TopBike Rental Rome Appian Way Tour - Long or Short?

Becky, I haven't taken this tour but HAVE walked a long stretch of the Appia (athough skipped the Aqueducts) so will take a stab at this as no one else has responded yet. :O)

First off, here's a youtube someone posted of their Appia TopBike Tour this past May that you might find useful? It'll give you an idea of the sort of surfaces and conditions you'll be riding on/in. It appears to be the 6-hour tour as they stop at San Sebastiano catacombs (or it may be San Callisto depending on which is open or not on the day of the tour) and for the wine/cheese break that aren't included in the 4-hour tour. Otherwise, the website states that the itinerary is exactly the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BijzwCnvRik

You'll note that there are stops along the way for the guide to provide information on some of the landmarks, and that you'll just be riding by others. Unless you're doing it on a Sunday - when it's closed to vehicles - you will have some traffic here and there to contend with although the guides appear to do a good job of helping the group safely across busy intersections.

They very carefully word the itinerary as "while going past an ancient sepulchre, a Roman statue, the ruins of a circus and an imperial palace" and "going through the Caffarella Park" so no, it doesn't look like you'll be visiting the interiors of anything along the way. Even on the longer tour, the only interior they specifically mention is at one of the catacombs.

We did San Sebastiano on our walk and thought it was interesting but would have enjoyed the day just as much without it. The scenery was the star, and it was wonderful to explore countryside so close to the city! You'll pedal by or stop for a look at all sorts of ancient ruins and relics, and we found the crumbling remains of the many tombs which once lined the Regina Viarum to be fascinating. So, I don't know as you can go wrong with either tour. Given the summer heat and age of your youngest, I might be inclined to do the shorter morning/early afternoon tour which, at € 55,00, is very reasonable, IMHO, for 4 hours with a guide and equipment. BTW, the electric-assist bikes are seeing high praise from reviewers of the tours on TA.

Hope this helps?

Great analysis by Kathy! I would lean toward the shorter, earlier tour due to heat and (possible) endurance issues. By 1:30 pm you can have lunch (there are cafes on the Appian Way) and then rest. It is really a good idea to take the pausa as Italians say. Get out of the heat and refresh yourselves for a late afternoon outing, dinner, and maybe an evening event like the night tours of the Forum. Some museums are open past 6:00 pm and it can be a nice time to visit while the other North Americans and the Germans are having supper too early.

Eating late dinner is a heat-beating strategy, too. It's nice to sit outdoors when the sun is gone and the air is soft.

Thanks Kathy for pointing me to this very recent posting with some of the same questions I have (my kids are 12 and 15). I too was considering which length of tour. Really did want to see the Catacombs which had me thinking to do the 6 hour, but agree that is very long (we are taking an afternoon start - I do understand the way is shady so shouldn't be too bad even in the summer heat (?), and of course and the tour goes on and it gets later for us, even better).

BUT, after Patricia recommended TopBikes, I have found other bike tours of course and one called LeadingRoma seems to have the same tour but it is private - with an even better price that TopBikes (~40 euros/pp with normal bike and 70 euros pp with electric bike WITH the Catacombs - the equivalent of the longer TopBikes tour). Does anyone know of them? They don't have nearly as many reviews on TripAdvisor as TopBikes. But I like that we can customize the tour and go at our own pace.

also, thoughts about whether one needs an e-bike for the Appian Way? I know its about 15km, but the route itself - is it ok for a regular bike? I ask mainly because I'm concerned it may be very heavy for my 12 year old who is only 85 pounds herself.

Thanks.

I have found other bike tours of course and one called LeadingRoma
seems to have the same tour but it is private - with an even better
price that TopBikes (~40 euros/pp with normal bike and 70 euros pp
with electric bike WITH the Catacombs - the equivalent of the longer
TopBikes tour).

Tamara, I'm not sure where you're finding your info on LeadingRome but their website doesn't seem to indicate that their tours are 'private' - simply small group - and their Appia Antica tour is 4 hours for €48. They also don't say anything about offering customized tours, nor is it clear from the wording that the tour visits the interior of a catacomb.

http://www.leadingroma.com/tour/appia-antica-bike-tour/

Unless I'm missing something, based on the very, very few reviews plus lack of detailed info on the website, I personally wouldn't book them but that's just me.

Kathy - I emailed them and they told me it is a private totally customizable tour and gave me the pricing I referenced.

Their tour is also 10 km less than the others so I asked why and here is what they say:

"As we mainly use regular bike our program usually stops at Cecilia Metella, then we come back unless our guests want to arrive at Villa dei Quintilii and Parco degli Acquedotti. Arriving till there it takes about 10 kilometers more.

We often have groups used to cover long distances. Some groups prefer to take the tour easier instead.
As we said, we are totally flexible."

Any thoughts about missing Villa dei Quintilii and Parco degli Acquedotti to save 10 km?

Tamara