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La Via Claudia
The cycling on this self-guided tour is concentrated along the Via Claudia Augusta, a 2000-year-old Roman-built road that was for many centuries the main commercial route across the Alps. Your journey begins in Austria, on the border with Italy, and takes in some of the most beautiful Tyrolean landscapes imaginable. The Via Claudia was originally used for the transportation of wine and olive oil from Spain, oysters from the Mediterranean and even spices from Asia; it now serves as the perfect cycling route, along secondary roads, narrow country lanes and cycle paths. You will be provided with route notes and maps so navigating the days' rides couldn't be easier!
- CategoryRomantic
- TypeSelf-Guided
- Duration8 days
- Culture LevelFamiliar
- Skill Level2 - Novice
- Activity Level3 - Active
- Elevation2 - Moderate
- TerrainMixed
- Distance192.6 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance31.7 miles
Where does the tour start and end?
The tour starts and ends at the Verona airport (VRN).Airport transfers are included in the cost of your holiday. We ask that you fly into and back from Verona airport (VRN). Please aim to arrive between 09.00 and 16.00 and depart between 10.30 and 19.00. (if you arrive/depart outside of these days, the transfer is not included).
How long is the tour? How many days cycling?
The tour is 8 days long with 6 days of cycling.
What's the tour like?
Designed to retrace the steps of the ancient Roman route across the Alps, most of the riding of the Via Claudia follows quiet, mixed-use cycle paths (both cyclists and pedestrians) and quiet country roads.
The route will take you along Alpine valleys, with daily climbs averaging around 300m /985 ft, with a downward bias overall as you follow rivers towards the sea.
Only around 15% of the route sees you sharing the road with low levels of traffic, with some busier roads as you enter the towns of Merano, Trento and Verona.
Is this suitable for you?Maybe you have recently got into cycling and would like to do more over consecutive days, or maybe you‘re looking for a more energetic alternative to your usual holiday? If you‘re looking for an opportunity to try some quiet roads, cycle paths or some accessible, cycle-friendly routes these holidays might be for you.
You’ll come across some gently undulating terrain and the odd cheeky challenge, so we’d generally expect those on a Grade 2 holiday to ride their bikes relatively frequently at home, perhaps commuting to work or heading out for some leisurely rides at the weekend.
What equipment is provided?
The tour operator provides everything except a bike (although you are able to hire these), personal equipment and clothing. If you are taking your own bike, it is imperative that it is in good mechanical order. If you are not mechanically minded, you are advised to take your bike to a local bicycle dealer for a service.
You will need to bring your own accessories including helmet, gloves and hydration pack / bottles for drinking water. It is also a good idea to bring shoes suitable for walking along with your cycling shoes, a light but waterproof rain jacket and a fleece / warmer layer for mornings and evenings.
While riding it is compulsory that you wear a helmet. If you don’t have a helmet or don’t intend to bring your own the tour operator may, subject to availability, be able to provide one on request. You will not be permitted to ride unless you wear a helmet.
Is there a peak season surcharge?
The price on the ‘Dates and Price’ page serves as a guide since the rate can vary depending on your chosen dates. A peak season surcharge of GBP190/person is applicable on departures from 18 June - 3 September 2024. This will be automatically added to your booking if any of the dates above are selected.
Please read here for a message from the tour operator concerning Covid-19:
Book with confidence
With travel restrictions and changing government guidance still present in our lives, the Tour Operator is are committed to doing everything they can to help more of you to enjoy fun on two wheels in the most enjoyable and responsible way possible.
To help you better plan ahead with peace of mind, they want to reassure you that your holiday is financially protected and that you will be well looked after by them, no matter what happens.
Our promise to you…
- If the Tour Operator has to cancel a tour because of COVID-19, you will have the option of a full refund. They will only run tours in destinations that are safe and will always follow the most up-to-date government guidance. They will cancel any tours where the FCDO advises against all but essential travel.
- Your money is protected by ABTOT, whether as a payment for a specific holiday or as a credit note. This means if you are entitled to a refund this is guaranteed, no matter the circumstances.In addition, it’s essential that you…
- Have appropriate travel insurance so that if you fall ill and test positive for COVID-19 prior to (or during) your tour (whether in the UK or overseas), you will be financially covered for cancelling your trip or any extra costs you might incur. Please contact our team if you need some advice. In doing so, the Tour Operator can ensure the local communities are impacted as little as possible and can continue to deliver the excellent holidays we know you love. This extended team are predominantly small businesses and the aim is to honour our commitments to them, so we can all rebuild after COVID-19.
- Keep up to date with local requirements in your chosen destination. This might relate to testing or vaccination requirements for entering your destination or using facilities such as hotels and restaurants while you are there. These requirements can change often and the Tour Operator will do their best to keep you up to date, you need to ensure you are aware of, and can comply with, any requirements which might be in place at the time you travel. Depending on the circumstances the Tour Operator may not be able to offer a refund if you can’t comply with these kinds of requirements. For UK based travelers, the best source of information is the Government’s foreign travel advice.Social distancing, enhanced hygiene and face coverings
For the safety of everyone, the Tour Operator will be ensuring the cycle tours comply with local guidelines. In reality, you’ll be out on your bikes most of the day enjoying the great outdoors, so you’ll have plenty of time to relax and unwind.
- The group tours are limited to small groups – on average 10 people (maximum 16 people) as we believe this is the most responsible – and enjoyable – way to travel.
- Face coverings should be worn in compliance with local guidelines, which in many destinations includes when using public transport, in shops and certain attractions, and whenever social distancing cannot be observed. Please be aware of face covering requirements for travel to your destination and contact us if you have any questions. In the absence of any legal requirements, we ask you to respect the wishes of any private businesses you might visit such as cafes or hotels. Please let us know at the point of booking if you are unable to wear a face covering.
- Our team continues to observe good hygiene practice, including regular handwashing and sanitising, and request that customers do the same. Depending on where you travel, you may not be able to purchase supplies locally, so best to come with adequate supplies of hand sanitiser for use throughout your holiday.If you display symptoms or test positive
For the benefit of yourself, the people you are traveling with and our team, please let us know as soon as possible if you test positive for COVID-19 or display any symptoms.
- We recommend testing before joining any of our trips.
- It is essential that you are in good health when embarking on your holiday. Under certain circumstances, we may ask you to take a test or provide proof of having had the vaccines. In the rare event you fall ill before or during your tour, it is essential you follow the guidelines provided by us in your pre-departure information.
- If you are symptomatic or if you test positive this is likely to mean you are unable to join your trip.
- If you test positive whilst on the holiday then we will assist you in reporting the illness and making appropriate arrangements, whether that be to quarantine or return home. In most circumstances, this will mean your participation in the tour will have to come to an end.Vaccination status
In many destinations, you may need to be fully vaccinated to be able to join our trips.
- If you are traveling to another country you may need to be fully vaccinated to enter, or to use facilities such as cafes or hotels. Some destinations may allow testing in place of vaccination, but the nature of our trips means this often isn’t a practical option.
- There may be some situations where social distancing isn’t possible or where you will come in contact with people who aren’t part of our group or team, such as hotel and restaurant staff. Because of this, we recommend being fully vaccinated to make sure you are as safe as possible.
- Some destinations we visit have less developed public health facilities which can impact local residents’ ability to access the same protections we might enjoy. In such cases, we strive to weigh up entry requirements and recommendations from our local partners to establish a responsible company policy on vaccinations that protects our customers, local teams and the communities we visit as much as possible.
- Please let us know as early as possible if you aren’t fully vaccinated so we can discuss any implications, including if you are able to join the trip.Bikes, vehicles and equipment
We know you love the extra support we offer on tour and so we’ve made sure you continue to have access to all these essential holiday components.
- Our team will guide you through any relevant protocols when using bikes, equipment and vehicles on your trip.
- All transfer staff will be adhering to recognized local hygiene guidelines and these vehicles will be regularly deep cleaned, with extra attention paid to regular touchpoints.Food and accommodation
Amazing food and lovely places to stay are a big part of the tour experience. All accommodation providers are following relevant local guidelines relating to COVID-19. The impact of new measures should be minimal and may vary from place to place, however, these will always be clearly communicated to you by our team on the ground.
- You may notice increased and enhanced cleaning and hygiene practices, in guest rooms and communal areas.
- In some places, temperature checks will be conducted upon entering.
- Measures promoting social distancing may be in place and you may be asked to avoid communal areas and touchpoints.
- We will offer our usual high-quality lunches and snacks but you may notice a few changes to how these are delivered to allow for any local guidance.Updated: 27 Jan 2023
The distances and terrain were just about right and allowed us time to explore each town at the end of the day’s cycling. Merano in particular is a beautiful town and having this at the end of a short day was a good idea as we could explore it properly…
The distances and terrain were just about right and allowed us time to explore each town at the end of the day’s cycling. Merano in particular is a beautiful town and having this at the end of a short day was a good idea as we could explore it properly. The trip from Silandro to Merano was probably our favorite day. Lovely cycle paths through apple plantations and forests and then beside the River Adige. At the end of the whole journey we actually became quite attached to the river, given we had ridden beside it for almost the whole trip. Overall this was a thoroughly enjoyable trip and I would highly recommended.