Current as of: May 20, 2019 - 15:17 Valid for departures: From January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019 Cycling the Wine Trails of Umbria, Self-Guided Trip Notes Ways to Travel: Self-Guided 9 Days Land only Trip Code: Destinations: Italy Min age: 8 Moderate Programmes: Cycling C08UM Trip Overview The sun-drenched Umbrian countryside is an enchanting place to blend cycling with food, wine and cultural highlights. The riding is idyllic through olive groves, sunflower fields, vineyards and apricot orchards. There is plenty of time to absorb the timeless atmosphere of the hilltop villages and hamlets and uncover the cultural highlights of Spello, Montefalco and Assisi. Each evening you can unwind in our specially selected hotels and enjoy the wonderful food and wine of the region. At a Glance 8 nights hotels 7 days cycling (including 3 optional rides) with luggage transfers Optional electric bikes 90% quiet tarmac roads, 10% easy tracks Undulating terrain but distances are kept relatively short GPS route navigation provided Countries visited: Italy Trip Highlights Enjoy totally unspoilt cycling through Italian countryside Visit medieval Montefalco, Spello and Assisi Relax in friendly, high quality hotels, most with swimming pools Is This Trip for You? Cycling Conditions Classification: Self-Guided Average daily distance on move on days: 45km (28 miles). No. of days cycling: 7 (including 3 optional rides) Terrain and route: The suggested cycling mainly follows quiet tarmac roads with a few sections on dirt roads. The terrain is mainly undulating but the distances are kept relatively short to give you lots of time to enjoy the scenery. Vehicle Support: This is a self-guided trip for those who prefer to cycle independently, but with our assistance to take out the stress of the logistics and planning. We arrange your accommodations, provide you with a map and route notes so that you can cycle at your own pace, while your bags are transported from one hotel to the next. A representative will be there to meet you, make sure the bikes are all set up and will be on call throughout the trip should you need. It is important that you are happy reading maps and following route notes, we make these as accurate as possible and they are regularly checked. Where possible we stick to cycle tracks and quiet roads to make the journeys as pleasant as possible, however, on occasion we have to use busier routes. As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. There maybe others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. The route notes contain a 24-hour emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies, the local representative is normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service. Families Self-guided cycling holidays are a perfect option for families as they offer the freedom for you to take your holiday at your own pace. You can stop as and when you want and need, at the cafes and restaurants that suit your family and the sites that interest you. We have suggested the minimum age for this trip is 8yrs as we feel they will be able to ride the bikes we have to offer and complete the route. However our local partner is able to offer child seats for children aged 2-4yrs (max. weight 22 kg, hills will be tricky). These are all subject to availability, and therefore we ask that you enquire about these on booking. Please note due to the size of the bikes and distanced required to cycle, this trip is not appropriate for children aged from 5-7yrs (who are too big for the child seats, but not big enough to ride the children’s bike). As a guide we have suggested that 8yrs is the minimum age for this trip, but as it is self-guided and you will be leading your own family we will ultimately leave this decision up to you. The daily distances are all published in the trip notes along with a description of each days cycling so you have a good idea of what to expect. However, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact one of our experts. The principle idea is that these holidays can be as flexible as you like, with logistical support but no group or leader to dictate the daily activities. Please bear in mind the weather when choosing to book, temperatures can be very high in the middle of summer and the child seats provided do not have any shade. We therefore recommend going either earlier or later on in the season if you have young children. Group As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. A local representative is on hand to assist you and will meet you at the beginning of the week to set up your bike and go through the route notes and point out particular places of interest. Your luggage is transferred and route notes and maps are provided. The route notes contain an emergency assistance telephone number. In an emergency, the local representative is normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service. Adult min age: 13 Child min age: 8 Child max age: 12 Min group size: 1 Itinerary Land Only Start City: Spello End City: Spello Land Only Itinerary Day 1 Start Spello. If prearranged (inquire for prices) a transfer will pick you up from Foligno station and take you (25 mins) to picturesque Spello in time for dinner in your hotel's atmospheric restaurant. Please see the joining information for more details. Premium Hotel Meals included: Dinner Day 2 Gentle ride along the Teverone Valley with an optional uphill detour to Trevi; continue through to Spoleto. Option: 1 Today is level cycling most of the way along the Teverone Valley with some of the best views of the week. We strongly recommend the short uphill detour to Trevi, a beautiful hilltop village dating back to Roman times and capital of the Umbrian olive oil industry. The ride then takes you to the centre of Spoleto to a really friendly 3-star hotel situated in a quiet area next to the Menotti Theatre and the contemporary art Museum. There are two bars , a reading room and Sauna/ massage Centre. Breakfast can be taken indoors or Al fresco. As its quite central there are plenty of restaurants and trattorie nearby. Comfortable Hotel Option: 2 A gradual climb out of the vale of Spoleto towards the Apennines, following a stunning road passing pretty villages. Sellano is lovely lunch spot, the town renowned for its water. After Sellano you head towards the Valnerina the 'black valley' and follow an idyllic road through this dark lush green valley and a long downhill into Spoleto. This route finishes at Albornoz Palace Hotel, customers staying at Hotel Charleston should leave the route at 80.6km turning right. Meals included: Breakfast Distance covered: 50 km / 31 miles Day 3 Free day to enjoy Spoleto. The historic city of Spoleto, apart from from being a great city of art, has buildings seemingly reflecting every major architectural style in history, including a Roman arch, a 10th Century church, 12th Century Duomo and a 80m high 14th Century aqueduct. The castle here was a former prison and now houses an impressive art museum. The archaeological museum houses many treasures and sculptures found in the Roman theatre as well as artefacts dating back to the Etruscans. The tourist office in Piazza Liberta can provide you with lots of useful information in English so it may be worth planning your day from here with what interests you. Of course, there are many lovely cafes and trattorie for lunch. Optional ride Leaving Spoleto behind, a couple of short steep climbs takes you on an idyllic quiet wooded road through to the Naia valley and to the medieval town of Acquasparta. The town served as a spa retreat in Roman times due to its many water sources (the thermal baths remain open to the public today). Continuing running parallel to the Martiana mouintains and on to one of the slow food capitals, Todi, a historic Roman town on the banks of the Tiber river. After Todi a gentle climb through undulating countryside takes you to Marcellano. There are two alternate TCX files which start at both hotel options in Spoleto, named accordingly. Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Distance covered: 31 km / 19 miles Day 4 Climb up to Montefalco for views and wine tasting; continue on to Marcellano. This morning we will climb up to Montefalco, the 'balcony of Umbria', it is a fair climb but well worth the effort! The town occupies a marvellously scenic position and on a clear day you can see as far as Perugia in the north. The town has retained its mediaeval atmosphere and structure. The church of San Francesco, now a museum, houses a fabulous 15th Century art collection. The town is perhaps most famous for its wine, you should arrive in plenty of time for lunch (the climb here is 5% up to 444m). There are lots of cheap trattorie or osterie serving the local wine. The Rosso di Montefalco is a popular choice, but by far the most intriguing vintage is that of the sagrantino. This is made using the sagrantino grape which is only found in Europe. It is well worth a taste while you admire the spectacular view.