Tuscany is a riot of colors, sounds and aromas. In spring, fields are aflame with red poppies and pink begonias. Fall is harvest time, and the air is rich with the scent of thyme, rosemary and fennel. Tomatoes hang heavy in gardens, and vineyards burst with purple grapes. It’s a magical place for bicycling. Come ride the hills, explore medieval villages and enjoy the cultural and culinary wealth of this glorious land.

MEDIEVAL MODERNITY : Casual Inns

Castel Bigozzi (1 night): Once a 13th-century castle, this hotel offers a swimming pool and a peaceful setting in the Sienese hills.

Belvedere di San Leonino (2 nights): Surrounded by vineyards and cypress trees, this hotel boasts rustic Tuscan-style furnishings, a beautiful garden and panoramic views of Siena.

Villa Curina (2 nights): A restored 16th-century villa, this resort features traditional and modern furnishings, a large swimming pool, a solarium and tennis court.

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

Day 1

• Level 1 to 2   2 Route Options Available
• 17, 27 miles
• 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain

Day 2

• Levels 3 to 5  2 Route Options Available
• 31, 56 miles
• 1500 - 3500 feet elevation gain

Day 3

• Levels 1 to 4  3 Route Options Available
• 18, 30, 44 miles
• 1500 - 2500 feet elevation gain

Day 4

• Levels 2 to 4 3 Route Options Available
• 23, 28, 47 miles
• 500 - 2000 feet elevation gain

Day 5

• Levels 2 to 5 3 Route Options Available
• 24, 50, 4768  miles
• 1000 - 3000 feet elevation gain

Day 6

• Level 1 1 Route Option Available
• 13 miles
• 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain

Trips For All Abilities

Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Activity Level	Average Time	Average Distance
		Biking	Walking & Hiking
Level 1	2-3 hours	10-20 mile	2-5 miles
Level 2	2-4 hours	21-30 miles	5-7 miles
Level 3	3-5 hours	31-40 miles	7-9 miles
Level 4	4-6 hours	41-55 miles	9-11 miles
Level 5	5-7+ hours	56-75+ miles	11-13+ miles

2008 DATES

CLASSIC TRIPS

• 9/21-26Price: $3298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1210 for sgl. occ.)
  
  The trip you have selected is different from the one displayed. Here's how:
  Hotel change: we will stay at the Relais della Rovere in Colle di Val d'Elsa on Night 1.
• 10/5-10Price: $3298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1210 for sgl. occ.)

SINGLES+SOLOS TRIPS

• 7/27-8/1Price: $3398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1210 for sgl. occ.)

Reserve early for the best available price. Prices may change during the course of the year--if they do change, the best prices are available earlier. Once you book your trip, your price is guaranteed.

Trip praise

This trip changed my life. I am a passionate biker, and this was the best week of my life. I will be a Backroads junky.

Terry Reed - Potsdam, NY

This was my third consecutive Backroads trip and my wifes first Backroads trip and I could not have imagined a better introduction to Backroads. All Hotels had great character, were in good locations, comfortable and well decorated. The restaurants and menus chosen by Backroads was the best of three trips I have taken. The menus offered a variety of cuisine with superb quality.

Glenn Cockfield - Burlington, ON

I would unhesitatingly recommend Backroads to anyone who asks. Every expectation we had was far surpassed by the actual trip. I found the cycling challenging, but the support was just right -- so that I could do as much (or as little) as I wanted to on any given day.

Connally Penley - Nashville, TN

This is my second Backroads trip and I absolutely loved it. It's such a wonderful experience in multiple regards. I love the idea of meeting new people who become your best friends and I'm already quite sad having left them. It was a completely carefree trip - the very definition of a vacation. I'll definitely be back for a third trip sometime soon.

Joey Bortfeld - New York NY

This was the best vacation we ever had. We had been to Italy before, and thought we knew it fairly well, but the experience of seeing it on a bike opened an entirely new window. The experience is physically challenging but intimate in terms of really imbibing the culture. We looked at people touring around in cars and on buses and shook our heads in wonder as to all they were missing. Would absolutely do another one almost anywhere with Backroads. You give new meaning to excellence in customer service and satisfaction!

Jeffrey Gracer - New York, NY

Magnifico! I can't think of a better way to immerse myself in the Italian culture in the Tuscany region then with Backroads. The scenery, wonderful local towns/bastions, the food (off the charts), gracious people, the great leaders and people on the trip exceeded my expectations once again. We ate like kings (peasants technically), stayed in wonderful accomodations complete with their own great views, sampled the wine like royalty, the pizza and sorbet we gorged on were out of this world, and we biked some of the most beautiful countryside I have traveled. Time will tell where Backroads will lead me next...

Jeff Dalton - Annapolis, MD

Even though I was the weakest biker on the trip I felt very positive about my biking because of the support and posiitve attitude of the trip leaders as well as the group. The Tuscany trip is demanding yet I would do it again and hopefully conquer more of those hills because of the support. I was concerned that this 60+ couple might be making their last trip; not so. I can't wait for the next one, which is a tribute to Kat and Krista and to the group in general. Thank you!

French McConnaughey - Chevy Chase, MD

We had a wonderful time. Roberto and Michael were knowledgeable and very helpful no matter what the need. It was great to have so many options for cycling routes, and having a pool at every hotel was a huge bonus. Opportunities to shop and sight see were very welcome and fully utilized.

Susan Buchanan - Calgary, AB

Biking in the beautiful Tuscan countryside was a dream come true. I enjoyed this trip very much and would recommend it to those who are prepared for some challenging biking. As expected Backroads had attended to all of the details to make this trip a most memorable and enjoyable experience.

Janene Gull - Salt Lake City, UT

I was expecting to have a good time on the trip, but I had no idea how much fun I would actually have. Kudos for organizing a trip that exceeded my expectations. The biking was challenging, but not overwhelming, and there was even enough time for a prosciutto out by the pool before dinner.

Stephanie Marks - Arlington, VA

This trip was the trip of a lifetime for me, and the trip leaders made it happen. They made everything work beautifully. With their encouragement, I found that I was in good enough shape for the challenging hills. The accommodations were charming, the countryside was beautiful and the towns were interesting. What more could I ask for? Can't wait for my next Backroads trip.

Joni Andrioff - Chicago, IL

Going with Backroads took all the stress out of travel, while still allowing us to feel like independent (vs. tour-group) travelers. On our own, we would likely not have seen all the towns we visited, stayed in the lovely inns we stayed in, or enjoyed the wonderful meals we had on this trip. On our own with such a short amount of time, we never would have met and learned from the locals who made this trip so unique. With our first-rate guides and the itinerary, we felt like visitors not tourists.

Kate Morris - Wilmington, DE

It was an amazing trip. This was my first "active" vacation and I loved it. The accommodations, the food, the scenery, and the leaders couldn't have been better.

Heather Craig - Wilmington, DE

I could not have anticipated the trip being as wonderful as it was - it really was a vacation of a lifetime thanks to Backroads. I feel like I made new friends for a lifetime, eat, drank and experienced Tuscany like a local . . .

Lisa Lanzkowsky - Post Washington, NY