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Apples & Vines

Beneath the peaks of northern Italy
 
The Alps form the spectacular backdrop for this self-guided cycling holiday, on which your luggage is transported. Designated, well-signed cycle tracks provide leisurely cycling through this gastronomic region with a wealth of cultural interest, while good rail links help to shorten some routes.
Apples & Vines. 4 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
Apples & Vines. 4 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
 

Holiday information

 

A short cycling break in South Tyrol

Apples may not be the first thing to spring to mind when you think of the Alps, but, on the valley floors around Bolzano, just south of the Austrian border, neat rows of fruit trees, interspersed with equally precise rows of vines, stretch as far as the eye can see.  
The orchards are not the only surprise awaiting the first-time visitor. Complemented by the delicious local Vernatsch, Lagrein and Gewürztraminer wines, the excellent cuisine has strong Austrian influences, and German is widely spoken.
Cycling-wise, the terrain is remarkably easy-going, despite the backdrop of high peaks, with good rail links to help shorten some routes.
 

Book with confidence

At present, we are only accepting bookings for Italy for travel from 24 June onwards. Our flexible booking arrangements, commitment to safety and financial protection mean that you can book with confidence, despite the current travel restrictions in place.

What we’re doing so you can book and travel with confidence >
Check the destination entry requirements >

If you have a holiday booking with us already, we will contact you before your balance is due (currently 4 weeks before departure) to advise whether or not the holiday can go ahead.
 
Gallery
 

Itinerary

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights.
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 1 3 6 10 15 19 21 21 18 13 6 2
    mm 28 30 39 47 81 91 101 103 76 64 65 29
  • Arrival in Bolzano
    Night 1: at Hotel Greif (the first of two nights here).
    As your first night's accommodation is on the day of travel, Day 1 is your first day of cycling.
  • Linear route from Bolzano: 40km
    Our suggested route takes you to the graceful spa town of Merano, famed for its Belle Epoque architecture and thermal baths. The cycle track heads north into Val d'Adige through apple orchards, asparagus fields and vineyards, and affords beautiful views of the mountains. The ride is relatively easy and not too long, so there is plenty of time to explore Merano and stroll through the colourful botanic gardens before taking the train back to Bolzano (covered by the included one-day travel pass).

    Explore Bolzano
    Alternatively, you may prefer to explore Bolzano. The town has an attractive cathedral and medieval centre, but the jewel in the crown is the fascinating archaeological museum (closed Mondays), home to Ötzi, the Copper Age man found preserved in a nearby glacier. 

    Visit Sopra Bolzano
    Yet another option is to take a cable car (pay locally) up to Sopra Bolzano, from where you can either board an historic tram that crosses this rural upland (which offers superb views of the Dolomites) or enjoy a short walk to visit the remarkable ‘Earth Pyramids’.
    Linear route from Bolzano: 40km
    Adige Valley
  • Bolzano to Trento: 43km to 74km
    Leaving Bolzano, you embark on a wonderful cycle ride that follows the famous ‘Wine Trail’ through vineyards south into Trentino, passing Lake Caldaro and the nearby village of Tramin (famous for giving its name to Gewürztraminer). You can stop to sample some of the wines on your way, and there are two railway stations later in the route, giving you the option to complete your journey by train and shorten the day's ride to either 43km or 52km. It is possible to cycle all the way to Trento, where you spend your final two nights at the friendly Hotel Accademia.
    Bolzano to Trento: up to 74km
    Approaching Lake Caldaro on the route from Bolzano to Trento
  • Linear route from Trento: 32km
    Our suggested cycle route from Trento is a delightful ride along the banks of the River Adige, through immaculate vineyards and orchards, to either the town of Rovereto, which is home to a museum of modern and contemporary art (closed Mondays), or, for a longer day, the Baroque town of Ala or even to the shores of Lake Garda. You can return by train (pay locally) to Trento and then end your holiday with a final taste of Trentino, savouring regional specialities such as orzet  (barley soup), venison with walnuts in grappa sauce, and strangolapreti  (spinach dumplings) accompanied by a crisp Müller Thurgau white or earthy Teroldego red.

    Explore Trento
    Another good way to spend your final day is to explore compact Trento – wander its cobbled streets to discover its cathedral, pastel-coloured buildings and castle, which is worth visiting for its frescoes. 
     
    Linear route from Trento: 32km
    Historic Trento
 

Accommodation

You stay in two high-quality hotels.

Occasionally, due to availability, we may offer an alternative hotel in Bolzano as shown below. You will be informed of any change to the usual hotel (along with any price implication) prior to us confirming your holiday to you. Whichever hotel you stay in, it is worth adding an extra night in Bolzano to further explore the city and surrounding area.
 

Extend your stay

 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter. For general information on pricing, see the 'your holiday price explained' page.
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  • 4 nights: 18 April 2021 - 31 July 2021, 15 August 2021 - 15 October 2021, 16 April 2022 - 31 July 2022 & 13 August 2022 - 15 October 2022

    Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    18 Apr - 12 Jun 2021 £755 £210
    13 Jun - 27 Jul 2021 £775 £215
    15 Aug - 4 Sep 2021 £775 £215
    5 - 30 Sep 2021 £755 £210
    1 - 11 Oct 2021 £745 £205
    16 Apr - 12 Jun 2022 £795 £225
    13 Jun - 27 Jul 2022 £815 £230
    13 Aug - 4 Sep 2022 £815 £230
    5 - 30 Sep 2022 £795 £225
    1 - 11 Oct 2022 £785 £220
    3rd & 4th person discount -£60
    Single traveller supplement £60

    Includes accommodation, meals, bike hire, luggage transfers and any other services integral to the holiday as described, plus cycling notes and maps, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.

    Included travel: return rail from Verona (see 'connecting travel' for details)

    Electric bikes available: add £30 per person in 2021 or £32 per person in 2022

    Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.

  • Room upgrades (£ per person per night)

    Hotel Greif, Bolzano
    Junior suite: 18 Apr - 31 Jul 2021 £115
    Junior suite: 15 Aug - 15 Oct 2021 £115
    Junior suite: 16 Apr - 31 Jul 2022 £120
    Junior suite: 13 Aug - 15 Oct 2022 £120
    Superior: 18 Apr - 31 Jul 2021 £56
    Superior: 15 Aug - 15 Oct 2021 £56
    Superior: 16 Apr - 31 Jul 2022 £60
    Superior: 13 Aug - 15 Oct 2022 £60
    Hotel Accademia, Trento
    Junior suite: 18 Apr - 31 Jul 2021 £22
    Junior suite: 15 Aug - 15 Oct 2021 £22
    Junior suite: 16 Apr - 31 Jul 2022 £24
    Junior suite: 13 Aug - 15 Oct 2022 £24

    Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    Prices include an extra day’s hire of a standard bike. If you are upgrading to an e-bike, add a further £5pp per day in 2021, £6pp per day in 2022.
    Hotel Greif, Bolzano (B&B) Double room Single room
    18 Apr - 31 Jul 2021 £125 £190
    15 Aug - 15 Oct 2021 £125 £190
    16 Apr - 31 Jul 2022 £130 £198
    13 Aug - 15 Oct 2022 £130 £198
    Hotel Accademia, Trento (B&B) Double room Single room
    18 Apr - 31 Jul 2021 £98 £126
    15 Aug - 15 Oct 2021 £98 £126
    16 Apr - 31 Jul 2022 £102 £132
    13 Aug - 15 Oct 2022 £102 £132
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Verona
    ALTERNATIVE AIRPORT(S):
    Venice
    As an alternative to flying, we can arrange rail travel from London

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend Venice. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book flights and onward connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Aberdeen - Venice (via Frankfurt) Lufthansa 
    Outward route Airline
    Belfast Intl. - Venice Marco Polo easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Birmingham - Venice (via Brussels) Brussels Airlines 
    Birmingham - Venice (via Frankfurt) Lufthansa 
    Birmingham - Verona jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Birmingham - Verona (via Munich) Lufthansa 
    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Venice Marco Polo easyJet,  Ryanair 
    Bristol - Verona jet2,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Nottingham East Midlands - Verona jet2 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Venice Marco Polo easyJet,  jet2 
    Edinburgh - Verona easyJet,  jet2 
    Edinburgh - Verona (via Paris CDG) Air France 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow - Venice Marco Polo easyJet 
    Glasgow - Verona TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Leeds Bradford - Venice Marco Polo jet2 
    Leeds Bradford - Verona jet2 
    Leeds Bradford - Verona (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    London City - Venice Marco Polo British Airways 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Venice Marco Polo British Airways,  easyJet,  TUI 
    Gatwick - Verona British Airways,  easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Venice Marco Polo British Airways 
    Heathrow - Verona British Airways 
    Outward route Airline
    Luton - Venice Marco Polo easyJet 
    Luton - Verona easyJet,  Wizz Air 
    Outward route Airline
    Stansted - Venice Marco Polo Ryanair 
    Stansted - Verona jet2,  Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Venice Marco Polo easyJet,  jet2,  TUI 
    Manchester - Verona easyJet,  jet2,  TUI 
    Manchester - Verona (via Munich) Lufthansa 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Venice Marco Polo (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Newcastle - Venice Marco Polo (via Amsterdam) Air France 
    Newcastle - Verona TUI 
    Newcastle - Verona (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend Venice. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you. We charge £35 per person for our flight booking service (£60 for India and Nepal). Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.

  • Prices below are based on 2 people travelling together. If you are travelling solo or as a party of 3 or more and our arrangements include a taxi, please contact us for prices; additional passengers often pay less.

    Unless otherwise stated, connecting travel by rail or bus tends to be from the city centre station, rather than from its airport, and connections between the two should be paid for locally.

    Connecting travel options - flying via Verona

    Outward route Price per person Latest flight
    arrival time
    rail Verona Porta Nuova to Bolzano (1h30), walk to hotel (0h05) included 1730
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    rail Trento to Verona Porta Nuova (1h15) included 1300

    Connecting travel options - flying via Venice Marco Polo

    Outward route Price per person Latest flight
    arrival time
    rail Venice Mestre to Bolzano (3h), walk to hotel (0h05) £22 1330
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    rail Trento to Venice Mestre (2h18-2h30) £25 in 2021; £24 in 2022 1500
What is included
  • 4 nights
  • 1 dinner
    4 breakfasts
  • luggage transported
  • route notes and maps
  • high-quality bicycle
  • 1-day travel pass
  • rail travel from/to Verona
 
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FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • If your holiday plans go awry because of Coronavirus, rest assured that we’ll do right by you. Since the start of the pandemic, our flexible booking policy and prompt issuing of refunds to customers who prefer not to defer their holiday have earned us high praise in the national press.
  • We sincerely hope that your holiday experience will be as enjoyable as it would have been before the pandemic – cycling holidays are ideal in these times of social distancing, and we’re not operating holidays if the key highlights can no longer be delivered – but, naturally, there will be some changes to ensure your and other people’s safety.
    Your holiday experience: what to expect >
    Safety measures being taken by hoteliers & others >
  • Our cycle supplier will provide you with a trekking/hybrid bike with 27 gears; waterproof map case on handlebars; panniers/saddlebags; pump; puncture repair kit; and a lock. Electric bikes are available as an upgrade (see price panel), subject to availability, and must be requested at the time of booking.
  • While we would always recommend that you take your own well-fitting helmet, they can be hired locally for a small fee. Please let us know at the time of booking if you would like to hire a helmet.
  • Yes, we will provide GPX tracks for this holiday prior to departure so that you can follow your route on your smartphone or dedicated GPS device if you wish. (We also provide maps and our tried-and-tested route notes.)
  • We’ll send you route notes and maps 2-3 weeks before your holiday. The route notes not only contain directions to get from hotel to hotel, but also include practical information about places of interest and eateries along each route, plus cultural information about the area. On mornings when you are moving between hotels, you leave your luggage in reception as you leave, and it will be transferred ahead to your next accommodation so that all you need to take with you are a camera, sun cream, drinks, food and waterproofs.
  • Bike insurance is not included in the price of our cycling holidays, and unfortunately we can't supply such insurance. Some general travel insurance policies can or do provide cover for rented bikes, so it's worth seeing if your policy is one of these. The most important thing is to ensure that you take good care of your bike (you are responsible for damage to or loss of it while it is hired to you), always being careful to lock it up, ideally to an immovable object, and removing all easy-to-steal accessories whenever you leave it unattended.
  • We can book a wide range of airlines and routes from the UK. As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. For Europe, there’s a £35 booking fee per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). For India and Nepal, the booking fee is £60 per person. More information on flights >
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted to book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.

    More information about the booking process >
    Information about accommodation, general practicalities and more >
    Booking conditions >
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

    You don’t have to take out our recommended travel insurance policy (if you live outside the UK you’ll definitely need to make your own arrangements, as the policy is only for UK residents), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies – including falling ill with Covid-19 while on holiday – and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.

    We'll ask you for the details of your policy (insurer, policy number and medical emergency phone number) so that we can help out if the worst happens while you are on holiday. It's up to you, though, to check that your policy covers the activities you'll be doing on holiday and that it is adequate for your own individual needs; we don't check alternative policies.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to Italy, but not a visa. If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice for UK citizens can be found through the Travel Health Pro website. You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). You should also apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) if your EHIC has expired (if you have a still-valid EHIC, you can use this until it expires).
  • The principal official language is Italian, though some regions have a second official language, such as South Tyrol, where German is widely spoken. The currency is the Euro. Italian time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • For information on the practicalities of travel now that the UK is no longer part of the European Union, visit www.gov.uk/visit-europe-1-january-2021.

    At Inntravel we work in close partnership with our hoteliers, taxi drivers and other local suppliers to provide our self-guided holidays directly to you. We are entirely confident that you will continue to receive the usual warm welcome from them, regardless of what is happening in the European political sphere.
  • The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.
    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
Last fetch time is : 4/17/2021 3:48:15 PM