If you love to ride a bicycle, Italy is your kind of place

If you love to ride a bicycle, Italy is your kind of place
By:  Michael Lander

Cyclists are a common sight throughout Italy.  This cyclist is
on the round-about with the Altare della Patria (or Monumento
Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II) in the background.

If you love cycling, beautiful scenery, and a whole lot more, Italy is the very place that you should go.

The Italian Republic (often described as being in the shape of a boot) is one of the most popular destination spots in the world, (ranking fifth overall) with over 48 million tourists visiting it, annually.

Cycling is a fun and unique way to go sightseeing in Italy
to include cities like Roman.

Whether people travel there to see and experience its cities, its country-side, its mountains and lakes, its astonishingly beautiful coastline, its art, its historical landmarks, its archeological sites, its 51 world heritage sites, (which is the most of any country in the world), or just to enjoy its cultural and culinary delights, Italy offers so much for visitors to see, do, and to love.

Group bicycle tours are a great way to ride and sightsee in
various cities in Italy and they can ease the comfort level
for those who might not feel safe hitting the streets alone.

For all the things that draws people from around the world to this European nation on the Mediterranean Sea, Italy is also a place that can be seen and appreciated by those who wish to tour parts of it on a bicycle.

Some of the ancient and narrow streets of Florence
are easy for cyclists to navigate and get around on.
The Florence Cathedral or Catterdrale di Santa
Maria del Fiore is in the background.

Italy, like so many of their European neighbors, is, for the most part, a cyclist-friendly place.  Cyclists seem to ride seamlessly in traffic, even in heavily congested urban areas, without any of the problems that many cyclists can often encounter in far too many other parts of the world.

Many Italians find cycling to be a convenient
and easy way to get around like this man in
Florence.

And, while many tourists may prefer the ease and convenience of a motor vehicle, especially when traveling longer distances, a bicycle may be an option for the shorter sightseeing excursions that some might want to take.

Whether you decide to embark on a short or long-distance cycling journey, there are guided tours, and even some self-guided touring options available, for the more adventurous individuals.

Cycling is an extremely popular mode of
transportation in Pisa and it is much
quicker than willing.  The Leaning
Tower of Pisa can be seen directly
behind this cyclist.

Click here for an independent cycling guide and resource for Italy.

Bicycles can provide a much better and more intimate way to see, feel, and experience Italy and you can cover a lot more terrain on a bike than you can by walking and it can be a lot less frustrating than being in a car that is stuck in traffic.

The Amalfi coastline is breathtaking and cyclists can enjoy
a view of it in a way that motorists can never fully
experience themselves.

For those who have some fear or trepidation of riding a bike either in traffic, or in a place that they are unfamiliar with, they can consider renting a bike from a business that also offers group tours or finding their way to one or more of the many traffic-free cycleways throughout Italy.

Cyclists may have an enviable view of the Amalfi coastline
like no other, but they do have some challenging climbs
and they must contend with little or no shoulders and a
fair amount of vehicular traffic.

For those who have the time and who are willing to embark on their own, there are many cities in Italy where they can ride their bike and stop and do some sightseeing along the way.

There are few views that can equal what cyclists can get
along the Amalfi coast.

Venice Mestre, Florence, Sorrento, Pisa and the “eternal city” of Rome are just a few of the many cities you may want to consider.

One might expect that cycling in cities like Rome, for example, might be risky or treacherous, but that would not seem to be the case so long as you pay attention to what you’re doing and that you follow the rules of the road.

Folding bicycles are very popular throughout Italy.  A gate
to the Villa Borghese can be seen in the background.

Cyclists seem to be able to easily negotiate their way on the streets and vehicle operators, no doubt, are accustomed to seeing a lot of them who regularly take the streets and ride.

Men, women, children, and even priests
can be seen on bikes in Italy, especially
in and around the Vatican in Rome.

For those who prefer not to ride on the busy streets, there is always the option to ride where there is no vehicular traffic and in Rome one of the best places is the Villa Borghese.  It is one of Rome’s oldest and largest parks and it is a great place to ride and spend some time in.

Commuters and tourists alike can appreciate
all of the beautiful monuments, buildings,
and other treasures that Italy has to
offer.

Outside the cities, there are many beautiful places to ride a bike, like Tuscany, Lombardia, the Dolomites, the Apennines, and along the Amalfi, Tyrrhenian, Sicilian, Liguria, Tuscan, and Lazio coastlines. 

There are fewer places in the world that are more beautiful than what you can find in some of these places, but you’ll want to be in excellent physical condition to do some of the challenging climbs in the more mountainous areas.  You’ll also need to not be easily intimidated by the amount of vehicular traffic in some of these places.

Motor vehicles can be an easy and convenient way to get around,
but bicycles can be that and so much more in Italy, or anywhere
else for that matter.

Whether you decide to ride a bicycle in any of Italy’s cities, its coasts, mountains, or its countryside, you will find that it is the best kind of place for riding and getting in a little sightseeing along the way.

If you are interested in taking a trip to Italy, click on these links to see photos of Venice, Florence, Amalfi, Sorrento, Pisa, Pompeii, Rome, and the Vatican.

Click here to see more photos of cyclists that were taken in October 2016.