cycling in Italy Tour code: GBVCXX - year 2012 CONTACTS GIROLIBERO TOUR OPERATOR Via Manin 14 36100 Vicenza Tel: +39 0444 330724 E-mail: info@girolibero.com Office hours: from Monday to Friday 8.30-13; 15-18.30 Cellphone for emergencies:s +39 3382807124 (every day 8-20) VENICE-POREC 1 Itinerary Three countries in one week between Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. The history of the Republic of Venice provides the background to the entire trip. From the wonderful Venice, you will pass through the beaches on the coastline up to the plain of Friuli and then you will continue with the fascinating town of Trieste, finishing with a trip to the beautiful Istrian coast in Croatia, a sight which is truly to be treasured.. 1st DAY Mestre/Venice. Individual arrival in Mestre (the mainland of Venice). The city of Venice will captivate you with its splendour, acknowledged worldwide. 2nd DAY Mestre/Venice-Caorle/ outskirts (approx. 55 km). After a few kilometres on bike, you take the ferry and then the vaporetto, passing in front of Piazza San Marco. Then you will reach Punta Sabioni, the area furthest south of the Adriatic coast, which is to the north of Venice. From here you cycle towards Caorle along the Venetian Adriatic coast, with numerous opportunities for a refreshing bathe in the sea. 3rd DAY Caorle outskirts/portogruaro (approx. 40 km). When you have left Caorle, with its characteristic historic centre, made up of little houses painted various colours that look out onto the piazzas and streets of the town, you will then head north towards the Julian Alps, leaving the sea behind you. You will be passing through an area with a multitude of Valli da pesca (stretches of lagoon enclosed by earthen dikes where extensive fish farming is practised) and casoni (constructions used by fishermen in the past during the fishing season). Next you will go to the town of Portogruaro, one of the main centres in the period of the Serenissima Republic of Venice, which is still impressive even today with its glorious Palazzi or palaces. 4th DAY Portogruaro-Aquileia/ Palmanova (approx. 45/65 km). Today you will spend the day in the midst of the plain on the eastern border between the region of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, passing through an area abundant in water and history, among rivers, canals and ancient roman towns. Your destination for the day will be Aquileia, with its roman excavations, or Palmanova, named the starry city because, from above, the city resembles a 9-pointed star. 5th DAY Aquileia/Palmanova-Trieste (approx. 40/70 km). For today s stage, you will cross the river Isonzo, by which numerous important battles took place during the First World War. Then, you will once again head towards the sea: the gulf of Trieste awaits you, with many possible stops along the way, such as Duino with its two castles, Sistiana with its characteristic bay and Miramare with its famous castle built according to the wishes of Massimiliano d Asburgo, situated in a beautiful park of more than 20 hectares in size. Just a few kilometres lie between you and Trieste, the ancient port of the Asburgic Empire, which has much to offer in the way of attractions. It is possible to reduce the daily mileage of about 30 km with a train transfer from Monfalcone to Trieste at the end of the stage. 6th DAY Trieste-Portoroz (approx. 45 km). Having left Trieste behind you, after a few kilometres you will pass the first of two borders that are key to this trip. You will cross over into Slovenia, often cycling along cycle paths through famous holiday resorts such as Koper, first for a long period a venetian and then Austrian town, and Piran, another important town which was ruled over for a long time by Venice. You then finally arrive in Portorož, a town renowned for its spa and bathing facilities. 7th DAY Portoroz-Porec (approx. 55 km). Cycling southwards, you will pass through the salt mines of Secovlje, a large Slovenian town with a humid environment, which is a key area as regards ornithology. Some kilometres later you will cross the last border going into Croatia down along Istria, the Adriatic sea s largest peninsula. In the end you will reach Porec, the tourism capital of Croatia, with its Eufrasian Basilica, which, in 1997, was declared Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO. 8th DAY Porec. After breakfast, end of services. Return to Venice by boat if you haven t booked any extra nights.
VENICE-POREC cycling in Italy mestre/venice-caorle caorle-portogruaro portogruaro-aquileia/palmanova aquileia/palmanova-trieste trieste-portorose portorose-porec 60 50 68 70 46 Distance in Km 52 0 30 20 10 70 60 50 40 Route profile. You will ride for approximately 300 km in 6 stages. The first three days are mainly on flat roads, across the Veneto and Friuli plain, while the last three stages are slightly hillier. Accompanying material If you haven t received your Information Pack by mail, it will be given to you at your first hotel. The Information Pack includes: - the road book of the tour - bike maps - information on the cities, towns and villages passed on the tour At the reception of the first hotel on your tour you will find an envelope with: - final hotel list: due to overbooking or organizational needs your hotel list may be changed just before your arrival. - luggage labels to be fixed at each baggage, which has to be carried. - hotel vouchers: to give to reception on arrival in each hotel. - 12 hours ACTV ticket We l c o m e a n d b i k e delivery In the evening of your arrival in Mestre you will meet our collegue that will present you the tour, deliver the bikes and will be at your disposal (about 30 minutes) for other questions. Here are the timetable of the meeting for eeach hotel: - at 06.30 p.m. by hotel Venezia For other hotels the timetable will be specified with a written note directly at the reception of the hotel in Mestre. Luggage transportation Luggage labels to be attached to each piece of baggage will be given to you on the first day when you arrive at the hotel. Luggage (a maximum of two pieces per person) is to be taken down to the hotel reception every morning before 9.30 and grouped according to the receptionist s instructions. It will arrive at the next hotel by 17.30. We ask you the full respect of these rules. In the case of non-delivery due to luggage deposited late or without the label we will arrange an additional transportation to be paid locally by the customer. In case of short daily stages you may arrive before your luggage, so we suggest you to bring with you some clothes to be able to fully enjoy the visits in the city.we also ask you not to put glass bottles containing liquids or any fragile objects into your bags which may damage not only your clothing but also that inside other baggage carried. Luggage transportation is never included in case of extra nights before or after the standard tour. Important: to cross the border from Slovenia to Croatia customers must identify their luggage. Please begin to cycle and after 9 km you come to the border of Slovenia and Croatia. Here is our colleague waiting for you at 9.30 with the luggage. Please cross the border together and then he will bring the luggage to Porec and you can continue cycling. Please remember to bring with you your identity card or passport. If you have booked the ferry back to Venice, please note that the luggage transportation between Porec and Venice is not provided, you have to bring your luggage on board by yourself. ACTV tickets Public transport in Venice. At your arrival in Mestre or Venice we advise you to buy a 12 or 24 hours-ticket which you will need on the ferryboat from Venice to Chioggia and for several other small transfers in Venice. These tickets are the cheapest solution for those who want to move around with the public transport Actv in Venice and it surroundings. They allow an unlimited number of transfers and are valid on all kinds of transport on water (except lines Alilaguna, Clodia, Fusina) and urban lines on land in Venice (bus Lido and urban lines in Mestre). You can buy the tickets in the ticket office Hellovenezia and other legal points of sale. Price list: 16 euro for a ticket of 12 hours; 18 euro for 24 hours; 23 euro for 36 hours; 28 euro for 48 hours; 33 euro for 72 hours. The cost of a single 60-minutes Ticket is Euro 6,50. The bicycles transportation is permitted only on board the ferry-boats and not on regular vaporettos (water busses). The price of bike tranportation ist Euro 1.00 per bike per stretch and must be paied directly on board. 2
VENICE-POREC cycling in Italy Local hotel taxes Some cities charge a tourist tax. These taxes are not included in the sale price of the tour and must be paid directly by the customer at check in or check-out. This fee varies depending on the hotel category, the season and number of days of stay. It is usually between 2 and 4 euros per person per night. At the end of Januar 2012 the following local taxes are active: in Venice: 1 e per hotel star per person per day (eg: 3 star hotel: 3 per person per day); in Mestre: 0,60 per hotel star per person per day (eg: 3 star hotel: 1.80 per person per day). It is possible that during the season other cities will introduce the local taxes. Climate In Veneto, Friuli and the Adriatic coast in Slovenia and Croatia the temperatures are cool/mild in spring/ autumn and warm/ humid in summer, with potential summer storms (more information on weather in Veneto www.arpa.veneto.it, on the climate in Friuli www.osmer.fvg.it). In Istria, and in general on the Adriatic coast, the climate is milder in winter and always windy because of sea currents. Food This tour passes through different regions and three different states, so you will find a wide variety of dishes, often different from each other but where the basic ingredient is fish. On the coast you will find Italian sardine in saor (sardines cooked in onions), and several dishes with mussels and clams. In Slovenia and Croatia there the are the famous cevapcici (small spicy meatballs) and buzara prawns. Do not miss the famous zaeti (cornmeal biscuits with raisins) and in Croatia the palacinche (sweet crepes). All served with good wines as Prosecco or Teroldego. Clothing We advise you to wear comfortable shoes and various layers of practical clothing to be prepared for sudden changes of climate and temperature; don t forget a K-Way or a poncho, both indispensable in the event of rain, besides a light jacket for cold days and evenings. Sunglasses, a light-coloured hat, protective suntan cream and insect repellent sprays are important, especially in summer. Helmet, cycling trousers and gloves are advisable but not essential. During the tour you will have the chance to visit various religious institutions, such as churches and convents, where you must be appropriately dressed (covered shoulders, shoes or sandals, etc...). Helmet: The law does not require cyclists to wear a helmet, but we consider it important to wear one for safer travelling. Also remember to bring a first aid kit with you. Opening hours shops and restaurants Shops opening hours: from Monday to Saturday in the morning from 08.30/09.00 to 12.30/13.00. In the afternoon from 15.30/16.00 to19.30. Some supermarkets have adopted an all-day opening from 09.00 to 20.00. Midweek closing: food shops are closed on Wednesday afternoon, while other shops are closed on Monday morning. Approximate restaurants kitchen opening hours: from 12.00 to 14.30 for lunch and from 19.00 to 22.30 for dinner. August is traditionally the vacation month also for shops and some restaurants.
BIKE RENTAL VENICE-POREC cycling in Italy We have carefully chosen our bicycles and accessories in order to be able to satisfy the requests and wishes of our customers. Bicycle Girolibero s Citybikes are available in various sizes in men s, women s or unisex models. At the moment of booking, you can choose from the following bikes: - City bike 24/27-gear Shimano Deore - City bike 7-gear Shimano Nexus with back-pedal brake - Racing bike 27-gear Shimano Tiagra - Electric bike - Tandem Features: - aluminium frame - mudguard - rack - comfort gel saddle www.lookin.it - anti-puncture Schwalbe Accessories: - cycle computer - Ortlieb saddlebag - front saddlebag or A4 format map holder or basket - a water bottle (0.75 l) - repair kit (inner tube, glue, patch, pump) - combination lock You can also rent children s bikes, child seats, bike trailer, follow me tandem and helmets. We remind you that you are responsible of the rental bikes during the whole tour. Bicycles must be always locked and possibly secured to a pole possibly even in short-term stages. Mechanical problems During the tour, if the bicycles should have any type of technical problem that prevents you from continuing, please contact us at the emergency numbers and try to describe the occurred issue. We ll try to solve as soon as possible the problem. In relation to your location and to the damage of the bike Girolibero can: - ask you to wait there in order to provide a change of the bike - Send you to a mechanical shop nearby. Girolibero will estimate the damage with the mechanic. The charge will be refunded only after autorizathion of Girolibero and on presentation of the receipt. In case of puncture no intervention or assistance is forseen. Customers will be given a proper puncture reparation kit, which wil enable them to intervene directly and solve the problem. Bicycle return Bikes must be locked and left in the garage of the last hotel. All accessories must be put inside the rear pannier of the bike. Your own bikes If you want to take the tour with your own bike, before you depart we suggest you to verify that all parts of the bike are functioning properly. A cycle computer is necessary to follow the road book. We also highly recommend you to bring a repair kit because the emergency number in case of breakdown cannot be used if you are using your own bike. Don t forget to bring a padlock and always lock your bike. T r a i n s w i t h b i k e transportation In Italy there is a good train service offering bicycle transport. This low-cost option will allow you to reach the next city in the case of rain or bad weather, or if you prefer to visit a city at your own pace instead of cycling. Trains with bicycle compartments are all regional trains and are indicated with a bicycle symbol on the carriage and also on the timetables on display in the station. The cost of the ticket for a passenger varies according to the distance covered, whereas for the bike it is always 3.50 (valid for 24 hours on the entire Italian network). Tickets can be bought directly at the railway station or at a Tabacchi shop, asking for a fascia chilometrica (per kilometre) ticket, plus a ticket for the bike. For further information on timetables and prices you can consult www.trenitalia.com. This is valid only in Italy. There are no connection by train in Slovenia and Croatia.
ARRIVAL AIRPORTS VENICE-POREC cycling in Italy C o n n e c t i o n s MESTRE/VENEZIA t o - Ve n e z i a M a r c o Po l o ( VC E ) www.veniceairport.it Every day the Fly Bus ATVO shuttle service leaves for Venezia Mestre station every 25 minutes from 06:06 to 23:40. (transfer: 17 min; ticket: 5 euro; www.atvo.it). - Treviso Canova (TSF) www.trevisoairport.it The service ATVO offers every day a fine connection between the airport and the station of Venezia-Mestre based on the arrivals and departures of the low-cost flights from 7.45 a.m. to 10.25 pm. (transfer: 70 min; ticket: 7 euro). - Verona Villafranca Catullo (VRN) www.aeroportoverona.it Every day the Aerobus shuttle service to the station of Verona Porta Nuova leaves every 20 minutes from 6:30 to 23:35 (transfer: about 20 min; ticket: 5 euro). From Verona Porta Nuova you take a train to Venezia Mestre or Venezia Santa Lucia (transfer: 90 min; ticket: from 6.50 to 13 euro depending on the type of train). - Trieste Ronchi dei Legionari (TRS) www.aeroporto.fgv.it There is a bus service that offers every day connections from the airport to the train station of Monfalcone (Bus No. 1,26 or 51). You can buy the tickets directly in the airport and a ticket costs about 1 Euro. From here you can take a train to Mestre/Venice. It takes about 90 minutes and a ticket costs about 12 Euro. Trains: for further information on timetables and prices you can consult the following websites: www.trenitalia.it e www.bahn.de. Connections between Porec and Mestre/ Venezia 1. From the hotel in Porec to the harbour The hotels where you will sleep in Porec are about 2/3 km far from the boarding of the company Venezia Lines or from the bus station. In both cases if you have reserved the ferry from Porec to Venice (boarding at about 7.45 am) or the bus Porec-Trieste (departure at 6.00 am), the quicker way is to take a taxi to the boarding/bus station. Here is a complete list of the taxi of Porec that you can reserve by yourself or with the help of the reception in the hotel. Taxi Miro Tel: +385 98 434 261 eduard.babic@inet.hr - www.taxiporec.com Taxi Dotto Tel: +385 98 255 245 www.porec-taxi.com Taxi Richi Tel: +385 98 441 770 taxi.richi@globalnet.hr - www.istra.com/ taxi-richi Taxi Duško Tel: +385 98 255 047 kontakt@taxi.com.hr - www.taxi.com.hr Taxi Istratransfer Tel: +385 98 939 74 67 info@istra-transfer.com - www.istratransfer.com 2. Ferry from Porec to Venice or Bus Porec-Trieste + train Trieste-Mestre/ Venice This ferry leaves every Saturday at 8.00 a.m. and it arrives in Venice at 10.30 a.m. In high season the tranfer Porec-Venice is also possible in other days. For further infos please ask at the reservation time. This service has absolutely to be required at the booking time and for the reservation we need these personal data: identity card or passport with expiry date, date of birth and nationality. The ticket costs about E 65.00 per person. In the ticket price is included one luggage for every passenger to be put in the storage place and a hand luggage of not more than 56cm x 45cm x 25cm in measure and 10 kg in weight. This item of luggage does not need to be announced during booking. Excess luggage can be booked during check-in at an additional cost of E 5.00 per luggage. Infants are not entitled to carry any cabin or hand luggage. It is possible to take bikes on board: the price is about 10 per bike and this service must be required at the reservation time. For further information visit the website: www.venezialines.com or call the number +39 041 8821101. As alternative you can take a bus from Porec to Trieste. The ticket costs Euro 9.90 and the bus leaves every day - apart from Sundayfrom Porec at 6.00 a.m. and arrives in Trieste at 8.05 a.m. We recommed you to buy in advance the ticket on the internet at www.autostazionetrieste.it. For further information call the number +39 040 425020. From Trieste you can take a train to Mestre/Venice. It takes about 150 minutes and the ticket costs from 10 to 15 Euro depending on the type of the train. It is not possible to take bikes on the bus from Porec to Trieste. 3. From the landing in Venice In Venice the landing is foreseen at San Basilio pier. From here you can take a Vaporetto - line 2 - that will bring you directly until Tronchetto island or Piazzale Roma (it takes about 25 min.) where you can find the bus station and not so far the train station. If you have to return to Mestre for extra nights or to take your car you can take a bus directly from Piazzale Roma or a train. If you have to go the airport you can take a shuttle bus ATVO directly from Piazzale Roma. The shuttle bus in 20 min. will bring you to Venice Airport Marco Polo (ticket 5 ) or in 1 hour to Treviso Canova Airport (ticket 7 ). 5