Looking at booking the summer escape and my wife suggested the Finale area of Italy. Let me just think about that for a mo…
I’m thinking of taking the road bike for a few cheeky spins (driving over with a 2 night stop somewhere on the way out and same somewhere else on the way back) and then hiring an mtb for a day’s uplift.

Any recommendations for accommodation for 5 (would like a pool, possibly communal so there are other kids) in Finale or surrounding area? £1k for a week absolute max. Also bike hire places and things to do/must sees in the area? Is Finale freeride the go to for uplift or others to consider? Excited!

Used a couple of MTB guide out there:

https://www.facebook.com/marchesiniandrea

https://www.facebook.com/MTBguidefinaleligure

Would recommend both. Andrea is more XC orientated and Lorenzo more DH.

Thanks footflaps and also bump

I’m currently in my van just above Finale.

Never bothered to book accommodation, but friends have. Plenty on Airbnb for under that price.

Plenty of shuttle/bike hire places, too. Although last time I used a shuttle here was two years ago.

Also look at other towns nearby… Noli is beautiful.

bumpy knuckles. any joy OP?

Yeah, AirBNB had never really occurred to me but after alpin mentioned it booked this place;

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/4944373

So cheers alpin!

Out here now and have been into freeride finale and booked a backcountry shuttle tour for Thursday. Can’t remember if it was called single track tour or backcountry tour or something else, doh.  The options were that on Thursday with another group (might phone up tomorrow and ask what nationality they are in the hope of some quality bantz bruv) or a possible place on the classic tour on Wednesday – would still need another booking to happen, rougher and as I prefer flow and speed, recovering from a broken neck and the hire shop is closed Wednesday the easier flow tour seemed the obvious choice.

Given that I can’t be sure what I’ve booked can anyone comment on what I might have booked is like? Hoping I’m not missing the must do experience by not doing the classic, also that I’ll get a slow group which might make my one and only day in Finale a bit pedestrian? The only other info I have is that this tour is about 40 mins drive from finale and is largely wooded so a bit more pleasant in mid summer. Apologies for general vagueness but had the family sat in the car, will phone them tomorrow to clarify

Be interested to hear how it goes. The family is off to finale in October.

davo, The defender tours are about 40mins drive from Finale. They are wood based, pine and beech and pretty similar to some UK riding, but with longer descents. One of the beauties of the tours is the shuttling in the Defenders! Driving up the steep forest tracks in a Landy with a substantial trailer on the back is quite something! Some of the trails are mint too. They are fairly flowy, but not bikepark flowy. For the fastest flow trails, you’ll be best to head down the trails from Nato base eg Ingegnere. Roller coaster is a classic flowy trail too, but not same hill. The EWS trails are very tech and rocky. A good test of your skills, but not trails you should do if recovering from serious injury!

That is spot on info, thanks Dave! Sounds ideal then, shame not to do Roller Coaster but it’s not on offer so not to be. I really can’t afford to bust myself up again for the sake of my family and my job!

With that in mind, top tip for others – when giving the hire bike a test spin outside the shop don’t try and pull a sweet wheelie to impress the enduro dudes in the shop and then remember that euro brakes are the wrong way round…..