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We're looking for a 2 week holiday in spring with 1 week based in one location where we can do daily bimbles of between 25-40 miles using road hire bikes, either early morning which leaves the rest of the day free, or a lateish start with a longer ride and a leisurely lunch half way through. Second week would be a bit of beach/city touring and Italy would be our first choice. I've looked at the likes of Skedaddle, Headwater etc and the prices are ridiculous, even for self-guided holidays (£1,100 for a week plus £200 bike hire without flights!) so can anyone recommend a location which ticks the above boxes?
We have already done Majorca so that's off the list but mainland Spain could be an option.
can I suggest Sintra for cycling and lisbon for the city bits...
Riccione Bike Hotels used to be featured a lot in Cycling Weekly:
http://www.riccionebikehotels.it/en/
We do some work with Headwater here in Scotland. They're expensive but do tend to use the very best accommodation.
How hilly do you want the riding?
Andalucia in southern Spain is good in Spring and has plenty of quiet mountain roads, plus historic cities with stunning architecture.
Visiting the Italian Riviera last summer I said I'd like to take my road bike if I went again to tackle some of the hills, absolutely stunning mountain villages out there too.
What sort of cost are you looking for ? And what sort of quality bikes ?
Thanks for the replies.
Sintra is a good shout, but we have stayed in Sesimbra south of Lisbon a couple of times and also done Lisbon.
Also Andalucia appeals but Italy would be our first choice as long as its not silly hilly.
Headwater want £1,169 per person for 7 nights self-guided riding around Puglia in April. Flights not included and that only includes 3 nights dinner and bike hire, but I still think that is eye gougingly expensive.
I don't mind paying up to 125 Euro per night for accommodation, and for bike hire a decent aluminium frame road bike will do, which based on Majorca rates should only be 18-20 Euros per day.
Tuscany - somewhere around Gaiole - you can ride sections of L'eroica route or white roads to a Castello or vinyard. Little bit lumpy in places. Easyjet to Pisa and a very nice drive down via Florence and find an apartment online.
Cheers dovebiker that sounds a good plan as Florence and Siena are on the bucket list. Will bikehire be a problem?
Bimbling?
Have a look at the EuroVelo 6 route & the Loire. It's flat, with vineyards.
The local tourist offices will help you find plces to stay, whether B&B or hotels.
Barcelona and http://www.terradiversions.com/eng/BarcelonaRoadBike.asp
I only hired a bike off them but service was ace.