Today I'd Go Biking Through Italy

Amy Bertrand, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 13, 2011

Every Thursday, I write about a place I'd like to go ... if only I could afford the time or the money.

This week, I am writing about ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours' trip to from Pisa to Venice. As a bonus, if you book by Oct. 31, you get $200 off per person.

From the email:

The company that bikes throughout Europe, including, most recently, Scotland and Germany, began with a Pisa-to-Venice cycling tour in 1972. For 10 days 12 guests camped in tents; Rick and Paola Malpezzi Price, the company's founders, led the tour; Paola cooked; the bikes were 10-speed; and the entire trip (except for air) was $245.

A June 6-17, 2012 re-creation of the original tour is $4,495 per person (chop off $200 with an early bird booking); accommodations reflect the Italian love of la dolce vita; even though Paola's kitchen may rival Italy's finest, she's turned the cooking over to exemplary chefs; prize vintners are added to the mix; the bikes are now 27 to 30-speed miracles; and a second generation is running the show. 40th Anniversary Bike across Italy -- Pisa to Venice is an 11-day, 339-mile adventure that begins in Pisa and ends in Venice after experiencing three distinct regions: Tuscany, the Apennines and the Adriatic Coast.

For more information and to order a 2012 catalog contact: ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours at 1-800-685-4565 or 1-970-484-8489.