VBT Bicycle Tours - Italy Bicycle Tours - Tuscany 2008


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VBT 614 Monkton Road, Bristol, Vermont 05443-0711
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Tuscany 2008 - Detailed Itinerary

Cycle the hills and valleys of Tuscany, and visit the historic sites of Florence, Siena and San Gimignano.

Day 1 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Depart US/Fly overnight to Florence

You depart from the U.S. for Italy. The particulars of your arrival overseas are detailed with your flight itinerary and airline tickets.

Day 2 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Arrive in Florence/Begin your Trip Extension in Florence

Upon arrival at the Florence airport, a VBT local representative meets you outside the customs area and helps you transfer to your hotel. The representative will be holding a VBT sign. At this time, please verify with your representative the time of your end-of-trip transfer from your Rome hotel to the airport. If you arrive early, your room may not be ready until 1 p.m. You may store your luggage with the reception desk. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. your local host presents an in-hotel VBT Hospitality Desk and provides a city information package with a city map and recommendations for your stay in Florence. You have the rest of the day free to explore the city, the birthplace of the Renaissance. Please note: To visit the Uffizi Gallery, you must make reservations in advance. To reserve online, go to www.florence-museum.com. For information on all Florence museums, go to www.italy-museum.com.

Meals: B Hotel: Hotel Kraft
Alternate Hotel: Hotel Adler Cavalieri . An ancient Florentine palace completely redecorated and refurbished in the old Florentine style, Hotel Adler Cavalieri is located in the historical center of Florence, a few steps from the main railway station of Santa Maria Novella. Its location in the old city center is an easy walk to restaurants, cafés and shops.

Day 3 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Independent exploration of Florence

After breakfast, you may wish to explore the city's most famous museum, the Uffizi Gallery (advance tickets required). Or, stroll the shop-lined promenades of the Via Tornabuoni, then cross the river Arno in search of antiques or handicrafts in the Piazza del Duomo.

Day 4 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Independent exploration of Florence/Join VBT Air Package guests

Spend the morning exploring the city on your own. VBT Air Package guests arrive throughout the day.

Day 1 of AIR PACKAGE Depart US/Fly overnight to Florence

You depart from the U.S. for Italy. The particulars of your arrival overseas are detailed with your flight itinerary and airline tickets.

Day 2 of AIR PACKAGE Arrive in Florence

Upon arrival at the Florence airport, a VBT local representative meets you outside the customs area and helps you transfer (approximately 30 minutes) to your hotel. The representative will be holding a VBT sign. At this time, please verify with your representative the time of your end-of-trip transfer from your Rome hotel to the airport. If you arrive early, your room may not be ready until 1 p.m. You may store your luggage with the reception desk. At the hotel, you receive a city information package with a city map and recommendations for your stay in Florence. You have the rest of the day free to explore the city, the birthplace of the Renaissance. In the evening, relax in one of the city's restaurants and sample the local cuisine.

Hotel: Hotel Kraft
Alternate Hotel: Hotel Adler Cavalieri . An ancient Florentine palace completely redecorated and refurbished in the old Florentine style, Hotel Adler Cavalieri is located in the historical center of Florence, a few steps from the main railway station of Santa Maria Novella. Its location in the old city center is an easy walk to restaurants, cafés and shops.

Day 1 of BIKE TOUR All guests meet in Florence/Transfer to San Gimignano

VBT No-Air Package guests: Eat an early lunch on your own, then meet your Trip Leaders and the rest of the group at 12:00 noon in the lobby of our Florence hotel (Hotel Kraft, via Solferino 2, Firenze, phone +39 055 284273). Your VBT Trip Leaders will be wearing VBT staff garments. If your arrival at the Florence hotel is scheduled later than 12:00 noon, or if you are delayed, you must take a taxi (approximately 1 hour) at your own expense (approximately 100 euros/$145 USD) to Villa Ducci. Please contact Villa Ducci to advise of any travel delays or changes, and ask the Front Desk to pass the message on to your VBT Trip Leaders. Please note: If you are arriving/departing from the Florence city center, you must transfer at your own expense to the centrally located meeting point. VBT Air Package guests & Pre-Trip Extension guests: Explore Florence after breakfast, then meet your Trip Leaders at the hotel in Florence at 12:00 noon. They will be wearing VBT staff garments. Please plan to have lunch on your own before meeting your Trip Leaders. Once the group has assembled, transfer by motorcoach to the first hotel, Villa Ducci (transfer time 1½ hours). This hotel, located just outside the charming town of San Gimignano, is the ancient residential villa of the Ducci family, built in the 19th century around a medieval tower. It has been transformed into a comfortable hotel with swimming pool and garden views of San Gimignano's medieval towers. After settling in, meet for a safety and bike-fitting session before a short warm-up ride through the countryside. Later, gather with the group for a welcome reception, followed by a dinner of regional specialties served in the hotel's restaurant.

Meals: B, D Hotel: Villa Ducci

Day 2 of BIKE TOUR Explore San Gimignano

This morning, cycle past silvery olive groves and old fattorie (farm villas) with stunning open views of the Tuscan countryside. Your ride takes you back to San Gimignano, known for its characteristic skyline, which is visible from miles away. It's hard to believe that such a small medieval center once bristled with 76 towers, erected in a 14th-century building frenzy by competing families. Today, only 13 remain. You have free time to explore on your own and eat lunch. Or, choose an optional and challenging ride to Ulignano and San Benedetto. Later, participate in an included language workshop with your native Italian VBT Trip Leaders. Dinner tonight is at the hotel restaurant, on the terrace, so you can admire San Gimignano's towers in the moonlight.

Meals: B, D Hotel: Villa Ducci

Day 3 of BIKE TOUR Cycle to Colle Val d'Elsa and Siena

After breakfast, begin riding to Colle Val d'Elsa, a picturesque town famous for its fine handcrafted crystal and medieval architecture. Entering the borough via the monumental Porta Nuova, wind your way past numerous 16th- and 17th-century noble houses to the magnificent Palazzo Campana, which marks the entrance to the castle and the oldest part of Colle. After lunch, shuttle or continue biking to your next accommodations in Siena. If you opt to cycle, you ride through several charming towns, including Abbadia Isola and Staggia Senese, and past fields of red poppies and rolling hills. Your hotel in Siena is a restored monastery in the complex of San Niccolo' Church, in the quietest part of the city. Located in the “contrada della Chiocciola,” (the Snail district), it is only a few steps from a typical “Chiesa del cavallo” (horse church). You can only find them here: Churches where horses are received and blessed before the Palio race. This evening, attend a presentation on the Italian Renaissance, the history of Siena and of the Palio by a local art historian, who will then join the group for dinner in a local restaurant.

Meals: B, D Hotel: Il Chiostro Del Carmine

Day 4 of BIKE TOUR - DISCOVERY DAY! Explore the Chianti region and Siena

Today, ride through the Chianti region on Via Chiantigiana, a panoramic road that runs north-to-south across the vineyards and through sleepy hilltop villages like Radda and Castellina in Chianti. Back in Siena, discover the city at your own pace during your free time. Siena is the embodiment of a medieval city. Its inhabitants pursued their rivalry with Florence right into the area of urban planning. Throughout the centuries, they preserved their city's Gothic appearance, acquired between the 12th and 15th centuries. During this period, the work of Duccio, the Lorenzetti brothers and Simone Martini was to influence the course of Italian and, more broadly, European art. The whole city of Siena, built around the Piazza del Campo, was created as a work of art that blends into the surrounding landscape. Tonight, dinner is on your own in one of the many local trattorias in the heart of the city. After dinner, when all the tourists have gone, take a stroll through the various ‘rioni' (the territories of each contrada) or in the quiet Duomo district. VBT is in Siena during the Palio in summer 2008! The Palio horse race, which takes place every year on July 2 and August 16, is one of Italy's most famous and popular events. It is run to celebrate the miraculous apparition of the Virgin Mary and first took place on August 16, 1656. From 1701, it was run in honor of the Madonna dell'Assunta, the patroness of Siena. The race's history is strictly connected with the origins of the Siena's contradas, or districts. Each contrada is an institution in itself, with its own headquarters, government, oratory, coat of arms, appellations, titles of nobility, emblems and colors, official representatives, festivities, patron saints, district sculptures, delimited territories and population. Today only 17 contradas exist, 10 of which participate in the race. The preparations for the race are like liturgical ceremonies, starting from the transformation of the “Campo” square into a race track, to the blessing of each contrada horse. If you are interested in following the Palio festivities, call our Sales Consultants at 1-800-245-3868 and request a Palio departure date.

Meals: B Hotel: Il Chiostro Del Carmine

Day 5 of BIKE TOUR Cycle Pienza and the Sienese Crete

This morning, shuttle to the 14th-century Benedictine abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore. In the cloister, you see many beautiful frescoes painted by some of the most famous artists of the Sienese school. Then ride into the Crete, a lunar-like region of clay hummocks and treeless gullies. Arrive in Pienza, a charming town set on a hill in Tuscany's Val d'Orcia. This is a perfect example of Renaissance town planning as dictated by Pope Pius II. You have free time to relax in the piazza or explore the town before finding a restaurant for lunch on your own. Late in the afternoon, enjoy an included wine tasting and talk on Tuscan wines at Ghino's, one of the most famous enotecas in Italy. Tonight, dinner is on your own.

Meals: B Hotel: Il Chiostro di Pienza

Day 6 of BIKE TOUR - DISCOVERY DAY! Explore Pienza and the Orcia Valley

Today's bike ride is one of the most beautiful in Europe. Begin with a downhill stretch that affords a breathtaking view of Mount Amiata, the highest peak in Tuscany. If you'd like the longer cycling option, continue to the Fort of Radicofani. Perched on a natural promontory, the fort dominates the surrounding countryside. Then pedal toward Montepulciano and stop for a delicious picnic lunch at “La Foce,” a special spot with amazing views of the Orcia Valley. In the afternoon, spend free time in Montepulciano before cycling or shuttling on to Pienza. A local trattoria hosts a group farewell dinner featuring typical pici pasta.

Meals: B, L, D Hotel: Il Chiostro di Pienza

Day 7 of BIKE TOUR Transfer to Rome/Free time/VBT No-Air Package ends

VBT No-Air Package guests: Your trip ends at our Rome hotel at approximately 12:00 noon. You are responsible for your own transfer to the airport for your flight home. VBT Air Package guests: After breakfast, transfer to a central Rome hotel for your final overnight stay. Your room may not be ready until 1 p.m., but you can store your luggage with the reception desk. If you have chosen the optional Post-Trip Extension, a hospitality desk and welcome package await you at the hotel. Use them to help you discover Rome on your own. An optional walking tour of Baroque Rome will be available. Highlights include Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, the most famous Baroque Churches, Campo dei Fiori, Palazzo Farnese e Spada, and the Jewish Ghetto. This three-hour program may be booked with your VBT hotel representative upon arrival in Rome (it may not be booked in advance of travel). The approximate price is 30.00 Euro per person and includes the services of our local English-speaking guide.

Meals: B Hotel: River Palace Hotel

Day 8 of AIR PACKAGE Depart for U.S.

After breakfast* this morning, transfer to the Rome airport for your departing flight. Please ensure you are ready in the hotel reception area at the designated transfer time**. *Please note: For guests with early-morning departures, breakfast at the hotel may not be available. Please check with the Front Desk to verify the times that breakfast is served. **VBT recommends that you check your transfer time in your “Transfer Reminder.” Please note: VBT transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense.

Meals: B

Day 1 of POST-TRIP EXTENSION Remain in Rome for your optional extension

If you have chosen the optional Post-Trip Extension, remain in Rome for an additional two nights and spend today exploring the city. This is an independent extension – there is no VBT representative or Trip Leader.

Meals: B Hotel: River Palace Hotel

Day 2 of POST-TRIP EXTENSION Independent exploration of Rome

Today's opportunities are endless. You might visit the Forum, the political and commercial center of ancient Rome when the empire was at its greatest power. Various emperors constructed the temples, monuments and other buildings here over a period of nine centuries. Today you can still see the Curia where the Roman Senate met. Take a walk up the Palatine Hill, where tradition says the first settlers of Rome built their huts under the direction of Romulus, and which was the later home of Caligula, Nero, Tiberius and Domitian. Or you can step out of Italy while you're still in Rome with a visit to the Vatican, an independent state. The Vatican museums are filled with magnificent art that goes far beyond such well-known pieces as the Pieta and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling. Tour Rome's famous Catacombs, located in tunnels carved out of rock along the Via Appia (Appian Way). Or spend an idyllic afternoon in the gardens of the Villa Borghese, one of Europe's most elegant parks. And by all means, do as the Romans do — sip espresso, savor Italian wine and, even in the middle of the rush of modern European life, take the time to enjoy la dolce vita. After a full day of independent exploration, retire to your hotel or perhaps enjoy one of Rome's fine restaurants. Another optional walking tour of Ancient Rome is available also today. Highlights include the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Capitolio, Marcello Theatre, and the Jewish Ghetto. This two-hour program may be booked with your VBT hotel representative upon arrival in Rome (it may not be booked in advance of travel). The approximate price is 20.00 Euro per person and includes the services of our local English-speaking guide.

Meals: B Hotel: River Palace Hotel

Day 3 of POST-TRIP EXTENSION Rome extension concludes/Depart for U.S.

After breakfast*, transfer to the Rome airport (approximately 40-60 minutes depending upon traffic) for your departing flight**. Please ensure you are waiting in the hotel reception area at the designated time. * Note: For guests with early-morning departures, breakfast at the hotel may not be available. Please check with the Front Desk to verify the times that breakfast is served. **VBT recommends that you check your transfer time in your “Transfer Reminder.” VBT transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you are extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense.

Meals: B