How to Find the Perfect Tuscan Villa for your Bicycle Vacation

There’s a charming Tuscan villa with your name on it. The plan for the week is to ride to wineries and castles on a trusty steed rented from BikeRentalsPlus! Everything is arranged: the kids have the downstairs room, the pool behind the villa is definitely open for the week and the family will be dining on Florentine steak at local restaurants that you’ve painstakingly researched.

But you’ve never done this sort of thing before – what should you expect? Lucky for you, we’ve compiled the comments from our 2009 customers into usable advice for next time. First: a bit of wisdom on the Italian train system, and then we’ll dive into customer feedback.

Planes, trains and automobiles

After arriving by plane, many customers rent cars – or they take advantage of Europe’s favorite transportation: the train. This year, many of our customers sieged trains with bikes in hand, ready to ride off into the Italian sunset. But navigating the Italian train system is sometimes harder than it is easy, so we wanted to share some travel tips to smooth the path of future and returning customers.

First, make sure to book the right train. Regional trains (designated by a little “R”) are the only ones in Italy that will accept bikes. There is no need to reserve these ahead of time, although it’s not a bad idea to check out and print the desired itinerary online the night before. Go to www.trenitalia.com to find the perfect route (there is an English version). Enter the departure and arrival towns (spell the names right or it won’t work!) and click the “all solutions” button to view all regional trains.

At the train station, buy at ticket at the counter or through an automated machine – but don’t forget to buy a ticket for yourself and your bike. Bike tickets usually cost around an additional €3.50. On the way out, validate both tickets (stamp them) in one of the many yellow boxes on the walls in the train station, or else you might end up with an additional but unwanted ticket from train personnel who occasionally pass by once onboard.

After purchase and validation, located one of the electronic departure screens inside our outside to find out which “bin” (short for “binario,” or platform) the correct train departs from. Be prepared to do some awkward weightlifting: some train stations have elevators and most do not allow passengers to cross the tracks for any reason – unattended, or mostly at all. So the only way to get from here to there is to go down stairs with the bike and back up the stairs on the other side. Batting the eyelashes at strong Italian men sometimes helps in this predicament, if one happens to be female.

Once the stairs are behind you, hopefully the train is already waiting on the tracks. Now where the heck does the bike go? Look for the little bike icon on the train, usually right behind the engine in the front of the train (but sometimes also towards the back of the train). Take a deep breath: getting in the train requires lifting yourself plus bike up the steep steps into the train. Once inside, most likely the bike will be hung by the wheel in a small bike car – so it’s not a bad idea to remove panniers ahead of time, if panniers are in use.

If for some reason you are picking up a bike in Italy and riding to France, then taking the train back with your bike, regional trains won’t do the trick. Long distance travel requires a faster train with less stops, such as an ES, InterCity or Freccia Rosa. On these trains, riders must take apart and pack up their bikes so they will be considered as luggage.

Finding your way

You said:
“The maps were pretty sparse and we could have done with somewhat more detailed ones”

“The map scale was 1:200,000. This did not provide nearly enough detail. After our first day, we found a store that sold maps and purchased a 1:100,000 map.”

“Most of the small highways had no road signs, nor town direction signs at intersections... Often what looked like a fairly major road on the map was fairly small street in reality.”

Our marked maps are maps with highlighted rides – so customers need to be comfortable reading and following a map without other written cues. The Italian countryside is a puzzle comprised of tiny, bike path-sized roads along routes created in Roman times. As such, the roads are winding and scenic, but can be confusing. Part of navigating in Italy is being comfortable with the fact that at first, visitors do get lost – but it’s how they react that counts.

One suggestion is that all cyclists purchase the local Touring Club Italiano (green) or Michelin yellow map of the area they’ll be riding in. The most common maps in Italy are the T.C.I. 1:200000 regional maps; they work quite well for bicycle touring even though a more detailed map might be useful especially for navigation in a city. F.m.b. makes more detailed maps that are generally available at rest areas on the highwy or book stores.

All riders should have a map to help them make decisions on the road. Customers who have purchased routes from us can use them in tandem with the Michelin or Touring Club maps. For example, if you want to lengthen or shorten the route, use the Michelin map in concert with our routes to do so easily. TCI or Michelin maps of various scale can typically be found at gas stations, souvenir shops, etc.

After buying a map, get comfortable with your new friend. Check out the map’s key for clues on what kind of terrain to expect. Squint closely: there are little chevrons – or tiny black arrows – pointing toward one direction on the road. The direction the arrows point indicates a climb or a descent, depending on which way the route is ridden. Eventually, the arrows will point in both directions (with a spot in the middle sans chevron) indicating the top of the hill.

Look even closer at the arrows and to see what else they explain: road steepness. One arrow means a 4-7 percent grade; two arrows means a 7-12 percent grade; and three arrows means more than 12 percent grade (and requires a really good breakfast!).

Also, get friendly with the little red dots placed along each road. These points indicate distance – two red dots with a red number in the midde (for example, 8.9) represent a tally of the kilometers on that section of road. By adding up each of these sections, riders can easily make predetermined or purchased routes longer or shorter. Maps allow flexibility and aid in answering the question of whether to lounge by the pool or check out that castle on the next hill.

Know what to look for – find signs for villages along the way and try to find them on the map. Upon entering a town there will be a large white sign with black lettering on the side of the road that announces the city boundary. Upon leaving, there will be another large white sign with the same town name, except this one will have a red slash through the word, signaling that you are no longer in the town.

Cyclists also need to know what not to look for: road signs may fall in this category, as usually only the main roads are visibly numbered. Instead, use landmarks like lakes, mountain ranges, historical buildings or even towns. And don’t be afraid to ask a local. A friendly Italian can literally point you in the right direction, even if you don’t understand much of the spoken directions. It might be a good idea to memorize at least the basic Italian direction words (like straight, left, right, etc).

Mechanical difficulties

You said:
“Also, having to deal with a malfunctioning seat clamp while out on a long ride. I had to find a hardware store in a small town and buy an allen key.”

Before each rental, each bike is personally ridden and checked by our in-house mechanics. But as cyclists know, stuff happens out there – so before vacation learn a couple basics, starting with how to fix a flat tire. We will gladly come to your rescue in dire need, but we encourage all of our customers to know how to fix a flat, if the need should arise.

Most of the time, we enjoy meeting our customers and doing a short bike fitting with them – adjusting the seat height and handlebars, putting pedals on and making other small adjustments. Ask our representative for additional help if you think you’ll need to adjust something later – they can demonstrate easy moves like readjusting seat height or handlebars (with the help of tools, if needed).

In any case, bringing a couple simple tools (allen wrench set and pedal wrench if you’re bringing your own pedals) also might not be a bad idea. In some cases, we can provide tools to our customers. But we have a limited supply, so we cannot guarantee we’ll be able to lend any of ours.

Hungry and thirsty for more

You said:
“I probably didn't carry enough water or snacks as it was very hot.”

In Italy, one rarely experiences the “middle of nowhere” feeling – small towns are sprinkled like parmesan cheese across Italy. Bring at least one water bottle – especially during the hot summer months – but there’s no need to stress about running out of acqua. Each town has a public fountain with potable water – unless specified otherwise by a sign that reads “Aqua non potabile”. Look for a fill-up in main squares (called piazzas), along the main road in town or by churches and cemeteries, where Italian visitors need fountains in order to water flowers on gravestones.

If stops are included in each day (maybe a castle tour or a late lunch at a restaurant with a killer view) remember that Italian working hours are not like American working hours. Italian time is fluid: the hours on the window may say “Open at 0900,” but if it’s raining or visitors are in town, the owner might decide to come in later. Local shops do what they please, especially in small towns or non tourist destinations. While bars open early, Italian stores and restaurants typically open later (around 0900 or 1000) and will close during the day for several hours (usually around 1300-1530… or so). Think about polishing military time skills, since Europeans are very comfortable with the 24-hour clock!

Also keep in mind that many stores might also be open on at least one day of the weekend – typically Saturday, when they might be open for part of the day – but closed on another weekday. And since Italy is a Catholic country, most stores, restaurants (and some bike shops) are closed on Sundays – so keep that in mind when planning your vacation abroad.


A few things to definitely pack in the suitcase: a windproof and/or waterproof layer (especially if riding in the mountains or visiting during fall or spring), sunglasses, phrase book, sunscreen, your own helmet and/or pedals (we only provide flat pedals or toe cages) – and of course, an open mind and sense of adventure.

Bicycle Italy's Piedmont Region

Dreaming of designing your own bike tour of Northwest Italy around Turin? The region is ready for you! The region's new web site "Piemonte Ciclabile" (Cyclable Piedmont) lists thirty some bike tours and routes you can do on your own. Each tour has an interactive map that shows lodging options along the route. This is a great service for those planning their own tour.

The Piedmont is one of the best areas for bicycling in Italy. It enjoys a mix of mountainous (indeed, Alpine) terrain as well as great vineyard riding through the hills of Monferrato and flat rides across the rice paddies of the Po Valley. Piedmont cuisine is also excellent - a mixture of the best Italian food and more refined cuisine of France.
Of course, if you prefer to take an escorted bike tour there are plenty of those as well. Click here for one example.

Bicyle Paths, Routes and Logistics in France

France is arguably one of the best places in the world to ride a bicycle, primarily because of the dense network of rural roads and because of complete coverage of the entire country by Michelin maps at a scale of 1:200,000. Finally, the French government tourist office has provided an online resource to help you plan.

In addition check out the resources on the EuroVelo website.

Surprisingly, despite their centralized government, the French have done a terrible job of helping you find a hotel. There is no centralized data base of hotels in France to help you plan your bike tour. Michelin Red Guides are great, but contain only 60-70% of the lodging facilities in France. Normally they'll leave out the cheaper hotels or pensions - often the ones cyclists are looking for.

Logis de France, however, a marketing consortium of small, private hotels in France has a wonderful online resource where you can search for lodging using an interactive map of France. It is great for planning a bicycle tour. Give it a try!

Resources for Accommodations on your Italy Bicycle Tour

The top image is of a farm house accommodation in Tuscany (an "agriturismo") while the bottom image shows bungalows in a campground near Rome.

If you are bicycling by yourself or if you are camping you can often "wing it" in finding a place to sleep at night. But as we've explained elsewhere, "when you are organizing a ride and you have one or ten other people, you need answers to questions like:
1) How long is today's ride?
2) How high is that mountain pass (or, from the engineer, "what's the total vertical today?")
3) Where are we sleeping tonight?
4) Where's the best lunch stop today?
. . . and on and on and on."

So here are a few resources for finding that lodging in advance. And even if you don't book in advance (since many people prefer not to be locked into a specific destination) you can at least get an idea of what is available.

Italian Hotel Directories:

ENIT - the Italian Government Tourist Board has the most comprehensive data base of Italian hotels. Theoretically, it is comprehensive, ranking all hotels in Italy by star class and location. It helps to know your Italian geography a bit (especially the Regional, Provincial and Communal - township - hierarchy). Using this you can find a hotel almost anywhere in Italy. And, there's an English version!

Here is an example in finding a hotel in or around Palermo, Sicily:
Type Palermo into the "Town" field and click "search."
You'll find a pretty blank screen that offers you 70 hotels in Palermo and "hotels in the municipality of Palermo." Click on the "70 hotels in Palermo" text and you'll find a list of those hotels and a further list of 40 municipalities. Both lists are very useful in finding lodging in the Palermo region. Click here to see that page.

Bicycle Friendly Hotels, Farms Lodging, and Pensions in Italy

"Albergabici" is a portal that gathers hotels, pensions, farms (agriturismi), hostels and a few campgrounds that claim to be friendly to cyclists. It is sorted by Region, then province and town. The lodging lists can then be sorted by type of lodging (4 star hotel, bed and breakfast, agriturismi, etc.)

Here's the page for Palermo.

Villa and Hotel Hub and Spoke Self-Guided Bicycle Tour in Tuscany

A great example of a combination seven-night self-guided tour that involved the hub and spoke concept with hotel changes but mostly three night stays in two different hotels is praised by a customer who just did this in May 2009:

"To Everyone at BikeRentalsPlus:

We just finished our self-guided tour of Tuscany and it was absolutely fantastic! Our bicycles were excellent, and all the arrangements worked perfectly (including the prompt and efficient responses to emails and phone calls during the pre-trip planning stages). Most importantly, the cycling routes were stunningly scenic and mostly traffic-free, far surpassing my expectations. The points of interest were also extremely well chosen, as were the accommodations. The Borgo Tre Rose (where we lodged for the first three nights) was particularly memorable, with an outstanding restaurant and a breath-taking setting, while our visit to the Abazzia Sant’Antima was an unexpected highlight of the trip. After our bicycle tour we visited Siena, Florence, and Venice, but sightseeing in these crowded cities paled in comparison to the experience we had on the bikes, where we had country roads and ancient villages practically to ourselves. It was much more exciting to discover a beautiful Duccio in a quiet church in Montepulciano, or a Giovanni Pisano on a deserted street in San Quirico d’Orcia, than to wait on line at the Uffizi to see more works of art than could possibly be seen in a day (and I say this as a trained art historian). Thanks for a great trip – we will definitely be back next year for more!

Signed,
Prof. MH
Professor of Art
New York State"

This is a great example of someone who wanted the independence of pedaling on their own without having to move daily but who also benefited from the expertise of a pre-designed bike tour. They also benefitted from the logistics which had already been taken care of.

Services provided on this tour included:
1) pre-tour consultation and travel advice;
2) bicycle rental of new, 30 speed Titanium bikes;
3)pick up at the train station, deliver y to the first hotel and bike fitting;
4) hotel bookings for seven nights;
5) pre-designed routes;

The links above explain the different services in detail and the photo shows the villa-hotel this couple used their first three nights.

For details on other options, bike rentals, and other services visit the Bike Rentals Plus!web site.

The Logistics of Bicycling Sicily on your Own

This is just a brief note on the logistics of getting organized and getting the right bike in Sicily for my trip. Bike Rentals Plus! has a fleet of bicycles near Bologna and they work with people all over Europe. My bike happens to be with the fleet in Bologna so I had it shipped off to one of our partners in Palermo, Sicily. So when I flew into Palermo I simply picked my bike up at the local supplier. If you were doing this you'd likely rent a bike (since shipping your bike internationally is expensive - see more on that here). Upon arrival in Palermo you would simply pick the bike up at the local supplier.

From Palermo I took the train to Marsala to begin my ride. Local and regional Italian trains make it really easy to roll on/roll off the train with your bike (most do anyway). So here I am in Palermo getting on the train for Marsala.

To Take your own bike or not to take your own bike?

Now, that . . . is a good question.
(The fellow with the bike cases on the right brought his own bikes; his wife is shepherding their personal baggage; others in this group ordered rental bikes, ready to ride which you see on top of the van).

Of course you’d want your own bike on a European trip. Why not? You should weigh the pros ad cons and consider all the options BEFORE you head down any path.

1) DON”T EVEN THINK about “shipping” your bike. Take it as accompanied baggage on the airline (#2 below), MAYBE, but don’t ship. Take a look at this web site and run a test on shipping your bike with them.
Sports Express

My test showed a price of $397 (economy) and $625 (express) ONE WAY from Denver to Bologna.

I called UPS for another price: $502.85 ONE WAY with lots of red tape and, trust me, the potential for your bike to be held up in Italian customs upon arrival. The cost for a return shipment from Italy was $788.42. So that’s a total of $1,291.27 both ways.

2) Accompanied baggage on your airline:
a. Some airlines will take your bike for free but with recent fuel surcharges and generally high costs airlines are looking for every opportunity to charge you an extra fee. So plan on $75 – 125, worst case, for each direction.
b. Buy a Bike Friday or other folding bike and avoid this charge.

Explore options yourself if you’d like: here are a couple web sites:

International Bicycle Fund page on traveling with your bike.

League of American Bicyclists

3) Once you arrive overseas.
a. Where you headed? Are you going to get on your bike at the airport and head off into the sunset? (What an image, I love it!)
b. Or are you going to be picked up, rent a car, take a bus or train?

In all these cases you need to plan for the next step once you get off the airplane:
1) BEST CASE SCENARIO: Make sure your rental car or van is big enough to hold your bike(s) luggage and all your passengers. (Or, have someone pick you up at the airport!)
2) NEXT BEST CASE: Fly in and out of the same airport. Book a hotel nearby and make sure they have space to store your bike case while you are out on the road.
3) Be prepared to wrestle your bike in its case onto trains and buses. Not easy, but doable. We’ve done it plenty!
4) DO NOT: Ship your bike, boxed or not, on any European trains separate from you. You WANT your bike on the train WITH you, in your compartment where you can see it. If there is a bike or baggage car where you deliver the bike and hand it to an attendant, then you are ok relinquishing the bike (get a claim check!) Otherwise, keep it with you!
5) Bikes on Trains: most European train systems will allow you to take your bike on the train with you for a small fee. In France and Italy, for example, all short and medium haul trains take bikes. The long distance trains are more problematic. So don’t plan to take bikes on those trains. For our post on bikes on trains click here.

Bikes on Trains in Europe with the Example of Italy

There are normally two occasions when you might need to take your bike on the train:
1) You've just arrived at the airport and need to get to your first hotel or other lodging;
2) You're out on the road with your bike and you need to cover some ground quickly. (Alternatively, you’ve finished your tour, arrived in Sicily and need to jump on the train to return to Rome, for example).

Regulations vary from country to country and train to train but we'll talk about bikes on Italian trains in this post. Later we'll send you to resources in other countries.

Italian trains are pretty bike friendly after years of lobbying by the Federazione Italiana Amici della Bicicletta.

Getting your Bike from the Airport by Train

Let’s say you are headed from the Rome airport to your rental villa in Umbria or Tuscany. If your bike is in a box or bag you can take it on most trains as accompanied baggage. It’s just a question as to whether or not there is baggage
in your train car. (Most Italian trains do NOT have separate luggage cars). Fast trains, tagged ES*, ES* Fast, AV e AV Fast, in the train scheudule normally do not allow large packages such as a bike in a box (ES means EuroStar, the long-distance fast trains).

Getting your bike on the train is the least of your problems. Think, instead, about the logistics in moving your bike in a bike case or box, your luggage, and your family or traveling companions. In Rome you first have to get from luggage claim to the metro train to get into Rome, then change metros to get to the train station, then to your train. Once you arrive at destination you need to get from the local train station to your villa or rental apartment. A better option might be to rent a van or even hire a van to shuttle you to your destination.

Taking your Bike on the Train without a Box or Case

So you’re out on the road, pedaling furiously but need to jump ahead a couple hundred kilometers. Or, you want to pedal from Venice to Florence but the only bike rental supplier is near Bologna (LINK). So pick up your rental bike near Bologna, take the train to Venice, do your bike tour from Venice to Florence, then catch the train back from Florence to Bologna with your bike and drop it off at the rental supplier.

MOST local and regional Italian trains will allow you to just wheel your bike aboard. You need a ticket and your bike needs a 3.50 euro ticket. (Be sure to validate that ticket before you board).

This is actually a great way to travel throughout Europe as long as there aren't too many travelers. Up to four bikes with panniers can usually fit on a train pretty easily. A larger group is much more difficult.

For more information on bikes on trains in Italy and Europe here are a few resources:

TrenItalia, the old Ferrovie dello Stato web site has a pretty good English explanation here.

The Italian train schedule online is actually very good and indicates which trains take bikes with a small bicycle icon and note: "Bicycle transportation service."

Other good resources in Italy are the Federazione Italiana Amici della Bicicletta (FIAB)
Their English web site is a little outdated but may be useful.

For information about bikes on trains in other European countries start with the European Cycling Federation.

Our Single Most Important Piece of Advice: Begin Planning NOW!

If you are experienced at bicycle touring you know that planning ahead, especially for an overseas trip, is critical.

I'll never forget in 2001 when we were in Italy for the summer and were headed to Ireland to develop a new escorted bike tour. We flew into Shannon Airport and had been in touch with a bike shop in Ennis to rent bikes. I had been talking with this fellow for two weeks and was satisfied that he could provide good quality bikes for our ride.

We arrived in Ennis with panniers, as usual, and a duffel bag with shoes, helmets, locks, tools, and so on. When we got on our bikes the duffel would be strapped astride the panniers to collect the daily flotsam and jetsam you tend to collect: jackets, lunch, maps, and on.

We shuttled to our hotel, spent the night and headed off to the bike shop. "Oh that's right," says he. "You were coming today, now weren't you?" The bikes weren't ready. "Come back after lunch," says he. After lunch, the bikes weren't ready. We finally got them about 5 p.m. and lost an entire day of riding.

The moral, of course, is: make sure you can depend on your rental suppplier OR make sure to bring your own bikes. But if you bring your own bikes you need to:

1) Know where you are arriving and how you'll get to your inbound base (by train? by car? van? or will you pedal?)
2) If you pedal, where will you leave your cases or bike boxes?
3) And if you are pedaling, how's the route from the airport? Is it doable?

In short, think ALL of this through before you get on the airplane.

One last story: We had an acquaintance here in Colorado who had found three weeks to fly to Rome and do some cycling in October one year. We talked at length about his plans. He would: fly to Rome with his own bike, begin pedaling right at Leonardo da Vinci Airport, head north, and then maybe take the train back to fly home.

His bike didn't arrive on his flight. And it didn't arrive the next day. He waited four days for his bike to arrive and he was so paranoid that it might come in and he wouldn't connect with it that he spent a bundle of money staying in a hotel near the airport shuttling back and forth twice a day to see if it arrived.

He was so demoralized with having spent so much money in the hotel and for having missed out on four days of cycling that he changed his ticket and came home on day 5!