Hello All…..our Sicily Cycle Tour scheduled for April 29-May 6, 2017 is filling up quickly, only a few spots remain. Airfares remain low and the forecast says they should remain more reasonable than they’ve been in over ten years. The dollar is strong against the euro….a plus for Americans traveling to Europe. Below is the info about the trip.
If interested I’ll need a firm commitment soon. Of course should you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me (pleafman@comcat.net). Feel free to pass this email along to friends but please let me know if you are going to do so.
Ciao!
Peter & Margaret McDaniel

Eight years ago Margaret and I organized our first bike tour traveling to the rolling hills of Tuscany (Italy). There were twenty of us on the tour and I’ve heard many times that for some it was the ‘vacation of a lifetime’. Since, we’ve been on other bike tours in the U.S. and Europe and all have been great fun. Once again we’re planning a trip; this year’s destination is Sicily, Italy. We’ve picked this as our destination for several reasons; good, low traffic roads for cycling, some of the best cuisine in the world, rich history, temperate climate….and somewhat exotic.

This tour is for cyclists; although we’ll employ a support vehicle driven by an English speaking local for luggage transfer and emergencies (or too much wine at lunch!). You’ll be expected to cycle from town to town. That’s not to say non-cycling spouses aren’t welcome; our support vehicle has room for a couple people but you’d be at the mercy of the driver who will be supporting the cyclists on the road. Another option, if there are enough non-cyclists or those who only want to ride a portion of the daily route, is to follow along in their own rental vehicle on their own schedule but enjoy all the other amenities of the tour. As you can see on the attached the daily mileage is not that high giving us time to take in the rich culture each day. That said, there a some days that more miles may be added. I know some of us are mileage junkies but my experience in Europe has always been to have time to ‘smell the roses’.

The start date of this tour is Saturday, April 29 through Saturday, May 6, 2017. My suggestion is to arrive one day in advance, but that’s not absolutely necessary. Should we have an overwhelming response, I may be able to offer the same tour an additional week. As a point of reference on pricing I was able to search out similar tours by commercial tour companies which I list below. As you will see, comparatively our tour is very reasonably priced. That said, this is not a five star TREK Travel tour; this trip is for independent cyclists and travelers as we’ll be handling our own luggage before leaving and after arriving each day, we’ll be on our own for lunch (never a problem in Italy), we’ll be staying in 3-4 star hotels, and even though we’ll have a support vehicle you need to be able to follow the map and detailed cue sheet provided. Also, unlike eight years ago the dollar is much stronger against the euro which makes our money go further.
TOUR COST FOR 8 DAYS/7 NIGHTS: $1850 (per person/dbl occ) PLUS $150 FOR BIKE RENTAL. CONTACT ME FOR DETAILED ITINERARY AND WHAT’S INCLUDED

Please email with any questions; pleafman@comcast.net

Other cycling tours in Sicily (for price comparison purposes only);
Ciclismo 9 days/8nights $5,595.00
DuVine 6days/5nights $4,595.00
Backroads 6days/5nights $4198-4598
DigNgo 6days/5nights $4,298.00
Siciclando 8days/7 nights $4,155.00
Butterfild & Robinson 7days/6 nights $6,995.00

Obviously in addition to the cost of the tour and bike rental is airfare. We use Kayak.com to check airfares and set alerts so we know when fares start coming down. There are no airlines that fly direct to the Catania–Fontanarossa airport; you need to connect through Rome (the closest) or another European city. I’ve checked and Delta does have flights non-stop to Rome and then connecting on. You could also get a round trip to another European city and then take one of the many low cost European commuter airlines to Catania–Fontanarossa. Should you want to extend your holiday there are many great areas of Italy to explore; Rome, Florence, Venice, Cinque Terra, Tuscany, and on and on. Other countries are just a flight away.
*If you’re feeling adventurous and want to save on airfare Turkish Airlines has fares under $800 round trip. The only caveat is all flights go through Istanbul with a few hours layover.

I look forward to hearing from you soon. Our other tours have been very popular….participation will be first come/first served.
If you know anyone who may be interested in this bike tour please let me know before contacting them.