dossier

Tuscany Cycling

Season
April to November.

Level of Difficulty
Moderate. A high standard of fitness isnot necessary but travelers should be able to cycle for up to 48 km/30miles perday across undulating hilly terrain in rain or sun. Most days can readily beshortened.

The Bikes
We provide 24 speed, front suspendedMountain Bikes but on request there are also 24 speed hybrid bikes. We usuallyprovide mountain bikes with wider tires which are more suitable for off-road orrough tracks.  Included is a rearbaggage rack with panniers, puncture repair kit, tyre pump, water bottle is notincluded for hygiene reasons but the holder is on the bike, chain lock with keyand a bar bag for carrying maps, snacks etc.. Tool kits are not provided, soyou should bring a simple lightweight metric multi-tool and two tire levers.Helmets are not provided for hygiene reasons, thus we recommend that you bringyour own or buy a new one on arrival in Siena for between 31 and 62 Euros(approx US$41-$82). Cycle hire fee in 2008 is 78 Euros (approx US$117) per bikeper week, payable at the start of the tour in cash (Euros) only. We need toknow cyclists' height and inside leg measurements. The bikes are delivered tothe first hotel in San Gimignano at the start of the tour and collected fromthe hotel in Siena at the end of the tour. We also need your approximatearrival time in San Gimignano so that we can arrange for your bikes to behanded over to you on arrival, pleasemake sure that we are informed.

Baggage Transfers
Each day that you move on to newaccommodation during the tour, your baggage (normally up to 20kg/44 pounds perperson) will be transferred to await your arrival at the next night's stop.Please note that for cycling tours this service does not include bikes orriders.

Maps & Route Notes
We provide specially written routedescriptions for each day's cycling, together with a road map of Siena provincewith the non-urban sections of the route highlighted.

Accommodation & Meals
Accommodation is mostly in 3 star hotelswith two nights spent in an agriturismo(farmhouse B&B). One evening meal is included. Picnic lunches are notincluded, but materials for picnics can be purchased in each of the towns andvillages where you stay. On some days there are also conveniently locatedrestaurants en route. Please note that this is a popular route and we sometimeshave to use alternative hotels.

Nights 1 and 2.  San Gimignano.  Our first choice of hotel in the ‘Town ofTowers’ is a comfortable and very popular 3-star hotel set in the centralsquare of the town which has changed little since mediaeval times.  Dinner is normally taken in the hotel’s ownrestaurant, which has a commanding view over rooftops and the surroundingcountryside.  The hotel’s restaurant isclosed on Tuesdays, in which case alternative evening meal arrangements will bemade in a nearby restaurant.  If ourfirst choice hotel is full, we use an alternative hotel very close by withsimilar facilities.

Night 3. In Volterra, in origin oneof the oldest cities in Italy, our first choice is a welcoming and comfortable4 star hotel, in a restored late 17th century villa, situated in a peacefularea between the mediaeval and Etruscan town-walls. All rooms have their ownshower and toilet. The hotel has an outdoor swimming pool with a magnificentview southwest towards the sea. Bed and breakfast.

Night 4:  Either a small guest house within themediaeval walled village of Monteriggioni; once the day-visitors have gone itis a haven of peace; the rooms (limited in number) are simply furnished, butall have private facilities; or (ifall the rooms in the guest house within the walls are fully booked) at an agriturismo (farm guest house) 2km/1.2miaway from the walled village along a white road.  We provide full instructions on how to walk from the walledvillage to the agriturismo and back.

Night 5& 6.  Radda-in-Chianti. A clean friendly, welcoming farmhousestyle B&B in this small hilltop town. En-suite facilities available.

Night 7. The tourends at the wonderfully well-preserved mediaeval city of Siena, whosecenterpiece is the shell-shaped tiled square called the Camp where the famousPalio (traditional horse race) is held twice a year.

Note 1: InItalian law, all hotels must close their restaurants one night a week, soalternative evening meal arrangements at restaurants in the near vicinity ofyour hotel are a possible occurrence on this and other tours in Italy.

Note 2: Itis generally normal practice when staying in hotels that you check-in on orafter 2pm and checkout by 10am the following morning. Guesthouses/bed &breakfast establishments are normally check-in on or after 4pm and checkout by10am.

Arrival
The tour starts in San Gimignano.   From Florence there is a regular bus serviceby “TRA-in” (the Sienese bus company), the bus leaves Florence close to thetrain station, travel time 1 hour 15 minutes (sometimes a change is necessaryat Poggibonsi).  From Pisa, take thetrain to Poggibonsi via Empoli and pick up the bus from there.  Approx journey time is 2 hours 15 mins.  Alternatively if booked in advance we canarrange a taxi transfer from Pisa to San Gimignano for 65 Euros (approx US$86)and from Florence for 60 Euros (approx US$80). This is to be paid in cash (Euros) to the driver.

End of Tour
The hotel in Siena is a short taxi ridefrom the train station. There is an approximately hourly train service toFlorence. For Pisa and Pisa airport change trains at Empoli. If you aretraveling from Siena to Rome airport: buy tickets for the complete journey toRome airport before starting your journey from Siena. It is often difficult to buytrain tickets in Rome Termini station and there are heavy fines for travelingto the airport without a ticket. Change trains in Chiusi. You may need to payan inter-city supplement for the leg between Chiusi and Rome.

Extend your stay
We can book extra nights in Pisa, Siena,Florence or in the "Cinque Terre", a rugged and picturesque coastalregion, centerd at Monterosso near La Spezia. Details and prices on request.Extra nights added in during the cycling tour can also be booked; this willnormally entail a small supplementary cycle hire charge.