Italy
- Miles cycled: 741
- Feet climbed: 16,684
- Cycling days: 14
- Non-cycling days: 5
Rating (1-10) and comments:
- Road – condition: 8
- Road – shoulders and cycle lanes: 5
(Far and few in-between) - Road signage: 7
- Drivers: 6.5
- Campsites – Availability: 6.5
(Get an Italian Campsite directory available in most bookshops – there’s not a lot of campsites, but they are evenly distributed throughout the country) - Campsites – Facilities/Value: 7
(Most of the campsites we used have very good facilities but can be quite expensive esp. in peak season. Mozzie repellant ESSENTIAL.) - Hotels: 6
(Not as easy to find in smaller towns… there are Agriturismo B&B style places but these are usually in remote areas, far away from the main roads/towns.) - Shops: 8
(Lots of good supermarkets in most towns) - Food: 7
(I was hoping for massive bowls of pasta, but alas, pasta is usually served as Primi piatti (first course) so you only get a small ration. Plus restaurants have a cover charge – it all adds up!) - People: 8.5
(The friendliest and most helpful bunch by far… Always smiling and greeting you with a “Ciao! Ciao!”) - Cost: 5
(Not helped by the fact that we were here in peak summer season) - Scenery: 7
- Cultural interest: 8
(What can I say? Florence and Venice… amazing)
Overall: 6.8
General tips:
- Hotels and campsites were expensive compared to Spain, Portugal and France
- Restaurants include a cover charge per head which can range from 1€ to 4€. Some trattorias don’t charge this, and in the bigger cities, restaurants waive the cover charge to be more competitive.