• Travel Arrangements

• Passports

• Non Riding Discount

• Final payment

• Cancellation Policy

• Deposit

• Travel Insurance

• Itinerary

• Tour Pace

• Training

• Gearing

• Pre-tour maintenance

• Bike Pumps

• Luggage

• Helmets

• Additional Clothing

• Meals

• Beverages

• Rain

• Bicycle Transportation

• Train Travel with Bicycles

• Release Form

• Shuttle Service

• Airport Pick-up & Drop-off Schedule

Travel Arrangements – Travel arrangements are made individually to arrive at the specified airport location and dates noted on your individual tour itinerary. Arrivals and departures outside of the listed dates can be arranged but are not included in the package price and additional fees may apply. When reserving tickets also review our Airport Pick-up & Drop-off Schedule.

Please let us know your itinerary as soon as your tickets are booked.  For a good source on tickets you can contact Connoisseur Consolidators 1-888-646-6522. If you call, please let them know you are with Granfondo Cycling Tours.  You may also want to try www.aa.com American Airlines web site. You have to click on the more options button and then select All One World Carriers button. 

• When booking your airfare make sure you do not have to change airports in London. There are two airports Heathrow and Gatwick and you must take a bus in between which takes a lot of time and can be difficult with a bicycle.

Passports – We are all individually responsible for making sure we have a passport and that it is up to date. If you need to purchase one please allow several months. Passports are very important while in Italy and will be used every day. It is also important to make a photo copy to keep on your bike.

Non Riding Discount: $300

Final payment: Final payments are due 90 days prior to the tour start date. This will include the trip amount minus the deposit paid plus any additional items purchased or extra nights stayed. The prices shown are fix in US dollars however they can change in the event of extreme shifts in the dollar value. 

A check payable to “Granfondo Cycling Tours” may be sent to:

Granfondo Cycling Tours

13753 Woodgate pl

Poway, CA 92064

Or Visa / Master Card on line

Cancellation Policy - In the event that you have to cancel your trip the following rules apply to regularly scheduled tours. Private tours have additional guidelines.

• 100% of deposit refunded within 30 days of tour reservation

• $100 administration fee 91+ days prior to tour start date

• 50% refund of full payment 31 - 90 days prior to the tour start date. Deposit is non refundable.

• 0% refund 0 - 30 days prior to the tour start date

• Medical emergencies are on a case by case bases

• Travel insurance is always recommended

Deposit: $300 Payable now for tour reservation. Deposit is refundable within 91 days of the tour date minus a $100 administrative fee. Deposits amounts and policies differ for custom or specialty tours.

Travel Insurance - Travel insurance, also known as trip insurance, is recommended for anyone traveling in a foreign country. They are relatively low cost and can protect against unexpected cancellations and depending on the company can provide additional medical coverage, property damage, theft etc. For our tours we recommend CSA Travel Protection. When purchasing please mention that you are with our group. Agent initials CAP and producer code W8000182.

Itinerary – We will try to follow our itinerary as closely as possible as it is laid out on the itinerary. However there may be some changes due to unforeseen circumstances or opportunities to make things better.

Tour Pace – Other than during Granfondo events our tours are not intended to be competitive in nature. In the Alps or dolomites we should expect to stay together on the flats and regroup at the top of each climb. On tours with more rolling hills, such as Tuscany, we can stay in smaller groups depending on what is desired. If someone gets a flat and we are already all together then we should all stop and help out. On many of the tougher days we may split into two groups for those that would like to go a little faster and for those that just like to relax. In this case we will re-group within our respective groups decided at the beginning of each day.

Training – Our Alps and Dolomite tours are considered difficult and do take previous training and riding experience. Other tours such as Tuscany are more relaxed with less climbing. Please take note that in the mountains the roads can be steep and sometimes narrow. Good bike handling skills are essential. Some of our tours travel over very hilly terrain so it is also important that your back and knees are built up enough for the challenge. Even the shortest routes can be steep and difficult at times depending on the tour. If you have any questions with regards to individual training programs or tour difficulty levels please ask. We have a coach on staff that would love to help you prepare for your tour.

Gearing – Adequate gearing is also a must for any Alpine tour. A triple front gear is highly recommended for most people. At a minimum you should have your bike set up with no less than a 39 tooth front and 27 tooth rear. This is a standard gear and should work with any 9 speed system. However, it is highly recommended for most double systems to have a 39 front with a 32 rear, or perhaps a compact crank set providing a 34 front ring along with a 27 or 29 rear. If you need help deciding on the best gearing for you please call.

Pre-tour maintenance: – Prior to any tour please make sure your bike is in perfect working order with the following.

• Bike tune-up

• New Tires

• New brake pads

• New chain

Bike Pumps – A bike frame pump and extra tubes are required equipment. There is a van for support on many days however they may be up the road or at the bottom of the hill helping someone else. You may not want to wait that long while everyone else is sipping cokes at the bar on top of the climb.

Luggage – The best advice on luggage is not to bring too much. There is laundry service available at many of the hotels so you do not have to bring 15 pairs of bike clothes. What we recommend is one medium to large size duffle bag (not a hard case type) and a regular size back pack. A 4 to 5 day supply of clothes should be plenty along with 3 sets of riding cloths. These are usually washed by hand each day anyway. We recommend bringing small travel packets of woolight.

Helmets – Helmets are required on this tour and must be worn at all times while on the bike. They also need to be in good working order and up to current helmet codes.

Additional Clothing – If you would like to purchase any additional clothing for yourself or friends just let us know. We will provide one tour jersey however you may like to purchase the matching bib shorts ($65) and socks ($7). Sizes run standard - S / M / L / XL / 2XL. All sizes come in women's specific designs.

Meals – Breakfasts and dinners are included on the trip however you do need to bring some extra cash for lunches and snacks. Most lunches are on the go in between various events or during longer rides. We carry a decent supply of snacks for the rides but if you need anything particular it would be best to bring it along.

Beverages – Beverages other than water are not included on the tour. This would include wine, beer, soda etc.

Rain – Granfondo Cycling tours operate rain or shine so make sure you bring the proper clothing. It’s especially nice to have booties to keep the feet dry. In rainy situations the tour may be modified to include the climbs and not some descents for safety reasons. Leg warmers and jackets may also be needed at some of the higher elevations.

Bicycle Transportation – Bike transportation to another country is a fairly simple task however certain precautions do need to be made. Most important is to make sure your bike is packed with plenty of bubble wrap, preferably the large cell kind. Also recommended is to purchase some hot water pipe insulation to use to put over the bike tubes. Just remember that anything touching your bike even slightly can wear through the paint, even something as simple as a water bottle. Also remember to remove any compressed air cartridges or aerosol spray lubes and degreasers. Finally remember to let the air out of your tires when shipping.

Train Travel with Bicycles - Given the availability of places, bicycles may be brought on Surburban, Regional, Direct and Interregional trains, marked in the Timetable by the appropriate pictogram. A supplement of Euro 3.50 must be paid or, alternatively to the supplement ticket, a second class full price ticket having the same characteristics of the ticket in the passenger's possession. On some Intercity, Eurocity and Euronight trains, also marked in the Timetable with an appropriate pictogram, a supplement of Euro 5.00 and Euro 12.30 (for international trains) is to be paid for such transport. The supplement is not refundable

Furthermore, on all trains free transport of bicycles are admitted in appropriate sacks, with the following limitations: in the SL (sleeping cars) and carriages with bunks they are allowed only in specifically allocated compartments; they are admitted on board of Eurostar Italia trains provided they are placed in the areas situated in halls of the carriages. If there is no further space, they may be placed elsewhere, provided they do not cause hindrance or inconvenience for other clients or personnel on board. In any case the sacks are transported at the risk of the client. The insurance policy, foreseen for luggage situated in hallways and in bunk and sleeping car compartments, covers, in case of theft, a maximum of Euro 260.00. This policy is outlined at www.trenitalia.com/en/area_clienti/con_trasp/viaggio10.html#10 we suggest this police should be printed and available for reference during travel.

For detailed train schedules go to Trenitalia

Release Form - All tour participants are required to sign a Participant Release form prior to your tour. These can be downloaded from our website or we can send one via email.

Participant Release Form - Please fax to 1-310-344-0000

Shuttle Service - For those tours starting end ending in smaller cities such as Verona it may be more convenient and lower cost to fly in and out of larger airports such as Venice or Milan. For this option we have selected two private shuttle services that may be used. These are ideal for groups traveling together.

Shuttles to and from Verona Italy arriving and departing from the Venice airport we recommend www.mytransfer.it They have large vans than can accommodate up to 5 persons and their bike cases for a contracted rate of 190 Euro. Please let them know you are with Granfondo Cycling Tours.

For all other shuttle services in the Northern Italy area we recommend the TAXISERVICE private transfers with online booking.

Airport Pick-up & Drop-off Schedule - Each tour listed has at least one day for arrivals and departures and in most cases an additional day for early arrival. These dates and airport locations are specified in your individual tour itinerary. Below you will find a standardized time table that applies to all arrival dates unless otherwise specified in the detailed tour itinerary.

Airport Pick-up Schedule

Actual pick-up locations will vary by tour and will be specified in the final set of travel documents sent prior to your departure.  Those arriving or departing outside our available dates and times can use an airport taxi or shuttle service at an additional cost.

Airport Drop-off Schedule

• For arrivals account for approximately 45 minutes to exit the airport with baggage.

• For international departures allow 2-3 hours prior to take-off.