Stretching from the foothills of the Dolomites to the canals of Venice, the Veneto region was once the retreat of wealthy Venetian nobles who commissioned such masters as Paolo Veronese and Andrea Palladio to design and embellish their country estates. Riding along tranquil stradine (small roads) and over the pre-Alps, you’ll pass fields of corn, terraced vineyards and Renaissance towns. Come evening, you’ll live like Venetian nobility in luxurious lodgings and feast on regional specialties such as fresh seafood, creamy polenta and crisp pinot grigio.

GRAND VENETIANS : Premiere Inns

Hotel Villa Cipriani (1 night): With lush gardens, flower-filled balconies and picture-perfect valley views, this is an ideal romantic getaway.

Hotel Villa Abbazia (2 nights): A historic family-owned-and-operated Relais & Châteaux member, once a palatial summer residence for Venetian aristocracy, featuring individually decorated rooms, an excellent restaurant and private garden.

Hotel Villa Luppis (1 night): This elegantly furnished former country house and summer estate of the Chiozza-Luppis family is set amid beautiful gardens and offers a swimming pool and restaurant.

Metropole Hotel (1 night): Vivaldi composed The Four Seasons on the site of this superb hotel, just steps from Piazza San Marco and offering a Michelin-starred restaurant and sumptuous, individually decorated guest rooms.

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

Day 1

• Levels 1 to 2  2 Route Options Available
• 20, 25 miles

• 500 - 2000 feet elevation gain  

Day 2

• Levels 2 to 3  3 Route Options Available  
• 30, 34, 40 miles  
• 1500 - 2500 feet elevation gain  

Day 3

• Levels 2 to 3  2 Route Options Available  
• 26, 32 miles  
• 1000 - 2000 feet elevation gain  

Day 4

• Levels 4 to 5  2 Route Options Available  
• 44, 57 miles  
• 1500 - 2000 feet elevation gain  

Day 5

• Level 2  1 Route Option Available  
• 29 miles  
• 0 - 500 feet elevation gain  

Day 6 

• Walking Tour of Venice 2 hours

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

• 6/8-13Price: $4798 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1330 for sgl. occ.)
• 6/29-7/4Price: $4698 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1330 for sgl. occ.)
• 7/6-11Price: $4798 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1330 for sgl. occ.)
• 9/14-19Price: $4798 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1330 for sgl. occ.)
• 9/28-10/3Price: $4898 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1330 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

The visits we made to wineries, Palladian villas and other venues were wonderful, and the local guides were amazing. Of course, the food was divine. Our leaders worked diligently, and on our last picnic, two of us who were not biking had a delightful time helping them with the picnic! Backroads is wonderful at making last minute adjustments such as these—plus your leaders are thoughtful, professional, and just "pushy" enough to help us prove to ourselves we really can make it over the next hill!

Betsy Domoto—Saint Louis, MO