Hi everyone, early thoughts for next year may/june, fly to Pisa and take it from there basically. advice needed on all areas.
take bikes on flight or hire there?
use one pre booked place as a base or no problem in finding digs on the day?
50 miles a day possible? terrain?
the best routes, things to see, etc?
if i sound vague it's because i am, last year sought advice from these forums and france trip was a huge success. ive made a rod for my own back as a willing "mug" and armed with an empty visa card i'm looking to you all to input another quality venture.
cheers in anticipation GPL
Pisa, Florence, Siena?
Re: Pisa, Florence, Siena?
I'd take my own bike, but then I'm small and fussy.
I tour a different region of Italy every May and have rarely found a youth hostel full, and there are always rooms in hotels or restaurants. I've never seen a campsite open at that time of year.
Although the main roads linking the cities are flattest and quickest, they're far too busy for my taste, so head for the hills to detour. Having the bike means you can get to quieter places. Siena youth hostel is good - all rooms are twin rather than dorms I think.
You only need a few hours in Pisa to see everything The airport is very close and a flat ride away. You can even walk to the centre (as I had to do when my bike arrived punctured).
I'm not that mad on Florence. Unless you want to see every single painting and gallery, a day should do it. Best thing is going to the top of the Duomo for the views. This was spectacular on a dark winter's afternoon.
Of course, all 3 cities are major tourist spots and you want to beat the coaches to avoid queues and stress.
In my opinion, if you only want to see the major sites I'd leave the bike at home and get the cheap trains, otherwise have a fabulous week or two touring Tuscany and Umbria. The hills are the nicest places. I particularly like Assisi and Lago Trasimeno. Perugia is the capital of Umbria and a bit of hassle to negotiate. I bought a local map to find quieter roads.
1. Check out youth hostels (HI and indi) - cheapest bet if touring alone.
2. Rough Guide/Lonely Planet for sights to see apart from these main 3.
3. Best map: Touring Club Italiano. One per region.
4. Festivals: google Gubbio "Corsa dei Ceri" - you can get a bus from Perugia on the day.
5. Giro d'Italia 6-30 May 2010
6. Mille Miglia classic car rally 6-9 May 2010 (saw the night arrival in Verona this year)
7. Football: lots of important matches in May. Check dates and enjoy the atmosphere, either on TV or in the city. (Last year I was in Rome Stadio Olimpico YH the night of the Italian Cup Final when Roma won. Crazy! I also stayed in Milan when the Champions League Final was on.)
I tour a different region of Italy every May and have rarely found a youth hostel full, and there are always rooms in hotels or restaurants. I've never seen a campsite open at that time of year.
Although the main roads linking the cities are flattest and quickest, they're far too busy for my taste, so head for the hills to detour. Having the bike means you can get to quieter places. Siena youth hostel is good - all rooms are twin rather than dorms I think.
You only need a few hours in Pisa to see everything The airport is very close and a flat ride away. You can even walk to the centre (as I had to do when my bike arrived punctured).
I'm not that mad on Florence. Unless you want to see every single painting and gallery, a day should do it. Best thing is going to the top of the Duomo for the views. This was spectacular on a dark winter's afternoon.
Of course, all 3 cities are major tourist spots and you want to beat the coaches to avoid queues and stress.
In my opinion, if you only want to see the major sites I'd leave the bike at home and get the cheap trains, otherwise have a fabulous week or two touring Tuscany and Umbria. The hills are the nicest places. I particularly like Assisi and Lago Trasimeno. Perugia is the capital of Umbria and a bit of hassle to negotiate. I bought a local map to find quieter roads.
1. Check out youth hostels (HI and indi) - cheapest bet if touring alone.
2. Rough Guide/Lonely Planet for sights to see apart from these main 3.
3. Best map: Touring Club Italiano. One per region.
4. Festivals: google Gubbio "Corsa dei Ceri" - you can get a bus from Perugia on the day.
5. Giro d'Italia 6-30 May 2010
6. Mille Miglia classic car rally 6-9 May 2010 (saw the night arrival in Verona this year)
7. Football: lots of important matches in May. Check dates and enjoy the atmosphere, either on TV or in the city. (Last year I was in Rome Stadio Olimpico YH the night of the Italian Cup Final when Roma won. Crazy! I also stayed in Milan when the Champions League Final was on.)
Last edited by Helen on 16 Nov 2009, 12:03pm, edited 3 times in total.
Re: Pisa, Florence, Siena?
wow! thanks helen. my initial thoughts were a triangular route within the 3 cities venturing into the centres for a little while before getting out, this seems very possible now. managed with little french to secure a room each night but it seemed a bit of a runabout at the time, we will have no italian so i'm leaning towards booking it all in advance. thanks for your detailed reply
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nosmo king
- Posts: 332
- Joined: 23 Nov 2008, 2:29pm
- Location: North Wales
Re: Pisa, Florence, Siena?
A place worth visiting is the town of Vinci, where Leonardo was born. It's a few miles west ofFlorence and has a museum dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci and his inventions. There are some campsites in that area and plenty of olive groves to admire. If you like a drop of Chianti then head for Castellani di Chianti.here you can sample some of the famous wines before you buy!!
If antiques are your thing then head for Arezzo which holds a huge street fair on the first Sunday of the month.
Florence is more hassle than it's worth in the summer so leave the bike behind and catch the train. Beware of the gypsies who are pretty clever at pickpocketing ( is that a word?). The typical Tuscan countryside of rolling hills, vineyards,olive groves and tall cypress trees are perfect for relaxed cycling away from the towns and cities.
If antiques are your thing then head for Arezzo which holds a huge street fair on the first Sunday of the month.
Florence is more hassle than it's worth in the summer so leave the bike behind and catch the train. Beware of the gypsies who are pretty clever at pickpocketing ( is that a word?). The typical Tuscan countryside of rolling hills, vineyards,olive groves and tall cypress trees are perfect for relaxed cycling away from the towns and cities.
Re: Pisa, Florence, Siena?
Take your own bike. Most trains take bikes (look for symbol on timetable) for a small charge. This will get you quickly away from the big cities & busy roads. The train from Pisa airport into Pisa doesn't though but it's only a short ride into the city for the main station. Railway staff all ver helpfull as were many locals.
We toured Chianti using the 1:50,000 Kompass Wander-und Bikekarte maps 660 & 661 which were spot on. Available from Stanfords. Comprehensive road and track network with contours and vegetation also shown. The series doesn't cover Pisa so we also used the Michelin orange map.
Can't comment on hostels because we stayed in hotels. These we booked in advance as certainly in the main tourist spots there appears to be no low season. Our visit was in late September. Even then we sometimes had to fit in around what was available. We found that by enquiring as to availability & price using email before booking that big discounts were available. Even then we sometimes got upgraded (in Montalcino we got a very tasteful apartment instead of an en-suite twin).
In general we found the cycling to be very good on quiet roads. The food was always excellent.
You'll have a great time
We toured Chianti using the 1:50,000 Kompass Wander-und Bikekarte maps 660 & 661 which were spot on. Available from Stanfords. Comprehensive road and track network with contours and vegetation also shown. The series doesn't cover Pisa so we also used the Michelin orange map.
Can't comment on hostels because we stayed in hotels. These we booked in advance as certainly in the main tourist spots there appears to be no low season. Our visit was in late September. Even then we sometimes had to fit in around what was available. We found that by enquiring as to availability & price using email before booking that big discounts were available. Even then we sometimes got upgraded (in Montalcino we got a very tasteful apartment instead of an en-suite twin).
In general we found the cycling to be very good on quiet roads. The food was always excellent.
You'll have a great time
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Gearoidmuar
- Posts: 2349
- Joined: 29 Sep 2007, 7:35pm
- Location: Cork, Ireland. Corcaigh, Éire má tá Gaeilge agat.
Re: Pisa, Florence, Siena?
Did Pisa, over the mountain to Lucca (fab), on to Florence (agree it's a bit ballyhooed. The Uffizi gallery is the most over-rated famous gallery I've seen. The top of the Duomo or the tower in front of it is a must. Then San Gimignano (fabulous view from battlements), Siena (great), Arrezo, good, Pisa. Food is, surprisingly not great, at least in the touristy areas. Scenery is lovely. Avoid busy main roads.
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steady eddy
- Posts: 676
- Joined: 1 May 2008, 11:02am
- Location: Norfolk
Re: Pisa, Florence, Siena?
Get a copy of the Cycline cycle touring atlas for Tuscany. One of the few guides this (German?) company publishes in English. You should be able to get a copy on inter libray lone as I have just returned one to the Suffolk library service, alternatively you can buy it through the Sustrans web site. It covers all the areas that you want to vist with clear route details and accommodation addresses.
Re: Pisa, Florence, Siena?
thank you all so much for the replies, i'm encouraged to go ahead with it armed with your great advice, cheers
Re: Pisa, Florence, Siena?
We've been to that area five times in the last three years and just love it,the people and the places are great.
Fly to Pisa with bike (Easy Jet)south of Pisa is rolly a lot like Shropshire in topography(thats where the simliarity ends).
Siena,Volterra,San Gimigniano,Monteriggioni,Montepulciano,Cortona,etc are beautiful.
Florence is a madhouse, beautiful, yes,I wouldn't cycle there, take the train for a day.
Have you thought of heading north from Pisa?
Lucca,Barga,Castelnuovo,Bagni de Lucca and the Serchio valley is a very beautiful area if you like climbing you won't disappointed,the topograghy is very different to the south quite Alpine in parts and not quite as commmercial and very friendly.
Trains take bikes no problem.
Car hire is cheap from £125pw (Hertz)
B&B is usually around 18 to 25euro per night
Italian drivers are courtious, believe it or not.
weather in May can be a little hit and miss,June is better.
DON'T miss Lucca! you can get train directly to Lucca from Pisa.
If you're equiped with medium weight tyres (Marathons) on a touring bike,explore the white roads they can be very rewarding when dry.
It can be surprisingly cheap too.
Oh! and the coffee..............
Fly to Pisa with bike (Easy Jet)south of Pisa is rolly a lot like Shropshire in topography(thats where the simliarity ends).
Siena,Volterra,San Gimigniano,Monteriggioni,Montepulciano,Cortona,etc are beautiful.
Florence is a madhouse, beautiful, yes,I wouldn't cycle there, take the train for a day.
Have you thought of heading north from Pisa?
Lucca,Barga,Castelnuovo,Bagni de Lucca and the Serchio valley is a very beautiful area if you like climbing you won't disappointed,the topograghy is very different to the south quite Alpine in parts and not quite as commmercial and very friendly.
Trains take bikes no problem.
Car hire is cheap from £125pw (Hertz)
B&B is usually around 18 to 25euro per night
Italian drivers are courtious, believe it or not.
weather in May can be a little hit and miss,June is better.
DON'T miss Lucca! you can get train directly to Lucca from Pisa.
If you're equiped with medium weight tyres (Marathons) on a touring bike,explore the white roads they can be very rewarding when dry.
It can be surprisingly cheap too.
Oh! and the coffee..............
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Re: Pisa, Florence, Siena?
If anyone wants the job of booking flights, trains, hotels and bike hire done for them I can recommend Inntravel.
http://www.inntravel.co.uk/Holidays/Cycling/Italy/Tuscany/Siena---Southern-Tuscany.aspx
Interesting hotels in out of the way locations.
http://www.inntravel.co.uk/Holidays/Cycling/Italy/Tuscany/Siena---Southern-Tuscany.aspx
Interesting hotels in out of the way locations.
Re: Pisa, Florence, Siena?
Tuscany is great for cycling - me and my other half did a few days from San Gimignano last Oct. Siena is lovely (just check the prices before you sit down for coffee in the campo!) and I agree with others on this thread - wouldn't try to cycle in Florence, get the train instead.Remember to get your ticket validated at the little yellow machine on the platform before boarding the train. If you want to see the statue of David you need to book in advance but we managed to phone and book whilst in the (2 hour!) queue so went away and had coffee and came back later at our allotted time. Article on Florence for Free might interest you http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel ... 928371.ece
San Gim is touristy but beautiful and you get a fantastic view if you go up one of the towers, Volterra is well worth a visit and Casole d'Elsa is another beautiful little hilltop town. Best thing is having cycled up all those hills you can eat as much pizza as you like
San Gim is touristy but beautiful and you get a fantastic view if you go up one of the towers, Volterra is well worth a visit and Casole d'Elsa is another beautiful little hilltop town. Best thing is having cycled up all those hills you can eat as much pizza as you like
Re: Pisa, Florence, Siena?
Fly in to Florence - Pisa and the surrounding areas aren't the most picturesque or culturally interesting. The ride from there to Florence is dull to say the least.
From Florence head to Siena - it's about 65 miles and there are some great hills. Hard work (especially within the first 10 miles of leaving Florence) but totally rewarding.
When you get to Siena, use it as a base. Most hotels will have somewhere for you to lock your bike - we found a great one just off the square for about 20 euros a night. Then plan some day trips to San Giminano, Asciano (a wonderful route) and other places.
Enjoy!
From Florence head to Siena - it's about 65 miles and there are some great hills. Hard work (especially within the first 10 miles of leaving Florence) but totally rewarding.
When you get to Siena, use it as a base. Most hotels will have somewhere for you to lock your bike - we found a great one just off the square for about 20 euros a night. Then plan some day trips to San Giminano, Asciano (a wonderful route) and other places.
Enjoy!
Re: Pisa, Florence, Siena?
http://www.aeroporto.firenze.it/orario_generale/adf-orario-generale-01FEB-27MAR10.pdf
As far as I can see, only London Gatwick has flights to Firenze airport. (Didn't even know there was one!)
A quick look at train prices on www.trenitalia.com shows prices Pisa-Firenze €5.70 single.
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=c79686605528a110VgnVCM1000003f16f90aRCRD
And here is the cycle policy:
"Travelling with bycicle on board
Within the limits of the places available, you can take your bicycle with you on the Suburban and Regional trains, marked in the Timetable by the appropriate pictogram, and paying a supplement of 3.50 euro valid 24 hours or as an alternative to the supplement ticket, a ticket at the full second class fare having the same characteristics of the ticket held by the traveller."
The last bit means that if your ticket only costs say €2, then you would only have to pay an additional €2 for your bike.
As far as I can see, only London Gatwick has flights to Firenze airport. (Didn't even know there was one!)
A quick look at train prices on www.trenitalia.com shows prices Pisa-Firenze €5.70 single.
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=c79686605528a110VgnVCM1000003f16f90aRCRD
And here is the cycle policy:
"Travelling with bycicle on board
Within the limits of the places available, you can take your bicycle with you on the Suburban and Regional trains, marked in the Timetable by the appropriate pictogram, and paying a supplement of 3.50 euro valid 24 hours or as an alternative to the supplement ticket, a ticket at the full second class fare having the same characteristics of the ticket held by the traveller."
The last bit means that if your ticket only costs say €2, then you would only have to pay an additional €2 for your bike.
Re: Pisa, Florence, Siena?
We started and finished in Pisa. The Italians love their bikes (the airport porter was drooling as he handed me my bike) and I found the train journey from Siena to Pisa a joy.
It'll be the british baggage handlers who throw your bike on to the plane as you head out to Italy and then onto the carousel when you return. Heathens!
It'll be the british baggage handlers who throw your bike on to the plane as you head out to Italy and then onto the carousel when you return. Heathens!