VENICE-POREC

cycling in Italy
Tour code: GBVCXX - year 2011
CONTACTS
GIROLIBERO TOUR OPERATOR
Via Manin 14
36100 Vicenza
Tel: +39 0444 330724
E-mail: [email protected]
Office hours:
from Monday to Friday
8.30-13; 15-18.30
Cellphone for emergencies:s
+39 3382807124 (every day 8-20)
VENICE-POREC
Itinerary
Three countries in one week between Italy, Slovenia
and Croatia. The history of the Republic of Venice
provides the background to the entire trip. From the
wonderful Venice, you will pass through the beaches
on the coastline up to the plain of Friuli and then
you will continue with the fascinating town of
Trieste, finishing with a trip to the beautiful Istria
county coast in Croatia, a sight which is truly to be
treasured..
1st DAY Mestre/Venice.
Individual arrival in Mestre (the mainland
of Venice). The city of Venice will captivate
you with its splendour, acknowledged worldwide.
2nd DAY Mestre/Venice-Caorle/
outskirts (approx. 60 km).
After a few kilometres on bike, you take the
ferry and then the vaporetto, passing in
front of Piazza San Marco. Then you will
reach Punta Sabbioni, the area furthest
south of the Adriatic coast, which is to the
north of Venice. From here you cycle
towards Caorle along the Venetian Adriatic
coast, with numerous opportunities for a
refreshing bathe in the sea.
1
3rd DAY Caorle outskirts/Portogruaro
(approx. 35 km).
When you have left Caorle, with its
characteristic historic centre, made up of
little houses painted various colours that
look out onto the piazzas and streets of the
town, you will then head north towards the
Julian Alps, leaving the sea behind you. You
will be passing through an area with a
multitude of ‘Valli da pesca’ (stretches of
lagoon enclosed by earthen dikes where
extensive fish farming is practised) and
‘casoni’ (constructions used by fishermen in
the past during the fishing season). Next you
will go to the town of Portogruaro, one of
the main centres in the period of the
‘Serenissima Republic of Venice, which is
still impressive even today with its glorious
‘Palazzi’ or ‘palaces’
4th DAY Portogruaro-Aquileia/
Palmanova (approx. 50 km).
Today you will spend the day in the midst of
the plain on the eastern border between the
region of Vene- to and Friuli Venezia
Giulia, passing through an area abundant in
water and history, among rivers, canals and
ancient roman towns. Your destination for
the the day will be Aquileia, with its roman
excavations, or Palmanova, named ‘the
starry city’ because, from above, the city
resembles a 9-pointed star.
5th DAY Aquileia/Palmanova-Trieste
(approx. 55 km).
For today’s stage, you will cross the river
Isonzo, by which numerous important
battles took place during the First World
War. Then, you will once again head
towards the sea: the gulf of Trieste awaits
you, with many possible stops along the way,
such as Duino with its two castles, Sistiana
with its characteristic bay and Miramare
with its famous castle built according to the
wishes of Massimiliano d’Asburgo, situated
in a beautiful park of more than 20 hectares
in size. Just a few kilometres lie between you
and Trieste, the ancient port of the
Asburgic Empire, which has much to offer
in the way of attractions.
6th DAY Trieste-Portoroz (approx. 50
km).
Having left Trieste behind you, after a few
kilometres you will pass the first of two
borders that are key to this trip. You will
cross over into Slovenia, often cycling along
cycle paths through famous holiday resorts
such as Koper, first for a long period a
venetian town, and then austrian, and
Piran, another important town which was
ruled over for a long time by Venice. You
then finally arrive in Portoro!, a town
renowned for its spa and bathing facilities.
7th DAY Portoroz-Porec (approx. 55
km).
Cycling southwards, you will pass through
the salt mines of Secovlje, a large Slovenian
town with a humid environment which is a
key area as regards ornithology. Some
kilometres later you will cross the last border
going into Croatia down along Istria county,
the Adriatic sea’s largest peninsula. In the
end you will reach Pore!, the tourism
capital of Croatia, with its Eufrasian
Basilica, which, in 1997, was declared
Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO.
8th DAY Porec.
After breakfast, end of services. Return to
Venice by boat if you haven’t booked any
extra nights.
VENICE-POREC cycling in Italy
mestre/venice-caorle
caorle-portogruaro
portogruaro-aquileia/palmanova
aquileia/palmanova-trieste
trieste-portorose
portorose-porec
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Route profile.
You will ride for approximately 300 km in
6 stages. The first three days are mainly
on flat roads, across the Veneto and
Friuli plain, while the last three stages
are slightly more hilly
Distance in Km
non-delivery due to luggage deposited late
or without the label we will arrange an
additional transportation to be paid locally
by the customer. In case of short daily stages
The morning after your arrival, at 8.30 a.m.,
you may arrive before your luggage, so
in the hotel reception area you will meet our
we suggest you to bring with you some
representative who will describe the tour,
clothes to be able to fully enjoy the visits in
give you your bikes and be at your disposal
the city.We also ask you not to put glass
for about 30 minutes for any questions you
bottles containing liquids or any fragile
might have.
objects into your bags which may damage
not only your clothing but also that inside
Luggage transportation other baggage carried.
Luggage transportation is never
Luggage labels to be attached to each piece
included in case of extra nights before
of baggage will be given to you on the first
or after the standard tour.
day when you arrive at the hotel. Luggage (a
maximum of two pieces per person) is to be
taken down to the hotel reception every
morning before 9.30 and grouped according
to the receptionist’s instructions. It will arrive
at the next hotel by 17.30. We ask you the
full respect of these rules. In the case of
Accompanying material Welcome and bike
delivery
If you haven’t received your Information
Pack by mail, it will be given to you at your
first hotel. The Information Pack includes:
- the road book of the tour
- bike maps
- information on the cities, towns and
villages passed on the tour
At the reception of the first hotel on
your tour you will find an envelope
with:
- final hotel list: due to overbooking or
organizational needs your hotel list may be
changed just before your arrival.
- luggage labels to be fixed at each baggage,
which has to be carried.
- hotel vouchers: to give to reception on
arrival in each hotel.
- 12 hours ACTV ticket
2
VENICE-POREC cycling in Italy
Climate
Questionnaires
In Veneto, Friuli and the Adriatic coast in
Slovenia and Croatia the temperatures are
cool/mild in spring/ autumn and warm/
humid in summer, with potential summer
storms (more information on weather in
Veneto www.arpa.veneto.it , on the climate
in Friuli www.osmer.fvg.it). In Istria, and in
general on the Adriatic coast, the climate is
milder in winter and always windy because
of sea currents.
On the last 2 pages of this dossier
you will find a questionnaire (quality
control comment sheet) to fill in,
which you can hand over directly to
the hotel's reception. We thank you in
advance for your courtesy and for
any useful information you can give
us.
Food
This tour passes through different regions
and three different states, so you will find a
wide variety of dishes, often different from
each other but where the basic ingredient is
fish. On the coast you will find Italian
“sardine in saor” (sardines cooked in
onions), and several dishes with mussels and
clams. In Slovenia and Croatia there the
are the famous cevapcici (small spicy
meatballs) and “buzara” prawns. Do not
miss the famous zaeti (cornmeal biscuits
with raisins) and in Croatia the palacinche
(sweet crepes). All served with good wines as
Prosecco or Teroldego.
Clothing
We advise you to wear comfortable shoes
and various layers of practical clothing to be
prepared for sudden changes of climate and
temperature; don’t forget a K-Way or a
poncho, both indispensable in the event of
rain, besides a light jacket for cold days and
evenings. Sunglasses, a light-coloured hat,
protective suntan cream and insect repellent
sprays are important, especially in summer.
Helmet, cycling trousers and gloves are
advisable but not essential. During the tour
you will have the chance to visit various
religious institutions, such as churches and
convents, where you must be appropriately
dressed (covered shoulders, shoes or sandals,
etc...). Helmet: The law does not require
cyclists to wear a helmet, but we consider it
important to wear one for safer travelling.
Also remember to bring a first aid kit with
you.
Opening hours shops
and restaurants
Shops opening hours: from Monday to
Saturday in the morning from 08.30/09.00
to 12.30/13.00. In the afternoon from
15.30/16.00 to19.30.
Some supermarkets have adopted an all-day
opening from 09.00 to 20.00.
Midweek closing: food shops are closed on
Wednesday afternoon, while other shops are
closed on Monday morning.
Approximate restaurants kitchen opening
hours: from 12.00 to 14.30 for lunch and
from 19.00 to 22.30 for dinner.
August is traditionally the vacation month
also for shops and some restaurants.
VENICE-POREC cycling in Italy
BIKE RENTAL
We have
carefully
chosen our
bicycles and
accessories in
order to be
able to satisfy
the requests
and wishes of
our customers.
Bicycle
Mechanical problems
Your own bikes
Girolibero’s Citybikes are available in
various sizes in men’s, women’s or unisex
models. At the moment of booking, you can
choose from the following bikes:
- City bike 27-gear Shimano Deore
- City bike 7-gear Shimano Nexus with
back-pedal brake
- Racing bike 27-gear Shimano Tiagra
- Electric bike www.gazelle.nl
- Pino tandem www.hase-bikes.com
During the tour, if the bicycles should have
any type of technical problem that prevents
you from continuing, please contact us at the
emergency numbers (+390444330724 or
+393382807124) and try to describe the
occurred issue. We’ll try to solve as soon as
possible the problem and, if necessary, we’ll
suggest you a mechanical where it is possible
to repair the failure. We ask you to go to a
mechanical only after being authorized by
Girolibero. If a reparation by a mechanical
will be necessary, keep the receipt and send
it to us at the end of your tour, so that we
can refund you the charges.
In case of puncture no intervention or
assistance is forseen. Customers will be
given a proper puncture reparation kit,
which wil enable them to intervene directly
and solve the problem.
If you want to take the tour with your own
bike, before you depart we suggest you to
verify that all parts of the bike are
functioning properly. A cycle computer is
necessary to follow the road book. We
also highly recommend you to bring a repair
kit because the emergency number in case of
breakdown cannot be used if you are using
your own bike. Don’t forget to bring a
padlock and always lock your bike.
Features:
- aluminium frame
- mudguard
- rack
- comfort gel saddle www.lookin.it
- anti-puncture Schwalbe Marathon 700 x
35 tyre
Accessories:
- 5-function cycle computer
- ORTLIEB 100% waterproof side
saddlebag (12/20 lt.)
- front saddlebag or A4 format map holder
or basket
- a water bottle (0.75 l)
- repair kit (inner tube, glue, patch, pump)
- combination lock
You can also rent children’s bikes, child seats,
bike trailer, follow me tandem and helmets.
We remind you that you are responsible of
the rental bikes during the whole tour.
Bicycles must be always locked and
possibly secured to a pole possibly
even in short-term stages.
Bicycle return
Bikes must be locked and left in the garage
of the last hotel. All accessories must be put
inside the rear pannier of the bike.
Trains with bike
transportation
In Italy there is a good train service offering
bicycle transport. This low-cost option will
allow you to reach the next city in the case of
rain or bad weather, or if you prefer to visit
a city at your own pace instead of cycling.
Trains with bicycle compartments are all
regional trains and are indicated with a
bicycle symbol on the carriage and also on
the timetables on display in the station. The
cost of the ticket for a passenger varies
according to the distance covered, whereas
for the bike it is always " 3.50 (valid for 24
hours on the entire Italian network). Tickets
can be bought directly at the railway station
or at a “Tabacchi” shop, asking for a “fascia
chilometrica” (per kilometre) ticket, plus a
ticket for the bike. For further information
on timetables and prices you can consult
www.trenitalia.com.
VENICE-POREC cycling in Italy
ARRIVAL AIRPORTS
Connections to
MESTRE/VENEZIA
- Venezia Marco Polo (VCE)
www.veniceairport.it
Every day the Fly Bus shuttle service leaves
for Venezia Mestre station every 25-30
minutes from 06:06 to 23:40. (transfer: 20
min; ticket: 3,00 euro; www.atvo.it).
- Treviso Canova (TSF)
www.trevisoairport.it
The service ATVO offers every day a fine
connection between the airport and the
station of Venezia-Mestre based on the
arrivals and departures of the low-cost
flights from 7.50 a.m. ti 10.20 pm. (transfer:
60 min; ticket: 5 euro).
Connections between
Porec and Mestre/
Venezia
How to return to Mestre/Venezia at
the end of the tour.
From Porec we propose two possibilities to
return to Mestre/Venice:
1. Ferry from Porec to Venice
This ferry leaves every Saturday at 8.00 a.m.
and it arrives in Venice at 10.30 a.m. You
can reserve this service but it has absolutely
to be required at the booking time and for
the reservation it is necessary a valid
document. The ticket costs about E 65.00
per person. In the ticket price is included
one luggage for every passenger to be put in
the storage place and a hand luggage of not
more than 56cm x 45cm x 25cm in measure
5
- Verona Villafranca Catullo (VRN)
www.aeroportoverona.it
Every day the Aerobus shuttle service to the
station of Verona Porta Nuova leaves every
20 minutes from 6:30 to 23:35 (transfer:
about 30 min; ticket: 4.50 euro). From
Verona Porta Nuova you take a train to
Venezia Mestre or Venezia Santa Lucia
(transfer: 120 min; ticket: from 6.50 to 12
euro depending on the type of train).
Trains: for further information on
timetables and prices you can consult the
following websites: www.trenitalia.it e
www.bahn.de.
- Trieste Ronchi dei Legionari (TRS)
www.aeroporto.fgv.it
There is a bus service that offers every day
connections from the airport to the train
station of Udine (from 8.30 a.m. to 9.00
p.m. - bus No. 51. You can buy the tickets
directly in the airport and a ticket costs
about 3.50 Euro. From here you can take a
train to Mestre/Venice. It takes about 90
minutes and a ticket costs about 9.00 Euro.
and 10 kg in weight. This item of luggage
does not need to be announced during
booking. Excess luggage can be booked
during check-in at an additional cost of E
5.00 per luggage. Infants are not entitled to
carry any cabin or hand luggage. For further
information visit the website:
www.venezialines.com or call the number
+39 041 8821101.
2. Bus Porec-Trieste + train TriesteMestre/Venice
As alternative you can take a bus from Porec
to Trieste. The ticket costs Euro 9.90 and the
bus leaves every day - apart from Sundayfrom Porec at 6.00 a.m. and arrives in
Trieste at 8.05 a.m. We recommed you to
buy in advance the ticket on the internet at
www.autostazionetrieste.it. For further
information call the number +39 040
425020.
From Trieste you can take a train to Mestre/
Venice. It takes about 150 minutes and the
ticket costs from 10 to 15 Euro depending
on the type of the train.