Cycling in the Age of COVID
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the open roads, the fragrant vineyards, the undulating valleys and those challenging mountain passes that we all know and love have all seemed like a distant memory. Not to mention the evocative market squares, the trattorias, bars and pasticceria’s that all help to make a cycling holiday in Italy the two-wheeled trip of a lifetime.
Thankfully, the world will be opening up again soon, and these magnificent cycleways, towns and villages will be accessible to us all once more. When things do open up, it’s natural that many customers and cyclists will be cautious. However, we can assure you that the safety of our friends and customers has always been paramount, not least in these unprecedented times. So when you book with us, what can you expect when it comes to safety, especially COVID-safety?
FLEXIBILITY
When you book with Italy Bike Tours, you want to know that you’ll be taken care of. This doesn’t just mean when you’re out enjoying the scenery or feeling the benefits of cycling in Italy every day. This means flexibility and control when you book your holiday. Let’s face it, COVID has made the life-landscape unpredictable and volatile, so we’ve taken steps to ensure that if anything unforeseen happens to you in the lead-up to your trip, we can help. And, if anything happens here in Italy, we’re flexible and agile enough to tweak dates, times and other elements of your trip.
SIZE MATTERS
Over the years, Italy Bike Tours has built a reputation for curating bespoke cycling holidays for small groups, that contain an average of around eight people. We’ve always loved these group sizes because we can really build in the attention to detail you deserve from a bucket-list trip – that means the best routes, the most comfortable accommodation, the most enjoyable food and wine tours and the most hassle-free transfers and cycling support. And in this age of COVID, these small groups are the perfect size to maintain social-distancing. Small tours also allow us to monitor conditions and tweak routes where necessary to ensure all of the accommodation and stop off points are safe, secure and able to be enjoyed as they should.
SOCIAL DISTANCING
At the beginning of the pandemic, some parts of Italy were hit hard by the virus and, as a result, the people here take the rules very seriously. As we’ve mentioned, your safety is paramount to us, and as such, we’ve put in place several measures that will keep you safe at all times. These include reduced capacity in our vehicles, which are all well ventilated, dining outside where possible and - with an insistence on more space - staggered start times.
KEEN TO BE CLEAN
You can be certain of one thing – anywhere you visit with Italy Bike Tours will be spotless. We’ve worked hard with our partners here in Italy to make sure every hotel room or place of accommodation meets the Italian government’s stringent protocols. We take cleanliness extremely seriously - we disinfect all bikes before and after each ride, we disinfect vans and vehicles, and we also provide sanitising hand gel to all of our customers pre-ride, pre-lunch and post-ride. Keeping you and our equipment sanitised is important to us, which means all you have to do is relax and enjoy your trip.
TESTING, TESTING ONE TWO THREE
If COVID has taught us one thing, it’s to always be vigilant and be consistent with monitoring the health of our customers. To us, that means checking your temperature each morning before your day’s cycling, and logging your results each day so we can keep a check of any fluctuations or changes.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
It goes without that saying that the benefits of cycling are manifold. No matter what kind of trips you book with us – whether it be schlepping up the steep climbs of the Stelvio or taking a more leisurely peddle through the glorious Tuscan countryside.
We’ve all had a stressful year – some more stressful than others – and when restrictions do finally lift and you’re able to travel abroad, cycling is the perfect pastime to blow away the cobwebs, fill your lungs with the sweet, fresh air that you’ve missed and re-engage senses that were previously only stimulated by your weekly Zoom quiz.
Cycling really is a great way to replenish the soul and de-stress and when it comes to Italy Bike Tours, you can be sure that you’ll be safe, whilst also being in the hands of the experts. Obviously we’d rather be talking about the beautiful, romantic, effervescent experiences of cycling in Italy, but we also understand the importance of keeping you safe during your trip.
Now you’ve read through our comprehensive list on cycling in Italy safely, get in touch with us today with any questions, and together we’ll cycle the dream.
TeamIBT