Cycle Tourism

Cycle Tourism: Discover Italy by Bike

Cycle tourism is a travel experience that focuses on the bicycle as the primary mode of transport. Cycle tourism combines particularly suggestive localities (whether mountain range, countryside or urban scene) that you can easily visit on your bike! This form of tourism represents an alternative to markedly traditional tourism.

It is also an ecological and refined means to move through and get to know various zones and territories. Of course it requires a certain physical preparation and route planning, but the emotional rewards, rare with other means of travel, are worth the extra effort.

Bicycles are easy to transport, have a low environmental impact, and offer freedom and autonomy, thus making travel on two wheels extremely adapted to discovering otherwise inaccessibile sites in Italy, for instance parks and nature reserves. 

Many athletic and amateur associations exist in Italy, dedicated to educating and training bicycle tourists, organizing meetings and trips, and promoting awareness and respect for the environment.

The Federazione Italiana della Bicicletta (Italian Bicycle Federation) and the Unione Italiana Sport Popolari (Italian Union for Popular Sport) are two of these groups.

Additionally, the Italian Mountain Biking School (SIMB) operates as representative for the cycling sector within MSP Italia, the Entity for Athletic Promotion recognized by the National Italian Olympic Committe (CONI). Together, SIMB and MSP ITALIA also organize courses for mountain bike instructors.

There are several bicycle tracks throughout the Peninsula, and where there are not, you can still find paths and trails based on your level of preparation. Athletic associations, social clubs, and various commercial enterprises make their own know-how available, offering guides, tour and route information, and travel assistance to cycle tourists. Bike-hotels can also be found here, offering not only lodging but help and suggestions regarding cultural and enogastronomic itineraries for cycle tours.

The climate here, of course, is sunny and mild; nonetheless, bike excursions are mostly organized in mountainous and hilly zones, where temperatures can be more severe. Excursions in flat, coastal or lake areas, on the other hand, can mean rather hot termperatures. Once you have chosen your destination and consulted the weather trends, you are ready to choose the best time for your cycling vacation. 

Obviously, there are a multitude of reasons to see Italy by bike. "Off the street" cyclers and the more expert mountain-biker both can select the trails and itineraries right for them: e.g. those who want to cover many miles quickly during one day, versus those who prefer to take it slow, perhaps pedaling off-road through the scenic trails and pathways of uncontaminated nature.