Venice to Florence cycling holiday, Italy

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION
As a cycling holiday the main components of our holidays are already relatively low emitters of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, but we feel strongly that there is always room for improvement in this area. In Veneto, Emilia Romagna, and Tuscany, we have specially designed the routes so that only pedal power is needed, allowing you to explore the region and it's sights like Florence in a sustainable way. Food on this tour is mainly from local sources and vegetarian options are available throughout.

We are always looking to minimise the amount of driving that is required of our Destination Managers. We do this by providing detailed manifests and training our team to plan the most efficient routes for each task. We have seen a considerable decrease in the amount of driving our team are required to do over the last two years and are working to keep things moving in this direction for the future. As a next step, we are looking into the possibility of making our van fleet exclusively electric vehicles. At our head office in the UK we recycle paper, card, plastic and metal cans and we always try to use fully recyclable materials for our printed travel documents and marketing communications. We encourage all our staff to cycle when they can and are part of the Cycle to Work scheme. We also like to take part in charity bike rides together each year.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE
Our destination managers in Umbria provide all cyclists with a refillable water bottle and share some top tips on how to support the local environment. The north Italian landscape is gorgeous, with many protected forests and valleys, so we ask all our clients to stick to clearly marked paths. The delicate ecosystem of the region also means our clients are advised to dispose of litter where appropriate, without throwing in rivers, lakes etc. We also encourage all of our guests to enjoy meals made from the excellent local produce, so as to keep their food miles to the absolute minimum (in many cases these are very small distances!).

People

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY
Each year when we purchase new equipment, we will donate our previous bikes and accessories to local businesses and charities in the local area. We also work with World Bicycle Relief to support bike-led charity projects in developing nations.

LOCAL ECONOMY
All our tours encourage cyclists to get off the beaten track and discover the lesser-known parts of north Italy, with visits to small wine producers and dining in local restaurants. We also work with local suppliers to organise activities that support the local economy wherever possible and offer advice on bartering to offer a fair price for both the client and the vendor. As regions like Emilia Romagna have many beautiful churches and monasteries, we urge clients to respect the religious customs and beliefs of the local community, such as covering shoulders when entering etc.

Our cycle experts and destination managers will also advise our clients to respect local cultures and traditions when visiting the area and its historic or religious sites. They will also discuss other ways you can consider your impact on the community such as asking for permission before taking someone’s photograph and learning a few words in the local language – often hello, goodbye and thanks is a good place to start.

Food & drink is a big part of this tour and we visit a number of local wine producers and eat in some of the areas best local restaurants, where food miles are kept to a minimum. You have the option of visiting a balsamic vinegar factory, where traditional vinegar methods are nurtured. By supporting this craft, you help keep these traditions alive, as well as benefitting the local economy.