Italy Top to Toe

Day 1

Arrive in wonderful Verona for the evening and explore this historic and romantic city with its Roman amphitheatre, Juliet’s balcony and historic centre. In fact, if you choose to come out a day early you certainly won’t regret it and we can easily arrange this for you. We meet early evening for our pre-ride briefing before going out to eat with your fellow riders and an opportunity to start to get to know the group (Saturday. Dinner included).

Day 3

The exit from the city isn’t too bad or busy and you will soon be out in open countryside again, enjoying speeding along in your biggest gear. Just before our coffee break you will get the opportunity to check that your gears still work as you climb up into the Apennines which stretch almost the whole way down Italy and which you will encounter on several occasions. There are some short but steep sections and superb views back across the plain and to the west. It’s a wonderful hotel tonight with great food and a spa / swimming pool in which to relax tired muscles. (Monday. Breakfast & dinner included. 68 miles, 110km, 2311m climbing).

Day 5

Riding via Leonardo da Vinci’s birthplace, the Tuscan influence becomes stronger throughout the day with many small towns with historic buildings and churches. Olive trees start being more frequent and you are also in the famous Chianti vineyards towards the end of the day. The second half is a little hillier but you should still make it to Siena in plenty of time to explore this wonderful city and soak up the atmosphere in the exquisite main square. NB ask us about the exquisite gelato (ice cream) parlour just off the square which coupled with one of the finest views anywhere will make you tingle with enjoyment! (Wednesday. Breakfast included. 61 miles, 97km, 1555m climbing).

Day 7

Leaving Tuscany we soon enter Umbria, a less frequented area for tourists but with a rich heritage and history dating back to Etruscan times. There are three larger climbs today making the majority of the daily elevation but also some lovely easier sections, the whole through lovely countryside to a wonderful hilltop town where we have a wonderful hotel where you are bound to be well looked after. (Friday. Breakfast & dinner included. 60 miles, 97km, 2176m climbing).

Day 9

Rest day. Lounge by the lake, pamper yourself in the hotel spa, stroll through the village or venture into Rome, about an hour away on the train (Sunday. Breakfast included).

Day 11

Another shorter day riding south to the town of Cassino which saw bitter fighting in WW2. There should be time to visit the abbey, perched high above the town. For those interested, your guide will gladly tell you all about the battle of Monte Cassino! (Tuesday. Breakfast included. 56 miles, 90km, 1292m climbing).

Day 13

An intentionally shorter day to allow you time to explore perhaps the world’s most famous ruins at Pompei. Two climbs start the day with longer but well-graded ascents and glimpses of the Bay of Naples and the offending Mount Vesuvius. Our hotel is very nice and is a 5-minute walk from the ruins and the town centre. We also highly recommend a visit to the cathedral to see the intricate and ornate internal painting, before perhaps the best pizza you’ve ever had on the high street not many miles from where this now global dish originated. (Thursday. Breakfast included. 54 miles, 86km, 909m climbing).

Day 15

Another lakeside location beckons tonight as we skirt a nature reserve that sadly just doesn’t have good enough roads to ride through; you may still see some interesting wildlife and almost certainly birds overhead. By now you will be noticing the changes in the countryside and built environment as we are well into the south. There are some wonderful hilltop towns we see and some dramatic views too, of completely unspoilt vistas. (Saturday. Breakfast & dinner included. 75 miles, 121km, 2245m climbing).

Day 17

Some of the places you will ride through today are like the land that time forgot with villages seemingly unchanged for generations. By now you will know that you have mastered the challenge of riding through Italy and this is always a great psychological boost but take time to enjoy the remaining few days. (Monday. Breakfast & dinner included. 70 miles, 112km, 2627m climbing).

Day 19

The last day of your adventure and one large climb in the middle before a long descent down to Reggio Calabria and views across the straights to Sicily. Our hotel is central and we will enjoy a proper feast tonight with friends old and new to reminisce and wallow in the glory of your achievements without the need to get up and ride a bike tomorrow! (Wednesday. Breakfast and dinner included. 75 miles, 120km, 2022m climbing).

Travel Information

Outward: fly direct to Verona. Alternatives include Milan and Venice, both of which are within an hour by train.

Return: Reggio Calabria has a mainline train station which connects to Naples airport for a wide variety of flights. Alternatively take the very regular (every hour, 35 minute trip) ferry from close to our hotel across to Sicily and fly from Catania.

Bike Transport under the ATA Carnet scheme is included for this tour if you want it. Briefly, this means that we take your bike out and back; and exactly what goes out must come back - nothing more, nothing less. In the week prior to the start date we will offer collections (included) from locations at a specific time from the Manchester area and the London area; or you can courier your bike to us in Dorset.

Click here for our Travel Information page.