European Cycling Destinations: Help Us Select Where to Cycle

[MadRocketSci]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pink

Did you stay there?

yes i was just there this past Oct...

[Kirk007]

Originally Posted by pjmsj21

Thus we are looking to use a cycling specific tour company as we like the idea of joining a group. We are older riders at 65, but reasonably serious riders looking for daily rides in the 35-65 mile range. We enjoy hills but probably aren't interested in doing the historic climbs as a group.

Thanks for all of the really great feedback so far!!!!

I'd check out Andy Hampsten's company - cinghiale.com. It sounds like one of their tours that sticks around the Z'Martino and does cooking etc could be good.

[Look585]

Originally Posted by Kirk007

I'd check out Andy Hampsten's company - cinghiale.com. It sounds like one of their tours that sticks around the Z'Martino and does cooking etc could be good.

The riding around Andy's base in Castegneto Carducci (coastal Tuscany) is magical. There are options for flatter coastal rides, moderately hilly just to the east, and very hilly if you cross over to central Tuscany. Access is easy with the Pisa airport just an hour north.

We did a week (unsupported) based on the routes linked below. I'm sure Andy's company would have some even more undiscovered gems on the cycling itinerary and mix in non-cycling stuff (e.g. cooking classes, Bolgheri wine tours, etc.).

http://www.costadeglietruschi.it/med...artagrande.pdf

[Mr. Pink]

Wow, is that map available in English? Awesome.

[pjmsj21]

Originally Posted by Look585

The riding around Andy's base in Castegneto Carducci (coastal Tuscany) is magical. There are options for flatter coastal rides, moderately hilly just to the east, and very hilly if you cross over to central Tuscany. Access is easy with the Pisa airport just an hour north.

We did a week (unsupported) based on the routes linked below. I'm sure Andy's company would have some even more undiscovered gems on the cycling itinerary and mix in non-cycling stuff (e.g. cooking classes, Bolgheri wine tours, etc.).

http://www.costadeglietruschi.it/med...artagrande.pdf

OP here again....I saw this in our hunt for information and have an email into them to check availability......it looks very interesting.

[christian]

Originally Posted by pjmsj21

OP here......actually we were considering the Scandinavian countries as well.

Hi, I'm Swedish. Reconsider.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by pjmsj21

Thus we are looking to use a cycling specific tour company as we like the idea of joining a group. We are older riders at 65, but reasonably serious riders looking for daily rides in the 35-65 mile range. We enjoy hills but probably aren't interested in doing the historic climbs as a group.

Because my wife works in education we are looking at a time frame from mid June to mid-September.

Two years ago my wife and I did ABCycle's tour of Sardegna in July. I cannot recommend them highly enough; I think it's fair to say that trip was the highlight of our cycling lives! Fantastic riding, fantastic food, fantastic accomodations...and Angelo & Anna Marie, the folks who run ABCycle, are some of the warmest, most genuine people I've ever met. I'd go again in a heartbeat.

[Look585]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pink

Wow, is that map available in English? Awesome.

I think so, email the tourist info and I think there is a hard copy.

Also, you can click thru the various routes on the list (link below) for English descriptions and more detailed maps.

http://www.costadeglietruschi.it/med...oturistici.asp

BTW, if anyone does "Route 20", we were given a detour by a local at a coffee shop. The road thru the Riserva Statale Marsiliana (SP143) outside Massa Marittima was the finest 10 miles of cycling I've ever pedaled.

[poff]

Originally Posted by velotel

French roads are in much better shape than italian roads. Note that the reference here is to the small roads, not the highways. France also has a much larger road system, around 1,400,000 kilometers of paved secondary roads, and when I say secondary I do mean secondary. I've always said that someone could be dropped off just about anywhere in France with a bike and no map and roll off and have a fantastic ride. Italy has vastly more dirt/gravel roads that are way fun to ride. Maps for riding in France are much better than what's available for Italy. I'm always frustrated in Italy because I can rarely find a map with a scale less than 1:200,000 whereas in France 1:100,000 is common plus for certain regions, usually the mountains, maps with 1:75,000 scale are available.

Roads in Sud Tyrol are better than in French Alps IMHO, the major ones at least: Stelvio, Gavia, San Marco, Mendola, anything in Dolomites.

[rain dogs]

So far you have "Go to France" , "Go to Italy", "Go to Spain", "Go to Germany", "Go to...."

Hope that's helping you.

When are you going? < That is an important question re: climate, tourism, culture etc.

Why are you going? < Is it a bike trip first, and tourism second? or Vice versa?

If you want the country most likely to give you the highest probability of a successful bike-focused trip (good weather, good sites, good cycling, good variety, good history, good food, good people) go to Spain.

[Kirk007]

Originally Posted by rain dogs

So far you have "Go to France" , "Go to Italy", "Go to Spain", "Go to Germany", "Go to...."

Hope that's helping you.

When are you going? < That is an important question re: climate, tourism, culture etc.

Why are you going? < Is it a bike trip first, and tourism second? or Vice versa?

If you want the country most likely to give you the highest probability of a successful bike-focused trip (good weather, good sites, good cycling, good variety, good history, good food, good people) go to Spain.

Well, the tour company chosen might make as big a difference to the OP as the place etc. Andy's ops are top notch as are Glenn Erickson's, which cover multiple countries, but they are typically higher mileage and longer than OP was looking for (best bang for $$ though that I've seen for a fully supported, traveling tour).

[pjmsj21]

OP here again....it looks as if we are starting to narrow down our destination to Italy. We are looking for destinations for a week to 10 days of riding where we stay in one location and use it as a base to do daily rides out of.

A friend has recommended Your Cycling Italia (http://www.yourcyclingitalia.com/bike2/). Does anyone have any experience with Your Cycling Italia and or can anyone suggest other similar base hotel operations in Italy that we should consider?

[schwa86]

I did a week two years ago. Awesome trip. Bill was a very nice guy who definitely took us places we would not have otherwise found. Post re the week here:

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=110967

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by Look585

The riding around Andy's base in Castegneto Carducci (coastal Tuscany) is magical. There are options for flatter coastal rides, moderately hilly just to the east, and very hilly if you cross over to central Tuscany. Access is easy with the Pisa airport just an hour north.

We did a week (unsupported) based on the routes linked below. I'm sure Andy's company would have some even more undiscovered gems on the cycling itinerary and mix in non-cycling stuff (e.g. cooking classes, Bolgheri wine tours, etc.).

http://www.costadeglietruschi.it/med...artagrande.pdf

Ship(USN CV) pulled into Livorno and me and 2 others rode around the area, late 80s. To say it was spectaculor is a huge understatement. A couple of days from Livorno to Pisa and back. Motorpaced once by a 3 wheeled bread truck..magical.

[PaMtbRider]

Does anyone offer 2 week tours other than Glenn Erickson? Most all the tour companies only offer a 1 week tour and they typically cost as much as 2 weeks with Glenn. We have ridden on 2 Erickson cycle tours, France and Switzerland. I would highly recommend them for the serious cyclist looking for more than 2-3 hours of riding per day. Unfortunately I am not sure how much longer he will be leading tours do to health issues.