roninguy

hey everybody I am trying to plan a trip for next year and want to do the Giro or Vuelta as a fan and maybee do some biking and hiking. I figure the travel to Europe during these shoulder months are much cheaper than trying to go to the tour. Ive traveled to Europe before in these shoulder months and found great deals overall. So that being said what tips or advice do those experienced fans can offer me would be highly appreciated

mprelaw

The weather can be miserable during the Giro, especially on the mountain stages. Keep that in mind.

cafzali

This can't be understated. If you've ever watched the Giro much, you'll see that it can be awfully cold at higher elevations, snowing on the peaks, etc. That said, the Giro doesn't seem to be a "national holiday" as the Vuelta does, so it's likely to be a bit less crowded. Personally, I'd go with a company like Thompson Bike Tours that specializes in doing tours around big races, especially if it was my first time. Once you get a lay of the land, it's much easier to plan things like this yourself.

roninguy

Thanks for the replies guys. I know the weather factors and believe me that is part of the Giro. I was reading an article about how they would cut short a route in the mountains due to road problems due to weather. Cafzali thanks for the advice i went to thompson's website and loved the trips they offered, but i dint think i could hang without getting dropped way behind the group. Those rides looked awesome though.

cafzali

Can't say I've ever "officially" looked into them, as I don't have the time to do something like that now, but I doubt they'd actually drop you. Most tours that I've been on have at least 2 leaders for the group, one of whom will always stay behind with whoever needs it. The service is one of the reasons the prices are high.

mprelaw

Many employed Europeans have 7 weeks' worth of vacation (holiday) annually, and take 3-4 weeks in the summer months. That could be why the TdF and the Vuelta have that "national holiday" feel, as both locals and people from other European countries, that are cycling fans, plan their vacations around it. Not many Italians take 2-3 weeks of vacation in May.