FULL TOUR
Description;
The north of Italy is sadly neglected by holiday companies. Between the wars the Italian Lake District was hugely popular amongst travellers doing the Grand Tour, we even stay at one of the hotels designed to cater for that group of people, The Palace Grand Hotel at Varese. We spend time at three of the great Italian lakes as well as visiting 3 to 4 of the less well-known lakes, riding on the lakeside cycle paths, as well as passing a number of small ones. The Gavia pass is one of the spectacles of the Alps as it is little visited. It is 100m lower than the Stelvio but in my opinion it is vastly superior. We climb up the long side, approximately 2300m of climbing that day. The road up was only tarmacked 10 years ago. Stelvio is just high. There is only one pass in France higher, the Col de l'Iseran. We descend the Stelvio on a lovely alternative route through Switzerland where we will need to take a shuttle though a tiny road tunnel back into Italy at Livigno which is a gorgeous hidden alpine valley. We spend a day at Livigno with lovely walks or cycle rides round Lake Livigno. The day before the Gavia we have the option of cycling the Mortirolo Pass, a notoriously tough pass, but well worth it for the views at the top. From Livigno we ride to Lake Como, where we can visit some of the stunning lakeside villas on our free day. From Lake Como we ride back into Switzerland staying at Lake Lugano before moving on to Lake Maggiore, the second largest lake in Italy. On the return route we visit some smaller lakes, Lago di Varese, Lago di Comabbio and others. From Varese we ride up the mountain that overlooks the city, where there is a medieval village perched on a shoulder with a famous 14 chapel walk, with each chapel designed by a different architect.
Price; £1680
What's included; Price includes:
· Return minibus transfer from Bergamo Orio al Serio airport or Bergamo station to the hotel in Città Altà.
· 15 nights hotel on half board basis, sharing room.
· Vehicle support on cycling days.
· Ferry to Bellagio and to Nesso to Arogno.
· Shuttle through Munt la Schera tunnel.
· Bikexplore costs.
Price does not include:
· Travel to and from Bergamo from your home.
· Drinks with evening meals.
· Lunches or refreshments during the day.
· Ferry tickets on the rest day at Lake Como.
· Entry fees at any attractions visited.
· Other internal travel.
· Any other personal expenses.
· Travel Insurance.
· Single occupancy supplement (£250, subject to availability).
· Bike transport to and from the UK, £80 extra (maximum of 8 bikes can be carried).
Numbers on the tour; Maximum number of participants - 18, plus the tour leader and driver
Prospectus (including further information and maps) and Booking Form
Prospectus
Booking Form