Piedmont self guided cycling holiday in Italy

Planet

Activity:
Cycling has minimal impact on the environment as you provide most of the energy yourself and, when you’re cycling from village to village, you can enjoy a relationship with locals in a way motorists passing through never can. Also, by walking independently, and not having to worry about keeping up with a group, you set the pace so you can soak up the sights, sounds and scents of your surrounds and really get under the skin of the place you’re visiting.

We proactively encourage our clients to think about travelling responsibly too: packing light, saving water, buying locally, re-cycling all maps and route notes at the end of their trip as well as to be mindful of not leaving any rubbish behind.

UK Office:
We are aware of the impact tourism has at home and abroad, and we make every effort to balance the environmental impact of travelling with the immense benefits sustainable tourism can bring to destinations and the people who live there. We are signatories of Tourism Declares an Emergency and as such we have a plan of action on reducing our carbon emissions. We will work towards improving life through travel - for the places we visit on our adventures, the people we meet when there, and the planet which hosts us. Our cycling and walking holidays for example are designed to be low carbon - giving you the tools to explore under your own steam rather than in a vehicle.

In the office: we turn off all electrical equipment every night; we use energy-efficient bulbs; we measure print and paper consumption, and re-cycle wherever possible; we print our brochures on paper from sustainable sources, and send them out in bio-degradable packaging.

People

Your cycling holiday is varied and mainly follows quiet, traffic-free country roads. Travelling by bike, you get off the beaten track, and you’ll find that people treat you as a visitor rather than a tourist. Starting in the lush hazelnut hills, you'll wind through terraces of swaying vines, verdant pine forests and rippling rivers to discover pretty hilltop hamlets and ancient castles.

As with all our holidays, we encourage visitors to buy from independently-run shops & establishments where possible, supporting the local people and their families.

The region boasts an incredible array of fine wine towns, including Barbaresco and Barolo, both ideal lunch stops for some local cuisine on your cycling days or free days

Other highlights include Alba's crimson, cobbled streets (where you can sample the local chocolate), the expansive views as you freewheel out of Mango, and strolling amongst the tangle of streets and geranium-decked houses of Monforte d'Alba's wonderful centre.

The hotels we've chosen on this trip are owned by locals and are quite simply, fabulous! In Benevello your 4 star hotel is a stunningly restored 19th century family villa, with a Michelin-starred restaurant; in Neive you're the guest of Viviana at her 12-room country house with a breathtaking panoramic pool; and in Monforte d'Alba private tastings can be organised in the hotel's vast wine cellar.