Holidays in Italy

godtabh

The wife is talking about going to Italy for holidays. Obviously the first thing that came into my mind is where is the best place for biking?

Any good choices that would be near to beaches/good food/things to do other than cycling?

Big Eejit

godtabh wrote: »

The wife is talking about going to Italy for holidays. Obviously the first thing that came into my mind is where is the best place for biking?

Any good choices that would be near to beaches/good food/things to do other than cycling?

Tuscany's good. Sicily's supposed to be good (While I've been to Sicily, I've not cycled there).

Crankymonkey

godtabh wrote: »

The wife is talking about going to Italy for holidays. Obviously the first thing that came into my mind is where is the best place for biking?

Any good choices that would be near to beaches/good food/things to do other than cycling?

Stay in Sorrento and cycle the amalfi coast.

martin.mcevoy

+1 on Sorrento

couerdelion

Sardinia.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=89934358&postcount=29

L'Enfer du Nord

+1(x3) for the places mentioned, however cycling culture is considerably stronger in the north of Italy. Veneto might be good, mostly flat but you are near the Dolimites.

mfceiling

Around the lakes are stunning, and i mean take your breath away stunning. Garda and Como are out of this world beauitful and i've seen many a cyclist in their full garb tearing around the roads.

For me though the area from where France meets Italy - from Nice, head for Menton , San Remo and Imperia and you are in to a part of Italy that is gorgeous. We stayed outside a town called Diano Marina - a bit touristy but not for english speakers (was there 2 weeks and heard one person speaking english). The towns of Alassio and Apricale are beautiful. Great food, very reasonably priced, beautiful scenery and great roads to cycle on - just the best for me.

I was in tuscany last year and it was lovely but i was slightly disappointed (i don't know why but maybe the fact that i got eaten alive by mosquitos!!) Again there were loads of cyclists there and the roads were quiet enough.

Regardless of where you go, just go to Italy - it really is the most beautiful country in the world!!

RonanP77

I spent a week in Sorrento a few years back and would definitely recommend it.

jrar

Spent 2 weeks slightly west of Perugia about two summers back - lovely part of the country, plenty pf hills, and lots of local cyclists around every day but esp. at weekends.

godtabh

Crankymonkey wrote: »

Stay in Sorrento and cycle the amalfi coast.

Sorento is where she wants to go. Win!

I'd like to go for two weeks. One week of cycling and one of sampling what Italy has to offer

Crankymonkey

godtabh wrote: »

Sorento is where she wants to go. Win!

I'd like to go for two weeks. One week of cycling and one of sampling what Italy has to offer

Tons & tons of cyclists in that region. Topflight fly from dublin. She will love it, as will you. I stayed in hotel bristol which has ridiculous views of the bay and mount Vesuvius but hard to go wrong.

kenmc

hotel bristol is lovely, stayed there for a minimoon after wedding in Tuscany back in 2010. good food in Sorrento also, but more touristy than northern Italy. fir cycling I'd be inclined to go Tuscany or lakes. Tuscany is savage for food and wine, go back in a heartbeat. live there if I could....

godtabh

Before I took up cycling I remember being in a called city up in the hills in Tuscany for a wedding. Lots of cyclists and I remember thinking at the time thinking I could rather do anything else than struggle up the hills. Now I'd love to go back there for a bit of cycling.

I think the place was called Cortona.

jrar

Cortona is beautifully located right at the top of a nice winding climb if I recall correctly - I drove up and the rental car was finding it hard going at times, and my only thought was "why haven't I got my bike with me ?!"

Plenty of hills in Tuscany if that's your bag.............

godtabh

jrar wrote: »

Cortona is beautifully located right at the top of a nice winding climb if I recall correctly - I drove up and the rental car was finding it hard going at times, and my only thought was "why haven't I got my bike with me ?!"

Plenty of hills in Tuscany if that's your bag.............

A friend of mine got married up there and has a house up in the mountains outside the town. They had a reception there the day after. The taxi bringing us there had to make two trips as there was too much weight in the car.

Its a pain to get there so dont see us going there again.

downwiththatsor

mfceiling wrote: »

The towns of Alassio and Apricale are beautiful. Great food, very reasonably priced, beautiful scenery and great roads to cycle on - just the best for me.

Anyone know if road bike hire is available in Alassio or any other towns in this area of Italy?

I recommend Florence by bike for road bike hire, got a willier there a few years ago and did a loop out into the hills. http://www.florencebybike.it/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

nak

The Belvedere in Riccione is amazing for cyclists, have been there twice. Hard to top to be honest. http://m.belvederericcione.com/en/mobile/index.html

Not crazy about the town itself, but beautiful countryside close by, great for cycling.

Paddigol

Anyone any experience of cycling around Bologna?

nak

Paddigol wrote: »

Anyone any experience of cycling around Bologna?

Riccione is fairly close, region is beautiful, plenty of hills with some nasty short steep ones. Easy to find quiet roads and lots of cyclists.