Venice Lands

Tour type
self-guided

Departures

SA, SU from Vicenza (Cat. A, B, A+) and TU, WE from Mestre (Cat. A, B): from 23.03 to 26.10.2019.

Other departure dates possible for at least 5 people.

Seasons

Season 1: 23.03-19.04 and 30.09-26.10.2019
Season 2: 20.04-21.06 and 5.09-29.09.2019
Season 3: 22.06-4.09.2019

Price per person

495 € in double room, 3* hotels, with a cozy 2* hotel in Vicenza, Cat. B
595 € in double room, mainly 4* hotels, with some 3* hotels, Cat. A
1290 € in double room, 4* and luxury hotels, including the night in a 3* hotel in Venice islands, Cat. A+ (luxury)

Included

• 7 nights hotel accommodation
• Breakfast buffet
• Welcome briefing in English
• Travel Guide, Maps, Roadbook
• Luggage transportation
• Ticket for ferry transfer (on day 5, only for Cat. A/ A+, bike not included) 
• Entrance to Villa Valmarana ai Nani
• Ice-cream in the best ice-cream parlour of Vicenza
• Hotline service

Not included

• Local taxes (approx. 10-15 €)
• Only for cat. B: ferry-boat transfers on day 5 (about 25 € per person, bike incl.)
• Everything not mentioned in the section “included”

Supplements per person
180/230/380 € single room (Cat. B/A/A+)
70 € season 2
120 € season 3
20 € overnight in Padua instead of Padua thermal district
80 € Girolibero bike
190 € E-bike
85 € child trailer
15 € helmet
 
Additional free accessories for children on demand:
- Child seat
- FollowMe-Tandem (to connect parent’s and child’s bikes)

Extra nights in double/single room with breakfast:
45/75 € in Vicenza/Treviso, Cat. B
55/85 € in Vicenza/Treviso, Cat. A
55/80 € in Mestre, Cat. B
65/90 € in Mestre, Cat. A
from 90/150 € in Venice*
*on request night in Venice instead of Mestre (for departure from Mestre only possible as last night of the tour, with delivery of the bikes in Mestre).

Reductions
120/150 € 3rd adult in room (Cat. B/A)

Children reductions
The reduction for the 3rd/4th child in room will be calculated on the basic price and seasons supplements according to the following table:
100% 0-2 years (baby cot to be paid on site)
50% 3-6 years
30% 7-10 years

1. Vicenza
Individual arrival. A nice and cosy city centre characterised by the buildings of the famous architect Andrea Palladio (16th century).

2. Vicenza – Bassano del Grappa (40 km)
From Vicenza you will cycle towards Marostica, famous for its castle and the chessboard on the main square. The last stop is Bassano del Grappa with its covered wooden bridge and the famous “grappa”.

3. Bassano del Grappa – Treviso (60 km)
You will enter Asolo, which represents the only real uphill section of this ride. The downhill run will take you to the land of Prosecco vineyards and on to Maser, until you reach Treviso, whose city centre is characterised by ancient waterways.

4. Treviso – Mestre/Venice (20/45 km)
Leaving Treviso behind you, you will follow the course of the River Sile up to Casale. At the end of the trip Venice will await you for an evening among canals and narrow streets. Standard accommodation is in Mestre, Venice mainland. With a supplement you can request to overnight directly in Venice.
We remind you that in Venice (apart from Piazzale Roma and train station Santa Lucia) it is forbidden to cycle, and also to push your bike by hand.

5. Mestre/Venice – Chioggia (35 km)
Leaving Mestre you will head into Venice pedalling on the 4 km bridge “della Libertà”, then to Tronchetto harbour. From here you will take a ferry along the canal Giudecca to Lido. This is the most exciting day, pedalling on the two narrow islands that divide the sea from the lagoon: the island of Lido, with the ancient hamlet of Malamocco, once capital of the Serenissima Republic, and the island of Pellestrina, with its long wild beaches.

6. Chioggia – Padua thermal district (55 km)
You will be pedalling along the river Bacchiglione, which carried trade in and out of Venice in this area centuries ago. Once at the foot of the Euganean Hills, you will have the chance to relax in a 4* spa resort in the largest European thermal district.

7. Padua thermal district – Vicenza (60 km)
Along the cycle path of the Battaglia Canal you will pass through Padua, home to one of the oldest Italian universities. Worth visiting are the great basilica dedicated to St. Anthony, the historic Caffè Pedrocchi and Prato della Valle, the biggest square in Italy. The Bacchiglione River points the way out of the the city and you reach Costozza, a little town at the foot of the Berici hills. The bike path passes in front of Villa Rotonda, the most famous of the Palladian villas. Just before entering Vicenza you will see Villa Valmarana ai Nani with its marvellous frescoes by Tiepolo (entrance included).

8. Vicenza
Departure after breakfast.

Due to organisational reasons, weather conditions or provisions issued by local authorities, the itinerary may be subject to some changes before and/or during your holiday. For example, along the way you may find temporary deviations caused by roadworks, which cannot be foreseen; in this case please follow the indications you will find on site.

• Total length: 270/295 km
• Total vertical up: 540 m
• Terrain: 85% tarmac, 15% unpaved
• Train connection among the overnight stays: day 2, 3, 4 and 5
• Possibility to shorten the itinerary by taking the train: day 4 and 7.

The itinerary is completely in the low-lands except for the 1 km slope in Asolo. You will ride on secondary streets with low traffic and paved bike paths.

Easy cycling in mostly flat areas, with only few short climbs and descents. Little effort required, suitable for most people. This tour is also suitable for children.

VICENZA is connected with the following airports:
Verona: 60 km, Treviso: 70 km, Venice: 90 km, Bergamo: 165 km, Milan: 250 km

Trains
For further information on timetables and prices you can consult the following website: www.trenitalia.com.

We personally choose all the hotels mindful of your comfort as well as the proximity to cycling paths and any relevant local sites.

According to your category of choice you will be accommodated in:
- Cat. A+: only 4* and luxury hotels (night in Venice in a 3* hotel, instead of Mestre, is included)
- Cat. A: mainly 4* hotels, with some 3* hotels
- Cat. B: mainly 3* hotels, with some 2* hotels
The overnight in Padua thermal district for both categories will be in a 4* Wellness Hotel with swimming pools..

All rooms have en suite facilities. All 3/4* hotels have air conditioning while in the category of 2/3* hotels there may be some cases of accommodation without air conditioning.

When you book the tour please specify the type of room requested:
- double room is a room with one double bed
- twin room is a room with two single beds
- triple room is usually a room with one double bed and a single bed or a rollaway
- a family room could be converted into two double/twin rooms next to each other, according to availability

Girolibero’s City bikes are available in various sizes in unisex/women’s or men’s models. At the moment of booking, you can choose among the following bikes:
- City bike 27-gear Shimano Deore
- City bike 7-gear Shimano Nexus with back-pedal brake
- E-bike
- Tandem

Features:
- aluminium frame
- mudguard
- rear rack
- comfort gel saddle
- anti-puncture Schwalbe tyres
- ergonomic bicycle grips
- Speed Lifter system

You can also rent helmets for adults as well as children’s bikes and devices:
- Child seat: it is suitable for a maximum payload of 22 kg (0-4 yrs).
- Child trailer: with one seat and suitable for children who cannot ride a bike (0-4 yrs). The child trailer is designed for a maximum payload of 30 kg. More info on www.croozer.com.
- Follow-me tandem: a clever latch system enables the child's bike to lock firmly onto the tail of the adult bike as and when necessary (4-7 yrs). Adjustable only for the kids bike wheels size 20". The maximum weight of the child can be 27 kg. More info on www.followmetandem.co.uk
- Child bikes: bike frames with 20” and 24” wheels;
- Family tandem: this is an innovative solution for cycling with one child (aged 4-12).

Please note that child seats, child trailers and follow-me tandems can only be mounted on unisex City bikes 27-gear Shimano Deore.

Accessories
All rented adult bikes are equipped with:
1 cycle computer
1 Ortlieb one-sided saddlebag
1 front bar bag or 1 map holder
1 water bottle (0.75 l)
1 repair kit per room: 1 spare inner tube, glue, patch, a pump, 2 allen keys and tyre levers
1 combination bike lock

At the moment of booking you can also rent helmets, suitable for head circumferences from 54 to 61. All helmets have a certification mark according to the DIN EN 1078 (CE) European norm.

The Information Pack (one per room) includes:

- final hotel list: due to overbooking or organizational needs your hotel list may be changed just before your arrival
- luggage labels to be fixed at each piece of baggage, which has to be carried
- hotel vouchers to be given to the reception of each hotel on your arrival
- 24 hours ACTV ferry ticket only for the hotel category A and A+ (bike transport ticket not included)
- ice cream voucher: you can enjoy a free ice cream in one of Vicenza's most famous ice cream parlours
- Villa Valmarana ai Nani voucher: you can enjoy a free entrance ticket to this beautiful villa in Vicenza, famous for Tiepolo’s frescoes (www.villavalmarana.com).

Girolibero Greens booklets:
1) Travel Guide with valuable information about the history, artistic heritage, landscapes and natural treasures of the areas visited on the tour. Plus: local events, some great anecdotes, suggestions on how to make the best of an extended break along the route, and tips on local wining and dining.
2) Detailed Maps of the itinerary: in colour and scaled 1:75.000/50.000, an altitude profile chart and maps of any historic city centres you would visit.
3) Roadbook describing the cycling route, stage by stage. Great on its own or in conjunction with the maps.

Welcome briefing
In the first town of the tour you will meet our representative who:
- will present you the tour
- will deliver you the bikes
- will be at your disposal (about 30 minutes) for any questions you may have.

The exact time and place of the meeting will be specified in the Final Tour Details. We kindly ask you to advise if you cannot attend the meeting.

Staff support
For the whole duration of your bike tour, you can contact us:
- office +39 0444 1278430 from Monday to Friday 8:30-13:00 and 15:00-18:30
- emergency phone number every day 8:00-20:00. The number will be specified in the Final Tour Details.