fan on throughout the night so that it didn't get hot after AC was turned off (we went in mid/late September so the night temps were pleasant). There is good space on the boat for lounging after biking, either in sun or shade. Each day after biking the captain found a place to anchor so we could swim. The food was phenomenal, with a variety of seafood, pasta, cured meats, cheeses, breads, desserts, etc. There were always baskets of chocolates in the dining area for us to enjoy anytime. Bar was well stocked, and we enjoyed the Sicilian wines that were offered. Our biking tour guide, Vera, was exceptional, as her knowledge of the islands, flora, and myths was text book worthy. Each island has its own story, and one of the highlights was the night boat ride around Stromboli to view the erupting volcano -- natural fireworks! The biking was easily manageable with e bikes. We would suggest that your rent the e bike rather than regular bike, as the uphill climb will slow you down and thus slow down the entire group while they wait for you. You'll still get a good workout if you keep the the bike on OFF while biking normal terrain or ECO when climbing. Helmets and towels for swimming are provided, so you don't have to bring your own if luggage space is an issue. We wish this boat did other tours, because we would sign up immediately!

We loved the culinary experiences..all were unique and different..the hotels were lovely and people were very helpful... we loved all 3 towns on the tour...the hiking and we did every inch of every trail was challenging and a large part of every hike was all up mountains which was a bit different from meandering the country side and doing rolling hills ...we found that some of the trails were washed out and footing was difficult ..suggesting they should be checked!

Making pasta was a fun event.
One gourmet dinner looked fantastic BUT did not taste great.
The hikes WERE DEFINITELY not as advertised!! Dangerous and unsafe in some areas. Walking through the olive groves was lovely. We are all experienced hikers and walkers but some parts too hard.
The architecture was delightful every where. Hotel in Fontebella was lovely. In ASSISI while walking became upon a visual a d musical journey of St. Francis that was unbelievably fantastic!!!
Our wine tasting at Saio was great.
Hotel in Spello was the best but we could only stay one night-disapointing!!
Best meal was Enotata Properzo.

What wonderful views in Puglia. in addition to the biking, loved the cooking class and wine tasting- best guide ever, Julia went out of her way to help us and spent extra hours every day making sure our trip went smoothly and was fun.

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 fun interaction with all the other people on the barge. Also, the fantastic guides and crew - all were great. Food terrific as evidenced by the 5 lbs. I gained!
While the terrain was flat, there was a couple of days when we had gravel and tree roots which made the going a little tougher and hard on the butt and lower back. An additional cushioned seat cover would have helped. Many people had Emile’s which were helpful over the rougher terrain. I never thought I would need one but I am almost 85 and have a broken down lower back. I really struggled on the second day when we did 50 km and some lengthy rough patches. People with e-bikes felt they were very good bikes, heavier than a regular bike but expected. The regular bikes were excellent other than a little more cushioning would help. The scenery along the way is not very interesting.
but earlier reviews mentioned that. It’s more about the fun of the group. This is likely my last bike trip but it was a great one. All of the bike & barge trips are terrific.

This was the seventh bike/barge tour, in Europe, which I have taken. It was a wonderful tour. The boat, the crew and the guides were among if not the best. In particular the quality and the presentation of the food was outstanding,. I have three suggestions that in my opinion would have made the trip more comfortable. The first is quite minor but most North Americans use a facecloth in the bathrooms, I would prefer this to the two handtowels which were provided for each guest, Secondly, on each of my earlier trips better accommodations were made for guests to dry out light laundry or wet clothing. A clothesline set up on upper patio could work well for this, Finally, my experience is that cycling in a group of 31 is awkward and potentially dangerous. Our two guides worked together very well to control the traffic and allow the whole group to cross major roads safely but two smaller groups would mean shorter traffic delays.
Overall a great trip which I will gladly recommend yo others

EVERYTHING about this trip was spectacular. We were so impressed with our guide Antonio in his expertise and knowledge of the area of Tuscany. The friends we made are memorable and probably lifelong. The food, the trails, the villages, the group dinners, the pizza lunch— all of it is memorable. We’ll be back for another Tripsite Trip!! Caio!

The riding was fabulous. The routes were challenging, yet doable for me (on e-bike,) and the towns and views were just breathtaking. My husband is a strong rider, but opted for an ebike, and enjoyed challenging himself by keeping it at the lowest level.

This trip was unlike any other! The guides were extremely knowledgeable, kind, respectful, and patient. Cycling through Tuscany will be forever replaying in my mind!

Hard to pick any single thing - the staff was likely the best part, with great tour leaders, followed by how good the food was!

Cycling through the smaller rural villages and on rural roads we really enjoyed. The people are really friendly and helpful. It was easy to follow the route with the GPS app supplied. The Baroque villages are fascinating . We especially loved staying in the old city of Syracuse. Well worth spending an extra day here.

We have to add that there is quite a bit of cycling on busy roads which was not that enjoyable.

On the whole though can highly recommend this trip.

Food was good, but I would of liked more vegetables at dinners.
It would of been nice to have some organized group activities ( especially the first night) so people could get to know each other better . Just standing up and saying your name and where you were from was definitely not enough. After dinner, so many people just went to their rooms . If there was an organized fun event to do, then people would of stayed in the main room and participated.

Fabulous trip! Tripsite personnel were great and the Ave Maria and staff were outstanding!

It was a great trip. Everything went smoothly. Sophie from TripSite was very responsive. The hotels were all located in central locations, clean and had great breakfast buffets. The Art Hotel Commercianti in Bologna and the Agriturismo La Razza were fabulous. The food in this region is top notch and the people are so friendly.

Don't let hills deter you from doing a bike trip - I used an e-bike and it was so easy to do the hills. Bike is such a great way to travel!

The six “ crew members” , especially Sylvia who’s English was great and energy outstanding! Next the food! Amazing. Finally the biking and scenery and tours along the way.
I would definitely recommend others to plan an extended stay in Venice before the cruise begins as it is such a wonderful place and more time is needed to see it all.

Just returned from this tour. This is one of my favorite bike tours of all time. Our guide Antonio and driver Felix were outstanding in meals, information, and great personalities. My wife and I rode e-bikes for this trip and were thankful we did. While some others struggled at times we were able to enjoy the scenery and still get as much of a workout as desired. The route is heavily roads and gravel making the wider tires a much better choice. If your hard core be prepared.
The food and accommodations were very good. Definitely would recommend.

The Italian inter structure does not support SAFE bicycle travel………

This ride was so well organized and memorable in so many ways. The places we rode to, the food we ate and the local wines we drank made this ride one to remember. Riding through back farm roads with little traffic, seeing the olive trees, dry rock walls and cactus plants, all touched our hearts. The reason we love bike riding is to connect with the land, absorbing the atmosphere of who the people are and how they live. The rides each day were so good, the accommodation was exceptional, you will not be disappointed. Staying at Lecce, Otranto, Santa Maria de Leuca and Gallipoli were highlights along the way, as was walking to the tip of the "heel" of Italy. So special and memorable.