Umbria Biking Adventure
St. John's Wood Women's Club
May 5-9, 2010

Price	1,800 USD
Single Supplement	700 USD (always optional)
Length	Five Days & Four Nights
Activities	Biking
Registration	Book This Tour
Guides	Allan and Giovanni
Bike Rental	25 Euros per day

Our Umbria Bicycling Adventure takes place in what is considered the Green Heart of Italy. Incredible pastas, pizza, and bruschetta. Waving wheat fields in the flat Umbria plain. Hilltop medieval towns with winding streets and inviting shops. Country roads you share only with other bicyclists and the occasional tractor. And oh - the vino!

While not as famous as its neighbor, Tuscany, Umbria is actually a much better province for group bicycle touring.  Simply put, the bicycling in hilly Tuscany is difficult, while the biking in Umbria is much better for a group of cyclists with differing ability levels.  The flat Umbrian plain allows us to have long stretches of pleasant biking, while the hilltop towns on either side make for fantastic side excursions for those looking for a challenge.

The cycling takes place on a combination of paved rural roads and dirt roads. Our 27-speed Cannondale rental bikes are perfect for this riding with easy enough gears to get you to the top of any hill and a strong enough frame to work both on and off pavement.  We have two or three routes each day from which you can choose and provide each person with route directions so you can choose to go at the rate that works best for you.

Perhaps even more important than the cycling is the culture of Italy and Umbria.  We visit a variety of towns, from small wine centers to larger medieval cities.  We take time to taste the wonderful Brunello wine, visit a small artisan olive oil mill, and tour the Roman sites of ancient Spoleto and the church of Saint Francis of Assisi.  We eat great dinners, sleep in nice hotels, and even have an Italian cooking class. It is a classic Italian biking vacation.

Arrival and Departure
You are responsible for getting your own transportation to Umbria. You can certainly decide to spend extra time in Umbria before or after the tour but for those of you flying as a group from London, the tour date coincides with flights on Ryan Air from London Stanstd to Perugia Airport in Umbria. The flight from London is early but the beauty of this is we meet you upon arrival and start biking immediately from the airport itself. Current round trip flights are only GBP 78.18! We suggest you book your flight as soon as we confirm your tour reservation.

London Stansted - Perugia: Wednesday, May 5, 7:30 - 10:55, Ryan Air 4952
Perugia - Stansted: Sunday, May 9, 15:10 - 16:35, Ryan Air 4953

Included and Not Included
Included in the tour price are double occupancy accommodations, dinners, breakfasts, van support, two or three professional guides, and local excursions including wine tasting, cooking class, and an olive oil mill visit. Not included are transportation to and from Umbria, lunches (we are not together during the day for lunch as you are free to cycle at your own speed and stop where you wish), drinks and desserts at dinner, bicycle rental (E125 will be charged separately by our bike rental provider), and group transportation back from Spoleto to Perugia Airport on the last day (we will arrange this shuttle for you).

St. John's Wood Women's Club
This is a Private Adventure being organized by Zephyr Adventures for the St. John's Wood Women's Club. Zephyr Adventures has been operating for 13 years and is familiar with running private trips for groups, such as three bicycle tours (including Umbria) for the American Women of Berkshire and Surrey. The minimum group size needed to run this tour is 10 and the maximum participation is 26 people. To reserve your space requires a USD 500 deposit, payable by credit card on a secure form on this website. If we do not reach our minimum of 10 people by March 31, we will refund your deposit. Please book online now to reserve your space. Final payment is due by check 60 days prior to departure.

Accommodations
We spend our first two nights at the Palazzo Bocci, a four-star hotel that is a real palace dating from the 18th century. The hotel is right in the center of Spello and a great place to base ourselves for two days. We spend our last two nights in the town of Spoleto at the Hotel San Luca, a family-run, four-star hotel with an amazing history situated right on the old city walls and within walking distances to all the sights of this fun city.

For More Information
Please see our Umbria Frequently Asked Questions or Umbria Itinerary pages or contact us for more information.