Self-Guided Dolomiti & Emilia Romagna featuring the Sella Ronday day (optional)
Dates:
We can discuss dates with you based on your own vacation time and availability. We can also custom the length of the trip, including eliminating some of the intermediate destinations.
Overview
This tour combines the Dolomites with Emilia Romagna, two totally different regions of Italy that offer an incredible variety of cycling terrain, landscapes, culture and food. Emilia Romagna is famous for its tortellini, "pasta fresca," vino Sangiovese and for the warm hospitality of its people. You start your tour in the rolling hills of Emilia Romagna, where your rides climb and descend through ancient towns and extended views of vineyards. You stay four nights in a beautiful, family-run agriturismo on top of a hill near Faenza, where you will be pampered while enjoying fresh and homegrown meals.
Next, your tour will continue in the heart of the Dolomites. The jagged and dramatic Dolomites are the dream of any serious cyclist for its challenging rides and astonishing surroundings. The icing on the cake will be riding the four passes of the Sella Ronda (Pordoi, Sella, Gardena and Campolongo) and ride it (if your dates can match it) on the one day a year when they are closed to traffic and open only to cyclists. We also climb the famous Dolomites passes of Giau, Falzarego, Valparola, San Pellegrino and Marmolada. Each time you reach the top of these passes, you'll feel a great sense of achievement mixed with the joy of such breathtaking beauty. You leave the Dolomites, riding through Valle di Fassa and Fiemme, stopping for one night in the picturesque village of Molveno, and then rolling along Lake Garda where you will spend your last night before saying, "Arrivederci Italia."
Suggested Trip Details (we can custom length and order of the destinations)
Length: 12 days including 2 days flight, 10 nights, 9 days of cycling.
4 nights in Emilia Romagna at our beautiful agriturism on the hills of Faenza.
4 nights in the Dolomites
1 night in Molveno
1 night near Lake Garda
Especially for our self-guided tours we select special accommodations that are specific cyclists friendly. Daily Avg. Mileage: we will custom length and difficulty of the rides based on your ability and time you like to spend on the bike Terrain: From rolling to steep climbs (from 6% to 15% gradient, from 10 to 22 km distance) Difficulty: Intermediate Arrival and departure: Verona airport. Milan airport can be an option for an additional cost
If Self-guided cost/person, as suggested, is:
Cost/person
2 people
4 people
6+ people
US$
2950
2200
1950
For Self-guided the cost would include:
Pick-up and drop-off – Verona Airport. Milan airport can be an option for an additional cost.
Maps with detailed instructions and itinerary for the rides
10 nights of lodging
10 breakfasts
10 dinners, water & wine included (usually ¼ L per person)
Post-ride snacks
Daily laundry for cycling clothing
Luggage Transportation from one destination to the next
Two van transfers (from Emilia Romagna to the Dolomiti and from Dolomiti to Molveno or directly to Lake Garda if you want to shorten your trip)
Davanti Bike jersey
Assistance to assemble your own bike or pick up and drop-off the rental bike
Contact info for technical assistance on the road
Cost Does Not Include:
Bike rental (optional) = approximately Euro 30/day/bike
Van support or cycling guide during the rides. We can provide this option for an additional cost.
Lunches
Note: We can custom what the cost covers. For example, if you like to explore more we can remove the dinners or the post-ride snacks.
Suggested Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive at Verona airport and van transfer to our agriturismo in Emilia Romagna, where you will spend four nights
Day 2-4: You will ride through the rolling hills surrounding Faenza to the east coast of the Adriatic Sea and the Brisighella loop, a section of the one of the 2009 Giro d'Italia stages. Dinners and overnights at our agriturismo.
Day 5-8: You leave Emilia Romagna and van transfer to the ski resort of Moena. From Moena, you will climb the Passo Rolle and Valles and reach Arabba, in the heart of the Dolomites, where you spend four nights. Based on your own ability and time you like to spend on the bike, we will design for you three amazing loops that would include some of the most famous passes of the Dolomites that match your ability: like the 65 km Sella Ronda loop that includes the four most famous passes of the Dolomites: Campagnolo, Pordoi, Sella and Gardena; the 100 km loop that includes the Giau, Falzarego and Valparola and the loop of the Marmolada glacier. Dinners and overnights in our hotel in Arabba.
Day 9: Today you leave Arabba and van transfer to Molveno, a beautifully picturesque village on a mountain lake in the Brenta Dolomites. Dinner and overnight in our romantic hotel in Molveno.
Day 10: You ride from Molveno to Bardolino along the Sarca Valley and Lake Garda. Pack the bikes or drop-off rental bikes. Last dinner and overnight at our hotel near Lake Garda.
Day 11: Drop-off at Verona airport and "Arrivederci Italia."
