Italian hotels bike friendly?
#1
Italian hotels bike friendly?
I toured in Germany last year, and all the hotels were great with the bikes, locking them safely every time.
How is it in Italy? I'm trying to put together a tour from Pisa to Venice.
How is it in Italy? I'm trying to put together a tour from Pisa to Venice.
#2
Numbler
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: Whatcom County, WA
Bikes: 2006 Novara Randonee / Tiger T-001 fixed gear project
We stayed at the Hotel Cairoli in Genoa (Is that between Pisa and Venice? Maybe...), and actually left our bikes in the lobby while we went to the Cinque Terre for three days. They were there when we got back. We were very impressed and grateful.
#3
Every day a winding road
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 6,538
Likes: 63
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Bikes: 2005 Cannondale SR500, 2008 Trek 7.3 FX, Jamis Aurora
I've done two tours and never a problem. Sometimes you need to leave you bike in an area (say outdoors) where you would rather not leave it but never had a problem.
Last edited by spinnaker; 01-29-08 at 07:23 PM.
#4
You might try contacting Experience Plus https://www.experienceplus.com, who used to run a Pisa to Venice (and Venice to Pisa) bike tour (they may still do so, I just haven't checked for a long time). They may be willing to advise you as to specific places to stay.
In the smaller, quieter towns I'd have no concerns about security. In towns of, say, more than 10,000 population, I'd feel better if I could store my bike out of sight in the hotel, if not locked away. While not every establishment may welcome cyclists and bicycles, you should have no problem finding accomodations that do.
In Venice, I'd stay on the Lido island and take the vaporetto (water bus) into the main islands to sightsee. Wheeled vehicles are not allowed there, and in any case there are so many canals to cross over on bridges with stairs/steps that wheeling a bike around with you would be a big pain. And I'd definitely not leave a nice bike out of my sight in Venice, no matter how beefy a lock I had.
In the smaller, quieter towns I'd have no concerns about security. In towns of, say, more than 10,000 population, I'd feel better if I could store my bike out of sight in the hotel, if not locked away. While not every establishment may welcome cyclists and bicycles, you should have no problem finding accomodations that do.
In Venice, I'd stay on the Lido island and take the vaporetto (water bus) into the main islands to sightsee. Wheeled vehicles are not allowed there, and in any case there are so many canals to cross over on bridges with stairs/steps that wheeling a bike around with you would be a big pain. And I'd definitely not leave a nice bike out of my sight in Venice, no matter how beefy a lock I had.
#5
Full Member
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 293
Likes: 1
From: San Francisco Bay Area
Italy is totally friendly to bike tourists. You'll be their best friends, complete celebrities. Not to say that their idea of where your bicycle should stay overnight will always match yours -- a place where I stayed in Rome for awhile insisted that the only safe place was up on the roof, which wasn't very convenient for casual spontaneous rides. But nobody is going to think you're a freak or that your bike is a toy. Just go do it -- you'll love touring in Italy.
#6
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
Bikes were never a problem in Italy.
If i couldn't keep my bike in my room there would always be a safe storage area where i could lock it up.
https://www.geocities.com/pathebikeguy/italylazio
If i couldn't keep my bike in my room there would always be a safe storage area where i could lock it up.
https://www.geocities.com/pathebikeguy/italylazio





