Cycle Cilento & the Amalfi Coast

Most Inspirational Moment

The last day of cycling - cycling the Amalfi coast road itself and going over the hill to Sorrento for lunch with the view of Vesuvius across the bay. The ‘free day’ walk up to Ravello and then down to Amalfi itself was wonderful too. And Paestum!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Super. Paulo is experienced, calm and knowledgeable, has excellent English and is very good company. Emilio our driver/ mechanic was excellent too.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Compared with the two other Exodus ‘moderates’ we’ve done, this has shorter distances but longer ascents. As my wife isn’t keen on long ascents, and as I like to take lots of photos on the way, we decided to have e-bikes. It worked very well. Our group of 11 was pretty fast. Having E-bikes meant that we caused very little ‘waiting / catching up’ time and we never worried about how we would do on the tougher days. We generally kept in the middle of the group unless I was taking photos and fell behind. The e-bikes were of course heavier than normal but easy to get used to and had great battery life. I was worried it would mean no exercise but in fact I was in control and could still give myself a work out. I mainly used ‘eco’ unless I was behind and catching-up the group. The e-bike made the trip for my wife . After ten group cycling holidays, we were thinking of packing it in, but we now know we can continue something we really enjoy. The e-bike made this otherwise tricky ‘moderate’ very doable for us. Note: cycling the Amalfi coast road takes a bit of getting used to. It seems pretty ‘hairy’ when you start early in the morning; there are plenty of buses and motor bikes as well as cars and if you’re a nervous rider it may not be for you. But you do get used to it and you realise that the locals generally know what they’re doing. When you come back in the afternoon it’s less busy, you know what to expect and it’s fantastic - the highlight of the trip and a memorable day’s cycling you won’t forget.

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling from Minori to Sorrento and back tackling the big four

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lovely! Kind, attentive, knowledgeable providing useful and reliable information and guidance

Advice for Potential Travellers

The terrain is undulating but doable with a reasonable level of fitness

Most Inspirational Moment

Memorable moments rather than inspiring was eating fresh mulberries at our lunchtime stop, who could forget our very cheery host. Watching fireflies was brilliant. The Temples etc at Paestum was amazing

Thoughts on Group Leader

Paolo, what a great leader, lots of interesting information pitched at the right time with the right amount of detail, really helped to make the holiday full and terrific. The bike support was excellent .

Most Inspirational Moment

All our riders completed the five days of biking covering more than 240 km of undulating terrain and with vertical climbs totaling over 4000 meters. None of us needed to use the support van at any time during the rides.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sara was a very knowledgeable and experienced guide who provided us with much local knowledge and insights. She made sure that all riders were doing well and staying safe along the challenging route. Sara also provided us with optional walking tours in addition to the standard itinerary. Sara showed genuine enthusiasm for her work.

Advice for Potential Travellers

As others have stated, it would be very helpful to try to prepare on some hills. The electric bike may be a consideration to take a little of the edge off the longer climbs.

Most Inspirational Moment

There wasn't just one - the whole thing was great, riding without my sunglasses so I could enjoy the colour of the hills and think how lucky I am that I can do trips like this.

Thoughts on Group Leader

- Paolo is an excellent leader - He was calm and clear throughout - Our safety was paramount in his mind and he was always looking out for us - The organisation was excellent, always lovely lunches and dinners - a lot of that seemed down to the relationships Paolo in his network - Not only was he accomplished in the area of cycling, he is also clearly passionate about the history of the region and its impact on society - He also had great support staff such as Emilio and Raphaello

Advice for Potential Travellers

Some people ponder over the 3 / moderate rating - I think it's accurate as we took plenty of (needed) breaks to recharge. However there are plenty of hills and so inevitably there will be challenging moments. It was a really friendly group - ranging in age from 49 to 82 - and a mix of standard and e-bikes, so there was something for everyone.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hard to pick just one…

Thoughts on Group Leader

Echoing everything said in previous reviews and noted above, Paulo is an exceptional group leader - highly-experienced, confidence-inspiring, knowledgeable, calm and affable , he makes the tour the success that it is.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Definitely worth doing some hill practice beforehand!

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many but being able to complete the famous 4k hill out of Sorento on the last day without stopping was one of the best highlights and gave you the energy to complete the rest of the day along the Amalfi Coast Road.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Paolo is a most excellent guide and we have enjoyed his expertise and knowledge throughout the trip. He put us all at ease straight away and always explained what was going to happen and we thoroughly enjoyed his daily briefings for the next stages of the trip. He always doubled back to check on the riders especially those at the back. Paolo was a Skilled communicator and always dealt with issues professionally and calmly. Also a special shout out for the Support Staff and Vehicle throughout the Cycling Days was fantastic for water top ups, Bananas and Nuts for extra energy was most welcome especially on the 3 Long cycling days. Paolo was fully supportive throughout the whole Holiday experience and catered for the varied cycling experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Yes I would advise to consider Gel seat Cover as there are varied seat types, although they can change seats if required. The Gel seat cover ensured I never suffered throughout the long rides. Small Phone / Item Bag is provided on front of bike so you do not need to bring your own. Make sure you practice some long days riding using any new cycling shorts equipment etc to test it out for your liking.

Most Inspirational Moment

Our last and longest cycle was from Minori to Sorrento, which was 77km. Dropping down the incline along quiet, windy lane into Sorrento was great after the ride along the coast.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Paolo, our group leader was outstanding. He's well organised and calm. He has excellent communication skills, masses of local knowledge and loads of Italian charm.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take lots of layers as the weather in October can be changeable. I was pleased I took waterproof footwear.

Most Inspirational Moment

Standing at the top of a challenging climb looking at the sparkling sea and gazing at the beautiful Positano on Amalfi coast in the warm Autumn sunshine! There is a huge sense of achievement and camaraderie when you bond together with new friends while taking on new challenges together.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Paolo was a fantastic leader - his warm calm demeanour was just what was required and he was friendly, organised and inspired confidence. Throughout the tour he was able to give lots of information about the local area and history. He kept control of 17 cyclists on some difficult roads and was although allowed cyclists of different abilities to challenge themselves, he took safety seriously and made sure everyone obeyed the sensible rules he set to keep us all safe.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you are a nervous cyclist this is not the trip for you - particularly on the Amalfi coast there is a narrow coastal road with lots of traffic and coaches and you have to keep your wits about you. Also if you like lounging about and being solitary, like many of these cycling trips the itinerary is quite "full on" with lots of activities, socialising, moving to different areas with not too much down time. But we has so much fun, saw so much of this beautiful area and the lesser known spectacular Cilento National Park and had the chance to really explore a beautiful part of Italy.

Most Inspirational Moment

No particular moment, but I had a fabulous early morning beach run at Paestum Mare with nobody about. The ruins at Paestum are pretty impressive too - go early to avoid the hordes.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Absolutely up there with the best. Nothing was too much trouble for Alessandro - he dealt with everything calmly and efficiently but he was also informative, entertaining, sociable, kind, and generally a delight to be around. We were all amazed how he managed to constantly cycle from the front to the back of the group with ease in order to keep a check on everyone (despite the fact that he was also on a mountain bike). Our support driver/Rafaele was also brilliant - nothing was ever too much trouble for him - always attending to our needs with a smile, acquiring someone an e-bike halfway through the trip, and managing to replace my handlebars on day 2 for ones which suited me better.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Even if you're used to harder trips, it's still a brilliant trip to do anyway. The roads on the Amalfi coast can be quite busy so you do have to cycle carefully and watch out for buses and motorbikes comind round blind corners on the wrong side of the road. The walk to Amalfi on the rest day is fabulous if you don't go to Pompeii (several thousand steps up though, so not for those with dodgy knees). Make sure you bring plenty of cash at the start - ATMs are around but a bit sporadic, and most places prefer cash. There also aren't many shops in the first few days, so bring everything you need (snacks etc).