Italy - Cycling holiday from Pisa to Cinque Terre
- From a wonder of the world to a world heritage site -
For variety, it's hard to beat this trip from Tuscany to Liguria. You can look forward to the impressive historical monuments of Pisa, Lucca and La Spezia, the long and wide sandy beaches of the fashionable holiday towns of Viareggio and Forte dei Marmi along the Versilia coast, the wild nature of the narrow valley of the River Serchio, the view of the white marble bridge at Carrara and the world-famous colourful houses of Cinque Terre. Rich wine, the scent of basil and plenty of Italian "dolce vita" add to the experience of this varied landscape. In other words, it's time to immerse yourself in Italy's impressive diversity.
The route follows cycle paths and mainly roads with limited traffic. The first stage is completely flat and all the other stages are hilly with several (sometimes tough) climbs along the way. On the fourth day by bike there is a long climb of over 550 metres. The trails are mostly paved, with only short stretches on gravel roads. On the way into and out of the cities and on a few other short stretches, a little more traffic can be expected.
Highlights of the journey
- Cycling in Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa
- The fashionable resorts of the Versilia coast
- The marble quarries of Carrara
- Cinque Terre World Heritage Site
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When you arrive at the hotel in Pisa, detailed information about your tour will be provided and you will be given your bikes. Depending on your arrival time, you may want to take a stroll in one of the spa parks for which the city is famous or take a ride on the historic funicular (a cable car) to Montecatini Alto.
Rediscover Pisa's enchanting old town before setting off on scenic trails through the "Macchia Luccese" National Park and on to the sea. Continue along the sandy beach until you reach the charming seaside resort of Viareggio with its historic bathing facilities. Here you can take your first refreshing dip in the Tyrrhenian Sea, if you haven't already done so en route.
In the morning, the tour takes you along the Versilia coast and then back inland. You'll follow the "Via Fancigena", the ancient pilgrimage route from France to Rome, which passes through small medieval villages in the Tuscan hills to the banks of the Serchio river, eventually arriving (on a well-maintained cycle path) in Lucca. Here you can't fail to be impressed by the old town, and there's also the chance to take a bike ride around the city walls themselves.
The route continues through the valley along the River Serchio towards the National Park of the Apennines, with peaks over 2,000 metres high. It's a good idea to stop and take a picture of the mysterious, extremely steep "Devil's Bridge", which lies just off the cycle path. In Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, this day's destination, it's as if time has stood still, as narrow medieval streets, stone bridges and small, idyllic squares dominate the townscape.
Today's route follows a beautifully landscaped mountain road back towards the sea. In the first 20 km, you'll climb some 550 metres to the marble quarries where the world-famous Carrara white marble comes from. Then it's downhill again (a full 30km downhill, in fact!) to the fashionable town of Forte dei Marmi, where you've certainly earned a dip in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
This day's cycling route is very varied. The last few kilometres in Tuscany take you along lush vineyards, then into Liguria to the idyllic fishing village of Bocca di Magra and on along the coastal route with stunning views of the deep blue sea. The pastel-coloured houses of Lerici give a good first impression of the Ligurian coast, and from here it's just a few kilometres to today's destination, the historic port town of La Spezia, which offers good food and plenty of art and culture.
The National Park around the colourful facades of Cinque Terre - the five villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore - was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1997. The area is one of Italy's most popular tourist and excursion destinations, and the mountainous walk along the coast offers unique views of the idyllic villages. In the morning you can take the train from La Spezia to Monterosso, and from there walk from village to village with the glistening sea on your right (the route can be shortened by train or boat at any time). From Riomaggiore, take the Cinque Terre Express back to La Spezia.
The cycling holiday is now over. You check out of the hotel after breakfast.
Price includes
- 7 nights in 3- and 4-star hotels (single room possible)
- Breakfast every day
- Detailed descriptions of the routes (route maps, route descriptions/roadbook, information on relevant tourist attractions and important phone numbers.)
- Luggage transfers between hotels
- Cinque-Terre-Card which can be used in trains and hikes
- Welcome briefing
- GPS tracks available
- Direct phone number to a hotline service from where you can recieve help throughout the length of trip.
- This is a packaged holiday and is therefore covered by The Travel Guarantee Fund - See which benefits this means for you - click here
- Transportation to the starting destination in Italy
- Handling fee (€20)
- optional: Bike rental, including bike insurance
- Tourist tax (if due)
Practical info
The price is based upon two people sharing. It is also possible travel alone in a single room. Simply choose "single room" in the booking form.
On this tour you will be on your own supplied with maps, route descriptions and luggage transfers. That means that your time is your own and you have plenty of time to enjoy the stages in your own pace.
Check the price quickly
You can quickly check the price of your desired trip without having to fill in anything. Here's how:
- Choose your desired start date
- Click on the green button "See price and reserve your holiday" and go to the booking form
- Select number of people, add any optional extras and see the price at the bottom of the page (you don't have to fill in anything on the form).
Get a quote
For example, if you want a flight included or changes to the trip, you can order a quote for this using the "Get a quote" button. Remember to describe in detail what, if anything, you want changed.
The process of your booking
When you book, we will start booking hotels and arranging all the practical details of the trip. This process typically takes 2-5 working days, but some bookings may take longer. If you are arranging your own transport, we recommend that you wait until we have confirmed your booking before arranging this.
Dates
If you can select the date in the tour calendar at the top of this page, this is a possible start date. We continually update the tours with sold-out dates, after which those dates will turn red and cannot be selected.
On all our cycling holidays it is possible bring your own bike but it also possible to rent a bike for the tour. The bikes you can rent are all perfectly suited for the tour and the local terrain and all bikes are perfectly maintained. If you want to rent a bike on your holiday, then you select this on the booking form where you can also see the price. Remember to write your height in the message field when you book so that we know which size bike you need.
PHOTOS OF THE BIKES ARE BELOW THIS TEXT
On this tour it is possible to rent the following bikes:
- Unisex 21-gear bike – with free wheel
- Unisex 7-gear bike – with back pedal breaks
- Gents bike 21 gear – with free wheel
- PLUS gents bike 27 gear – with free wheel
- Unisex ebike – with backpedal breaks
Equipment included in the bike rental:
- Saddle bag (water repellent)
- Handlebar bag (water repellent)
- Service-set with tools and extra bicycle tube
- Combination lock
Roadside assistance
All bikes are equipped with puncture resistant tyres which means that it is virtually impossible to puncture. No rule without exceptions, so should you experience a punctured tyre then you can quickly fix it by using the tools in the service-set. If the damage is greater than a simply puncture then you simply call us and we make sure that your bike is fixed or you will be supplied with a new bike as quickly as possible.
Insurance is included
Insurance against theft and damages are included in the bike rental. Should you have any problems of this nature then all you have to do is to let us know and we will supply a new bike as quickly as possible. Naturally, careless or mischievous behavior is exempt from this.
Unisex 21-gear bike – with free wheel / Unisex 7-gear bike – with back pedal breaks
Gents bike 21 gear – with free wheel
PLUS gents bike 27 gear – with free wheel
Unisex ebike – with backpedal breaks
The flights to/from Pisa are not included in the price. You can easily find a suitable flight via a flight booking engine such as Momondo or Skyscanner.
Notice: we recommend that you book with us and wait for the confirmation before you book your flights.
It works like this:
- You book your chosen holiday with us
- We confirm your holiday (usually within 48 hours)
- You arrange your transportation
Getting there
Here is a link for the perfect tool which will help you get an overview of how to get to the starting point of the tour: Rome2Rio
On this trip you will stay in 3- and usually 4-star hotels. In the daily program of the trip, you can see examples of the hotels we use on the trip. Please note that these are examples and we may book other hotels of similar quality.
Breakfast is included every day. It is very easy to find both lunch and dinner in the towns you pass through on the tour.
Luggage transfer is included on this tour. Upon arrival at the first hotel you will be given luggage tags along with the rest of the welcome package. You fill out the luggage tags and put them on your bags where they will remain for the duration of the tour.
Your luggage is picked up from the hotel lobby around 9am every morning and will arrive at your next hotel at 6pm at the latest (often long before that). If there are any special exceptions to the luggage transfer you will be notified upon arrival.
Luggage transfer includes one bag per guest and the bags can weigh 20kg each.
You will recieve the following documentation
Upon booking
You recieve practical information about the tour in a digital format
One month before arrival
You recieve your hotel list and your voucher (hotel list is often supplied upon booking)
Upon arrival
You recieve the welcome package which contains the printed version of the road book, luggage tags, local specific vouchers and if you have rented bikes then they will also be delivered and fitted at the first hotel.
Here you can get an overview of the entire route and the elevation profile for each day. The data shows the data from the GPX-files related to the tour. Notice that the routes are sometimes updated, which means that there might be small variations.
Colors
Blue routes: The route as normal
Red routes: Variations/options (such as shortened or extended routes)
This tour has difficulty grade 3.
Grade 3
Longer distances in hilly terrain, often with steep climbs. The distance is usually 65 – 80 km or 40 – 50 miles per day. Requires good shape and health. We highly recommend that you practice on some longer rides before you leave home.
Read more about our Grading System
It can be difficult to plan a trip according to the weather, but to give an idea of the local climate, see data below:
Statistics for Pisa as seen on www.yr.no
We are members of the Travel Guarantee Fund (nr. 2529) and have all available insurances. This covers you regardless of your nationality. Read more about that here.
Call our experts on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Phone: +44 20 3936 1208
Or write to us at
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Phone: +44 20 3936 1208
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