any recommendation for vespa/e-bike tours in tuscany? looking for a day trip from florence. would love to taste food/wine and, perhaps, do a cooking type experience. appreciate your help!!
Posted by
Rural Georgia
2182 posts
We haven't done it, but doing a Vespa tour looks like great fun! Tuscany is pretty hilly and I think you'd get to see more from a Vespa than from a bicycle.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15900 posts
I grew up in the Firenze Sud district of Florence (near the Anconella Park) where the Chianti Road (Strada Regionale 222) begins, so my friends and I often drove our Vespa along the Road to Greve or Castellina and back. From my home to Greve (by Vespa) was a good 45 min. Castellina needed an additional half hour at least. This is with a 125cc Vespa. With a 50cc it would take longer.
Florence to Greve on the Chianti Road is about 30km long (18miles). Castellina is another 20km further down. The Chianti Highway is narrow, hilly and curvy. Traffic is not horrendous, except for weekends, but the trip requires some caution. Of course I’m assuming you are an experienced motorcycle driver at home. I don’t even know if organized Vespa tours let you drive that far without no previous motorcycle experience.
If you opt for the regular bike or an e-bike, The road is hilly with several steep grades at times, so if you go by regular bike, you need to be reasonably fit, even with the assistance of e-technology (which will quickly deplete the battery if you rely a lot on it). So before venturing into that, you need to assess your fitness and maybe test yourself on some hilly country roads near your home for similar distances.
If you are not an experienced motorcycle driver or if you don’t think you have the fitness for a regular bike or e-bike, there are numerous tour companies that organize wine tasting tours in the Chianti by car or van. If you plan to indulge with wine maybe having someone else do the driving is the safer option.
Posted by
lexington, il
4105 posts
Heeding the advice Roberto has given, check this one out.
https://www.tuscany-biketours.it/en-vespatour.php
I have not done either, but have driven many miles on Tuscan roads. They're narrow, hilly and have not only blind curves but also hairpin curves. Just be prepared.
Looking at their itinerary, they only allow 1 glass of wine,so if this is more your focus, I'd check out some minivan or big bus tours.
Posted by
martinez, ca, usa
2389 posts
hey hey joni
i totally agree with roberto about the vespa and some downfalls about them. if you have no experience with riding one, DON"T. some friends did something similar, she fell and got scraped up, not a happy ending for a "fun day". it says you need a driver's license, i would also ask if you need an IDP, coincides with your drivers license, AAA/CAA same day pickup $25/ 2 passport size photos for every driver.
read about driving/riding and drinking laws, very strict.
eatwith.com (some tours out to countryside with tasting and cooking)
florencetown.com has a bicycle tour
tuscan-wine-tours.com has wine tours from florence
come&seeitaly.com tours to check out from florence
streaty.com
cookly.me search florence for what's available
lots of different options, my 3 cents worth, if you decide not to do vespa. whatever you decide, enjoy yourselves, have a great time, it'll be fun
aloha
Posted by
OP
39 posts
appreciate all the responses ... really something to think about!! most of the tours i've looked at transport you to someplace and then put you on vespas so you definitely wouldn't be riding on the "open roads" between there and florence. still, sounds like it might be worth it to tour the area another way ... the vespa just sounded so much more inviting than an air-conditioned van :(