Good Italy Bike Touring Links
8 April 2007 | touring, how-to | No Comments
WayTuscany-
A great place to start with this site is the “tradition and folklore” page. Check out the tons of great events going on including food and
wine festivals.
The Siena Tourist Board’s website is great. I personally have used the bike routes they have suggested on a dozen occasions. In fact, I had hopes of writing a book on the subject of cycling Tuscany, but have found this resource so useful that I’ve reconsidered. The map’s leave something to be desired, but hey! It’s free!
I like slowtrav because it has quirky little bits of information you just don’t get anywhere. Also, it kind of emphasizes food which I really like. For instance, this month there is a neat little article about wild mushroom hunting in Umbria that I liked.
I’ve been writing in Lonely Planet’s Thorntree Forum for the past few months, and I’ve found that you can get even the most obscure questions answered… although not always quickly. It’s even a place to make a hookup if you’re looking to make friends in a particular place.
I love the food and wine of Tuscany! I also ride my bike all day, and sometimes wonder if I just passed a great winery or famous osteria and didn’t know it. One place to plan your Tuscan wine roadtrip (by car or bike) is La Strada Del Vino. You will find a few tours there, but I suggest googling “la strada del vino”simply because every region has their own wine roads website and
they don’t coordinate (future post! All the wine road websites!).
Omnimaps offers what I believe to be the only credible online resource for extremely detailed maps of central tuscany. These maps are made by a German company called Kompass. They show all the same stuff Michelin maps show, but in greater detail. The best feature about these maps is they also show trails, dirt roads, and preferred bicycle routes making them essential.
For those less interested in biking the countryside, check out Firenze.com for the most user friendly site on Florence.
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