Italy.

[Yellow7]

Having just cycled through Italy I found it rather disappointing, at times annoying -maybe I’ve been spoilt after the previous countries? So just wondered if anyone else has toured here and what their opinions were on the place.

Mark.

 

[andym]

I've spent most of the last three summers touring here - possibly 18 months in total and I'm still discovering new and interesting places (I'm in Italy now). To my mind it's the most interesting and diverse European country. And, providing you don't mind climbing, the scenery and cycling are great.

Check my website (http://italy-cycling-guide.info) which hopefully will give you a flavour of what the country has to offer and why I keep coming back.

You don't say where you went or what sort of roads you rode on - certainly Italy repays the effort to research interesting places to visit, and scenic roads (and avoid dull ones). But that's true of most countries.

 

[Blue Hills]

I'm intrigued by your post Yellow7. What did you find annoying? I can think of a fair few annoying things about Italy though they aren't specifically cycling related.

I'd be interested - do tell.

all the best.

 

[rich p]

I've only toured the north but loved it. Next year I hope to do the southern half so I'm intrigued too.

 

[bikepacker]

I have mixed feeling about Italy. The road signage is very poor and sometimes misleading. The Adriatic coast was uninteresting. Contrast that with the fantastic scenery in the mountains and some wonderful historical cities. Overall the pluses beat the negatives and I shall be touring there again probably next year.

 

[Yellow7]

After having passed through Germany, Austria and Switzerland with excellent well marked cycle lanes and very clean and tidy, Italy - from what I’ve seen - was a total contrast.

As shown on my blog’s footer map I first headed west of Milan over to Genoa. This was a chaotic messy place, a local chap stopped me and asked where I was from / going and said that Italy is a messed up country.

Initially the excess traffic agitated me, and then finding the first campsite had no toilet seats, toilet paper, soap dispenser or paper towels AND wanted 50 cents for 2 minutes hot water for a shower angered me further. A campsite, as opposed to my normal free-camping option, is basically a place to get a hot shower so to pay extra to the 15 euros does not seem right.

Another campsite wanted 27 euros! Upon finding the camper-van park down the road had a fresh-water tap I stayed there, for free. If this was a 2 week cycling holiday it would be [just about] acceptable but for a year-long tour I have a budget to stay within.

I expect the Dolomites mountains area is better, but due to time constraints was not able to visit. Perhaps I'll give it a second chance some other time with an Italy specific tour and plot roads and routes in finer detail so ensure I stay away from the mopped riddled, messy town and cities.

Tonight I take the ferry from Bari over to Durres.

 

[MontyVeda]

...

Check my website (http://italy-cycling-guide.com) which hopefully will give you a flavour of what the country has to offer and why I keep coming back.

...

that link doesn't work for me.... is your site also italy-cycling-guide.info ???

 

[Haitch]

After having passed through Germany, Austria and Switzerland with excellent well marked cycle lanes and very clean and tidy, Italy - from what I’ve seen - was a total contrast.

I've just cycled back from Italy through Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Austria and Germany and found Germany the least pleasant. Badly signed routes, bike paths more like scree slopes and all through-traffic directed onto motorways. Switzerland was lovely. The bit of Italy I cycled through I already knew quite well and had no problems. And @AndyinSig, how on earth do you get out of Sigmaringen to Albstad on a bike? Lovely town, but a little too possessive of its visitors.

 

[Blue Hills]

Comments above from folk about poor signage (though more recently improved) and expensive campsites tally with my experience in Sardinia.

The chap who stopped you Yellow7 was probably taking a breather from shouting at the telly - yep in my experience Italy is messed up - it might be changing a bit though -

 

[andym]

After having passed through Germany, Austria and Switzerland with excellent well marked cycle lanes and very clean and tidy, Italy - from what I’ve seen - was a total contrast.

As shown on my blog’s footer map I first headed west of Milan over to Genoa. This was a chaotic messy place, a local chap stopped me and asked where I was from / going and said that Italy is a messed up country.

Initially the excess traffic agitated me, and then finding the first campsite had no toilet seats, toilet paper, soap dispenser or paper towels AND wanted 50 cents for 2 minutes hot water for a shower angered me further. A campsite, as opposed to my normal free-camping option, is basically a place to get a hot shower so to pay extra to the 15 euros does not seem right.

Another campsite wanted 27 euros! Upon finding the camper-van park down the road had a fresh-water tap I stayed there, for free. If this was a 2 week cycling holiday it would be [just about] acceptable but for a year-long tour I have a budget to stay within.

I've stayed in literally hundreds of campsites in Italy. 27 euros is extremely exceptional (i've never paid that much - although it is possible assuming you are extremely unlucky). even in high season I am generally paying about 15 euros.

It's also very rare to find a campsite that charges for a shower. Most campsites provide toilet paper, but for some reason I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of campsites providing soap. But I don't remember France being different in that respect.

Campsites in Italy are more expensive than in France, but it isn't just a matter of getting a shower - from what I can see campsite owners and staff work hard and provide good value for money.

I went through Genova the other week. I simply don't recognise the description of 'chaotic and messy'. Having arsed about trying to find my way through (the most obvious route, the elevated road by the harbourside, is off-limits to bikes), from what I could see it had an elegant pedestrian centro storico, and modern area around the harbour. I'm just sorry I didn't spend more time there (although not messing around in the one-way system). OK there's an ugly elevated flyover separating the harbour from the city centre but there are British cities where they've perpetrated similar planning disasters. And yes, it has a huge container port - but this is a modern port city.

As for cycleways, check out the pictures on the cycleways section of my website:

http://italy-cycling-guide.info/category/routes/cycleways-cycle-routes/

if say you'd come down the Ticino river past Milano, or along the Po from Ferrara to the sea, or indeed along the coastline between Ventimiglia and Genova, you'd have seen some excellent cycleways- as good as anything you'll find anywhere in Europe (and better than the bits of the Swiss NCN that I've seen - altough I'd be happy to accept that they weren't representative).

Italy has a high level of car ownership, and its geography means that some roads can be very busy - so it's important to plan your routes carefully - just as you would in the UK.

Italy does have its share of economic problems, and its fair share of moaners. But there are plenty of Brits around who, if given half the chance, will tell you how the country is going to the dogs.

that link doesn't work for me.... is your site also italy-cycling-guide.info ???

Indeed it is. How embarrassing is that? Getting the address of your own website wrong. Oh God I'm losing it.... etc etc Link now corrected BTW Thanks

 

[MontyVeda]

...
Link now corrected BTW

good informative website you've started there... probably worth grabbing the .co.uk and .com domain names whilst they're up for grabs... then you can get it wrong and we'd never notice

 

[Blue Hills]

If you managed to find a good bike way through Genova Andym I may be in touch.

Genova is one of my favourite Italian cities - I like it's grittiness (sometimes too much bella italia/wonders of the renaiissance gets on my tits).

Genova I think has one of Europes largest historic medieval centres though because of this a fair bit of it is I maybe think a bit neglected - part of its charm/interest for me.

If all of the centro storico is "elegant" it's had a serious makeover since I last saw it. A fair bit of prostitution in parts of it - and not the TV showgirl standard.

I wouldn't call someone pointing out some serious issues about contemporary Italy a moaner - been stuff in the news fairly recently, though not all of it necessarily on all TV channel news.

 

[addictfreak]

I only have experience of the Veneto region in the north. I have to say I found it to be a fantastic place, great cycling on good roads with some breath taking scenery. The place was immaculate.

I have also had holidays (non cycling) in the South, Sorrento. Found myself wishing that I had taken my bike, especially for the Amalfi Coast. Although I found the south not as well kept and the roads a tad more manic, it's certainly a place I would recommend without hesitation.

Mind Pompeii was a bit run down!

 

[andym]

good informative website you've started there... probably worth grabbing the .co.uk and .com domain names whilst they're up for grabs... then you can get it wrong and we'd never notice

Thanks for the compliment and the advice (which I've acted on).

 

[andym]

If you managed to find a good bike way through Genova Andym I may be in touch.

Well I'm not sure I'd claim it was a good way - but no worse than say the Old Kent Road. I basically followed SS1 from Bogliasco, then the lungomare in from Nervi, and then at the bit where the elevated road starts that's actually another road slightly inland and even more elevated which takes you to the harbourside of the old harbour by the Museo del Mare.

I'll be posting a guide to a route along the coast of Liguria, from the border with France to Viareggio in Toscana, over the winter.

If all of the centro storico is "elegant" it's had a serious makeover since I last saw it. A fair bit of prostitution in parts of it - and not the TV showgirl standard.

I'm only making claims for the bits I saw as I wandered about trying to avoid bus lanes and respect one-way signs. I didn't go into the old - as in medieval - bit nearest the harbour.

I wouldn't call someone pointing out some serious issues about contemporary Italy a moaner - been stuff in the news fairly recently, though not all of it necessarily on all TV channel news.

Oh come on, there's a difference between someone having a serious discussion about reform and bending the ear of a passing cyclist about how 'messed up' your country is. 'Lamentismo' is one of the the worst features of Italian life (although, the British are only too happy to have a good old moan at the drop of a hat).