to Route “Flat and Easy Biking in Northern ”

There’s no area in Italy that offers water lovers such ideal, easy cycling through beautiful countryside and villages in , and Romagna. You’ll pedal along the River (if navigation along the river is possible) or along the Fissero/Bianco canal, which runs parallel to the Po and connects Mantua to the . Our comfortable “floating home” will make its way through a unique landscape and stop at towns that seem to have emerged from fairy tales. Highlights include fantastic Chioggia, often called “Little Venice,” , the meeting point for many local and international cyclists, the Etruscan , the delightful islands Pellestrina and Lido, and finally romantic Venice, the “City of Water.” The bike trails offer dramatic scenery with daily routes all completely over flat roads and bike paths. Bikers have a unique opportunity to experience largely untouched nature, seeing swamps that have existed for several centuries and are surrounded by lovely pine woods. Natural watercourses, minuscule channels, and fishermen’s huts hiding in the reeds are waiting to be discovered. Your biking companions are an international group of cycling enthusiasts who enjoy a relaxed pace, great Italian food, and flat, safe bike routes. Bring your camera for this Italian vacation you’ll never forget!

Included in the Tour Price • 7 nights on board the ship (sheets, blankets, and two towels) • 7 breakfasts, 6 packed lunches, and 7 dinners • 27-speed hybrid bicycle rental, including helmet, pannier, water bottle, lock • Coffee and tea on board • Tour guide on bike (multilingual) • Information pack, route descriptions, and maps • Mid-week service of cabin cleaning and towel change • Visit and tasting at Grana Padano cheese factory • Visit of Carousel and Entertainment Museum • Bus transfer Ferrara/Zelo or Ferrara/Adria • Booking Fee • Harbor Fees

Daily Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Venice Our comfortable barge is moored at Giudecca Island in Venice and is easily reached by “vaporetto” from the train station in the city. Your cabin will be available at 4.30 p.m.. After storing your luggage and meeting your cycling companions, guide, captain, and crew, there will be time to wander around on the island. Dinner will be at 7 p.m., followed by a preview of the week’s highlights and cycling itinerary by the tour guide.

Van Gogh Tours Inc. • (781)-646-0096 • [email protected] Day 2: Venice – free day You’ll rise today to a wonderful view over the scenic Venetian lagoon! It's impossible to cycle the narrow, crooked streets and innumerable steps to Venice’s romantic bridges so today is a day for you to explore by foot the many wonders of magnificent Venice, the capital of the “Repubblica Serenissima”, the Serene Republic. You will have the option to join a guided tour. You also might like to visit Murano, another island in the Venetian lagoon where gorgeous glass has been blown by Italian artisans for more than 700 years.

Day 3: Venice to Chioggia – 19 miles (30 km) Our morning will consist of easy, flat biking over two narrow islands which form the border between the sea and the lagoon. First we'll cross to Lido, one of the most impressive resorts for the rich and famous and the home of the Venice Film Festival. Then we'll ride on to Malamocco, the first seat of the Republic of the Doges. A short boat cruise will take us to Pellestrina Island, a more authentic fishermen island. Later we’ll reach the nature reserve “Ca’Roman.” In the early afternoon we’ll cross over to bustling Chioggia, a “Venice in miniature” where you’ll find great medieval architecture and a famous fish market.

Day 4: Chioggia - Porte Viro – Adria – 25 miles (40 km) A morning stroll through Chioggia’s fish market is recommended and, time allowing, a visit up the millennial clock tower – the oldest in the world – for some breathtaking views. Our cycling resumes southbound, into the delta of the imposing Po. This unique wetland park is the prime reserve in Europe for herons and home to a colony of flamingos. We'll overnight in Adria, an ancient Greek port once close to the shores of the sea that shares its name. The town is also renowned for its Etruscan and Roman heritage.

Day 5: Adria – Ferrara – Zelo – 22 miles by bike + 22 miles by bus (35 km bike + 35 km bus) After a short morning boat ride we’ll cycle following the Po through farmland and hamlets to medieval Ferrara, nicknamed the “city of bicycles.” Ferrara’s well-preserved historical center is still surrounded by spectacular city walls. The town has broad streets and numerous dating from the 14th and 15th century. Because of its beauty and cultural importance, Ferrara has been qualified by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. In the afternoon a bus will bring us to our floating hotel in Zelo, a sleepy village on the Canal Bianco, for the night.

Day 6: Zelo – Mantua (Mantova in Italian) – 31 miles (50 km) After just a few kilometers on the bike we'll reach the village of Bergantino for a visit of the Carousel and Street Entertainment Museum. From here we will follow the River Po to , a small village with ruins of a medieval fortress. We'll pedal on to Mantua, beautifully surrounded by lakes on three sides. Mantua was once one of the greatest Courts in Europe and home to the wealthy Gonzaga family. Today it's also a UNESCO World Heritage site. The historic center features dozens of fascinating piazzas, churches, monuments, and courtyards. It's one of the most beautiful Renaissance towns of and a fitting place to end our wonderful bike-barge vacation.

Day 7: Mantua Round Trip – 22 miles (35 km) Ruled by the House of Gonzaga for four centuries, the city-state of Mantua attracted a dizzying roll call of names across the arts – from Rubens and Mantegna to Monteverdi and Mozart – and to this day the town is renowned for its international book festival. A ride through the center soon takes us past Palazzo Te,̀ on the outskirts, the Gonzagas' summer

Van Gogh Tours Inc. • (781)-646-0096 • [email protected] residence. Onwards to the hamlet of Grazie and its historic church: a site of pilgrimage, it is adorned with an intriguing host of wooden figures, personifying the many torments that pilgrims of yore could identify with. A cruise on a local barge takes us home through a waterscape rich in birdlife, lilies and other aquatic flora. This afternoon we meet our Mantuan guide for a walking tour of the historic center, and enjoy the rest of the day in town, at our own leisure.

Day 8: Tour Ends You'll depart in in the morning after breakfast.

Mantua to Venice Daily Itinerary The following week’s tour will have a reverse itinerary, starting in Mantua and ending in Venice. The itinerary is reversed with the order of the sights changed slightly. Please ask for the Mantua to Venice itinerary if you are interested in the exact daily itinerary.

Starting Point You will arrive in Venice. Cabins will be available on Day 1 at 4.30 p.m. Dinner and a welcome meeting will be at 7 p.m. A map and the name of your boat will be sent to you after receipt of your final payment.

Level of Difficulty This tour is rated “easy” for its flat terrain and low mileage. All distances are approximate. The above planned itinerary is subject to change due to changing wind, weather conditions, other unforeseen circumstances such as mooring requirements.

Travel Guidance The skipper and his mate are responsible for the smooth running of the barge. An experienced, multilingual guide will indicate points of interest along the way, accompany you on the ride, and can assist in case of flat tires or breakdowns. Route instructions are available if you prefer to ride on your own, but please let us know this ahead of time.

Connections between Venice and Mantova If at the end of the tour you will return to Venice or Mantua to bring your car, or for extra nights after the tour, we recommend taking the train. The cities are very well connected by train and the transfer is quick and also not expensive. From Venice or from Mantua there are about 20 trains a day between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.. The transfer takes about an hour and a half and costs from €10 to €25 per person depending on type of train. Between Venice and Mantua or the other way around there are no direct connections - you always have to change in Porta Nuova or . For further information on times and costs please consult the website www..com.

ACTV tickets (Public Transportation in Venice) The public transport in Mestre, Venice, and Chioggia is managed by ACTV company. In addition to the common buses on the dry land, you will find the “vaporetti,” the boats that guarantee passengers’ transport in the lagoon of Venice. At your arrival in Venice or Chioggia we recommend the purchase of a tourist travel card that is valid 48 hours (price approximately €32). It's the cheapest solution to get around with public transport ACTV. If you will be in Venice longer they also offer a 3 or 7-day card. This tourist travel card allows

Van Gogh Tours Inc. • (781)-646-0096 • [email protected] an unlimited number of transfers and can be used in all kind of transport on water (except the private line “Alilaguna” that connects the airport Marco Polo with Venice) and on dry land (buses for and from the airport Marco Polo, urban net of Mestre, Lido and Chioggia). For more information, look at their website: http://www.actv.it/en/touristtravelcardseng The bicycles transportation is permitted only on board the ferry-boats and not on regular vaporettos (water busses). The price of bike transportation is €1 per bike per stretch and must be paid directly on board.

The Bicycles Well-maintained, comfortable 27-speed hybrid bikes are included. These unisex bike models come in sizes appropriate to your height. The bikes have a side pannier, helmet, water bottle, and lock. If you prefer to bring your own bike you're welcome to do so at a discount of $90 per bike, but realize that bikes cannot be transported on the TGV (high- speed train) in . A map holder/front bag is also given to the people that want to do this tour as a self-guided tour. An electric bike is also available for this tour ($140 per person). We advise you only to rent an electric bike if you have first tried one at home. They're heavier than regular bikes and therefore can be difficult to maneuver. In addition, you can rent children’s bikes, child seats, bike trailers, and tag-alongs.

Meals The cook prepares all meals: a substantial breakfast and a three-course dinner of very good quality. A packed lunch may be prepared after breakfast. Tea and coffee will be ready when you arrive on board in the afternoon. There's a bar on the boat with beer, wine, and soft drinks at reasonable prices. If you have special meal requirements, we ask you to mention this when booking.

The Barge Our motorized passenger vessels, about 35 - 45 meters in length, are former river vessels especially converted for this kind of holiday. On board you find a cozy dining room, a sun deck/a deck for the bicycles. All cabins are provided with running water (hot and cold), private shower and toilet, 220 voltage, and central heating. There's limited storage space in the cabin so we recommend 1 suitcase per person. You can slide the suitcase under your bed. Don't expect a cruise ship with its passive luxury. Bike and barge vacations are for people who really enjoy the physical activity of cycling and who value sociability more than wholesale luxury.

WiFi WiFi is available on a limited basis on board. Don't expect to have a perfect internet connection for the entire trip. Usually during the busiest hours when many people are online, the speed gets slower, and some people will have trouble connecting.

Not Included in the Tour Price • Airfare • Museum entrance fees and private expenses • Drinks (other than coffee & tea) on board • Gratuity for the guide • One ferry fee (about €9 per person) • Transfer on Vaporetto to and from barge on free days in Venice

Van Gogh Tours Inc. • (781)-646-0096 • [email protected]