Our Bike Across Series: Get Yourself to The Other Side

Ciclismo Classico likes to go places. In particular, we like to cross vast European spaces. It creates great memories and adds a sense of intention to the idea of the “grand journey.”

It’s no surprise Ciclismo Classico was the first to inaugurate the Bike Across series back in 1998 with Bike Across Italy.

Since it was such a popular destination with our guests, we decided to create 9 more destinations.

If you’re looking for some new cycling challenges in 2020, consider tackling our Bike Across series. Try one a year, and work yourself down the list.

Here is a breakdown of each departure to give you a teaser of where they go and how leads them:

Bike Across Italy

The quintessential Ciclismo Classico journey, this destination was created in 1988 by director and founder Lauren Hefferon. This 11-day journey takes you along the less-traveled hillsides of central Italy. Uncover the secrets of four separate regions (Le Marche, Umbria, Lazio, and Tuscany) while enjoying the climbs and descents of inner-Italy.

But there is more than just cycling.

You’ll learn about the Etruscans and the Romans on this vacation. We’ll descend deep into the Grotte di Frassasi near Genga, and then stare up at Giotto’s frescos in Assisi.

Expect to find expert guides like Henrick and Marcello on this itinerary.

Bike Across Southern Italy

Sparked by the incredible popularity of the Bike Across Italy, Ciclismo Classico’s Bike Across Southern Italy is an incredible experience into old-world Italy, the way it used to be.

Frank and Dana built a beautiful program through some of Italy’s most undiscovered and unknown regions. The biking through Calabria and Campania is unparalleled and only Ciclismo Classico has the know-how to get you to this enriching corner of Italy.

You’ll find Frank and Dana along this itinerary every year!

Bike Across France

If you can Bike Across Italy, why not Bike Across France?

This happens to be one of my favorite trips with Ciclismo Classico. We’ve taken a classic Dordogne itinerary and expanded it to encompass three separate regions in southwestern France: Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrenees, and Languedoc-Roussillon.

It is a journey of wine and culture as we cross some of France’s premier cru regions (Saint-Emilion) and walk through the impressive Romanesque cathedral at Albi. Enjoy a leisurely canoe ride down the Dordogne river with a fantastic picnic lunch, at the foot of Castlenaud, in a walnut grove.

I often lead this departure with my good friend Enrico Chierici.

Bike Across Belgium

Belgium has something for everybody. If you’d like a change from the paved asphalt of central Europe, maybe you should test your mettle on the cobblestones of Flanders?

Or maybe you’re more of a beer cyclist, looking for a cold brew at the end of each ride.

Belgium has all of that.

Wallonia and Flanders offer contrasting landscapes and languages. The bike paths are endless and navigate around quaint towns, imposing castles and romantic bistros. Belgium’s national sport is cycling, so the locals couldn’t be happier to have you share their roads, and they’ve created quite a network!

You’ll find Isacco often in Belgium – being the beer connoisseur that he is – along with Sandro Draghi driving the van to get everyone home safe!

Bike Across Switzerland

Don’t be fooled. Just because this trip has “Switzerland” in the title doesn’t mean it is very mountainous.

Our destination across Switzerland is an intermediate trip and is available to every physically active cyclist.

From the German-cantons of Lucerne, you’ll continue to the southwest, through multiple medieval villages. You’ll spend time in eight different regions including Oberwald, Berner Oberland and Bern, surrounded by Switzerland’s legendary peaks. You finish in the French-speaking Lac Léman, for a lake-to-lake journey.

No one better than Swiss native Vanessa Drigo could run this itinerary. She often guides it with fellow mountain-lover Paola Secco.

Bike Across Spain

There are lots of bicycle tours in Spain, but no one does Spain like Ciclismo Classico.

Not only has super-guide Alessandro Allegro designed our popular Costa Brava and Andalucia itineraries, but he’s put together a unique journey through four different Spanish regions.

Our Bike Across Spain is a first-of-its-kind journey crossing Catalonia, Aragon, Navarra, and the Basque Country. No other destination in Spain by any outfit offers you more to see and do in this rich section of the Iberian peninsula.

Looking to ride some of the Vuelta’s more popular roads? Check. How about finishing at the Bay of Biscay? Yup, we’ve got you covered. This trip goes through the beautiful hills of Aragon – a region overlooked by many but uncovered by Ciclismo Classico.

Be sure to find Ale and Massimo Gianangeli leading this trip throughout the season.

Bike Across The Netherlands

Isacco Colombo is leading Ciclismo Classico across Holland in 2020, and it’s sure to be a wild time!

It is no surprise that the Netherlands is one of the most bike-friendly countries in the world. And with a network of paths and quiet roads taking you from windmill to pub, it will certainly be more than a simple bike vacation!

Imagine the 14th Century bell tower and Gothic Cathedral of Utrecht coupled to a one-of-a-kind cheese tasting in Gouda. Or biking through the iconic 18th-Century windmills of Kinderdijk, a UNESCO protected heritage site.

And with a finish in Bruges, there is bound to be a party!

Bike Across Ireland

Anyone who has ever traveled with Henrick knows his mind is in Italy – but his heart has always been in Ireland.

Our top guide tour in Ireland features Henrick bring actives cyclists around his home stomping grounds. This is not your everyday trip to Ireland: this is an invitation to Henrick’s home.

He’ll bring you to see the tweeds woven on wooden looms and give you the inside scoop on the seaweed baths. No one knows there whiskey and gin better than he does when you pull in for a tasting in Dingle. Take in the farm visit with local sheepdogs and lots of Irish music that will drive you to jig!

He’s even planned a special evening kayak adventure that is not to be missed.

Bike Across Morocco

Morocco has stood at the crossroads between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean since antiquity. As a crossroads of culture and migrations, Morrocco displays the rich fabric of its colorful past.

European, African, Muslim, Christian, Jewish – East and West – have all converged on this western-most coast of northern Africa. And Ciclismo Classico is there to give you the best it offers.

The small coastal fishing villages are preserved perfectly, with scattered colonial forts marking the entrance to each one. Inland, we take you to Chefchaouen – the Blue City. We’ll meander the ancient markets of Fes and eat some of the most exotic food Marocco has to offer.

Umberto Cena is the principle guide on this trip, having designed its initial itinerary in 2019.

Bike Across England

Most savvy travelers have been to England, but not so many have biked across the island.

Here at Ciclismo Classico, we like to put new spins on common themes. And our Bike Across England itinerary is a prime example of our expert design technique.

Crossing West to East, we follow the itinerary not far from Hadrian’s Wall: a Roman wall built in 122 A.D. to keep out the unconquered peoples of Scotland.

We begin near Carlisle and continue long toward the Lake District National Park. We then traverse the Yorkshire Dales National park before stopping in York: ancient Roman city and home to a stunning 13th-century Gothic Cathedral.

You’ll find Henrick and Research Specialist Enrico Pizzorni leading this departure in July and August 2020.

Whatever you are looking to get across, contact us and we’ll help you get to the other side!