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Customer reviews: Italy cycling holidays

Everyone who goes on a Headwater holiday will be emailed a link to our post-holiday questionnaire where they can give us an honest assessment of all aspects of their holiday - everything from how quickly we answer the phone to how clean the hotels were - plus an overall rating and comments about their holiday.

Any feedback collected is posted to our website, so that people can make an informed decision based on past experiences before heading off on holiday. We don’t edit the reviews, the only thing we do is proofread them and alter any typos, where necessary, to ensure they are easy to read for everyone. All reviews will be published (except in certain extreme circumstances), and a member of the Headwater team will respond to any constructive criticisms/comments under the reviews, at their discretion. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of our holidays, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.

Michael John Wilson-maccormack
Highlights of Puglia Cycling
23/10/2023

Such a great way to experience a destination. The routes allow you to soak up the landscape and the culture at a leisurely pace. It actually covering significant areas over the course of the holiday. The optional routes make for a great opportunity to delve deeper and widen your experience.

Hotels are well selected and in great locations to allow you dip in to the local food scene - always well deserved at the end of days cycling. We always feel recharged at the end of holiday with a stack full of great memories

Jacqueline Jacob
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
16/10/2023

Fantastic holiday and great welcome from all host hotels. Plenty of advice where to eat in the evenings and very well selected itinerary

Claire Reynolds
Venetian Villas and Vineyards Cycling
16/10/2023

We had a fantastic trip, though the northern italian weather by mid october isn't quite as balmy as we'd have liked.

Really well organised. Felt confident with all arrangements. Slight hiccough at the end when our itinerary said depart hotel for Bari at 1000 when it should have been 0900 but all ended well.

Michael Williams
Cycling through Baroque Sicily
07/10/2023

Our second ebike holiday with Headwater: again a most enjoyable experience. The routes chosen were on good roads with little traffic and provided lots of time for exploring towns /beaches etc. Small problem with one of bikes dealt with well, excellent battery so no range anxiety! Headwater app worked very well. With one exception (where we were marooned in a comfortable but soulless hotel in residential area outside Pozzallo) the hotels were excellent with Baglio Siciliamo a country house with excellent restaurant and pool, very close to Lido di Noto and within easy reach of Noto was absolutely delightful in every way.

This trip was really fun and well organised. Would recommend

A fantastic holiday in a beautiful part of Italy. The locations each night were really varied from amazing farmhouse in the country to modern hotel overlooking the harbour.

Cycling varied from coast road to cycling through olive groves. Would definitely recommend.

Sharon Colin
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
01/10/2023

This was a lovely holiday. But with hindsight, other destinations in France have provided more of a relaxing holiday in that we could stop along the way for coffee or lunch whereas on this one we just went from A to B with little in between. Maybe this is because Sicily is a poorer area although it was beautiful. We didn't appreciate the fly tipping either!

Timothy Stocker
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
30/09/2023

It was a good holiday. It would be very helpful for Headwater to give some restaurant recommendations. Most hotels made suggestions but we had to spend time looking the suggestions up online which was time consuming. The recommendations in Castellamare and Mazara were excellent Headwater's notes seem to suggest a richness of seafood at Selnunte along the shoreline. We did not find it so,. It might be a good idea to draw attention to other restaurants that are available in the town and away from the sea.

Jannette Speight
Heart of Veneto Cycling
30/09/2023

Just more info on the places of interest on our cycle routes. Like the monastery is only open 3.30 to 4.30 pm.

Castle only open weekends! Abbey, pre booking at Euros 11. Etc

Michael Brown
Brenner Pass to Venice Cycling
29/09/2023

Ivan Myatt
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
28/09/2023

For an older man e-cycling solo this holiday was perfect. I was fortunate to have the amazing rolling vineyards and hazelnut groves of Piedmont in beautiful autumnal sunshine all week. Routed by the Headwater app for leisurely rides on mainly quiet small roads and occasional track was pretty stress free. Passing through iconic wine villages and towns to stop for a morning coffee and then onwards to lunch with possible arranged winery visits and tastings was right up my street. The small hotels were spot on (especially Villa D’Amelia) and the arranged restaurant food varied from very good to exceptional. Although relatively expensive, you certainly get a high quality holiday. Fantastico 🇮🇹.



A special mention to Fabrizio (your man in Piedmont). When my bike chain broke (luckily near to one of the hotels), he was on hand to provide a replacement bike ‘pronto’ the same evening. As the replacement e-bike frame was too small for me he willingly changed it back again to the repaired original bike the following evening, consequently minimising the whole inconvenience. A pretty good show I think. Please pass on my thanks for his efforts in not letting this adversely affect the holiday.

Peter Bamford
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
27/09/2023

We were lucky enough to enjoy seven straight days of beautiful cycling in the sunny hills. Each route was really well thought out, challenging but immensely rewarding. We cycled on the standard bikes which we found to be very comfortable with good gears for the long climbs. We are both active fit people but not regular cyclists and we found the routes very manageable. We particularly appreciated being able to choose the optional longer routes.

We had a great holiday in Puglia. The countryside was lovely (except for the appalling litter problem which seems to blight southern Italy and Sicily), the towns were stunning and the length of cycling days just about perfect. The hotels were generally good, and the Masseria Bosco was outstanding. Swimming in warm seas on both sides of the region was very special, as were the gelati! The navigation app was brilliant - you really can't get lost (though you do have to be a bit careful in busy cities) and Headwater's communication was excellent.

Diane Hall
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
26/09/2023

An excellent holiday. Proved to be tougher than envisaged. The final road into Certaldo was concerning at times, sharing with very large cement transporters. Hotels were truly excellent.

Clare Nicholson
A Taste of Tuscany Cycling
23/09/2023

We are not regular cyclists so self guiding using the app allowed us to go at our own pace but with backup from the local host. The app was easy to use, the routes were excellent, and the hotel a lovely place to relax at the end of the day.

Kenneth Cook
Heart of Veneto Cycling
23/09/2023

We thoroughly enjoyed the holiday ( in September) and were blessed with lovely weather. In fact, we rather wished we had combined it with the 'Venetian Villas and Vineyards Cycling' holiday. The e-bikes were good and so was the navigation app. Agriturismo L'Albara was clean and comfortable and we enjoyed the food and the swimming pool. Fedrico is 'larger than life' and very helpful and made the stay particularly enjoyable. We found we did need mosquito repellant and was pleased with the recommendation on a previous review to take a travel kettle.

Was a good trip. Valued the free day in Matera and the shorter cycling day to Alberello so had time to visit the limestone caves. The app was easy to follow. Welcomed opportunity to upgrade the hotels.

Lorna Huddart
Undiscovered Sardinia Cycling
21/09/2023

We had a lovely holiday, the Sardinian coast is beautiful. The hotels were all good and the Sardinian food and wine excellent. The bikes were good. Everywhere was very welcoming. The hotel Luce de Faro (our favourite on this trip) will do a packed lunch for you (order the night before), and we would recommend you do this especially on the day you cycle to Teulada…as there is really nowhere to buy food especially if you are transferring on a Sunday. The cycling on day 4 (Teulada to Chia) is quite tough, and we felt the holiday might be better graded a 2 based on previous headwater holidays.

A couple of notes of caution, not many coffee stops, and not much of interest to visit along the way apart from the lovely beaches until you get to Pula. Pula was a lovely town to finish in, and we had a lovely lunch at Solaria in the square.

Veronica Stephens
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
18/09/2023

Really enjoyed our trip and was well organised by Headwater with very good guide to help. All hotels good with exception of Hotel Mahara

We really enjoyed the route and accommodation, and felt we had seen so much of Puglia. The route is difficult to get to and from, but fortunately we have some friends who live in Puglia, so they picked us up from Brindisi airport, we stayed with them for a few days and then they drove us to Alberobello. I discovered, whilst we were there, we could have got back from Lecce to Brindisi by rail to meet the Sunday flight. Instead we had to rely on staying with our friends again for a few nights). This would have been very useful information to have upfront when planning a trip, and this is where Headwater are weak. You should be giving more information on how to get to places, from different uk airports, rather than just via the London airports. I think you’d get more customers (as we were surprised that we were the only two on this trip).

Well researched itinerary and well located accommodation.

Anne Strulo
Undiscovered Sardinia Cycling
15/09/2023

We had a lovely time in Sardinia: the food in particular was outstanding. We had electric bikes and so none of the routes were challenging, but at least one of the days would, I think, be hard work without assistance. One small part of one route was on a busy road which felt quite uncomfortable. It was also hotter than expected in September - but who can predict the weather! Still, overall an outstanding holiday.

Veronica Hudson
A Taste of Tuscany Cycling
15/09/2023

‘For our first e-bike holiday we were challenged by the first route and length of ride( 41km) and would prefer the option of more rest days - perhaps have Day 3 as rest day. There was no information for activities/ sightseeing information on rest days and we were fortunate that our host Stefano was amenable and very knowledgeable of the area and assisted us in transport and background information of the areas to visit.

Ian Phelps
Heart of Veneto Cycling
15/09/2023

Well researched cycle routes and friendly hotels

Colin Chapman
Undiscovered Sardinia Cycling
14/09/2023

A great trip - well organised from beginning to end. Good standard of hotels and a superb app to navigate.

Alexander Whiteside
Cycling the Heel of Italy - Matera to Lecce
14/09/2023

All in all we had a great time. We would recommend Headwater to other people.

Andrew Cummings
Undiscovered Sardinia Cycling
13/09/2023

We have used Headwater many times and always found them excellent with a high standard of accommodation and good organisation. This is the first year that we have used an app for navigation which was fine but we would like it to be supported by good quality maps so that we can navigate the local areas.

Marjorie Rogers
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
12/09/2023

A beautiful part of Italy which is well worth exploring and enjoying.

Lydia Livingstone
Heart of Veneto Cycling
10/09/2023

We booked our holiday with Headwater as a last minute post school holiday treat. Even though time was tight all arrangements were made within the restrained time period.

We travelled from France in our own car and had no problems finding our accommodation from the information provided. The e-bike plus road bike arrived early next morning with panniers and locks and we were off straight away for the start of a very enjoyable holiday. The agriturismo hotel met all our expectations with regards to friendliness, support and cuisine. In fact the traditional Italian meals were truly excellent.

Another great holiday from Headwater, thoroughly enjoyed the cycling and loved the location and the Puglian people, very friendly indeed. The contrasting accommodation was extremely interesting from a cave once inhabited by the Sassi in Matera, to a B&B where we had breakfast in the owners dining room in Putignano, a Trulli in Alberabello and a 4 star hotel in Otranto. The itinerary was full on and definitely showed us all that Puglia has to offer. Fantastic!

Christopher Haines
Cycling from the Dolomites to Venice
09/09/2023

As always the holiday was memorable. It was our first use of ebikes and we are delighted. It will help us do future trips where hills or distances might have been off putting to the 70+ customers!

Timothy Bohin
Heart of Veneto Cycling
09/09/2023

Nice easy cycling although a bit repetitive. Excellent Agriturismo accomodation with excellent food and wine a lovely pool.

Susan Mcnaught
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
09/09/2023

Thoroughly enjoyed the holiday. More info possibly about booking wine tours would be good although hotels happy to do it for you. Villa d'Amelia fell over backwards to help us when our flight was re-routed. I wrote and thanked them. Just one other thing about bikes - you need a 'walk' mode in case you have problem going up the very steep hills. Pushing an e bike with no walk mode is exhausting.

Heather Binmore
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
08/09/2023

Helen Hodson was extremely attentive, helpful and reliable.

Martin Browne
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
07/09/2023

A thoroughly enjoyable holiday. Scenery superb and the accommodation was the best we had experienced on a Headwater holiday. Food was excellent, the only disappointment was the electric bikes as these were so much heavier than we are used to. It was good to have the extra nights in Milan to see all the sights. It would have been great if Headwater had prebooked a tour of the wine cellar at Fontannafreda as there were no tours available during our time there and your agent had highly recommended this.

Carolyn Evans
Cycling in Tuscany: Pisa to Florence
02/09/2023

An enjoyable holiday. We have been on a number of cycling holidays. If you were inexperienced, the briefing would not have been sufficient. The agent appeared to be a rush to leave! One of our bikes had a constant issue with the gear cable but my partner was able to sort it out. The train journeys were difficult with the electric bike as it was so heavy and both stations had steps on and off the platforms. The Pisa hotel AC Grand was too far away from the centre of Pisa. Breakfasts in all hotels were basic and not replenished even when we were eating at 7am! Overall we enjoyed our trip and the big bonus was being able to download the route on our mobiles.

Karen Hastings
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
01/09/2023

Michael Meade
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
01/09/2023

Elizabeth Leitch
A Taste of Tuscany Cycling
26/08/2023

Thomas Sutcliffe
Bolzano, Verona & Venice Ride
26/08/2023

We had a great experience. No problems with the luggage at all. We would certainly think of doing it again, though we might tailor the experience a little by adding an extra night at some locations and checking the hotels more carefully before finalising a trip. It was occasionally frustrating to be in a very interesting city and not have quite enough time to explore it.

Duncan Yellen
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
25/08/2023

Always available to help if there is a problem

Product is a great itinerary

Katherine Winn
Bolzano, Verona & Venice Ride
12/08/2023

Everyone I dealt with at Headwater were knowledgable, helpful and efficient although they didn't have detailed knowledge of the trip I was looking at. Any questions I asked were sent to the Italian bike company and simple answers were received. Our only bad experience was the collection of the e-bikes, we needed someone who knew about the bikes, knew about the trip and spoke English. The route, the guide and the App were excellent. The hotels were mixed but overall fine. We had one big problem where we lost a bike key and the Italian bike company were very helpful (but we needed the help of the hotel to translate for us). Overall we loved the trip.

Angela Halstead
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
09/08/2023

Had a really lovely holiday and would book again. Disappointed with one hotel as mentioned and pick up on arrival everything else was great.

Charlotte Barran
Bolzano, Verona & Venice Ride
05/08/2023

I would recommend Headwater 100 per cent. We booked last minute and they still found all the accommodation we needed. The route was excellent - we were able to enjoy the scenery, stop off en route, enjoy the destination towns in the evenings. Mainly bike lanes and bike routes which was brilliant. Excellent service and communication throughout. We couldn't fault it - amazing unforgettable holiday

Wendy Briggs
Bolzano, Verona & Venice Ride
26/07/2023

An excellent trip, beautiful hotels, fantastic cycling.

Gordon Smith
Bolzano, Verona & Venice Ride
25/07/2023

Overall, an absolutely superb experience, my non cycling wife thoroughly enjoyed it due to the E bikes assistance. Great service moving the bags daily, good hotel selection probably the most memorable holiday I will ever have. We are looking to do a similar thing with friends who had done the same trip in 2018 and recommended it to us. Hopefully next year we will book another amazing holiday with Headwater.

Had a wonderful time although it would be useful for HW include market days + opening times of places to visit along the way to help choose departure date. We missed all markets and a lot of places of interest are closed Monday or Tuesdays which coincided with our journeys. There are quite a few sections of cycling with industrial backgrounds in view but the scenery other than this was excellent in places. Bikes are great, (not electric) lovely and comfortable, cycling app is a must ....... so much easier than stopping to read route notes. Food was good on the whole. Villa Lussana in Teolo was a disappointing breakfast, tinned fruit salad and fruit straight from a very, very cold fridge, they appear to be concentrating on their restaurant next door. However, the larger of the Pizzeria's behind the village provides excellent food and you need to book or be prepared to wait .... best pizza's for 40 years mmm! Pretty good value too. Be sure to set off early to visit Vincenza, it's a beautiful place and takes around an hour to cycle to using the app. Lots of places closed in Padua on Monday's but an interesting place although not as beautiful as Vincenza **travel by train for this one. Agrutorismo L'Abara is unique with a fantastic humorous host (Frediricco) who will ensure you mingle with other guests at meal times. We met and enjoyed 2 evenings with 2 different Belgian couples who both spoke excellent English. Interesting to fine our countries have much in common.

Stephen Power
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
26/06/2023

Travel and adventure made easy. A great experience end to end seeing an area of Italy at our pace and mostly alone. Hassle free

Mary Nightingale
Venetian Villas and Vineyards Cycling
26/06/2023

We thoroughly enjoyed our cycle tour of Veneto which was an area previously unknown to us. It is unspoilt, easy cycling, with enough points of interest on the way to give you a break from the bikes. We found it amazing value and made us want to go back to explore more of northern Italy. The Headwater app worked great and there was plenty of information in the tour notes which encouraged us to take a train to Padova and to cycle on our 'rest' day to Vicenza, both of which were fascinating places. The bikes were excellent and we had a really good briefing from the local agent. Th only slight gripe was the first and last stop, Il Feudo, where we left our car, which was in a delightful spot but a bit too basic for us - we felt we needed aircon in the bedrooms (temperature was into the high 30's at end June) and a decent shower. Also be warned: take plenty of mosquito repellent!

The cycle route from Bolzano to riva del garda was outstanding.

Very positive. The Puglia itinerary was excellent. The scenery was very varied: inland (vineyards, olive groves), beaches on the coast and cliffs on the coast. We visited some lovely towns / villages in Puglia and had the time to see them each day. Most of the roads were not too busy. The navigation app was superb at directing us.

We had an excellent trip that met our needs to explore baroque architecture and the Sicilian coastlines. The initial organisation by Lauren and Stephanie was excellent and flexible in terms of us adding days. The transfers and bags movement were very good. The hotels were of good/excellent quality with the Baglio country house our favourite for location/style and food. The routes were good but not as interesting as our trips in Spain and Portugal and included many busy roads near the coast. We felt we had a real flavour of the country in terms of the people/food/scenery and architecture.

Anita Macphail
Venetian Villas and Vineyards Cycling
14/06/2023

Overall a really enjoyable holiday although some of the accommodation experience could have been better given the price paid for the holiday. The experience at Villa Lussana was extremely poor due to the attitude of the management. While the management at Il Fuedo were very nice, the quality of the accommodation was quite poor (felt like 2 stars when were expecting 3/4 star level). Consideration should have been given to location on a Sunday. We had no real options to easily do day trips from Teolo without a major cycle again given no public transport available on a Sunday.

Tom Canham
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
13/06/2023

Very good, as before.

We rate Headwater and all its staff very highly. The sales team, mainly Andrew Palmer, were helpful from start to finish, always sorted out any problems or queries efficiently. We had to rebook flights after our airline cancelled but this was sorted out by Sara at Headwater UK very quickly. The local Headwater staff were similarly helpful when we wanted to make changes to our itinerary, this was sorted out with minimal hassle. In short, we have had an excellent experience with HW and we ended up having an absolutely brilliant holiday, just what we had hoped for.

TRIVEDI
A Taste of Tuscany Cycling
10/06/2023

Overall an excellent holiday. The hotel was in a beautiful location with easy access to facilities in the town. Good routes and great e-bikes which were essential for this region in our opinion. The hotel staff were very friendly and quintessentially italian ! They did all they could to accommodate one of our party who does not eat meat.

Excellent, although some of the cycling was tougher than expected. Would get an Ebike next time!

The whole experience was excellent, from dealing with the travel agent to the brilliant staff at the hotels. The route was very good and the app provided all the information I required. The highlight of the holiday was definitely the tasting menu on the last night.

A wonderful way to see the true Italy. You are independently exploring, with the freedom to roam but have the “safety net” of the company if needed. Giving you a sense of security and peace of mind.

Donald Murray
Venetian Villas and Vineyards Cycling
08/06/2023

The extension in Venice was somewhat spoiled by the cancellation of the return flight and the lack of help available. I related the events of the day in an email to Joanne the day after our return. Easyjet were no help whatsoever and we felt let down by Headwater, especially when we eventually got a call back from the Emergency Cover staff and the person said she had no record of what we had said in our earlier calls. From then on, we were on our own. A later email said H/W was exceptionally busy and calls were dealt with 'on a priority basis'. If two 76-year-olds stuck in Venice without help on their 7th H/W holiday isn't a priority, then I don't know what is! Fortunately, Paula (and maybe others) helped us to get our extra expenses refunded which we are very grateful for and has somewhat redeemed the situation: otherwise, this would have been our 7th and last H/W trip.

SHUTTLEWORTH
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
07/06/2023

This is a wonderful holiday but it is much more than grade 2. May of the hills are long and some are very steep (14% gradient). Only extremely fit cyclists should even consider using a road bicycle. Some of the tracks are rough and our UK bikes would have shredded tyres, and inadequate grip. After rain, these tracks can be quite muddy.

The catering is outstanding, especially at Villa d’Amelia, where the gastronomic menu is worthy of at least one (and probably two) Michelin stars.

There is sufficient daily exercise to justify the calorie intake

Cycling holiday with Headwater was excellent and I would recommend this trip. We enjoyed the change of scenery from the inland routes of the first two days to the beautiful coastal routes of days 3, 4 and 5 - we spent two afternoons on the beaches which were outstanding. The trip have everything you need. The hotel in Gallipoli was only average but the remainder were very good. The family run hotel in Avetrana with a swimming pool was very special - staff amazing. We also loved the Hotel in Otranto where the staff were again great, the room was lovely and breakfast amazing with lots of choice. Overall the cycling was pleasant, not too challenging and a great way to see Italy. We will look to do similar holidays with Headwater and have recommended this to friends.

Excellent journey along stunning landscapes. Day five coastal path road more challenging but stunning scenery. Bikes good, friendly people. Enjoyed and made the most of our free day in Pula. We thought it was a well planned and well thought out journey.

Excellent routes through flatter parts of Tuscany giving varied interest through all the rides. Occasional (unavoidable) stretches on busy roads but most roads pleasantly quiet. Good friendly hotels for the necessary post-ride recovery. Although the strada bianchi only makes up 12% of the distance, it feels like more!

We had an excellent overall experience

HARRISON
Bolzano, Verona & Venice Ride
03/06/2023

The Bolzano to Venice cycle route was outstanding and made the most of the excellent cycling infrastructure in this part of Italy. Much of the ride was on hard, smooth surfaces on the banks of rivers or canals - safe, serene and scenic cycling. Where roads were needed (the incredibly beautiful descent from the Dolomites to Lake Garda), we were given plenty of warning of the high risk points. The recommended 'Ride with GPS" APP was outstanding - good mapping and very helpful voice messaging. Our ebikes were really good - comfortable, stable, excellent battery range & easy to charge (another pannier please!).



The historical cities on this beautiful route are truly wonderful and viewing them from bike and/or foot was a privilege.



We regretted opting against hotel upgrades as some of ours were distinctly average (small rooms, far from town centre) and not sure we got VFM.



Headwater staff helping us to organise our holiday were excellent - supportive, prompt and highly effective.

WOODWARD
Bolzano, Verona & Venice Ride
03/06/2023

A very enjoyable and scenic tour of this area of Northern Italy. We travelled in early June and wherever we were, the wonderful aroma of Jasmine and the flowers of the Linden (Lime) trees filled the air. The bikes were solid, well maintained and comfortable and the cycling routes were excellent, mostly off-road and flat and the quality of the roads for most of the trip was very good (no pot-hole dodging required)! There was so much to see at the end of each cycling day in the historic towns and the hotel accommodation was, on the whole, very good. Most hotels were spotlessly clean, with comfortable super-king size beds. The breakfast at all the hotels was plentiful and good. We took the upgrade option and some of the hotels were much plusher than we had envisioned which was a nice surprise. On the whole, a thoroughly enjoyable trip with some lovely cycling routes, great scenery and sights and lots of cafes (and delicious Gelato) en-route. I’d recommend this trip without hesitation.

The itinerary has clearly been well thought out to showcase some of the loveliest places in Tuscany, both the historic towns and routes through beautiful countryside. We had had misgivings about the bikes before the trip as we had looked them up and found that they were very heavy. However they had great gears and tyres which negotiated the hills and Strada Bianca's very well. Overall well suited to the task. Only one hotel was really disappointing, although the staff were great. Room was tiny with no air conditioning, even though we had upgraded. Food at the linked restaurant wasn't good and we paid ourselves for somewhere else on our return night there. The other three hotels were really exceptional. Highlights were the restaurant in the Certaldo hotel and Zaferano ( restaurant by Il Pescille). Great experience.

This tour around Puglia offers a varied insight into the region from the Trulli houses to resort hotels. Food and wine are consistently excellent and the hotel accommodation overall exceeded our expectations. The cycling, for the most part, is enjoyable. I would caveat that by saying some of the coastal roads are busy, even at the end of May/beginning of June and despite assurances from Antonio at the start of the tour that Italians treated cyclists with a degree of courtesy we found this to be generally not the case.

Excellent service from your team in UK. Top quality bikes. Lovely hotels in Sardinia. Have told everyone on my return what a good holiday I had.

ANDERSON
Brenner Pass to Venice Cycling
25/05/2023

Our holiday got off to a poor start with and a minibus driver who wanted to drop us off in the wrong place ! But once we got to Brenner we enjoyed some great cycling on smooth , traffic free cycle paths. The changing scenery from the Dolomites through to the Venetian plains was stunning with many miles along the River Adige, past vineyards in the Soave region and finally along canals and past magnificent villas as we approached Venice. There were many castles and other places of interest to visit en route and whilst the excellent guide book gave good descriptions of these there was no guidance in the 'Ride with GPS app' as to how to find them. All the cities we stayed at would have been worth spending longer in , but the guide book gave good descriptions of the highlights and useful tips on where to eat. The cycling was well described to help choose hillier or flatter options, but the hilly route from Verona to Vincenza was challenging. Overall a great trip.

A lovely itinerary with something different every day. Good accommodation and food.

This cycling trip in Puglia was wonderful. All accommodations and locations were excellent. This area of Italy was new to us and it didn’t disappoint. The range of areas and experiences was excellent from staying in Trulli to Masserias and quirky auberges. The support of the local agent was excellent and they were so supportive when one of our party had an injury. There was probably more road cycling than compared with other cycling trips we have done but mostly they were quiet. We would definitely recommend this as a trip and hope to visit other parts of Puglia.

RATHBONE
Brenner Pass to Venice Cycling
18/05/2023

Our first time with Headwater and on E bikes, initially with trepidation, then after working out how to use the map app etc, we rarely got lost and really enjoyed the mix of exertion, scenery, culture, food and wine!

SYMES-THOMPSON
Cycling from the Dolomites to Venice
17/05/2023

The start was a bit rocky with no personal welcome from Fun Active and we thought the initial bikes offered were poor but we did get them changed to better KTM bikes as offered in the Headwater brochure. Other than this we really enjoyed our trip which was essentially a great route.

SAUNDERS
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
17/05/2023

We enjoyed the holiday overall. The itinerary was great, the ebikes were excellent as was the navigation app, the accommodation was varied and interesting. We had administrative problems during the booking process and our bikes were collected a day earlier than they should have been.....but despite these annoyances, we enjoyed the holiday .

Overall our holiday was excellent, aided very much by the attention of our host Stefano Mazzetti

The route details was excellent but only provided the evening of arrival at the first hotel. More information should have been provided about the GPS website. Using this system requires a modern smartphone with extra backup power. We had rainey days which are not ideal for phone navigation so the enjoyment level was reduced. The holiday is recommended and was a great experience but we could have been better prepared by prior knowledge.

CHOLLET
Heart of Veneto Cycling
13/05/2023

The Heart of Venetto cycling holiday was just the right level for me, as someone fairly new to cycling. We completed all 6 routes and found the App fairly easy to use. The rides To lake Fimon and Vicenza were particular favourites.

The village is very quiet and, as others have mentioned, the bar and bakery have short opening hours.

The food provided by The Agrotourismo was first class as was the wine. The pool looked lovely but unfortunately it was too cool for us to use.

CATCHPOLE
Undiscovered Sardinia Cycling
11/05/2023

We travelled to Sardinia just before the main tourist season started, so some places weren't open - but this meant that we often had places all to ourselves. We loved the quirky houses in Nebida, and the staff at the ferry port, Portoscuso, were really helpful. The ride up to the abandoned tuna processing plant on Carloforte was slightly underwhelming, but the loop ride was pleasant - and we saw the flamingoes on the salt pans! The ride to Chia (day 5) was tough in places (maybe class this holiday as a 1++?) but the reward was always a lovely downhill freewheel. Some other roads were rather busy. The Roman ruins at Nora were well worth a visit, as was the Batteria Boggio with its lookout points and abandoned gun emplacements (with ammunition stores - fortunately completely empty) . All the hotels were most welcoming, insisting on speaking English to us, and usually transporting our luggage to and from our rooms. Food and wine were also superb - what more could you ask for?

The cycling was fun and the app was generally easy to use though you should take an external battery pack. My phone was 3 years old and you need to set the screen to be quite bright so it uses up power quite quickly. The hotels that we used were all 3* but were comfortable. All hotels provided excellent breakfasts. We went in early May which is described as part of the holiday season but we found most places still closed so stopping off along the way wasn't as easy as we expected. One thing that we were really surprised by was the cost of transfers to and from the airport that Headwater wished to charge. Something like 240 from Bari to Arborobella (we caught a bus for 8 euros, and over 400 from Lecce back to Bari ( we caught the train for 24 euros). We hadn't been cycling for some years before booking this holiday but we practised for 5 weeks before going and we were fine.

DEAN
Heart of Veneto Cycling
06/05/2023

We loved our holiday, apart from the rain! L’Albarra was brilliant, we loved staying there. The family are so welcoming and kind. It helped that I can speak Italian but the son speaks excellent English. It was relaxing to stay in one place. The E bikes were excellent. The website said that the pool was closed in May but it was, in fact, open. We were pleased to bring our own travel kettle, thanks to a previous review. Local shops are scarce so maybe more info about where to get lunch or buy provisions for a picnic would be helpful.

Mr BOLAND
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
29/04/2023

Overall we really enjoyed this trip and based on previous cycling trips the 1+ rating was about right. Undulating on the interior sections and generally flat on the coastal sections. With the exception of Hotel Hopps (not originally part of itinerary) all hotels were good with good breakfast. With the exception of the agriturismo all overnight locations had many points of interest if you had the time and energy, and there were many places for a swim on the coastal sections. A couple of unexpected route diversions encountered as well as a few injections of speed to get past the odd stray dog. Without wishing to condone any fly-tipping whatsoever, the level of rubbish was not as bad as expected having read previous trip reviews. We saw much worse as we continued our journey through Sicily. Botecchia cycles were appropriate for trip profile and distance. Filippo the local agent provided an excellent briefing and introduction to the trip. All-in-all we would recommend this trip.

Ms Goulston
Bolzano, Verona & Venice Ride
29/04/2023

A fantastic cycling holiday, that took us through through beautiful landscapes and cities.

Mr Clarke
Cycling through Baroque Sicily
29/04/2023

A good mix of beautiful countryside, fascinating towns and scenic coast.

Mrs Leggate
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
25/04/2023

A great biking adventure through beautiful Puglia countryside and town. Directions in towns sometimes more difficult to navigate but always got there in the end. Back up when pedal came off bike was efficient but trying to give an accurate location was a bit difficult.

The helpfulness of team in Puglia when one member of team required medical assistance was absolutely wonderful and we were very appreciative of this.

Mrs Chambers
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
15/04/2023

Thoroughly enjoyed our cycling in Sicily with Headwater. All transfer arrangements went smoothly. The local Geotravel representative, Filippo was extremely helpful, friendly and efficient in imparting information and answering queries.

The bikes were perfectly adequate for the level of cycling and road conditions. The Navigation App is easy to use.

Cycling in April, the weather can be mixed so pack accordingly, it was cold and wet at the start of our trip but temperatures rose throughout the week.

The countryside is beautiful. Highlight visits were to Enrice, Marsala Wine Tour, Archeological Site at Selinute and it is well worth spending an extra two nights in Palermo to experience the magnificent buildings.

We ate well throughout at small local restaurants and drank the excellent local wines.

We have no hesitation in recommending this holiday. Headwater area great company to travel with.

Thank you.

Rosemary and Bryan

We had a wonderful holiday in Puglia cycling from Matera to Lecce over 9 days. It is a stunning part of the world and on a bike you have the advantage of seeing things and meeting people that you wouldn't if traveling by car. Overall, we would highly recommend this holiday. As we were cycling in April we did find a lot of the coastal areas were just getting ready for holiday season, so they were quiet and cafes were not always open. However, this was also a positive in that the roads were extremely quiet (apart from towns), so on balance this was good for us. The introduction and bike hike through Puglia Cycle Tours was excellent and our choice of electric bikes definitely the best decision for us as it was hilly in places. The electric bikes meant that we didn't walk up any hills! My only regret bikewise was that I didn't take my gel saddle with me but otherwise all worked well and we would love to return to this part of the world to explore further.

Excellent. Superb trip, well organised.

Itinerary fine. Unfortunately weather not great do not a lot to do when cycling finished

Mrs Dempster
Cycling through Baroque Sicily
01/04/2023

A wonderful introduction to Sicily that leaves you wanting to come back for more.

Mrs Dyson- Smith
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
25/03/2023

This was our second Headwater trip and once again we had a wonderful holiday cycling through the countryside of Apulia. I very much enjoyed the variety of accommodation which, while not of luxury standard, was varied, original and always comfortable (a Trullo house, a converted olive farm estate cottage and a boutique hotel in the middle of Conservano). The guide who picked us up from the airport was charming and gave us lots of information about local culture and customs . We love our food, and although there were no recommendations given in our information pack, Headwater were quick to send us a list of recommendations at our request and very good recommendations they were too! One thing I would point out is that my husband’s panier tended to fall off on the bumpy roads, so make sure you secure it to the bicycle frame with the opening straps. Also, the last bit of the tour around Monopoli on the last day can comfortably be omitted - much of it is a road next to the motorway!

Mr Martin
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
19/10/2022

A wonderful holiday. The weather in October was perfect for cycling. We had some superb lunch stops in restaurants we found by chance (I don't think you can go wrong in Puglia). The roads were very quiet so we felt very safe - more so than on some other cycling holidays we have had.

Mr Moncrief
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
08/10/2022

Fairly easy cycling through undulating countryside with some nice coastal sections. Wonderful food and good swimming in clear water. Some fine hotels, particularly the agriturismo and Room of Andrea. Unfortunately, Sicily is an opencast landfill of rubbish, and it is so sad and depressing to ride along otherwise wonderful backroads lined by endless garbage. The tourist board needs to apply some pressure to stop the accepted culture of dumping. I wouldnt recommend it as a cycling destination purely for this.

Mrs Payne
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
03/10/2022

I loved being able to use an electric bike for the first time, the bike was of very good quality and was able to keep pace with my partner on a regular bike. The landscape we cycled through was mostly olive tree plantations, the towns were very interesting historically and particularly enjoyed our stay in Alberobello. Lots to see and the accommodation was in a trulli building which added to the atmosphere. Our favourite accommodation was at Masseria Salamina,

Fabulous food, lovely grounds and even had a dip in the pool in October! Altogether a great trip to an undiscovered area of Italy for me and my husband. The organisation and support was excellent. Two points that made it a challenge was the incomplete routes on the Headwater App not taking account of all our accommodation locations and the shortage of information on the routes , more detail would have been appreciated. I was quite shocked at the amount of rubbish, general waste tipping on the road sides. An excellent trip.

Mrs Fowler
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
01/10/2022

This is our second holiday with headwater and we would definitely travel with Headwater again. The organisation is good and all staff friendly and helpful. . We enjoyed Sicily very much and were very pleased with the bikes, locations and liked the mix of hotels . However we were really shocked by the rubbish that litters the Sicilian countryside and found it difficult to see past this to enjoy the countryside as we would have liked to. Most of the hotels were very good , one was a bit past it’s best . Mostly the food ( usual just breakfast ) was good, but our 2 last hotels the breakfast was poor and in one case very poor, with dreadful coffee in both. The other thing that I struggled with is that the beds were generally very firm to hard and in all the hotels but one the pillows were very hard foam and very uncomfortable. This of course could be normal for Sicily, but unfortunately I came home with a very sore neck. I am sounding negative, but really overall it was a great holiday .

All the Hotels were spotless all staff very polite and helpful Food was tasty and well presented in the hotels we dined in. The E-Bikes were to a high standard and well maintained a pleasure to ride Magnificent scenery and wonderful beaches so take swimming costumes in the panniers



Do'nt give it a second thought book it and get on your bike

Dr Petter
Cycling through Baroque Sicily
01/10/2022

Excellent holiday. Villa Favourita at Noto a real highlight

Mr Baston
Cycling through Baroque Sicily
01/10/2022

The route takes you through beautiful cities, where you eat delicious local food and sample local drinks. Cycling through the beautiful agricultural land and coast lines is throughly enjoyable on quiet roads. The routes each day are enjoyable but not too challenging. All the accommodation is delightful.

Ms Richards
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
28/09/2022

Although rated as 1+, there are a lot of hills on this trip so we were glad we chose ebikes . My ebike started to emitt an enervating wailing sound from the front wheel hub and Philipo came out in a storm that evening to repair it. The scenery was varied and interesting, but there was a fair bit of urban and main road to negotiate, which was not pleasant. The hotel breakfasts were on the whole limited for vegans. We spent a couple of additional nights in Selinute, with a beautiful beach, warm sea and a laid back feel.

We had a great time on this cycling trip, particularly enjoying staying in both the agriturismos, the one at Villaganzerla having the most convivial atmosphere at mealtimes, while 'il Feudo' was a more intimate family farmstead.



Whilst my husband is a regular cyclist for whom the (relatively rare) 'hills' and hair-pin bends were as to be expected, I as more of an occasional cyclist would have found them a challenge without the e.bike! We loved Este and Montelice, but didn't have enough time to see all the attractions, so if doing again would perhaps have built in an extra day. Similarly the canal boat museum at Battaglia was a gem. Our highlight in Teolo was being able to listen to a concert in the art gallery literally across from our accommodation (a once-a-month 'friends of' event). While October is clearly turning 'end of season', for us September was a perfect time as the weather was like a nice summer day in Britain.



The team also excelled with our extra night in Verona.

Mrs Easton
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
24/09/2022

Sicily is a country of contrasts. The archeological sites are amazing, Segentum and Selinunte are fantastic. The roads are not in a great state of repair, and at times we had to wade through mud. The roadsides are disappointingly covered in rubbish, and fly tipping is very prevalent. The roads are also very busy for cycling, and the drivers don’t give you much room. As someone previously mentioned the bikes are not high quality, , heavy and really suitable for short city rides.

I’m sorry I don’t buy into the fact that they need to be sturdy as there are panniers. We carried virtually nothing . We went to the Egadi islands for a few days….they were fantastic, and great cycling, well worth a visit.

Eating out was very expensive.

We travelled in September , temperatures were great, and often a gentle wind.

The hotels were mainly great. It’s worth spending extra time in Palermo, as there are some amazing museums and palaces, The archeological museum has a lot of information on Selinunte.

Mrs Hope
Highlights of Puglia Cycling
24/09/2022

The trip went like clockwork.Headwater delivered the entire y like clockwork .

Mr Travis
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
21/09/2022

We had a really great week cycling in Puglia. It’s a beautiful place and we felt we got closer to the countryside seeing it from a bike.

Mrs Nichols
Undiscovered Sardinia Cycling
18/09/2022

Overall we enjoyed the holiday but based on previous experience we felt the holiday should have been graded as a 2, and not 1+. The opportunities for visiting ancient sites on St Antioco and at Pula were well worth doing. We really enjoyed the frequent swimming breaks from the very many stunning beaches along the route, and the excellent food and wine! The support from the local agents, especially Naomi, was excellent

Ms Karayi
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
17/09/2022

Doing our cycling holiday as a self-guided tour was an excellent way for four of us to travel, to see and experience this part of Sicily.

Mrs Curnow
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
17/09/2022

please see below

Ms KIELY
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
17/09/2022

This was a first cycling holiday for my two friends and I and so we decided to get E-bikes. This turned out to be a good idea as there were quite a few hill towns to visit and the 'boost' was needed on some steeper climbs. The navigation app was very easy to follow and we never got lost. The accommodation along the route was excellent and having two nights in most places was very welcome. Cycling around this area of Puglia was really enjoyable and beautiful. I would definitely book another cycling holiday with Headwater as they were super helpful from start to finish and the whole trip was flawless

Mr Ross
A Taste of Tuscany Cycling
17/09/2022

Wonderful welcome and support from Stefano and his team. Beautiful rides with some amazing views through varied terrain in the Val d'Orcia, challenging at times but not too much to handle. Lovely pool, ideal for a wind down after a day in the saddle. We looked forward to dinner every night, cooked with love from local produce. Excellent value home produced wines. We highly recommend this holiday. The Headwater team were incredibly helpful and efficient in answering our queries and arranging transfers. It is so refreshing (and so rare nowadays) to be able to speak to named helpful people who know what they are talking about.

Mrs Gray
Heart of Veneto Cycling
17/09/2022

Really enjoyable holiday! Well organised. Good bikes, easy cycling. Excellent, easy navigation app. Very quiet, rural location. Walking distance into the local village. Clean and comfortable accommodation. The pool and garden was an added bonus. Excellent home cooked food. I would recommend bringing a travel kettle and tea/coffee. It is also worth noting that not all rooms have a fridge.

Would highly recommend to anyone looking to experience a taste of rural life in Italy along with the chance to visit beautiful Vicenza.

There is a local supermarket, bakery and and a small café/bar in the village but worth noting that they seem to close at about 12.30 and don’t reopen until late afternoon.

A relaxing holiday, in a mix of beautiful country & small towns & villages. We were made to feel welcome by hoteliers & locals alike. Grape harvest was underway whilst we were in area & we found that very interesting!

Mr Brown
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
12/09/2022

Enjoyable holiday provided with excellent bikes. Impressive towns and countryside and excellent routes

Super. Cycling tour. Everything we needed was provided by friendly and efficient service. Highly recommended.

Dr Mounsey
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
11/09/2022

We really enjoyed the Barola wine trip. The hotels and the service was excellent. The countryside was beautiful, similar to Tuscany and no crowds. The hilltop villages were so pretty and each hotel was so comfortable and welcoming.I like some previous reviewers recommend an e bike unless you are a seasoned biker. Some of the hills were grueling.



For headwater. Recommend your guests to book ahead for the wine tours in Fontanafredda. We got there and they were all booked up which was disappointing.

Ms Harris
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
10/09/2022

Another great holiday with Headwater!

Mr Beresford
Undiscovered Sardinia Cycling
10/09/2022

The holiday provides a great tour of the beautiful coastline of Southern Sardinia and the islands. The cycling is relaxed with lots of opportunities to stop off at beautiful beaches

Mr Beeby
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
03/09/2022

A very good holiday, much enjoyed.

Mrs Whiteley
Cycling in Tuscany: Pisa to Florence
03/09/2022

We were a party of one 25 year old who used a regular road bike and his 2 parents who were glad we’d booked ebikes as the route was very hilly in parts, as described in the route literature. The cities and towns we stopped in were beautiful and so interesting. The hotels in Florence and Pisa were a little out of town but pleasant walks there along the river. The routes between the stops were through mainly agricultural landscape and largely on roads, some quite busy, or on tough gravel riverside paths. In the cites luckily there were dedicated cycle lanes. The holiday was well organised and the local agent helpful although stressed he wouldn’t come to assist with punctures (fortunately we had none). The bikes were well maintained although some suspension in the saddle would have helped. All in all we had an excellent holiday - our third with Headwater - and would definitely recommend the company and look forward to going with them again some day

Mr Wermann
A Taste of Tuscany Cycling
03/09/2022

We have travelled with Headwater pre and post dependent children for over 25 years and loved every trip. Locations and itineraries alwasys spot on.

Mr Hammond
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
01/09/2022

Wonderful (first time) leisurely biking high class gastronomic wine tour with beautiful mountain vistas every day

Mr Clarke
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
01/09/2022

We loved our trip! and we are already planning more bike trips in 2023!! Some disappointments. 1. The boys’ bikes seemed to be much older than for the girls, with batteries that would hardly last a day, so that Fabrizio ended up replacing one of the batteries. Their power for turbo was often not enough for the steeper hills (and we all have bikes in Canada so we are used to pedal assist on hills). The girls’ bikes were excellent. 2. The app was great, except outdated for some places, which might have been a covid related issue. It would be handy for the app to include where free charging stations are, as it seemed that quite a few villages had them, and we definitely needed these at times with the battery issues. 3. We were disappointed with Fontanafredda, who did not seem to know how to deal with bikes, such that one of the bikes was plugged in near the lobby. 4. The other hotels were excellent in handling the bikes, and just lovely. Thanks for such a great trip!

Ms Forster
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
31/08/2022

What a glorious holiday! The cycling routes; the quality of the bikes; the standard of the hotels; the locations; the food - everything was perfect! One of our best ever holidays. Hard to find any ways this holiday could be improved.

Mr Freer
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
24/08/2022

Amazing holiday but beware the gradient guide can be deceptive! Barolo Gastronomic is hilly - electric bike recommended and we are active fit cyclists !

Mrs Mccartney
Highlights of Puglia Cycling
22/08/2022

This was an amazing holiday. From the time of booking to the completion of the tour all ran smoothly. The app for navigation was brilliant - would only go on trips like this in future if this app was used. Puglia Cycling who did our transfers were always on time and very pleasant. Luggage was delivered by 4 pm each day, often earlier and usually waiting in room for us.

The weather was hot but a breeze kept it comfortable. Plenty of water is essential. It is worth noting that in some towns the public toilets are locked during siesta time but restaurants/bars were still open. There are many beaches and swimming holes along the way to stop and have a dip.

Unforgettable. Thank you to Headwater and Puglia Cycling.

Mrs O'SULLIVAN
Bolzano, Verona & Venice Ride
21/08/2022

The Bolzano to Venice cycle had beautiful scenery, especially in the Dolomites and Lake Garda. The cycle paths were excellent but some days cafes and restaurants en route were scarce and no guidance on this was given by the Girolibero agent. Usually the Headwater agent is very helpful about this. The only guidance we were given was about the electric bikes which were excellent and made the longer days, 75km, very manageable, although never staying in the same hotel for two nights made the cycle a bit intense. Hotels were not up to the usual Headwater standard except for the Sporting Hotel near Padua which was excellent. Some rooms especially in Mestre were very small. No advice was given about roadworks detours which caused problems.

Mrs Emmett
Bolzano, Verona & Venice Ride
09/08/2022

A varied cycle tour with lovely locations at the end of each day. There are some challenging sections along the valleys when windy, but otherwise enjoyable. Although there are some pretty towns and villages along the way, it is best to travel to the end points to spend time in those areas.

This is a fantastic way to see parts of a country you would probably never see. The routes are so well planned and thought through taking you along cycle paths and quiet country lanes to villages and towns and places of interest away from busy main roads( mostly). The app is really accurate, useful and easy to use. The bikes are sturdy hybrids that are well maintained. If you don’t use an e-bike then you do have to have a certain level of fitness as cycling each day as some parts of the routes can be a bit of a challenge( some uphills require a bit of effort). Also you should be aware how the heat might affect your ability to do cycle. This caught me off guard but we just chose to leave earlier to avoid the sun. The arrival in Florence was fabulous, finishing at the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge with a cool beer and then having the following day to explore was wonderful. Truly spectacular city. On the last day we biked part way to Pisa and then took the train. A unique way to see Tuscany

Mr Shepley
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
05/08/2022

Fabulous countryside, interesting villages, great wines.

Mrs Drake
Heart of Veneto Cycling
23/07/2022

Good. We enjoyed outselves.

The beautiful views of the Tuscan landscape never failed to draw a smile whether it was a daytime view across fields of sunflowers or an evening sunset over the vineyards. The wine tasting experiences were first class and we have many beautiful memories thanks to the passion of the wine makers and their families. The cycling was fun and not difficult for anyone in moderate physical condition.

A lovely region of Italy to visit, cycling through the vines and hazelnut forests. Loved the combination of cycling in the country but also visiting some interesting towns. The hotels were in lovely locations.

Headwater are a great company to holiday with, Communication, holiday route and hotels met our expectations and more! This is our second holiday with Headwater and will be back again in the future.

Thank you.

Excellent route through pretty villages, vineyards etc with stops at some wonderful Palladian villas. E bikes were a must in July as it reached 35 most days. Good route with reliable back up transport of bags etc

Mr Daxter
Classic Chianti Cycling
28/06/2022

Wonderful holiday. The scenery was spectacular and every hotel was a great experience.

A great active holiday where you travel through different landscapes to arrive in interesting towns with lovely hotels.

Mr Sadler
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
25/06/2022

We went on the Secrets of Sicily cycling holiday but happened to hit a heatwave which made the first couple of days cycling very hard due to the intense heat and lack of shade, but Headwater were very accomodating and arranged with the accomadations to provide breakfast earlier so that we could leave early in the morning and beat the sun, after that we enjoyed our trip a lot, the cycling was relatively easy and the scenery was lovely especially in the last few days, I thuink this trip would suit people who are interested in history, architecture and local "real" Sicily, we didn't see another tourist at all while we were cycling, only once we stopped in the cities. The highlights were the meal that we had in the Eco-Tourism hotel, and the small seaside resort of Selinunte on the last day - simply lovely !

Mr Wilkinson
Heart of Veneto Cycling
25/06/2022

A very pleasant area to cycle around from an excellent base location.

Great route. Varying quality of hotels. Poor bikes. Expensive for what we got.

Mrs Watson
Cycling through Baroque Sicily
21/06/2022

We've holidayed with Headwater for many years in many countries and loved their GPS routes and journeying through a variety of different, characterful hotels they have provided with careful thought. This summer's route across the SE tomato growing region of Sicily was contracted out to a local agency & too busy with too heavy road traffic for our liking in June 2022 and breath-taking views were spoilt by significant roadside rubbish all along the route which had been fly-tipped (discarded loos, fridges, building material, endless bags of rubbish). Our local taxi driver explained that the Mafia wait for rubbish emergencies to be declared and then they pick up the contracts. Make sure 1. You challenge the hotel rooms you are given when busy as we had unacceptably poor rooms offered for the price we paid. (clearly some were struggling post pandemic) 2. You know how to change tyres (bring plastic gloves and wipes). 3. It can be very hot so ask hotels to freeze your water bottles overnight.

Headwater response:
Thank you for taking the time to post your review and for the additional comments made. We are truly sorry that certain elements of your holiday were disappointing. Fly tipping unfortunately does appear to be commonplace in this region, and I feel that the taxi driver explained the situation well. I’m glad that we were able to discuss your holiday with you directly.

Mr TOWNSON
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
21/06/2022

Wonderful locations cycling through the Piedmont countryside with its vineyards, Hazel groves and rolling hills. On clear days we could see the French Alps in the West and the Italian Alps to the East. Great choice of hotels, with warm welcomes after a hard day’s cycling. Always delicious meals and a great choice of wines. E bikes are essential unless you are strong cyclists. These bikes enabled us to conquer the steepest climbs. Relatively expensive but good value for money; highly recommended.

Miss TAYLOR
Heart of Veneto Cycling
18/06/2022

Lovely accommodation although my room was very basic. The location was very scenic and the hotel owners were lovely. However the main criticism is that all 6 cycle routes were far too short and the 4th route was particularly dull and tedious due to it mainly being alongside I busy monotonous main road.

Dr Monte
Undiscovered Sardinia Cycling
10/06/2022

We absolutely loved this holiday. It was our first time in Sardinia and we were blown away by the magnificent blue sea and coastal line. The most magical moment for us was seeing the flamingos grazing in the salt pans. A sight to behold. The Sardinian people were lovely and welcoming and the food along with the Sardinian wines, delicious. This was a beautiful quiet part of Sardinia and cycling was definitely a great way to absorb as much of this beautiful island as possible. Given that we were mainly cycling on the coastal roads, we were amazed by the very considerate car drivers who always gave us loads of room and were incredibly respectful of cyclists. All in all this was a joyful holiday.

Mrs Makin
Undiscovered Sardinia Cycling
09/06/2022

We had a fabulous cycling holiday for our first trip to Sardinia. Headwater provided a superb itinerary, great bikes and lovely independent hotels run by Sardinian families. The scenery was jaw dropping and we could not have packed in so many memorable sights and locations without the Sardinian Headwater teams’ thorough knowledge of the region. The ride was more moderate than “easy” in the high temperatures of June, but perfectly manageable with care and our luggage was always waiting for us in the room of our new hotel, a welcome sight after a hot day’s cycling. We’ll definitely be back to Sardinia and back to Headwater for another adventure on wheels. Charlotte and Clive Makin.

Mr Brian
Undiscovered Sardinia Cycling
05/06/2022

Reliable and always providing interest and challenges.

This holiday had a lot going for it - wonderful scenery, nice hotels, good food, friendly, helpful people. Overall, I enjoyed it but there were, unfortunately, two negative issues. First, a lot of the cycling was on very busy main roads with lorries, buses, motorcyclists and fast cars. On days when there were strong cross winds I found the experience unnerving at times. The second was the shortness of the routes. Four of them were less than 20 miles, the other two just over 20 . Admittedly they were often hilly but hills present few problems for an ebike rider and with limited opportunities to stop this meant that I was often arriving at my destination by mid-day - on two occasions before my room was ready and in one 4 hours before the arrival of my luggage. I appreciate that logistically there are probably no alternatives to the use of the main roads and the particular routes chosen but additional options, as on other Headwater holidays would have benefitted me.

Mr Vaesen
A Taste of Tuscany Cycling
04/06/2022

Good cycle routes through lovely countryside. Accommodation in Rome was excellent, with very attentive staff. Accommodation at Agriturismo La Peitriccia was disappointing, but Stefano was very helpful.

Miss Ellerton
Undiscovered Sardinia Cycling
01/06/2022

Extremely well researched & organised. Accommodation was varied & always clean, with helpful friendly staff, particularly Stefano at the Agriturismo & Martina at Hotel Marin. Length of cycling each day was perfect...not too much, so enough time to relax & swim in the clear warm silky sea or the swimming pools at two of the hotels too. Fresh fish was delicious. It was a tremendous week.

Mrs Blease
Highlights of Puglia Cycling
30/05/2022

This seemed much harder than the other 1+ Dolomites to Lake Garda cycling holiday we have done despite our fitness being better. However this was probably largely due to an Italian heatwave in late May/early June when we travelled with the thermometer at 30C in the shade each day by 9am. Thoroughly enjoyed it though and were very glad we chose the 10 rather than 7 night option. The extra nights further south contrasted well and it was good to cycle by the sea. Hotels all of good quality and each had its own special qualities. Not being tecchies and with basic phone contracts had some concerns re the GPS app pre travel but after a few minutes on the first morning we coped fine with it. Much easier than the old paper instructions. Had taken a battery charger pack but never used more than half a phones battery whilst out. Amazed how cheap prices were when stopping for drinks in small rural villages eg 1 euro for usual menu of coffees

Fantastic scenery and lovely villages to visit

Can be very hot and is constantly uphill or downhill for cycling with some very steep sections and some busy roads

Mr CARTRIDGE
Bolzano, Verona & Venice Ride
28/05/2022

Organisation excellent. GPS App and map booklets were excellent. Good route with plenty of cycle lanes. One tougher day mainly on roads. Route was a good one with plenty to see in the Italian towns we visited.

A very enjoyable holiday, staying at interesting places in good accommodation. We would certainly book with Headwater again for a cycling holiday

It was lovely to arrive at the end of a ride in the little towns of Puglia, all different and charming. Some of the cycling was really spectacular, particularly along the coast. I was pleased to have an e-bike as the temperature was way over 30 degrees everyday at the end of May. As someone not very tech-savvy, I needed help with the navigation app. Remember to download last-minute adjustments just before you go!

Mrs Hill
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
18/05/2022

Well-planned and interesting itinerary. Cycling is a great way to explore this region and we enjoyed the variety of destinations and accommodation, all of which were clean and comfortable. I would recommend this area for vegetarians- we had some great vegetable dishes and found restaurants were happy to adapt a pasta dish on request.

A great itinerary, a lot of variation in level of challenge.

Mr Hunter
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
14/05/2022

Excellent way to see beautiful places. Good routes and well selected hotels

This cycling route through Puglia is a stunningly beautiful one - particularly in late May when the poppies and other wild flowers were in full bloom; the weather warm but not scorching and not too busy with other tourists. This was the first Headwater cycling trip I have done without 'stay put' days, and the overall mileage each day (at leisurely pace) did mean there was little spare time for sightseeing. However, it was absolutely worth the effort to visit each of the locations - they were wonderfully varied and I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on any of them!

One of the days involves taking a train - it's worth noting that not all the trains allow bikes, and we were lucky to have had help lifting up the bikes into the hanging racks on the train - a tricky manouevre for the vertically challenged!

Fantastic way to see the glorious countryside, towns, cities and natural beauty of Puglia. Well organised, good bikes, good accommodation and we think the best way to immerse yourself in a location. As firstimers with Headwater would highly recommend to anyone.

Excellent. the App was easy to use for middle aged people who usually ask their children to work this kind of thing out. The Headwater emails were well timed and informative and when you passed us on to Gulia cycle tours, they were equally as efficient. The route was fantastic, the hotels just ideal for this holiday. The people we met from Puglia Tours delightful. We had 2 potentially big problems - A) one of our parties' bags didn't arrive from England on our flight. So we logged a missing bag form at Barri airport but it was difficult with language barrier and not knowing where we would be if and when the bag might catch up with us. Headwater were amazing and the bag caught us up 2 days later. And the driver from Puglio Tours took us from Barri airport to a hypermarket ( thank god open on a Sunday pm) to buy essentials. We also had a problem with a bike and again - fantastic backup and all sorted. Best holiday & when probs occurred the finest back up

Ms Mcalpin
Bolzano, Verona & Venice Ride
07/05/2022

The cycle paths on this trip were excellent. Only traffic was going to our hotels.

Route was very easy to follow.

Mr Browne
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
30/04/2022

We really enjoyed this holiday with you. We were met on arrival at the first hotel by the local rep , who was very helpful. The cycling was very good and with beautiful scenery. The hotels were excellent and very welcoming. Certainly it has given us a taste of Sicily and we will definitely want to visit again.

Dr Myatt
A Taste of Tuscany Cycling
16/04/2022

For me this was to an excellent cycling holiday in the heart of the Tuscan Val d’Orcia, considering I was an ‘senior’ solo rider in early season. The hire of an E-MTB bike was a boon for the hilly ’strade bianche’ (gravel roads). A week at the Agriturismo ‘La Pietriccia’ was a very good choice. Stefano, the main host and his brother Simone, were extremely helpful in everything. From organising me on and off the suggested App routes, to giving me a beer when I got back and providing tasty 4 course meals in the evening. The ‘tasting’ at BradiToscani food/wine shop and the Chianciano Thermal Spa arranged visits were a delight. The cookery session was unfortunately cancelled because of Covid restrictions but was substituted with an enjoyable local pizzeria visit.

Highly recommended to any cycling Italophiles.

Mrs Coupland
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
09/04/2022

Generally we loved our holiday through Headwater. The only disappointment was the rental bikes - we are both very keen cyclists and felt, in the spirit of openness, advertising the bikes as 'high quality' is a little wide of the mark. They are heavy, clunky and are more of an entry level city explorer bike rather than biking 200 or so kilometres on. Scenery was beautiful in parts and the route great, however it was disappointing in parts to see so much rubbish dumped on the side of the roads (which we know is no fault of HW). Everything ran incredibly smoothly, mapping was very easy to follow, local support staff were excellent and in constant communication - we felt very safe and looked after :)

Would highly recommend and will definitely travel again using HW. The booking process was efficient and very friendly. On the whole we had a fantastic time.

Headwater response:
Thank you for your feedback we are so pleased you had a lovely holiday and thank you for your comments regarding the bicycles. The bikes do need to be sturdy enough to withhold the usage, the weight of the pannier racks and panniers, the stand, heavier saddles and the suspension - all of which contribute to the overall weight.
Its such a shame that you experienced rubbish that had been dumped on the side of the road. Our team, when planning the routes do try to choose the most scenic routes
I do hope that we will be able to welcome you back to Headwater for another holiday in the future.
Kind regards
Customer Service

An exceptional route - everything had been thought of. The first day is a long distance so it might be off putting for those who don’t cycle long distances regularly. The food everywhere is of a fantastically high standard. We recommend Le Bubbole in Matera, La Cantina in Alberobello and The Dish in Ostuni. Booking in advance recommended.

Our holiday was a celebration for our 30th wedding anniversary. In order to be consistent with the previous thirty years of marriage I left the planning until the last minute. I contacted Headwaters barely two weeks before the half term started yet they were able , as ever, to provide a first class service which totally met what we were looking for. From the moment we landed, where we met Mimmo our agent, until our departure from our gorgeous Lecce hotel on the final morning, we encountered nothing but an amazing service wherever we visited or stayed. We loved all of the accommodation as well as the stunning routes. Puglia is indeed an astonishingly beautiful region in Italy, as evidenced by the breath taking coastal routes to Gallipoli and Otranto. Likewise the climb to the hilltop town of Ostuni, as well the town itself, was simply stunning. I am running out of synonyms for brilliant but that is the adjective that I want to use to describe the everything about the trip. Thank you.

Mrs Dedrick
Cycling through Baroque Sicily
02/10/2021

We loved Sicily and the routes we biked through. The countryside was varied and the town’s spectacular. My bike was perfect but my partner’s had both technical difficulties and two flat tires on the last day. We were very quickly rescued though and that made all the difference. The GPS worked beautifully and we felt guided the whole way. Most of the hotels were lovely and beautifully located but a couple were disappointing so we would suggest you research the choices and make sure you like where you are going to be. Generally it was a very fun and interesting trip and with a few tweaks would have been perfect.

It was a well thought-out itinerary which took in the high-lights of Puglia - rural rides to beautiful hill-top towns and coastal rides with lovely views over the Mediterranean.

Mrs RAYNES
Cycling through Baroque Sicily
18/09/2021

Very enjoyable. The first day's cycling is the hardest - make sure you have plenty of water. We also managed to view Ragusa on our arrival day so were able to set off and do the major climb before the main heat of the day. There is a beach bar at the Isola delle Correnti which we really enjoyed - it may not be open all the time but if fun if it's open.

Mr Perryer
A Taste of Tuscany Cycling
19/09/2020

We had an amazing week with Stefano and his family and team. The equipment was excellent and the cycling amazing, pretty challenging, but we got to see the beautiful countryside and villages of the region. The food at La Pietriccia was outstanding. Despite the Covid restrictions Stefano did everything he could to help us keep our plans flexible so that we could complete all the routes. We would certainly recommend this holiday for people like us, who like their cycling, wine and food in equal measures.

Headwater response:
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. We are all delighted that you had an amazing holiday and we hope we can welcome you on another trip with us again soon.
Headwater Customer Services Team

Dr Taylor
Highlights of Puglia Cycling
05/09/2020

excellent itinerary with lots of variety .

excellent local support when we needed it

Ms Hogg
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
24/08/2020

lovely unspoilt region of Italy !

Mr Roe
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
26/10/2019

The personal care and attention provided by ALL staff throughout the holiday was excellent. The hotels were a haven of peace and sophistication after our energetic days. The trip to Puglia included highlights such as the Trulli houses and the ancient olive groves. In general the cycling was pleasurable and, when our cycle let us down, we were rescued swiftly. Of interest to us was the fact that the residents of Puglia took great pride in their houses, gardens, vineyards and fields however outside of this the roads were strewn with litter, the like of which we have never before witnessed. It detracted from our enjoyment and reflected badly upon the region as a whole. Thank you again to all who made our holiday so memorable. Phil & Kath

Excellent holiday with good hotels, great scenery and realistic riding days for the described activity level. The bikes were excellent and comfortable.

Ms Myers
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
19/10/2019

Headwater holidays are amazing! The hassle of scrutinising where I’m going on holiday is taken care of by Headwater as I know they would have chosen great places to visit and stay. Thank you Headwater

Mrs Town
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
19/10/2019

Beautiful country area over Italy with lovely summer weather at the end of October. Lots to see, lovely little beaches. Pleasant cycling, especially with bikes for the occasional severe hill!

Mrs Macalister Hal
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
19/10/2019

This was a first cycling holiday for us so we were apprehensive. However we definitely would recommend both Headwater and the Contrasts of Puglia tour. The organisation was excellent as were the hotels. In the end we took e bikes ( having deliberated about this) . We didn’t use the power so much but we felt that we definitely enjoyed the holiday more and did more on the bikes than we would have without the power. It was a very pleasurable and relaxed week.

The app works really well and is relatively easy to download and use though we found it useful to use the printed out route maps as well as a check. If you are not used to using apps etc it might be a little tricky to initially set up. We loved the routes that were chosen - mostly on very quiet country roads with minimal traffic situations. We found the car drivers very considerate, more so than in UK. The hotels were all in great locations and very nice.

This was our first cycling holiday (we are in our seventies) We had the most enjoyable time, meeting up with fellow cyclist from other countries on route

The towns we stayed in and the hotel were all very good. The cycling was almost all on quiet roads. We would certainly like to book another trip. Mary and Tim

Mr Jenkinson
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
30/09/2019

We have travelled with Headwater many times and holidays obviously vary. Frankie the rep was excellent and had good practical knowledge of e-bikes. We found the roads were rather busy and not suitable for families. We realised the choice of routes was limited. Our first night coincided with two coach loads of visitors, the food was poor and we were not happy to be asked to vacate our table immediately at the end of our meal. The places we visited were all fascinating and the bus trip to Sienna was brilliant.

Mrs Heron
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
28/09/2019

Very enjoyable but two of the rides were slightly more difficult than we anticipated from a 1+ rating

Very enjoyable rides with a range of scenery and interesting places to visit. Vicenza and Padua which we visited on bike free days were particularly beautiful.

The bikes were fantastically maintained by our rep James - in contrast to Headwater agent holidays that we've been on before.

A GREAT BREAK FOR CYCLIST WHO LOVE ITALY

Mr Berrey
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
22/09/2019

A good cycling break with a wide variety of good eating. Spectacular scenery. Be prepared for some serious hill climbs if you don't use an electric bike, gradients up to 13%, but manageable for those who are used to it. The mobile phone based navigation leaves a bit to be desired: difficult to hear in traffic, difficult to see if you need reading glasses: and a few quirks. A back-up paper map is useful or possibly a Garmin type GPS works better. If you like cycling this is a great holiday: if you are an occasional cyclist it would be fair to say that some routes take the long and occasionally tortuous way round between places which are quite close to each other. A few sections use quite rough tracks: if you aren't confident riding over large pebbles and avoiding big potholes, take care! A great selection of wineries to visit, and if you are tempted to buy, many will ship it for you.

Mr Hardcastle
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
21/09/2019

A lovely activity holiday, cycling through interesting countryside, on quiet roads, visiting interesting towns and staying in characterful and comfortable hotels. The distances of approx 40km each day were just about right for over 60’s and the GPS navigation was excellent. It would have been impossible with paper maps only.

Mrs Mcdermott
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
21/09/2019

A wonderful opportunity to explore another part of Europe. Cycling allowed us to see genuine ways of life in Puglia and to enjoy the excellent cuisine guilt free after active cycling.

Mr Metcalfe
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
21/09/2019

Our holiday was to celebrate a big birthday. It was as good as we hoped and we would travel again with Headwater

Mr Polge
A Taste of Tuscany Cycling
21/09/2019

Headwater holidays definitely seem to include the eating experience as very important. They are well put together and well located.

Mr Norman
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
18/09/2019

first night restaurant Kamera in puglia not friendly or good food should change this.

Mr Owen
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
18/09/2019

Well organised and efficiently run with good choice of hotels.

Ms Barnwell
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
16/09/2019

Having taken several group and self-guided cycling holidays with Exodus and Headwater, the 'Contrasts of Puglia' self-guided holiday has to be ranked number one. The whole trip was wonderful, for the route through the various contrasting landscapes and the wonderful locations and excellent hotels. Best cycling holiday yet and would thoroughly recommend to anyone want a real insight into Puglia region of Italy. E-bikes were great up some of the hills !

Mr Bench
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
16/09/2019

A great holiday with good routes and accommodation. We really enjoyed the sense of freedom and variety.

Mr Metcalf
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
16/09/2019

Tuscany is indeed hilly, be prepared for some pretty hard cycling. You will be rewarded with some fantastic views though and some great food along the way. Our rep Frankie was incredibly helpful and offered some great advice. All of the places we visited along the way were very friendly and our stop off at the end in Pisa was a great addition.

Mr Suddes
A Taste of Tuscany Cycling
14/09/2019

Excellent centre for exploring rural Tuscany that was off the usual tourist trail.

Mrs Evans
Cycling through Baroque Sicily
14/09/2019

A great way to see beautiful countries, keep fit and enjoy good food & wine

Beautiful area of Northern Italy - it was a total feast for the senses. Our rep was the best ever and our first cycling holiday in Italy was a lovely experience overall.

Mr Sherry
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
11/09/2019

This was a really delightful holiday in a most beautiful part of the world. The cycling was perfect for us.

Where dinner was provided we felt that the eating options were adequate rather than good. When we selected our own restaurants we fared much better.

Mr May
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
11/09/2019

This was our third cycling holiday with Headwater and, once again, it proved to be a very enjoyable experience. Transport to and from the airport was quick and efficient and the rep, Antonio gave us valuable advice on the week ahead. The accommodation provided was as good as ever and the navigation app proved to be invaluable. This app makes like so much easier and it is one of the main reasons we travel with Headwater; no more pouring over maps or guidance notes which can be quite dangerous on busy or poorly surfaced roads etc. This holiday offers the opportunity to stay in or visit five beautiful medieval towns which are quite breathtaking. The route is quite manageable for the average cyclist with a few hills to contend with but nothing very difficult. Don’t forget, that walking up a difficult hill is a perfectly acceptable option. The road surfaces were a bit dodgy at times and it’s clear that the economic situation in Italy is having some effect on road maintenance. None of this detracted from the enjoyment of cycling in some beautiful countryside and through some beautiful and fascinating towns. This sort of trouble-free cycling really is a wonderful way of visiting a country and the saunter through this is part of Puglia was no exception.

Mr Cook
Heart of Veneto Cycling
09/09/2019

A company that is all about subtle choices of accommodation, destinations and routes; knowing also how essential their own representatives are on the ground to make everything work well.

Mr Dunn
Heart of Veneto Cycling
09/09/2019

Headwater takes care of all the arrangements, leaving you free to enjoy the cycling. Thanks for a first class holiday.

GREAT HOLIDAY. ALL TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS WENT TO PLAN. THE VENETO AREA IN ITALY IS SUPERB FOR CYCLING AS THE ROADS ARE VERY QUIET AND THE CYCLE TRACKS ALONG THE CANAL WERE LOVELY. GPS WAS REALLY GOOD AS WE DIDN'T HAVE TO KEEP STOPPING. THE WRITTEN ARRANGEMENTS WERE ALSO VERY GOOD WITH EXTRA INFORMATION ON VISITING PLACES ON FREE DAYS. WE WERE A GROUP OF FOUR WHICH WAS PERFECT AS WE COULD KEEP TOGETHER MOST OF THE TIME. WOULDN'T HESITATE TO BOOK ANOTHER CYCLING HOLIDAY WITH HEADWATER AND AM ALREADY LOOKING AT THE BROCHURE FOR NEXT YEAR!

Mr Myers
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
07/09/2019

Not a part of Italy we knew much about but Puglia was a great region for cycling. All the places we visited were interesting and the hotels were of a high standard. The food and wine were also very good and, generally, good value for money. The cycling wasn’t difficult although the Day 2 journey from Conversano to Alberobello, was quite hilly and would have been very tiring had we not had ebikes. It is definitely worth visiting Ostuni while at Pezze di Greco; we didn’t fancy cycling there as the route was long and hilly but the hotel organised a taxi for us which worked well. All in all, this was one of the best Headwater holidays we have experienced and we are currently planning our next cycling holiday for 2020.

Ms Dean
A Taste of Tuscany Cycling
07/09/2019

Great trip, cycling is relatively challenging due to steep Tuscany hills and gravel roads but the scenery more than makes up for it! The food and welcome is fantastic, if you have the opportunity do the cookery course. Stefano is both educational and passionate.

Thoroughly enjoyed my stay

Fabulous scenery, food and wine. Some of the gradients were challenging for those less used to cycling, but the views were worth the effort.

Mrs Harbach
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
02/09/2019

Joanne Chaplin, our contact at Headwater was excellent, as were Phaedra and Paul our reps in Piedmont. The e-bikes were amazing - they made the whole experience a real pleasure and enabled our group of different ages and abilities to enjoy the cycling equally. Thank you for a really happy and memorable holiday.

My friend and I had a great holiday. I had previously been on cycling holiday with Headwater, about 7 years, ago level 2 ish - from Auxerre in France. Comparing the two, the ride was not significantly harder than this one at level 1.

The cycling routes were good and quite varied with some hills and beautiful scenery. Sometimes it was difficult to hear the GPS in traffic but most of the routes were on cycle paths or quiet roads. I came home feeling very relaxed.

Mrs Michael
A Taste of Tuscany Cycling
31/08/2019

Great holiday if you like mountain bikes and fairly rough terrain. Beautiful countryside and friendly people, wonderful Agriturismo accommodation.

Mr Baston
A Taste of Tuscany Cycling
31/08/2019

The location is perfect for quiet (often off road) cycling. Roads and gravel tracks gave access to a variety of stunning scenery. There was plenty of opportunity to experience the culture, local food and drink.

Our base for the week, Agriturismo ‘La Pietriccia’, a small family-run farm, was idyllic and the hosts very friendly, welcoming and entertaining!

Excellent mountains bikes were provided and were ideal for the hilly, gravelly terrain. We greatly enjoyed pedal cycling but the option of e-bikes would be a very good alternative for those less confident or fit. The routes gave a splendid variety and were never repetitive. It was a fabulous week.

Mr Powell
A Taste of Tuscany Cycling
31/08/2019

A great taste of Tuscany - scenery, food and wine were all lovely! Stefano was very helpful, ensuring that the holiday would cater for each individual's needs. The fact that about 50% of the recommended routes were on gravel tracks (varying from flat, easy to ride sections, to quite steep and slightly more challenging sections) made the provision of mountain bikes most welcome.

Mr Houston
Cycling through Baroque Sicily
31/08/2019

Great holiday cycling through beautiful countryside with wonderful historical UNESCO cities to explore.

Mr Snodgrass
Heart of Veneto Cycling
30/08/2019

Easy cycling through lovely rural Italian countryside and villages.A very relaxed agroturismo providing an excellent base with extensive grounds and very good swimming pool.Wonderful evening meals which were the highlight of each day.

Unless you are extremely fit, make sure you hire electric bikes to make the most of the stunning countryside.

You need to be an experienced cyclist as there are some pretty busy roads. Scenery spoiled somewhat by the amount of litter. All,hotels excellent. Electric bikes superb. Baroque landscape superb.

Mr Horan
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
24/08/2019

Generally everything was fine

Mr Hutchinson
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
24/08/2019

From the greeting by Antonio at the airport, throughout the holiday everyone was welcoming and helpful. The hotels we stayed in were quirky but excellent. They helped to make the holiday. The hotels location, mainly in the heart of the community allowed us to immerse ourselves in the Italian culture and feel a part of that community. The ride, at times was hillier than expected but our decision to hire ebikes made it so much more enjoyable and gave us extra time to go off route and explore the countryside more without putting any strain on us. We could also spend more time exploring the villages and towns that we passed through knowing that the pedal assist would help us getting to the next hotel without taking too much out of us to enjoy the evening and the next days ride. The RidewithGPS kept us on course but allowed us some leeway to go our own way but giving the ability to get back on course. The help and assistance from Morgan at Headwater before we left was excellent. She always got back to us with answers to our queries, which for us on our first cycle tour may have seemed silly but she always answered promptly and helpfully. We thoroughly enjoyed the cycling holiday and are looking forward to another one next year.

Mrs Pitchforth
Heart of Veneto Cycling
17/08/2019

Excellent relaxing holiday - accommodation was faultless.

Mr Grimes
Heart of Veneto Cycling
27/07/2019

The holiday was well described and you can do as much or as little as you want. The food provided was the best Italian food I have ever tasted! So...different from UK Italian restaurants and the local wine was very easy to drink. There is a Family atmosphere to farm location and overall very relaxing. The cycling APP used with headphones makes life a lot easier and means you don’t have to stop and start at each junction. The cycling is generally easy, although it can be very hot, so be careful on the days where the route is longer. The other main thing to be aware of during July/August is that (other than in Vicenza) almost everything is closed during the middle of the day. So be very careful planning cultural, shop or restaurant visits else you are likely to be disappointed. Overall a really good holiday and ideal for one where you want a balance of activity and relaxation.

Mr Avery
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
18/07/2019

Great value holiday with very good back up service. Cycling offers a very good opportunity to see an area and experience it's culture while at the same time not feeling guilty for eating and drinking too much.

Piedmont is the next big thing in international tourism with its stunning countryside and world class restaurants so get in before it takes off.

Our holiday experience was everything we had hoped it would be.

Mr Lawson
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
08/07/2019

You notice lots of detail when exploring a region by cycling at a gentle pace. You can stop whenever you want to and explore more or speak with people along the way. GPS is a must and saves so much time. The standard of hotel accommodation and cuisine at the end of each day's cycle is a delight. You feel yourself getting fitter and fitter with each day of your holiday. We enjoyed the Gastronomic Barolo Cycling so much two years ago that we returned this year and were not disappointed. We especially love Hotel Villa d'Amelia near Benevello.

Mr Dunn
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
30/06/2019

We love the sporting holiday as a family. It brings us all close together. The Barolo experience was relatively difficult and at times the weather was rather hot. The E bikes made it more enjoyable for the 2 of us who are a bit older. The hotels and restaurants were all unique and enjoyable.

We enjoyed this holiday in this lovely Veneto region which seemed unspoilt and with few tourists. Particularly enjoyable were our visits to Padua (by bus) and to Vicenza by bike. Particular highlights in these cities were the stunning Scrovegni Chapel in Padua (book on line the day before), and the ancient indoor theatre in Vicenza. The weather was particularly hot (early July) for the duration of our holiday and we were glad to have booked a couple of extra days of relaxation at the L'Albara which had an excellent pool. It also had air conditioning which we considered an essential feature during our stay. Unfortunately we were moving on on a Monday when a couple of the best reviewed villas were closed. Cycling was generally easy and flat apart from the climb up to Hotel Lussana with four hairpin bends, and the final day with a climb up and down hills before our last stop at Il Feudo. Generally we were very impressed by the very many cycle paths in this area.

Mr Garraway
A Taste of Tuscany Cycling
22/06/2019

Excellent organisation. Extremely enjoyable. Highly recommended!

Fantastic holiday, we did not choose the Gastronomic tour as we prefer to explore for ourselves. Be aware though that restaurants close on different days and are all well supported by locals so without reservations you may not get a table! We ate at some amazing places with no English menu, just what we enjoy...but take your phrase book. Everywhere we ate we had excellent food and wine. Veal features on the menu in many forms along with hazelnuts! The scenery was stunning and mileage travelled each day very manageable. We would strongly recommend electric bikes, unless you are a Club level cyclist many of the hills go on and on. My husband who cycles regularly at home on a road bike found the ordinary bike heavy and inappropriate. My electric bike was amazing!!

What a great way to see part of Tuscany - electric bikes such a help up the many hills. Hotels chosen for us were great - varied but consistently good service and most of the meals were excellent. GPS app so helpful - made navigating so easy. Had a few technical hitches on two days, but Frankie our Rep was at the other end of the phone and found us promptly to sort us out. All in all a great holiday. Not a cheap holiday but worth it for the great organisation by Headwater which allowed us to really relax and focus on enjoying the experience. Would thoroughly recommend.

Mrs Lidington
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
16/06/2019

This was our honeymoon trip, and I can safely say overall it was a brilliant experience. The hotels were excellent, the food and restaurants selected gave us a good variety and experience of what that part of Italy had to offer. Transfers and bag drops worked very well, and the support team were readily available for queries and help when needed.

We feel more information should have been available about the longer routes, and better advice about suitability of gearing and types of bikes needed in advance of the trip (we wanted to take our own bikes). The longer optional routes have some very steep sections and even a seasoned club rider would need gearing lower than is standard on most road bikes.

Mrs Fletcher
Cycling through Baroque Sicily
09/06/2019

In general the holiday was good. Some of the hotels (eg Portopalo Suite, Ferro Hotel) were not of the usual Headwater standard in particular with regard to location. Some outdoor space and perhaps a pool would have been nice. Torre Dantona and Villa Favorita were far more what we expected. We loved both of these places.

Mr Mills
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
06/06/2019

The holiday was excellent. The hotels and food was great, we did flag one restaurant that needs to be changed. Our only negative point would be that the steepness of the routes were not reflective of the grade of holiday and we found this quite unpleasant. I think you need to offer e-bikes only! We made it though and the sense of achievement I guess is greater!

Good cycling with some climbing in a fascinating part of Italy. Beautiful scenery, friendly people, but this is a poor part of the country and prepare to be alarmed by the amount of dumped rubbish by the roadside.

An excellent holiday and itinerary, embracing 5 fascinating baroque towns and 2 pleasant coastal resorts. The cycling is not particularly demanding and passes through some lovely countryside. Usually, there are a fair number of cafes/refreshment places on the route. Most of the roads are reasonably quiet although there is the occasional fairly busy road for short periods. The hotels chosen are very good, especially The Stephano Palace and Villa Favorita. Claudio, our representative, was charming, informative and very helpful. He came out to rectify a mechanical problem within an hour of being called. The whole trip worked seamlessly including the audio app and transport to and from the airport.

Mr Worsdall
Heart of Veneto Cycling
01/06/2019

Food excellent. James very helpful.

Mrs Rodely
Highlights of Puglia Cycling
01/06/2019

Puglia is a super place to visit, the scenery is stunning, the towns so beautiful and interesting, the routes well planned and the assistance wonderful.

Mr Price
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
31/05/2019

We wouldn't have done this type of holiday if it hadn't been packaged by some one else. It felt like good value for money. I can't think of anything that I would have wanted to be different.

Mr Nichols
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
29/05/2019

Great holiday. The route was full of contrasts between the coast and rural inland areas. We preferred the inland areas with the olive groves, stunning wildflowers, trulli and drystone walling. The coastal sections were tainted by the amount of rubbish everywhere. The routes were generally quiet. Sufficient challenge provided by hills and length of ride to make the cycling interesting without being exhausting. In the countryside motorists were considerate to cyclists.

We used the GPS in conjunction with the paper instructions. Be aware that your phone may overheat and shut down. The screen can be hard to see in bright sunlight. The battery may not have the capacity to last the day so you need to have a backup/charger. Excellent organisation from Headwater and the local operator - Antonio.

Superb a real sensory experience.

Mr Mcgeoch
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
21/05/2019

The holiday was about as good as it gets, especially the accommodation and food, which was often provided in nearby restaurants. The only worrying glitch was a vey late cancellation of our flight from Gatwick to Turin. Morgan at Headwater dealt with this efficiently and quickly arranged an alternative flight from London City to Milan.

Mrs Holloway
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
20/05/2019

Beautiful countryside, friendly, full of culture and excellent food and wine. Cycling not too onerous but there are some hills which are well worth it for the view.

Mr Shoemaker
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
08/05/2019

Puglia is a great place for cycling, and the food and accommodation were excellent. We used ebikes, which were revelatory for us, opening up the possibility of resuming cycle touring which it seemed our knees had put beyond reach. The GPS navigating system, while not perfect, did allow much easier navigation than with paper maps and written instructions, making for a more relaxing holiday.

Mrs Walden
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
03/05/2019

Fantastic rep who couldn't have been more helpful. Helpful office staff in the UK. Mixed bag of accommodation. Most was very good. One definitely let everything down. Same with food - some truly excellent some distinctly average. Route information very good but could have done with slightly longer routes. If you happen to have bad weather as we did for a couple of days you can end up quite stranded with very little to do - especially in Pancole. Taxis are very expensive but often no alternative form of transport. This was very nearly a truly excellent holiday. Just needs a couple of tweaks with some of the accommodation and meal options to have given it full marks.

Mr Catchpole
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
24/04/2019

The towns in this region are welcoming, interesting and attractive (especially Alberobello), all the accommodation was excellent, and we thoroughly enjoyed the cuisine and the wines. However, as the scenery is mostly olive groves and dry-stone walls, and the area is sparsely populated, the rides from place to place are less varied and hence slightly less interesting than other locations offered by Headwater. The most enjoyable ride was the "loop" from Alberobello through Locorotondo and Martina Franca.

Mr Stephens
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
15/04/2019

My wife and I holidayed in Puglia in April, and are fair-weather cyclists. The grading we believe is more akin to 2 rather than 1+. The weather was sunny and warm; cycling in the higher temperatures expected later on in summer would have been tiring. Although there was one hiccup with a bike, the matter was resolved and the rep. helpful and attentive. Accommodation good throughout and at times pleasantly quirky.

Mrs Shann
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
15/04/2019

Stunning scenery, with views you cannot capture on camera. Electric bikes essential unless you are extremely fit and able to cycle up hills easily.

The hotels and locations are very good, the optional riding days are also worth doing.

All but one of the restaurants was very good with lovely food and good service.

The reps,Phaedra and Paul were very helpful and friendly.

This a lovely part of rural northern Italy, highly recommend.

Dr File
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
20/03/2019

Our trip was excellent. We have taken many enjoyable Headwater holidays and this is one of our favourites. We cycled through beatuful Spring countryside with flowering orchards and wildflowers. The accommodation was delightful and made the most of the historical features. The food at the Masseria was amazing. The local people were friendly and spoke a lot of English.

Mrs Tanner
Classic Chianti Cycling
08/10/2018

A leisurely end of season break

Mr Robertson
Heart of Veneto Cycling
06/10/2018

This is a brilliant location for cycling. We chose it because we have both had hip replacements in the past year, but even so, we would have liked one or two more challenging days on the bike. We doubled up some days and went “off piste” a couple of times. Italian cities, other than Venice, are very cycle friendly. James Robertson is a superb rep for Headwater, hands on in his teaching us to use the bike Satnav. He did not crowd us and was always there when he promised. Good guy.

Mrs Newstead
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
24/09/2018

Brilliant hotels, great food, wine and beer. fabulous scenery good weather (could have done without the mosquitoes), fine bikes, excellent rep BUT you are let down by the quality of the paper cycling directions which were in places totally inaccurate. If the holiday is going to be based around an app on a smart phone then make that clear. We have been on several cycling holidays in Europe and are experienced at following directions but on each of the first four days we had instances where the directions made no sense. By the fifth day we had lost confidence in them and didn't go on the last round trip. Some of the inaccuracies were just irritating but at least two were very concerning! I have details of the main inaccuracies if you are interested. It's a shame because we both enjoyed the holiday and with better directions would certainly have gone with your company again.

Mrs Driver
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
24/09/2018

Great cycling - some challenging- in a beautiful area. Fabulous reps - Paul and Phaedra who were helpful, informative and assisted in every way they could. Siena and San Gimignano were good places to explore on the rest days.

Mrs Sergeant
A Taste of Tuscany Cycling
22/09/2018

This was a wonderful holiday in all respects. We loved the family atmosphere at La Pietriccia, everyone was very friendly and helpful and the food was delicious. Stefano is passionate about the food he serves and was very happy to share his knowledge and expertise. He also helped us to amend the cycling routes to avoid some of the more difficult terrain, which was greatly appreciated. We expected hills but steep gravel tracks were challenging until we swapped to electric bikes for the last two days and it was a completely different experience. We would wholeheartedly recommend this holiday.

Mr Dayton
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
20/09/2018

This is our second holiday with Headwater and both have been excellent. We enjoyed cycling Piedmond and the high standard of accommodation and food that was on offer. The two nights spent in every stop over is a great format giving one time to explore the area. Some of the cycling was challenging which we expected but were able to complete it successfully. However we feel the grading could possibly be reviewed and changed to a 2.5 We went in the third week of September and the weather was wonderful. Thanks to Headwater and also to Greg and Laura for all their advice and information on each village that we stayed in. Jim/Anne Sandy/Janet

Mrs Craig
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
20/09/2018

We thoroughly enjoyed our gourmet cycling holiday in Piedmont. Everything was well organised. The scenery, the food and wine were all excellent. The Hotels were all different and very comfortable . All the hotels and meals were of a high standard. We were very glad that we had electric bilkes. We would have struggled on the very challenging hills in the beautiful weather, and would not have enjoyed our holiday so well. Unless very young or fit I would recommend e bikes. You will still have plenty exercise to earn your dinner! Although quite an expensive holiday it was good value for money.

Mr Wykes
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
12/09/2018

GPS application for navigation is excellent. But ensure you have backup battery

Mr Sewell
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
10/09/2018

Well organised and interesting range of accommodation. Interesting routes and good navigation aids.

Mr Jennings
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
10/09/2018

Excellent but a bit hillier than expected.

Mrs Stanley
A Taste of Tuscany Cycling
08/09/2018



We had a wonderful holiday. Tuscany is beautiful and La Pietriccia a little gem. Stefano (the owner) runs a highly efficient setup with his helpful and friendly staff. He is one of those rare men who can multi-task (!) whether it’s reorganizing our cycle routes, finding new routes for others, briefing groups, getting bicycles mended, cooking and so on and all with a smile and quick wit. We were impressed that groups were given GPS locators in case they got lost and so clearly a lot of thought had gone into making the best experience for guests. I would thoroughly recommend this holiday.

Mr Hodgson
Heart of Veneto Cycling
08/09/2018

The holiday did exactly as described. This is an easy but highly enjoyable cycle.

This was our first single centre cycling holiday and was chosen because I have been troubled with a leg injury and we felt my wife could cycle if I could no. As it worked out we cycled every day! Our reservations about a single centre were quickly dispelled. The accommodation is run by a marvellous family who have created a wonderful ambience. After the cycling we relaxed in the grounds, cooled off in the pool, and finally dined on the full Italian evening meal. We are both vegetarian s and one gluten intolerance. The food was the best we have had in Europe.

The presence of a local rep was reassuring and James was always available but never intrusive.

If you want a Tour de France this holiday is not for you, if you want enjoyable cycling with time to soak up the local environment go for it.

Well done Headwater.

Mrs Smith
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
08/09/2018

A wonderful adventure. Challenging cycling through stunningly beautiful countryside. Ending each day with fantastic food and wine in very comfortable hotels.

Dr Galpine
Cycling through Baroque Sicily
06/09/2018

Pleasant rides, but a fair amount on relatively busy roads. Good and varied styles of hotels.

Ms Velarde
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
06/09/2018

Excellent routes and good hotels, good reps

In all good holiday if you enjoy cycling.

Mr Thomas
Heart of Veneto Cycling
01/09/2018

Absolutely lovely, easy cycling through the beautiful Veneto countryside.

Staying at L’Albara was a real treat especially the invigorating swim after each day’s cycling.

James was very pleasant & obliging.

Please tell future clients to pack water bottles & a variety of snacks as there are no shops & very few cafes en route. Local supermarkets are +1.5km away from L’Albara.

GPS cycling worked well.

Enjoyable, well organised

Mrs Hill
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
29/08/2018

We went on the PIedmont Gastronomic cycling 2 years ago so had a good idea what to expect this time. The accommodation was all of a very good standard and well chosen. All the accommodation had bags of character and made a fantastic change from staying in standard generic branded hotels. The cycling was easier than Piedmont but still a challenge in 30 - 32 degrees. Although, the bikes are fitted with non puncture tyres, we unfortunately suffered a puncture! We were unable to complete a roadside repair due to a combination of the extra thick tyre walls and flimsy tyre leavers supplied. However, Antonio from the support team quickly came to our rescue and we were soon back on the road. Overall, a very stress free, enjoyable holiday, cycling through beautiful countryside one moment and along side the Adriatic the next. Also great wine, superb food and lovely sunshine.

Mrs Clucas
Classic Chianti Cycling
29/08/2018

Very well organised holiday, local reps were excellent, and great hotels. Good quality bikes and easy to follow route instructions (Ride GPS worked well). This is a stunning area, with beautiful views and interesting historic towns. The cycling is challenging in places as Tuscany is hilly!! However, the views, hotels and food/wine availbale compensate for the effort required.

Mrs Mcintyre
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
24/08/2018

Excellent experience, so many lovely places and the accommodation was really good. Some of the hills were tougher than expected, but not impossible. The service from Donna when booking was outstanding. Great way to see Puglia which is largely unspoilt by tourism and the wine is fabulous. So many more memories than just a beach holiday,

Mrs Kenn
A Taste of Tuscany Cycling
18/08/2018

This was a really good holiday, the cycling was challenging in the heat so we would recommend early morning starts or later in the day cycling! Stefano the agritourismo owner could not have been more helpful and informative, the hotel was charming and all the staff very good and helpful. The food was really excellent and we would definitely recommend taking up the option of the wine and food event in the local town. Have already recommended this holiday to friends.

Avoid taking this holiday in August. We loved the holiday but it was too hot.

Mr Rosenfield
Heart of Veneto Cycling
14/07/2018

An fantastic way to see the region with a host that makes you feel like you're home

Mr Knight
Heart of Veneto Cycling
14/07/2018

Relaxing, peaceful cycling in the Italian sunshine; great home-made food and wine at the agriturismo.

Mrs Moffat
Classic Chianti Cycling
02/07/2018

Excellent holiday, lovely hotels and good food. Cycling was quite tough but we still enjoyed the routes and the countryside was beautiful. One problem we had was when going by bus to Siena no one told us that in Italy you need to validate your ticket on the bus. As a result we ended up with a €120 fine!

Mr Simpson
Heart of Veneto Cycling
30/06/2018

Very good but we took time to adjust to the mobile phone app instructions and the volume on the app was too low even with the phone on highest volume. We would prefer bike computers and detailed maps as this is what we are used to.

Mrs O'Donnell
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
16/06/2018

Phaedra and Paul made us so welcome, and were very helpful (returning our key one day when we rode off with it). They gave us some very useful tips about the routes and hotels, and they set the tone for a lovely week right from the start. The bikes are easy to ride, good quality and very smooth. We were provided with water bottles and a cage each, so we could drink on the go. That helped a lot - do not underestimate the heat and the hills - those rest days are needed! We're reasonably fit, regular road cyclists and we found the hills quite challenging in the heat.



We saw some beautiful countryside in Tuscany, met some very friendly people and ate some good food. We will go back - but maybe not in June!

James was the best Headwater representative that we have ever encountered. His knowledge & summary of the area was excellent. The bikes, bag collection & transfer excellent. He could run the company! Thank you for one of the best holidays ever. We will be back for another Headwater holiday.

Well planned holiday. Cultural notes and cycling instructions excellent. Picture book countryside, very high standard food offerings everywhere. Our rep James was lovely and helpful.

Memorable holiday. Will definitely travel with Headwater again if still able to . Had a splendid holiday with HW also about 15 years ago cycling through Umbria.

Mr Payne
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
02/06/2018

This is our third holiday with Headwater and we very much enjoyed our experience. The Barolo Gastronomic cycling trip in Piedmont was excellent with amazing countryside.

Mrs Hoare
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
30/05/2018

Our first time to Puglia and we loved the rural relatively undeveloped charm of this part of Italy! Acres of cherry, fig and olive orchards, a pretty coastline and towns with narrow streets and ancient buildings that have been there for centuries.

Mr O'Keeffe
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
27/05/2018

We had a fantastic trip, a great mix of cycling in spectacular surroundings and relaxation, sightseeing and indulging in the local food and wine. For people of average fitness, the cycling is challenging in parts, not because of the distances involved, but because of the hills in some sections. The lovely reps, Phaedra and Paul, were friendly, helpful, professional, available and unobtrusive. The bikes were sparkling clean/new and well equipped with water cage, phone holder and panniers. Remember to bring a helmet as these are not supplied. GPS worked well. The accommodation was varied and generally good and we really appreciated having a pool at every stop. We did not meet any other Headwater holiday makers on the trip, so it very much felt like an intimate private holiday.

Mrs Reynard
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
26/05/2018

An adventure and yes, it certainly provided "contrasts" of Puglia. We found Italian people (including drivers) friendly and very accommodating, they made us feel very welcome, especially the farmer who brought us 2 ice cold bottles of water and offered us a shaded bench in his garden to eat our lunch!

Mrs Baker
Heart of Veneto Cycling
26/05/2018

A delightful holiday in the Veneto. L’Albara provides comfortable, relaxing and welcoming farmhouse accommodation and the food is excellent. The region offers plenty of opportunities for interesting visits and the cycling is predominantly flat and on very quiet roads or cycle tracks. We cycled to Este and Padova, which although long rides were worth the effort. If you go to Padova a visit to the Scrovegni Chapel is highly recommended - book in advance on line to be sure of getting in. The Palazzo Bo is also fascinating. James our holiday rep was very helpful, especially in helping with the App for the rides. We made our own way to Mestre railway station having spent a few days in Venice and the travel arrangements arranged by Headwater all worked perfectly. A lovely holiday.

This was a very relaxed holiday, all the hotels were in the countryside where the views were lovely, the air clean and the environment quiet and peaceful.

Mr Hardy
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
21/05/2018

Very good but you are not cheap.

Although graded as "easy", there was a particularly "challenging" prolonged uphill stretch to reach Teolo, where I had to get off and push but Teolo was so worth it. The Villa Lussana provided the best accommodation and vegetarian food on the trip. It was good to have a variety of individual styles of accommodation.

We are not into Apps and downloads, so our Rep provided us with excellent detailed written route instructions, having just recently cycled the route himself. We enjoyed meeting up with other cyclists for the 2 nights spent at Villaganzerla and with 2 walkers at Galzignano. I am not a competent cyclist and it had been some time since I was on a bike, so there was a certain sense of achievement at having completed the route unscathed!

Mrs Williamson
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
19/05/2018

We found the Trulli house rather dark, cold and uncomfortable but an experience. i would suggest that the tour only offers one night there. Eating well at night proved difficult, everywhere was booked the first night and the we did not know that Tuesday evenings is the night restaurants close there, so that night we has almost no choice along with most of the other tourists there.

Mr Palsson
Cycling through Baroque Sicily
17/05/2018

Headwater came through as a very ambitious counterparty. The planning and execution of our tour was professional, excellent route notes and good accommodation.

Mrs Russell
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
16/05/2018

Contrast of Puglia - just as it says - contrast in accommodation, cycling inland and to the coast, food different in each area - perfect mixed holiday

Mr Liddell
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
15/05/2018

Excellent holiday. Very helpful and friendly Headwater staff. Be honest with yourself with regards your fitness for long uphill rides

Mr Salter
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
13/05/2018

Great food, beautiful scenery, cycling level wrong it is tough, some routes not good. not enough choice, but overall enjoyable holiday.

Mrs Graham
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
13/05/2018

Well organised, reps were lovely and very helpful.

Dr Lombard
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
12/05/2018

Cycle route is definitely more than 1 bike

Mr Stevens
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
05/05/2018

Our party of 10 really enjoyed the Puglia cycling trip. The route is well chosen and delivered comprehensively by the GPS app. Logistics re luggage and bike support were excellent. Accommodation choices were spot on. We felt privileged to stay at these impressive locations and found a very warm welcome at each.

Cycling through the Veneto area allowed us to get a feel for rural Italy and the people who live there, as well as to experience the history of the area. The route takes you primarily through farmland and, since our trip was in October and after harvest time, many of the fields were plowed so we missed some of the greenery that probably characterizes the area in summer. We enjoyed visiting Vicenza on one of our non-cycling days and also had the opportunity to take a bus to Padova, a larger and more modern city than we thought. Sarah was attentive to our needs throughout the trip.

Mrs Bennett
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
02/10/2017

Wonderful way to see Tuscany. The fitter you are though, the more you will enjoy it.

Mrs Wickstead
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
25/09/2017

Headwater provide good all round holidays for active people. Their staff both in England and abroad are efficient, but I would suggest you be careful before you decide which level/grade of cycling holiday you chose. I have done 8 Headwater holidays and I think this one in Puglia should have been rated a 2 star, not lower. It was quite challenging in places - not too much so but this needs to be noted.

Mrs Rayner
Secrets of Sicily Cycling
23/09/2017

Cycling in lovely countryside with places of interest to see. Evenings spent in comfortable hotels with good local food.

Overall an excellent holiday in a region new to us .... Headwater Reps excellent ...

Ms Hollings
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
20/09/2017

Puglia is a beautiful région which, in September isn’t crowded with tourists. The food and wines are delicious and the locals are very welcoming.

Mr Rishton
Heart of Veneto Cycling
16/09/2017

This was the first time that we've tried a single-centre cycling holiday and we're now hooked. The potential downsides would be if you don't like the accommodation you're stuck there for the whole week (but the accommodation on this holiday was perfect) and the cycling might be repetitive if there aren't enough different directions to go in (but on this holiday the cycle routes went in all directions with only a few short stretches repeated). The upsides are not having to pack and unpack every couple of days, you can pick and choose where to go each day (and in our case skip a day when the weather was against us, and then double-up on a later day to make sure we didn't miss anything) and you feel like you're really getting to know the area that you're in. The RWGPS phone app is a fantastic new addition; it didn't matter who was in front as we both heard the same instructions, and afterwards you can see exactly where you've cycled - even down to the detail of where one of us was chased by a wasp around a car park! To top things off, this was the best place we've ever stayed abroad for understanding vegetarianism - no need to worry that a bit of fish or chicken might creep onto the menu. Overall, a great holiday!

Mrs Ferris
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
11/09/2017

Well-organised holiday, drawing on deep experience of the area, tried and well-tested, excellent hotels, supported by great staff.

Mrs Rixon
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
09/09/2017

We had a great holiday. The cycling was really good fun. The navigation system was brilliant. Most hotels were of a good standard and many were quirky and interesting

Ms Wren
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
08/09/2017

An excellent well thought out holiday, that undoubtedly made the best of a beautiful region whilst taking into consideration finding pleasant roads, interesting places, well-placed rest stops and good hotels. The route app on the phone made navigation really easy.

Mrs Price
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
08/09/2017

A truly gastronomic experience! An excellent introduction to the food, wines and culture of Piedmont. The cycling was sometimes frustratingly hilly but that is the nature of vineyards!

Mrs O'Hare
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
08/09/2017

We have enjoyed at least 10 Headwater holidays since our first ride in the Loire in 2002, and the Gastronomic Barolo would have to be one of the best.



We have enjoyed at least 10 Headwater holidays since our first time cycling in the Loire and as we have travelled all the way from Perth in Australia, we obviously love our Headwater experiences. Gastronomic Barolo Cycling is probably the best in terms of countryside, scenery, accommodation, fantastic cuisine and helpful rep. But I suggest that grading of 2 bike is misleading as countryside is very hilly indeed. Thank goodness that my husband and I who are fit but 70 and 72 chose ebikes! Another couple in their late 60s struggled each day with the steep terrain and had to spend much time pushing their bikes. The weather was perfect for riding but it would have been very difficult if the temperatures were high. Another couple on the ride who are serious cyclists who ride regularly found some sections very difficult. Overall it was a great ride for us as it showed how enjoyable ebikes can be as we still got plenty of exercise to justify eating the amazing 4 course meals; enjoying the famous local wines and enjoying the company of fellow Headwater travellers.

Miss Perry
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
06/09/2017

Lovely way to see the country and get fitter

Mr Smyth
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
04/09/2017

A pleasurable experience cycling in Puglia

Mr Beeby
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
04/09/2017

This was our fourth Headwater cycling holiday. All have been good, and this was at least as good, if not better, than the others. Contrasts of Puglia is an accurate description, and we feel we have got to know something of a previously unknown part of Italy. We enjoyed the routes, the accommodation and the food and wine of the area. We met some very friendly and courteous locals. We had a week of perfect cycling weather. It was a really good holiday.

Ms Pye
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
29/08/2017

Wonderful hotels, exquisite food and a friendly warm welcome from reps and hoteliers. The cycling was challenging at times but the uphills rewarded us with stunning views and we felt deserving of our gastronomic delights!

Venetian Villas and Vineyards Cycling lived up to its name as there is an opportunity to visit many villas in this area. We travelled during the grape harvest season and it was interesting to see both hand picking (especially around Cortela) and mechanical harvesting and to taste wine near Cortela. Sarah Hall is an excellent rep with 10 years experience and knowledge of the area and the routes. She keeps the bicycles in immaculate condition, and provided a comprehensive briefing and was always available if needed. The Villa Lussana Hotel was our favourite with wonderful views and delicious meals. We should have done more research on sights to see in Padua and Vicenza to make more use of the day trips. We added 3 nights at the Hotel Kette in Venice which was in a good location but very touristy compared to the relatively quiet and non-tourist cycling. Great trip overall and easy to add to the Coastal Croatia Cycling as we did that trip first and caught the ferry from Porec to Venice then on to Vicenza.

Stunning scenery, stunning locations - a holiday to remember! We weren't really sure what to expect with the 2+ rating for cycling - I would say on average the cycling ranged between enjoyable undulating roads & exhilarating descents which were interspersed with some really (really!) tough climbs - beware of the Strava Biancas & just enjoy the scenery on route - the pain is quickly forgotten & the achievement of arriving at each destination makes it all worthwhile! I truly memorable holiday - thank you Headwater!

Mrs Anderson
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
25/08/2017

This is the second holiday we have taken with Headwater and both have been excellent. Two years ago we did the Gastronomic Barollo cycling holiday. Both were really enjoyable. Tuscany was stunning, the hotels excellent and our reps really friendly and helpful. On balance we preferred the Barollo holiday, but only because the cycling is on less busy roads and it is slightly less touristy, but I don't think we could find fault with either holiday.

Excellent routes through lovely rural Italy. First &I last accommodation very disappointing because we thought we would enjoy basic country accommodation &I enjoy the food & wine of the area - we felt this was not the case at this accommodation. Food &I wine at Il Feudo were very poor - accommodation not good - rooms hot &stuffy - noisy -bed not comfortable & very poor lighting.

Ms Clarke
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
03/08/2017

We thoroughly enjoyed the holiday and would recommend it to other travellers.

Mrs Ergatoudis
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
24/07/2017

Wonderful again!! Our fifth holiday with you & again it was perfect. Perfectly organised routes so that we didn't need to see our great reps from start to finish! Beautiful, well considered hotels which all had really positive things to say about Headwater guests!

Mrs Ghali
Heart of Veneto Cycling
20/07/2017

We all throughly enjoyed our cycling in the Veneto. The food and accommodation were excellent as was the pool at the end of the day! The family were extremely welcoming and we enjoyed out trip around the farm. Sarah couldn't have been more helpful and friendly. The routes were well planned and the gps talking to us made our journeys easy, without having to look at a map all of the time.

Mr Owens
Heart of Veneto Cycling
17/07/2017

It was great to stay in one place all week and not have to move on to different hotels. Also we liked the accommodation with swimming pool and the food was fantastic

The cycling was easy and enjoyable. We will probably hire electric bikes next trip which will open up a bigger choice of cycle rides

A great holiday, virtually traffic free rides, excellent food and lovely scenery. A brilliant combination of cultural cities (if you wish to visit them) and rural isolation. However, consider the best time to go - the temperature hit 42 degrees & humidity was very high which made cycling difficult (4-13 July). We were the only guests at our first three holels and owners told us they consider July to be low season due to the heat. If you were expecting to meet other travellers you could be disappointed. On the other hand places of interest were not crowded & we didn't need to queue with the exception of Venice.

After three outstanding trips with Headwater previously (twice to Italy, and once to Spain), we were wondering whether our 4th excursion, 'Venetian Villas and Vineyards Cycling' could possibly live up to our high expectations. We were looking for an interesting and relaxing break that would immerse us in the Italian culture and suit the mixed cycling abilities of our group (two couples). This holiday managed to satisfy us all. While most of the routes were relatively flat, there were a few more challenging hills and options along the way. Highlights (just to list a few) included exploring the neighborhoods and museums of Vicenza and Padua, getting lost in the maze at Valsanzibio gardens, taking in the view from Villa Lussana after an exhilarating cycle up to Teolo, and the welcoming family atmosphere at L'Albara agriturismo (not to mention delicious meals they conjured up from homegrown produce). To surprise one of our party, we requested a birthday cake along the way. Our rep Sarah wisely chose Villa Lussana as the place for the surprise, and their experienced chef produced an amazing fruit flan right on cue, which helped make the event very special and memorable. There were a couple of slight disappointments - a room 'upgrade' that was of a lower specification than a standard room, and as seasoned Headwater fans we missed the detailed route notes that we've had every other time - but these are only minor niggles that did not detract from what was otherwise an excellent holiday, and great value for money. Thank you, Headwater, and we look forward to our next trip with you - wherever that may be!

Mrs Gourlay
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
19/06/2017

From the moment our agent Antonio picked us up from the airport we have been looked after so well. The cycle route and accommodation was carefully thought out. My only concern is that the cycling in my opinion was not for beginners as there were some quite challenging inclines on a few busy roads. Overall a tremendous experience.

Dr Sinclair
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
11/06/2017

A superb blend of countryside cycles and splendid evening meals. Our local representatives Greg and Laura were consistently helpful; rescuing our bikes when needed, and proactively working out a new route for us when they realised a car rally would make the original journey planned for that day impossible. The restaurants were varied but all delightful. The unanticipated June heatwave made some of the uphill stretches a little more challenging than might be expected from its grading

We left Manchester in pouring rain to spend a week climbing Tuscan hills at 34c. The theme of the accommodation is Tuscan hill towns so every morning was an easy start but you soon realise every days ride finishes with a picturesque uphill! The hotels were always a good standard and a couple of the swimming pools were simply amazing. Eating outside in the courtyard at the 'Relais della Rovere' was particularly special. We had researched eating out in San Gimignano beforehand which proved well worthwhile and it is definitely wiser to book ahead from UK if you can.

The first day is quite a challenge so carry plenty of water. We hadn't realised that Headwater don't supply the water bottles anymore but luckily our local reps found us a couple of spares from last year. Phaedra and Paul were kind and attentive keeping in touch by text if we needed them. The bikes were reliable and comfortable to ride. The routes do get easier after the first day and it is worth carrying a small picnic most days as the cafes tend to be towards the end of the ride. There are some good sights to see on the rest days or else there are the lovely pools just to lounge by instead.

It was a great holiday and the hills made sure you felt fitter coming home.

Thanks again Headwater

The holiday provided a wonderful experience of cycling in this most scenic of Tuscan landscapes. Some of the cycling was tough in the hot weather but the excellent hotels were perfect for relaxing after the cycle rides

Dr Logan
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
31/05/2017

Of our 3 Headwater cycling holidays this was the best. The accommodation was better and the cycling was the right amount although we skipped the circular route around Alberobello. The hard copy route guides were better than previous ones and the GPS app with the handle bar bracket worked brilliantly once one had sussed it out. We were fortunate that the bracket was just big enough to hold our phones; it was not big enough to hold the larger smart phones.

Mr Campbell
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
31/05/2017

The route was generally disappointing, lots of detours through small hamlets where there was nothing, very few places to stop for a coffee. May just be that the topography dictates the route but I would have hoped Chianti could have yielded more places of interest. This was our 3rd Headwater holiday and I'd place this route 3rd by some margin. The hotels were generally excellent, Le Fonti in Volterra was very professional with good views, La Renaie in Pancole was the highlight, excellent family run hotel with nice feel and really good food. Relais della Rovere was Ok but needs to employ some gardeners, the grass everywhere hadn't been cut for weeks, bushes badly trimmed etc all contributing to an unkempt appearance. The catering being separate from the hotel was unusal and contributed to the disjointed feel. This should be a fantastic hotel but needs a lot of work to get there. Pescille was really good with great views of San Gimignano.

The bikes were new so in perfect condition, should have had a bottle cage on each bike rather than 2 on one bike and none on the other. We would have brought our own water bottles if we'd known these were no longer provided, contrary to what your literature said.

Headwater response:
Dear Mr Campbell,
Thank you for taking the time to provide your post-holiday feedback. We were pleased to read you had an enjoyable holiday. We were however sorry to read there were areas of your holiday that you felt required improvement. Please be assured all of the feedback we receive, whether positive or constructive is valued and used to help improve our holidays for the future. With this in mind, we were sorry to read you felt the gardens at Relais della Rovere required maintenance. This is the first time we have received constructive feedback for this hotel. We have discussed your comments with the hotelier; we expect to see an immediate improvement. We are sorry for any disappointment this may have caused.
We were pleased to read you found the bikes in perfect condition; our Reps receive extensive training in this area and do pride themselves on providing well-serviced bikes. They do not provide water bottle cages to our low framed bikes; this is due to past customer feedback, where customers advised us they were banging their legs on the cages, our Reps will provide water bottle cages if requested. Again, due to customer feedback we discontinued providing our water bottles, customers advised they preferred to use their own. Our Reps may have a surplus if required. This information is included in our pre travel information booklets; we are sorry you were unaware and hope this did not cause you an inconvenience.
In closing, we would like to thank you for your continued loyalty and look forward to welcoming you on another of our holidays in the future.
Kind regards,
Headwater Customer Service team

This holiday is well organised with reliable backup available if needed. Although we were initially sceptical we found the Ride with GPS system was good when the printed out notes were ambiguous! It would be nice to have more descriptive notes on points of interest on the itinerary. The cycling was varied and on interesting and not too hilly routes often with lovely views to enjoy. We were slightly disappointed with the quality of food, apart from at the Villa Lussana, as it didn't live up to our expectations of what we have enjoyed previously with Headwater. Also breakfasts could be a bit variable in what was offered e.g. in the Belvedere Resort ai Colli there was a 5 Euro extra charge if you wished cheese or cold meat or eggs while in other hotels these were included. On the whole we were made to feel very welcome but I would certainly recommend bringing a travel kettle if like us you enjoy a cup of tea as they clearly do not understand how to make decent tea and also charge a lot for it! Air conditioning is an absolute necessity and it was also of variable efficiency in the different accommodations, actually blowing the lights in the L'Albara Agriturismo when we tried to turn it up a little. However each place had different pros and cons e.g. L.'Albara had wonderful baking and fruit and the freshest lettuce straight from the vegetable garden even thought the main courses were pretty dire! We also had the best Tira Misu I have ever tasted and the pool was a real bonus! In summary a great holiday so long as you are prepared for a variety of accommodation and standards of food,

Great time, hills in Tuscany are not hills....So get in shape, but scenery worth the ride...amazing! We were able to meet the locals and enjoy ourselves without any pressure when and when not to ride...

Mr Lypka
Classic Chianti Cycling
27/05/2017

Cycling around the hills of Tuscany is challenging and you need to be in good shape to take them on. Its worth it though for the views and the downhill stretches. I particularly enjoyed the four night stop allowing for visits to Florence and Siena. The highlight though for me was San Gimignano.

Dr Vaughan
Heart of Veneto Cycling
24/05/2017

A gentle introduction to the Veneto Plain based at a very welcoming agriturismo.

Mr Powell
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
21/05/2017

Really pleased we chose this tour. Fantastic location, food and wine. We were lucky to have great weather and tour reps (Laura and Greg), that certainly helped. The cycling was tough at times in the heat, so glad we had water and could top up at fountains. Invariably there was a tough hill climb to the hotel destination, Peidmont is all about hill top locations, however the reward of a nice room, shower and dip in the pool made it worthwhile before dinner. Hotel staff were friendly and welcoming. We would do a similar tour again without question. Thanks Headwater!

Mr Mcgeoch
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
21/05/2017

Great combination of challenging cycling, breathtaking views, a range of different hotels with excellent food and wine

Mrs Briddick
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
17/05/2017

We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday in Puglia. We were very pleased with all the accommodation. The route took us through beautiful and vary varied countryside from olive groves and cherry orchards to coastal villages - in other words truly 'contrasts of Puglia'. The people we met were very friendly and helpful and the drivers considerate giving us a warning beep before overtaking. The food and wine on offer was generally locally produced and we felt it was an important part of the Puglia experience. Travelling mid-May meant, however, that the weather was much warmer than was currently the case in England and therefore we found cycling the uphill stretches in 24 degree or higher full sun quite challenging and it gets warm early in the day. We cycled last year in the Veneto - level 1 - and found the Puglia holiday - 1+ - much more difficult with some very steep hills and some very hilly sections. We are all year cyclists not averse to hills but we are over 65. The people we met were very friendly and helpful and the drivers considerate giving us a warning beep before overtaking. Overall it was an enjoyable adventure with lot to see and learn which is what we look for in a cycling holiday. .

Mr Pocknell
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
15/10/2016

We have had a wonderful holiday with Headwater. Everything was well organised and thought out. We have cycled through gorgeous countryside, with great scenery and the majority on quiet country roads. Perfect as always somewhere nice to stop and have lunch on route and cheaply, eaten miles too much but then have cycled it off 🙂



Mr Ridley
Heart of Veneto Cycling
06/10/2016

Excellent holiday but, perhaps, not so much n the shoulder season.

Mrs Pincott
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
02/10/2016

The Secrets of San Gimignano holiday was fantastic. Eleanor and Luke, the reps, simply could not have been more helpful, the cycling was excellent (but hard work - Tuscany is hilly) and the hotels and food amazing.

Dr May
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
24/09/2016

We did have a good holiday but experience could have been much better for reasons stated above and below.

Mrs Lamont
Heart of Veneto Cycling
24/09/2016

Lovely place to stay, great food. Wine a little expensive at the farm.

Ms Linsell
Heart of Veneto Cycling
24/09/2016

Good healthy weeks holiday

Mrs Mitchell
Heart of Veneto Cycling
22/09/2016

Easy pedalling in the sun with local cuisine and a great chance to be somewhere where English is hardly spoken!

Mr Napier
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
21/09/2016

Mostly excellent, but disappointed there were more main roads than on previous cycling trips with Headwater.

In our opinion Alberobello should be dropped - too much of a tourist trap and not a 'Headwater' type destination.

Mrs Freedman
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
17/09/2016

A healthy way to explore a new part of the world, if you want it to be! Very easy to reward oneself after a cycle with fine wine and food, but after all it is a holiday! Travelling self guided allows one to be completely flexible, but others might prefer to have a leader to avoid unnecessary cycling, should one take the wrong route.

Would certainly recommend this type of holiday for a group of friends.

Mis Dekan
Heart of Veneto Cycling
17/09/2016

Great cycling holday for those that want plenty of excellent scenery without too much effort - routes were easy to follow and a good 1 bike holiday. The only slight downside is the accomodation is quite remote so after the evening meal there is no where to go, but of course lots of chatter about the days experiences with fellow guests.

Ms Barbour
Heart of Veneto Cycling
16/09/2016

The Heart of Veneto cycling tour was a very positive experience for us. The rides were interesting, the distances appropriate and the cycling notes were very clear. Sarah, our Headwater rep, was very helpful and approachable. L’Albara, our Agriturisimo accommodation, was perfectly fine, the farm interesting and the meals delicious but there wasn’t a lot to do in the evenings. Happily, we became acquainted with 3 friendly, fellow cyclists from Britain and at our dinners every evening we shared the day’s experiences amid laughter and lively conversation. We would definitely choose Headwater again but would choose a tour on which we would stay in a different place every evening,

Mrs Kings
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
14/09/2016

Great holiday. The cycling was easy with the odd tougher bits but they were short lived. Varied scenery with coast and countryside. The notes/directions were at times diddicult to follow and really need updating because signs have fallen down or gone altogether and new roads have been built with new layouts so the notes are out of date. Monopoli is really lovely Palazzo Indelli is well situated right in the pretty main square. The rooms vary so if you are booking a standard room ask for the larger ones at the back of the hotel because the one we were given at the end of our trip was tiny and noisy being on the side at the front. Corte Altavilla is nice too but the staff on reception were unhelpful and grumpy. I am a coeliac and despite telling them in advance it was the only hotel that did not provide anything for me at breakfast other than fruit. The restaurant in the hotel for the evening was very good. Alberobella unfortunately has rather sold its soul and is very over commercialised. The Trulli are nice but we would have preferred some outside space as they are rather dark. Masseria Salamina is fabulous we had a huge room and you really feel like you are staying in a castle. The swimming pool was lovely and we really enjoyed our stay here. Overall a thoroughly enjoyable trip and we are now looking for another one!

Despite being in a National Park, this was a less rural holiday than we were expecting. While some of the routes are rural in nature, you are never out of sight of a dwelling and you are on, or next to, or crossing, busy roads quite a lot of the time. Italy is also home to a plague of noisy motor bikes and scooters but I guess this is part of the culture! That said, the hotels and the food were mostly very good. We did an extra two days in Teolo which worked well and gave us two days in Padua (easy bus ride) as well as a pleasant local hike. Rep Sarah was as good as we had been led to believe and gave us a most detailed briefing. Her route notes were also excellent.



The cycling routes and notes were excellent, the food was gorgeous and the scenery beguiling. Luke & Eleanor were more than welcoming and helpful. When I reported a small technical issue with one of our bikes, it was changed within an hour. The restaurant suggestions were lovely for the nights not on half board.

The opportunity to take a day in Sienna or Florence should not be missed.

A very enjoyable cycling holiday exploring the less known areas west of Venice.

I was initially somewhat trepidatious about attempting a' two and a half cycle' difficulty holiday with my younger, fitter, regular cyclist husband and so ,probably, was he. I am dog walking fit and that's about it. Some of the hills were fairly challenging but the bikes supplied have plenty of gears and the views from the top and the downhills are well worth the effort involved getting up and I was never that far behind him in the end! We went in September during the grape harvest, a lovely time of year. I'm not sure I would have coped with the cycling quite so well in July or August! The reps were very helpful but not intrusive and the hotels were all good. My husband is a map man and thought the quality of maps supplied was poor so we used the written instructions which were accurate and detailed. You don't need to be an olympic athlete to get the most out of this holiday, you have all day to complete the 40k between hotels, just take your time and enjoy those views!

Mr Runciman
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
05/09/2016

The holiday certainly lived up to its name: Contrasts of Puglia. We enjoyed beautiful places both in town and in country. Weather conditions ranged from bright sunshine and blue skies to thunder-storm deluges --- but with the offer of alternative transport on the wettest days. Italian food was wonderful. Overall, it was a memorable week, and we are looking forward to a next time.

Mr Hughes
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
04/09/2016

We had a great week touring Piedmont on our pushbikes Most of the days rides were quite challenging with some steep climbs but fortunately the distances we travelled were quite short We were blessed with fantastic weather in September so the secret was to set off promptly after a great breakfast each day to get to your destination before mid-afternoon and the hottest part of the day

The standard of hotels is very good although the air conditioning in a couple of them was not really very effective The hosts & locals were all very friendly whenever we stopped or needed directions The pre-arranged meals were all of a high standard and there are plenty of excellent places for lunch on the routes

The roads were always pretty much traffic free with occasional tractors & trailers passing laden with grapes

The guest exclusive secluded pool at the Albergo Castiglione deserves a special mention & I will remember our picnic lunch by the pool brought down by the hotel owner & two beautiful daughters on a baking hot day for a long time

All the route plans were accurate & realistic with several options on some days The bikes themselves worked well and the support team Dan & Cat were discreet but attentive

Finally the food, every meal was enjoyable ranging from a delightful local trattoria in the village to the award winning castle. No matter how hard you try I suspect you will eat too much of it! All the hosts seemed happy to advise you & would often let you drink it by the glass rather than the whole bottle if you wanted

This was an excellent holiday & I think reflects Headwaters long experience in organising these sort of trips Well Done

Mrs North
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
03/09/2016

Puglia is a fabulous area of Italy. A great variety of terrain with scenic routes.

Exercise, fresh air, excellent food and drink and, as ever with Headwater, getting to know a new area pretty well.

Ms Pye
Heart of Veneto Cycling
27/08/2016

Perfect. What far better than we could have imagined. The accommodation, food and quality of the cycles were all excellent.

Mrs Quick
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
25/08/2016

Le Langhe in Piedmont - one of Italy's best kept secrets - a mecca for food and wine lovers, with breathtaking scenery.

Cycling from Slovenia was a great experience. Dependent on flight times though, I would suggest just one night in Ljubljana and an extra night in Bled. I agree with other reviewers, that it would have been good to spend more time in Slovenia. The local agent was very helpful and gave us a full briefing using his computer which was very helpful. This was the best briefing we have had from a Headwater 'agent'.

The cycling spectacular and easily the best scenery we have had on any Headwater trip although the cycling was generally easy (this was good!) - even on the long days. The parts of the cycle on old railway lines were particularly good - and easy, due to shade despite it being hot. I would actually grade the hotel as 1 not 1+



The Veneto cycling was not as spectacular as our previous week. We enjoyed it though. A good opportunity to see a different less touristy part of Italy. We particularly enjoyed staying in the agriturismo which are friendly and welcoming.

This was our first experience with Headwater. We were extremely impressed and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Our local Rep Sarah was helpful and informative. She knew the area extremely well and had clearly worked hard to develop helpful contacts and provide useful and interesting information about the area we were cycling in. She provided excellent notes and maps and obviously had good relationships with the hotel owners which helped us to feel cared for and welcomed. Sarah is literally the best holiday rep that we have ever encountered. We are full of admiration and gratitude and will definitely book with Headwater again.

Mrs Chambers
Heart of Veneto Cycling
20/08/2016

Great holiday overall. L'Albara lovely place to stay, family very welcoming and evening meals and wine delicious. Hannah also very delighted to have cake for breakfast every morning!

Transfer from MarcoPolo to Venice mestre and then train to Vincenza quite tiring and a bit stressful.

Probably worth suggesting at booking the option for a taxi transfer ( I know this is mentioned in the brochure)

Very good, but next time would try a higher grade of route

Mrs Cox
Heart of Veneto Cycling
06/08/2016

Beautiful quiet region of Italy. Family at L'Albara are very welcoming. The food is excellent. A real get away from it all experience. This is our second visit and it was just as good the second time. Would happily go back again.

Mr Jackson
Heart of Veneto Cycling
06/08/2016

A superb holiday, tailored exactly to our needs and specifications. Our reception from our reps, Luke and Eleanor, was outstanding: nothing was too much. Very personable and up-beat - exactly what you want on holiday. Headwater's hotels are second to none, in perfect locations and with wonderful facilities. I can not recommend Headwater holidays high enough.

Mr Davies
Heart of Veneto Cycling
30/07/2016

This was our first cycling holiday abroad so we were looking for a central base from which we could explore on a daily basis rather than living out of suitcases. With hindsight I'm not sure we could have chosen better. The accommodation was superb (in particular Angelina's cooking!), the cycle routes of the right length (such that we had time to ride the mornings and relax in the afternoons) and there were opportunities to visit Vicenza or go further afield.

Thoroughly recommended.







Mr Benner
Heart of Veneto Cycling
28/07/2016

the provision of laundry local laundry services would be much appreciated.

This was my fourth holiday with Headwaters and have enjoyed them all

Great holiday. Our rep Sarah was really helpful and ensured everything ran smoothly. Was sick on first day of arrival. Sarah and the people running the hotel helped me straight away so that I was able to get better and enjoy a great holiday. The scenery is stunning and people so friendly and helpful. Also the food was delicious in every place we stayed. You would pay an awful lot for that standard of food in the UK. We went in July so the weather was really hot in the afternoon so make sure you take lots of shade and water breaks.Was a fun holiday.

Mrs Bailey
Heart of Veneto Cycling
16/07/2016

A lovely week of gentle rides on quiet roads through beautiful countryside. At the end of the day we could look forward to a few hours relaxing by the pool at the wonderful agriturismo L'Albara, before a truly magnificent evening meal. We loved every minute.

Great way to explore Italy.

Mrs Hill
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
14/07/2016

Overall we really enjoyed the holiday and will be looking to book again. We chose the holiday for the gastro experience and really enjoyed the mix of restaurants from Michelin starred to more local / rustic. However we felt that the guide notes could have provided a brief summary of the restaurants to assist with expectations as some were really upmarket requiring smarter dress and had expensive wine, while others were more local where casual dress was acceptable and had reasonable wine prices. We also found some of the gradients challenging and thought that this holiday should have been graded 2 x bicycles+. Finally, we learnt by experience that shops shut on different days and afternoons. Unfortunately, we found ourselves without water on occasions despite reading the notes. For example, on route to Monteforte we did not stock up on water as the guide notes said that there were bars and shops. Unfortunately on arrival on Wednesday all shops were all shut meaning that we had to buy water from a bar at inflated prices. A line in each town description to show shop closing day would have assisted greatly. Hopefully, these points will be taken as constructive to help others as we really did have a great time.

Dr Young
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
24/06/2016

This is a beautiful part of the world. some of the nicest scenery we have cycled through. I think possibly the nicest hotels and food [apart from 2 nights see below] we have enjoyed. BUT it is hard!! There is more climbing on this route than we have experienced before on other 2 bike routes. I think this does need flagged up. The 2 women in their mid 60s found the going very tough on the first day - over 900metres of climbing. BUT our excellent reps jumped to the rescue and produced e- bikes for the 2 elderly ladies! What a transformation - we could enjoy the rides- the views- and our husbands did not have the worry about us! Highly to be recommended on [in our opinion]this 3 bike holiday.On 2 nights we had to travel to a restaurant . this meant we had the same menu 2 nights running -for a non meat eater- the fish was poor. It was not a great ambience. We did speak to the reps about it. the food elsewhere was largely extraordinary and the hotels that only did breakfasts gave excellent breakfasts.

We did not find your new map system helpful. the route notes mentioned names of places that were not on your new maps. Thankfully our reps provided proper maps at our request.

Well planned and organised, good routes accurately described, very helpful staff.

This is a lovely cycling holiday but quite challenging with regard to the hills especially when its 34C! An early start is recommended to avoid the hottest part of the day. The hotels are all good and food at the Della Rovere is excellent. Nice pools at all the hotels. Plenty to do on the off days. The walled town of Monteriggioni is a relatively easy cycle from the Della Rovere. Worth booking an extra night at the end of the holiday in Volterra. Beautiful town with lots of little shops, cafes and alleyways. Thanks to Luke and Eleanor who were excellent reps.

Loved this little known area, which was perfect for easy cycling. Good variety of cycling ; quiet roads, alongside canals and dedicated cycle paths. Sarah our rep couldn't have been better and was always working hard for us to get the most out of our holiday. Loved Albara, which had a pool which was a bonus in our hot weather (30s). There is another holiday option to stay here as a base for week, I would think this would work well , as it was our favourite stopover out of the four we stayed at. Food and wine excellent all the way round and plenty of places to stop enroute.

Mr Whitton
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
18/06/2016

Generally an excellent service but based on past experience will only go for future holidays with you where a Headwater rep is involved rather than an agent

This holiday delivered on great food, amazing scenery, friendly staff along the route and comfortable hotels. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience

This was our first cycling holiday, we are both reasonably fit but not regular cyclists so this was an excellent introduction.we found the routes fairly straight forward and enjoyable with the route notes easy to follow as long as we didn't read too far ahead (short term memory problems!). All the hotels were very good in their different ways , we ate well everywhere but the stand out food was at the Villa Lussana in Teolo. unfortunately we missed the ride to Teolo because of an extremely heavy thunder storm but Sarah our Rep picked us up and transfered us. The day wasn't wasted though, we were able to do a lovely circular walk later on in the afternoon to set us up for the first of our fabulous evening meals there. We took a bus into Padua on the rest day, well worth doing, we visited the Scrovegni Chapel and the the University to see the anatomy theatre. The two nights at the Agritourismo L' Albara were very convivial and the pool was lovely. To sum up, we had a great time, Sarah our rep was extremely helpful and helped make our holiday .

Mr Brooks
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
13/06/2016

Bikes excellent. Lunches en route excellent. Accommodation a bit mixed.

Mr Precious
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
08/06/2016

This was our first Headwater Cycling Holiday and our first visit to Tuscany, we felt that we were able to get up close and personal with the beautiful countryside. We would recommend this type of activity to anyone, we had a wonderful time and we look forward to booking another trip soon.

We were surprised at how strenuous the cycling actually was! The distances were not long, and so we really expected to complete the routes much quicker than we did.Very big hills, but the bikes have good gears and we managed to cycle to the top of them all. The downs were brilliant. Roads were mainly very quiet.

The hotels were all lovely and we enjoyed having non cycling days to explore the interesting hill top towns.

Lots of great food and wine was had.

Mrs Prentis
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
29/05/2016

I was a little sniffy with the 40km every other day distance. However the hills more than make up for it. We are both very fit and did manage the hills but it was warm and quite a few are long and on the stranda bianca which are unmade up and with the wrong size of stones which makes cycling quite difficult at times. The area is lovely and the reps were delightful and extremely helpful.

Mr Brandao
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
28/05/2016

This is the second holiday package organized by Headwater and both experiences have been simply great. We love you guys! Thank you so very much!

We've noticed Headwater doesn't have a package for Greece, please do so! Let us know about it.

Ms D'Arcy
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
27/05/2016

The holiday, although accurately described etc,, the reality exceeded my expectations! Thoroughly enjoyed every moment. The meals, wines, and accommodation were all of a consistently high standard - without pretension or ostentation - a testament to the Italians respect and belief in the quality of their products. The countryside and people were also amazing, acts of kindness from strangers showed me several times what it means 'to go the extra mile'. The cycle routes are well designed, as is the holiday that alternates cycle days with rest days.

Ms Woodall
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
25/05/2016

Great holiday. Good challenging cycling days and a region with great food and wine for lunch and dinner. Headwater looked after us well again in Italy.

Mrs Thomas
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
25/05/2016

Don't be put off by the two and a half star rating of this holiday. We are two averagely fit 50+ couple that managed all the hills and they were well worth it for the fantastic views. Each hotel was unique and individual and the welcome you received at the end of a days cycling was lovely. The standard of food for most was good. We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday and have come back invigorated and amazingly pounds lighter! The reps Luke and Eleanor were very helpful and couldn't do enough for you - even texting us to see if we were alright on the only rainy day we had.

This was an interesting area of Italy and our holiday passed all too quickly with the usual Headwater mix of cultural visits and, of course cycling. The routes were well selected and mostly on cycle paths. Food was great. We didnt visit Padua, Vincenza or Venice as we preferred to explore the countryside. Otherwise the holiday was pretty much as described in the brochure.

Mr Wightman
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
21/05/2016

We really enjoyed this first cycling holiday, we loved the Tuscan countryside and the rustic food, delicious wine! We regularly enjoy our bicycles at home but are not 'cyclists'. So the 'undulating hills' and ' steady climbs' mentioned in the brochure were a lot more challenging than we expected. Having said this, we completed the route with a great sense of achievement and looked forward each day to a new adventure !

Mrs Sparshott
Classic Chianti Cycling
21/05/2016

don't under-estimate how hilly/undulating Tuscany is.

A fabulous way to explore the beauty of rural Italy. The exercise during the day is balanced by delightful food and wine in the evenings. Self-guided cycling with Headwater offers independence, but with the comfort and reassurance of excellent local Reps. This was our second holiday with Headwater and is unlikely to be our last.

Mr Rodgers
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
14/05/2016

No comment - the unseasonal weather curtailed cycling on one day (thunderstorms) so this did affect the overall holiday experience with another day that was also wet.

Mr Jaffe
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
14/05/2016

Thoroughly enjoyable holiday in a beautiful unspoilt part of Southern Italy. The people here are incredibly friendly, not just in the hotels but everywhere. The cycling wasn't too strenuous and the 7km descent into Capitolo was exhilarating ! All the hotels were of a very good standard. Enjoyed staying in the Trulli house even though Alberobello can become very busy with day trippers but our favourite place was the Masseria Salamina, (keep some space in the luggage to stock up on their excellent home produced extra virgin olive oil) ! The food in this region is wonderful with a good choice of restaurants at all the locations except Prezze di Greco where the evening meal is included. This was our 12th Headwater cycling holiday and it lived up to expectations.

We were very lucky with the weather and this is important when on a cycling holiday! The accommodation was varied and highly suited to starting and ending a days cycling. We loved the routes which were through beautiful countryside ( isn't this lovely! I kept saying) and which provided us with convenient coffee and lunch stops. The cycling was spot on for a 1 cycle ride but it also offered more hilly routes is we wished to challenge ourselves. We soon found we had total confidence in the route notes and once when we went wrong I said - Sarah would never send us down this road! And I was right. You have to be a little flexible - one of our routes was blocked off by a motorcycling event but we were able to use the notes to rejoin the trail. We thoroughly enjoyed the food and the delicious local wine. I made friends with my bike and always looked forward to the next day's expedition. Great holiday!

Mrs Moulton
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
11/05/2016

We went for our honeymoon and the holiday was a perfect mixture of challenging cycling with beautiful views, lovely hotels and fantastic food.

Mrs Roundtree
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
15/04/2016

Puglia is a fantastic part of Italy to visit - a real hidden gem - and a perfect location for cycling. We were lucky with the weather and got a good week but the weather in April can be variable (i.e. cooler and wetter than we had). Beautiful countryside and lovely coastline with proper beaches. Excellent food and friendly people, We would go back again.

Mrs Brewster
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
04/04/2016

April was a beautiful time of year to travel to Puglia; lovely weather for cycling and the fields were full of wildflowers, cherry blossom, flowering mimosas etc. Although the cycling was all on roads, they were mainly very quiet, country lanes and we found the Italian drivers surprisingly patient and respectful of cyclists. The route deserved its 1 1/2 bike rating; it certainly seemed a bit more strenuous than the previous '1 bike' holiday we had done and we were very glad not to be tackling it in the heat of summer. This was our second Headwater holiday as a family and we think the formula works well for both us and the children (aged 11 and 13). They particularly embraced the Italian love of gelati!

Mr May
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
12/10/2015

A beautiful part of the world made even more special by great hotels, great food and great cycling

Mr Bell
Heart of Veneto Cycling
10/10/2015

A lovely rural part of northern Italy with a number of quiet country roads, largely traffic free, to enjoy. The relative closeness of Vicenza and Padua gives the opportunity also to experience a number of cultural and architectural delights. Add to this the wonderful food prepared at The L'Albara Agriturismo and this is a holiday to savour.

Beautiful cycling! Great route and some excellent hotels.

Mrs Harbottle
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
30/09/2015

Pleasant cycling through mix of peaceful rural landscapes and historic coastal and plateau towns. Although experienced cycle tourists we found the cycling more tiring than expected due to the heat, even in early October, so were glad that the distances were relatively short. Puglian food lived up to its reputation and the local wines recommended by the rep were enjoyable. All the hotels had spacious and well equipped rooms - though we did benefit from an upgrade for the base hotel as the normal one was full. Detailed route notes a great relief after getting minimal and inaccurate ones last year with another company. Unplanned highlight was doing the 7km downhill run while road closed to cars as a proper cycle race came up.! Although not mentioned in the brochure, Monopoli is well connected to the rest of Italy by train, and the station is within walking distance (20 min) of hotel. So we negotiated a reduction in package cost as not needing a transfer to Bari, and made the cycling week the centre of an Italian / French train tour.

Mr Richens
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
26/09/2015

Great holiday. Everything just worked. Reps were helpful and knowledgable. Hotels and food were amazing. Cycling up the hills was hard work but all worth it when you reached the view at the top.

Mr Johnston
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
23/09/2015

Good accommodation, clear instructions and good cycling. Met interesting people. Guides were very friendly and helpful.

Mr Payne
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
21/09/2015

Very good holiday overall, in a very interesting area. Route notes were at times inaccurate and ambiguous, which made the ride more like a treasure hunt!

All the hotels and accommodation were of a high standard and staff very friendly and helpful. Bikes were ok but not as good as the Headwater branded ones that we had in Burgundy last year. We would strongly recommend a Headwater holiday.

Mr Procter
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
19/09/2015

We were well looked after in all aspects of the holiday, from the comprehensive introductory talk, which was both entertaining and full of useful bits of information, through the well-planned and comprehensive route notes, to the excellent accommodation and surroundings of the rides.

Mr Harris
Heart of Veneto Cycling
19/09/2015

Very well organised lovely places to visit !!!!

Dr Ruscoe
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
12/09/2015

Puglia is a great destination for a cycling holiday. Hotels were welcoming, helpful and of good standard.But you definitely need better arrangements for route checking/updating and translation of self-guiding instructions, which misrepresented a number of key instructions, resuling in errors and distress. You continue to give paper instructions which don't fit the holders. Other companies provide mileometers and satnavigation

Mr McGinn
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
12/09/2015

This is our 7th cycling holiday with Headwater and once again we have had a really enjoyable holiday.

Mr Broome
Heart of Veneto Cycling
12/09/2015

This holiday does 'what it says on the tin' - provides accomodation, meals & cycling with a rep available as required.

The accomodation was a bit too far out of town for my liking - once dinner was over at 9:30 - 10.00 there was not much else to do.

s a solo traveller, I had several days when there were no other guests to talk to, despite Headwater implying there was limited space avilable when I booked..

Finally, as a non-drinker, I was disappointed in the lack of alternative drinks at dinner: water or water.



Apart from these small gripes I had a great time and loved cycling in the countryside. The food at the accomodation was generally very good and certainly ample quantities.



Mrs Green
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
12/09/2015

This was a wonderful holiday. We have done a number of cycling holidays in Italy with different tour operators and this was by far and away the best. Such beautiful landscape, food and wine and so un touristy. We didn't meet a single Brit. The hotels were simply fabulous and Headwater organisation faultless. We are a 70 and 65 year old who for various reasons had not managed do as much cycling this summer as we had intended and the cycling was challenging but we managed it. Hills meant wonderful views at every turn and then a downhill glide, and most hills were very manageable in lowest gear, slow steady pedalling and plenty of stops to admire the views. The distances aren't huge so you can afford to take your time, and with 2 nights at every hotel, you can break up the cycling with a rest day. We enjoyed this aspect, especially as the hotels were so lovely, and it was nice not to be re packing the suitcase each morning. We will definitely choose Headwater again, but this holiday has spoilt me and I shall be looking for another gastronomic trip!!!

Dr Cullen
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
11/09/2015

Really enjoyable, few small comments, maps were hard to read, water bottles ideally insulated, stands of bikes needed, lovely holiday, expensive especially because of euro/sterling exchange

Dr Foo
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
10/09/2015

It was well organised, the reps were great and we had a great time. The hotels were terrific, very comfortable, a great selection.

Mr Hancock
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
07/09/2015

The Italians could be encouraged to look after their surroundings better .The amount of rubbish by the sides of the roads is awful .It's such a shame and detracts from the unspoilt countryside.The historic centres of the town's are really interesting and not crowded.

Mr Brooks
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
06/09/2015

An Italian adventure. Excellent bikes, fabulous food. Sometimes the instructions were a challenge but generally ok. Accommodation was varied which added to the overall experience, The Masseria Salamina was exceptional. Our rep Dave was a joy .

Mr MacMillan
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
05/09/2015

Lovely cycling trip, local agents, hotels and bikes were very good. The Trulli hotel was interesting, but dark and lacking in facilities.

Mrs George
Heart of Veneto Cycling
05/09/2015

This was our 5th Headwater holiday. We like the attention to detail and the fact that we can rely on the equipment and the rep. We feel we are in good hands and that we can be sure of everything running smoothly. We enjoy meeting other Headwater customers.



(I have put myself in the 'over 64' bracket, but my son now age 31 has been coming on these holidays with me since he was in his teens, and continues to enjoy them)

Mrs Bullock
Heart of Veneto Cycling
05/09/2015

This was our first experience of an activity holiday and none of us are experienced cyclists so we chose a grade one single centre holiday, whilst a little apprehensive after a hefty breakfast and a briefing from our excellent rep Sarah we set off on our first ride. The cycling was well graded and the route description very easy to follow, we did not get lost or go wrong at all during our weeks stay, best of all we were able to go at our own pace and explore some lovely countryside. Returning to our accommodation we were able to share experiences with the other groups over a glass or two of the local wines. We never thought we would find a cycling holiday relaxing but have returned home very chilled and despite the exercise about 5lbs heavier than when we started, which is a testament to the quality and quantity of the food. Thank you to all.

Everybody was so professional, friendly and helpful from our first phone call to the office to our final goodbye to the reps. The routes were great - enough cycling to feel we'd earned our lovely hotel, pool and dinner but not too much to feel disheartened. There was plenty of time built in to sight see with excellent suggestions for rest days. We visited some great places that we'd never have found on our own as well as some more main stream destinations. A lovely combination and so well organised.

Dr Winter
Classic Chianti Cycling
03/09/2015

Well organised and professional service - headwater deliver what they promise and the holidays are excellent. A reasonable degree of fitness is required for the cycling holidays - not suitable for beginners or irregular cyclists.

Mrs Geddes
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
02/09/2015

Excellent holiday. The holiday representatives are a credit to the company. We would certainly book another holiday with Headwater!

Mr Elliott-Jones
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
02/09/2015

A fantastic package, great value for money in superb, friendly & family-run hotels. Great cycling routes through some challenging terrain, very good, sensibly built bikes. Reps & Headwater office staff were very helpful, couldn't do enough to make sure we were sorted.

Our most scenic Headwater cycling holiday to date and well worth the physical effort!

Mrs Hoile
Heart of Veneto Cycling
18/08/2015

A great place to tour on cycles, local people and hospitality are excellent

Mr Gilbert
Classic Chianti Cycling
10/08/2015

We were initially slightly worried by the directions and unknown roads etc, however the notes proved to be excellent and only got momentarily lost once during the whole holiday. Take plenty of food, water and sun cream on the rides as shops and shelter can be few and far between.

Mr Pridmore
Classic Chianti Cycling
09/08/2015

A challenging holiday but thoroughly enjoyable. The views were amazing and the rides took you through beautiful places. The use of the word undulating in the notes was over used, hill was closer! Had such a sense of achievement at the end of the holiday! Would love to do this again.

Mrs Brown
Classic Chianti Cycling
03/08/2015

I have found Headwater holidays to be consistently excellent over the three occasions that I've used them. You find some amazing places for us to stay in and provide really useful information on local places to visit. It's lovely to get off the usual tourist tracks and really get to see the countries in more detail, experiencing far more of the areas we visit. The views were spectacular which made up for the challenging sections of the rides, and we were entertained by a golden eagle only metres away from us on the first and last cycle days.

We found the holiday provided a good mix of cycling and relaxation. The cycling in July was very hot and the hills quite challenging while the hotels were very comfortable and quiet. Enough choice of things to do from the hotels or simply relax by the pool.

Cycle routes were very well mapped, cycles were properly geared for the climbs and well maintained.

Transfers from the airport to the hotel were well organised and on cycling days our luggage was promptly transferred between hotels.

Mrs Stockton
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
29/07/2015

An excellent first holiday with Headwater. We chose a 2+ cycle standard which was tougher than we expected, however the heart had a large effect on our ability. All the hotels were beautiful my only complaint was the air conditioning could of been a lot more powerful. The scenery was just breathtaking on the rides and over all i would highly recommend this trip.

This was a fantastic holiday mixing activity through cycling with culture by visiting Vicenza, Padua and Venice. It is great if you want an authentic holiday experience getting the feel of a country independently by cycling along country lanes and canal banks undisturbed by traffic and stopping at local markets or cafes for lunch with the security of knowing that a comfortable bed and good food awaits you at the end of a day. You feel you have earned the glass of wine and the lovely food using fresh local ingredients . The hotels were all different but individual and whilst not needed it is good to know that there is a local rep on hand to sort out any problems. It was 10 years since our last headwater cycling holiday but we were pleased that we still easily coped with the cycling and this holiday was the best mix of scenery, cycle routes, hotels and food out of the other 4 I have had over a 25 year period. Thank you for a great time.

Mrs MacEnri
Heart of Veneto Cycling
25/07/2015

We were a group of 9, who were made to feel most welcome. L'alhambra is in a beautiful setting, and the pool was most welcome after a hot days cycling. The evening meals were always delightful, using produce from the farm, breakfast was however a little un imaginative and we had to ask for eggs-which were then available every morning.

Sarah is very knowledgeable, whether your asking about pumping the tyres, local wine or the times of trains! She quickly found answers to our queries and made calls on our behalf. The wine tour and tasting at Catalunga was the highlight of the week- bigger saddle bags required!!

Ms Hawking
Heart of Veneto Cycling
23/07/2015

An extremely positive experience, wonderful accommodation and cuisine, superb support from the rep, gorgeous rides offered suitable to our experience, great fun and relaxing holiday had by all!

Mr Biddlestone
Heart of Veneto Cycling
14/07/2015

It was our first cycling holiday and both of us enjoyed the experience. The pool was excellent, the bikes excellent, the weather superb, and our hosts Valfrido and Angelina, their daughter Romina and son Frederico certainly made us welcome. If circumstances allowed, for we are both skiers, i think we would certainly entertain repeating the holiday. As we never cycled after 2 pm, we both thought the pool was an essential requirement. As for the food and drink. I can certainly believe it all comes from the farm, as it tasted so fresh, but this means only wine and water are served with the evening meal. Finally the rep, Sarah was organised and helpfull.

We almost always travel independently and avoid package holidays. However, we wanted to do a cycling holiday and were attracted by the idea of being able to cycle from place to place with our luggage transported. Headwater did not let us down - we felt we had all the advantages of independent travel (getting off the well-worn tourist routes, meeting local people and eating regional food) yet had backup if we wanted or needed it. Our rep, Sarah, was outstanding, friendly and knowledgeable and generous with her time. Cycle routes were clear and had plenty of suggestions for detours to places of interest, or to make the day's trip more or less taxing. We liked all the places where we stayed - the two hotels were polished and comfortable, a lovely complement to the country cooking and warm family atmosphere of the two agritourismi.

Mrs Downes
Classic Chianti Cycling
05/07/2015

This is a great way to explore Tuscany with a good physical challenge and lots of wonderful gastronomic experiences thrown in.

Dr Young
Heart of Veneto Cycling
04/07/2015

Booking was not entirely straight forward. I appreciate that we had different members of the party coming from different places - and indeed staying for different lengths of time -and with some dietary requests - but for me there is not the attention to detail that i would expect. I picked up several errors during the booking and invoicing procedures - that were just frustrating. Everything was eventually resolved but not without my going through every detail carefully. Unfortunately when one error arises one has to look even more closely at all the documentation- all of which was exceptionally time consuming.At all times I was dealt with politely, and am grateful for the written apology I received on this occasion .

However if one can push through this - your holidays are just superb.Recognising that we were fairly energetic, Sarah provided us with 2 extensions on the given routes which were just what some members needed. Also, a previous guest, had written an alternative route back on the visit to the lake. That was wonderful but certainly in the 2 to 3 cycle realm - but we loved it.- so there is room to offer this as a more than one cycle if wished.

The hotel pool was wonderful and much used in the very hot conditions! The family at the hotel could not have been more helpful and the atmosphere there was just lovely- marvellous to relax there after the cycling.

For future customers you may like to add that if you have an inordinate wait at venice station there is a great restaurant opposite called Soul Kitchen - who allowed us to sit for 2 and a half hours over a lovely easy meal.

Super holiday, loved the area, and all the hotels. Our rep, Sarah, was absolutely wonderful. She found us a taxi at a good price, she knew all about the area, the bag transfer was done most efficiently, what a lovely lady. She even recognised that we felt more comfortable eating as just a couple, and not in a larger group, and without us asking she organised a table for just us two. How perceptive!! Thank you Sarah.

Mrs Griffiths
Heart of Veneto Cycling
20/06/2015

Excellent from start to finish as usual!

Dr May
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
18/06/2015

Great food and accommodation. Tough cycling but scenic. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Mrs Mollett
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
13/06/2015

The welcome briefing was far too long, we expected it to last for about 15 minutes and it went for over 2 hours. We could have read the notes ourselves, rather than having the rep read them to us. The route notes were excellent and easy to follow. Puglia is a varied part of Italy, some parts are stunningly beautiful, other bits less picturesque. Alberobello has been spoilt by the number of tourists and souvenir shops, we would have preferred to stay in Locorotondo, which is a far more beautiful town without the hoards of cruise ship tourists, although staying in a Trullo was a great experience. The people of Puglia that we came in contact with were incredibly friendly, helpful and kind, and the food and wine were amazing. All in all it was a good cycling holiday with lots to see and varied cycling.

Mr Lumsden
Heart of Veneto Cycling
13/06/2015

It seems that overall the employees and agents of Headwater have forgotten who is the guest and who is the host

Ms Smart
Classic Chianti Cycling
10/06/2015

A challenging (take note) cycling tour taking you to some beautiful places in Tuscany. The bike was great and despite having to get off a few times in a few places I was mostly very happy with the km and the routes. If I could change any part of the route it would be the strada biancha on day 1 as that really is a bit tough with no views for most of it. The rest of the routes were fine and took you to beautiful scenery.



I was sorely disappointed with the hotel in Siena and would strongly recommend that Headwater change this option as it spoilt my trip a bit. The other hotels were great - my favourite was Pescile. Hotel Revere was good if the weather was ok but I can imagine this is a bit gloomy if its raining as there are limited places to sit inside.



The food was mostly good - breakfasts can be a bit 'Italian' but on the whole not too bad. The biggest let down for food was being sent to two Pizzerias two nights in a row in Certaldo. There is a huge choice of restaurants in Certaldo Alto and I would have preferred paying for my own meal and being given options.



A highlight was a tour of Montalcino (can be done from hotel Revere) and finding some amazing restaurants in San Gim (better at night to avoid the day trippers) and Siena.



For anyone wanting to know here are my restaurant highlights:



Siena - La taverna de San Giuseppe

San Gim - Cum Quibus

Certaldo Alto - Fonte Antica



Overall very happy and am missing the cycling now I am back in the UK

Mrs Allen
Heart of Veneto Cycling
06/06/2015

A really enjoyable holiday,in a beautiful area. Take note of the weather forecast in the Veneto - it seems it is often stormy in June. Great cycling but take your own saddle - I have a ladies saddle on my own bike and I never made friends with the one on the bike that was supplied, which, despite being a gel saddle was a generic one rather than a saddle for a women. The bike itself was excellent apart from the saddle problem. Another warning is take high strength anti-mosquito solution, I was bitten badly even though I was using what I thought was a good quality solution - I bought some high strength from the local supermarket and that worked well but I had to make sure I put it on every exposed bit!!

Mr Price
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
03/06/2015

A well planned and run cycle tour through a beautiful part of Italy with good accommodation.

Mr Quinn
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
01/06/2015

It was our first cycling holiday - we both really enjoyed it. Just the right amount of cycling. The suggestions of what to do on the non cycling days were very helpful. Unfortunately we got lost in Potigano - maybe you should recheck the route notes for leaving the old town. One of the highlights of our holiday was a boat trip on the final day on the Yasemin Sultan.

Mr Denton
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
31/05/2015

A first class package in terms of organisation, accommodation and quality of food. The cycling was a challenge in that the temperatures were in the mid thirties and the route notes could be improved.

Mis Barrie
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
29/05/2015

A fun way to exercise in a beautiful location

Mrs Phillips
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
20/05/2015

Everything ran smoothly, with no problems with the transportation of luggage or airport pickup and drop off. The initial briefing by Davide was very thorough and informative. We found the route notes straightforward on the whole but there were a few inaccuracies. Hotels were of a good standard, but we were glad to have taken the option to upgrade, particularly at the Palazzo Indelli where our junior suite had a large terrace overlooking the lively piazza. Having outdoor space at the Trullo was also beneficial. Alberobello is interesting but very touristy and on the leisure day there, we opted to take the train to nearby Martina Franca, via Locorotundo and would recommend this. Italian trains are cheap and easy to use - just don't forget to validate your ticket before boarding! The cycling generally was perfectly manageable, although there was the odd challenging climb. On the last day, we chose to go our own way and followed the coastal route back to Monopoli, rather than go inland. This gave us an enjoyable but shorter ride, allowing us to enjoy the rest of the day in Monopoli.

Mr Day
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
20/05/2015

Well organised , enjoyable and healthy

Mis Perry
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
17/05/2015

A beautiful area unspoilt by development. Fabulous food and wine. Loved it.

Mr Lewis
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
13/05/2015

Very good accommodation in interesting buildings; friendly people; interesting towns; remarkable ancient olive trees; some days are very hilly.

Mr Watt
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
06/05/2015

This was our 13th holiday out of 15 with Headwater and the best yet! You are ahead of your competitors that we have tried.

The location of the trip was ideal.

Mrs Greenwood
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
03/05/2015

Accommodation and transfer/transport arrangements were good and enjoyed. We thought a Grading of 2 would be more appropriate ; the first two days were difficult. However the route directions were disappointing and in one place wrong. Although the directions were recently revised, I suggest they are reviewed, in particular:

Page 9: the ERG petrol station has been replaced by a building site. On the same page, the 2 electric poles are on a right turn and the Via Marascelli sign is not there. The directions in and out of Noci were confusing and need clarity, probably by removing choice of routes around the town.

Page 28. Conchia to monopoli at the junction with the give way sign , it should say turn left! At present no direction is given. There were other minor errors along the whole route but as you say, signs change !



Mr Jones
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
02/05/2015

This experience allowed us to see the delights of Puglia at our leisure. The route took us through the most beautiful countryside and was made perfect with the excellent food, wine and accommodation

Dr Padfield
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
01/05/2015

Marvellous trip. Good that you arranged no rain and temperatures of 32 degrees

Ms Gillespie
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
29/04/2015

Loved Puglia and everything about the region - scenery, cycle rides, food and especially the negro amaro wine we discovered. The accommodation was brilliant especially the Masseria although we did also really like the vibe of the main square in Monopoli.



There were just 3 slight disappointments

1. The spa at the Corte Altavilla in Conversano was all style over substance and was over-priced

2. The food at the Corte Altavilla was also slightly disappointing after our experience in Monopoli

3. The town and local maps provided by the local agent were utterly useless. Google was much better! They also didn't sometimes tally with the Headwater accurate directions

Mrs Shann
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
27/04/2015

The cycling was more challenging than expected from the description mainly because of the many climbs involved. One of our party struggled with this, the fitter members of the party found it hard at times but more manageable

Puglia is a lovely uncommercial area of Italy and I would like to visit it again. The people are very friendly and helpful.

The bikes are very good but would benefit from the water bottles more easily accessible instead of having to be stored in the panniers. This is not allowed because of some ridiculous health and safety rule. There is a worry that you will try and drink from your water bottle when cycling.

Mr Carson
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
27/04/2015

Good with one serious caveat below

Dr Goldberg
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
11/04/2015

We have just had a wonderful week cycling in Puglia with Headwater. We would highly recommend going in late April/May as the countryside was covered in wild flowers and the weather was perfect for cycling at around 18C. The bikes were just right for the routes which are all on roads. Most roads are quiet but some were busier than I was expecting especially coming into the towns but the Italian drivers were surprisingly deferential and careful around cyclists. The hotels chosen by Headwater were all excellent. All the evening meals we had were delicious, both those provided and those we found ourselves. Not one disappointing lunch or dinner in the whole week! Some of the route instructions need clarification and personally I would have preferred them to be a bit shorter but overall an excellent weeks holiday. I'm sure we will be booking again with Headwater next year.

Mr Trivedi
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
04/04/2015

We loved this holiday. Dave provided comprehensive information on the routes and accommodation at our initial briefing, and could not have been more helpful. He also gave us lots of background information to help us make the most out of our holiday. Puglia is a beautiful area ideal for cycling, and the hotels (which were all excellent) all had very different characters, which added extra interest to the holiday.

Mr Millican
Classic Chianti Cycling
06/10/2014

The cycling was challenging, much more difficult than we expected from the rating. We would not have made it without the help and assistance from the reps Katy and Jim. They were excellent. There were downhill parts of the route that were dangerous for moderate cyclists. I know the area is hilly, however some of the climbing was more akin to a cycling race than a holiday.

Mr Joslin
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
04/10/2014

This was our first time with Headwater and the impressive, friendly and efficient service, together with very good hotels in a variety of beautuful locations, ensured our total enjoyment. The routes suggested were good and we had the option of extending our rides (in particular an extension to the coastal ride on Day 1). A slight criticism would be that the directions could be clearer and presented in specific instructional order rather than paragraph narratives; we were not sure that anyone had actually cycled these routes 'blind' and thus we made some mistakes. neverthelessall rides were completed successfully. Puglia is something of a gem and the programme ensure that we enjoyed a full flavour of its varied geography and history. We would have no hesitation in booking another of your holidays and thank you for such a pleasureable experience.

Mr Harper
Heart of Veneto Cycling
04/10/2014

Great dinners, basic breakfasts (although there were always delicious cakes).

The scenery is spectacular - typical Tuscany -but beware the cycling is not for the inexperienced. The region is hilly and you do cycle on some busy roads. Good location for visits to Sienna and other famous hill top villages We very much enjoyed the holiday

Mr Dick
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
30/09/2014

Well organised holiday. Lots of places to visit and experience as a result of thoughtful planning. Good, comfortable accommodation and food.

Mrs Lee
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
26/09/2014

The holiday was fantastic, better than expected. Hotels, food, wine, weather all perfect, with great cycling routes on very quiet roads.

The views were to die for, and the hills a challenge but rewarded with the downward ride on the other side.

Would love to do it all again.

Mrs Lodge
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
24/09/2014

A most enjoyable holiday.However I think that it should be graded as a 3 bike holiday or 2++ at least. the cycling on the last day was extremely challenging-- we chose to go via Dogliani.

Mrs Ovenden
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
24/09/2014

Headwater take the headache out of arranging your holiday all you have to do is turn up and enjoy.

Mr Smillie
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
23/09/2014

We are not regular cyclists and this was our group's (6 of us) first experience of a cycling holiday and of using Headwater.

The organisation was very good and the suggestion of Puglia for this adventure was first class.

We had excellent weather to enjoy lovely countryside and well chosen locations and accommodation.

Dr Miller
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
16/09/2014

I found cycling in Piemonte quite challenging. I did the Undiscovered Provence and also the Umbria cycling trips last year, and I would say I found Piemonte a notch more difficult, at least subjectively (I reviewed my cycling computer data, and Provence was actually much more climbing). It may be because there were very few flat spots, the hills were quite relentless and the warmth and humidity were quite high on several days.

Piemonte had the best food and hotels of the three itineraries I mentioned, while Provence had the better scenery and riding terrain variety (but much poorer hotels and food). Umbria was probably the best compromise of food and hotel quality and terrain variety.

Mrs Spriggs
Classic Chianti Cycling
16/09/2014

Beautiful countryside, tough cycling you would need to do some cycling at home prior to a 2 bike plus. We feel the hotels are much more cosmopolitan than in the past. Whilst they are of a very good standard we miss the more authentic accommodation with more local traditionally prepared food and eating together as a group.



My husband found the food at Relais della Rovere disappointing.

Dr Dewar
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
13/09/2014

Really excellent trip. Cycling was great and not too strenuous although cycling every day a reasonable distance. Beautiful scenery passing through coastal areas with shimmering sea and quiet coves, on to endless olive groves with not a person in sight. The Puglia towns are delightful in character. Hotels are undoubtedly excellent especially Masseria Salamina (a gem - what a location, luxurious pool area, fabulous dinners) and Trulli stay was also a delight, with very friendly but not intrusive staff. The cycling is all on surfaced roads which means that the provided bikes were more sporty and made cycling easier (lighter frame, thinner tyres, gearing better, no mudguards or bell). Southern visions, your local partners, were really helpful - we were travelling on to Dubrovnik by ferry and the transfer driver spent quite some time locating the left luggage for us, which would have been impossible for us without good Italian. Thus was really appreciated as we were able to relax in Bari for the day. Finally the Spa in a Corte Altavilla was a great bonus - each of us had a well-earned massage from Andreas after steam room and soaking in the hot tub. Weather was excellent (iPhone weather suggests cloudy and thunder storms but neither was accurate - sunshine daily in mid to late September.

Mrs Martin
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
08/09/2014

Definately worth a try and nice varied holiday. It was good to experience a different part of Italy. Whilst for us it doesn't quite match up to the scenary of home and other parts of Italy such asTuscany and Umbria, it has its own charm. Our cycling route took in a good mix of the coast, the coastal planes and the plateau and some lovely little towns. The cycle down from Alberobello was lush. As we live in God's own countyclose to the Yorkshitre Dales all the miles of dry stone walling made us feel quite at home. Luckily we don't have anywhere near the problems the Italian's have with roadside litter and fly tipping. It's a real shame. However, it's not all like that by any means. It certainly isn't something in Headwater's control as isn't the weather, which was indifferent but we managed not to get wet whilst riding, which was good and we did see some sun - just thought it might have been a bit better in early September, but your in the lap of the gods . There's some fantastic old olive vines throwing up some weird and wonderful trunk shapes to feast your eyes on. We saw very few animals despite there been a plentiful array of meat on the evening meal menus. The people we met from Southern Visions your local agent were all very friendly and they provided an excellent service. Manopoli was a wonderful place to start and the Palazzo Indelli a nice little hotel right in the thick of the old historic quarter in a lovely little square, which came alive at night, and close to the waterfront with its fortifications and castle. Worth doing the extra short loop on the first day if you want a bit of fish for lunch. Corte Altavilla was a nice little hotel also and well located just off the square by the cathedral and near the castle in Conservano. I just thought the hotel restaurant on the top floor lacked a bit of atmosphere, but we were only there for one night, so no great shakes. This hotel looked to have a good spa, but it was fully booked, so if you want to partake best to book in advance. Staying in the Truli house was an experience, as were the bangs on the head I gave myself on the low doorways! However, previous reviews on your website weren't wrong that you had saved the best until last - the Masseria Salamina. I dont think I've ever felt so relaxed so quickly on arrival at a hotel and I've stayed at many. We were so pleased that after reading the other reviews we'd opted for another night. In fact if we went back and did this trip again I'd be looking to rejig things to stay in Arerobello and the Trulli House for just 1 night instead of 2 and have a further night at Masseria Salamina. What a lovely place. There's opportunities for those who want to mix cycling with a bit of train travel with the bikes, such as the round journey from Alberobello where we actually chose in the end to take the train back from Marta Franca. Be aware Italian drivers seem to like to honk their horns I guess to tell you they are coming even though you've already heard them. Overall a very pleasurable experience well worth a go.

Mr McDowell
Classic Chianti Cycling
07/09/2014

We had a wonderful holiday and will have plenty of fond memories and photo's. It was a nice mix of exercise,visiting some lovely cities and villages and relaxation.The beauty about cycling is that you get time to appreciate the views, the Tuscan countryside is absolutely amazing. Our reps were extremely pleasant and helpful which went a long way towards our holiday enjoyment. We would definitely do another cycling holiday or even a walking one, but would not want to cycle on another Strada Bianca! It was a very well organised holiday from start to finish. Thank-you Headwater

Mrs Watts
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
03/09/2014

We celebrated our wedding anniversary with this holiday. Overall we had a wonderful experience despite the unseasonably wet weather in Apuglia this September. We flew independently and organised ourselves 2 days in Lecce which we would recommend. We arrived in Monopoli by train and walked to the hotel - from there on we were welcomed and looked after by Southern Vision rep Davide who was extremely informative. We were a bit concerned that we would end up on a group tour but the other headwater guests were lovely and everyone had their own plans and did their own thing. The cycling was just the right level for us, the hotels great! The inclusive food was very good standard and elsewhere we did not have one course of food that was not delicious! Highlights were the pretty town squares, the Esspressini, the Vongole, the Negramero wine, the sea food at Savelletri, the afternoons lazily cycling through olive groves, the quiet routes and the friendly people of Southern Italy. When we arrived at Bari airport with the wrong passports with 50 minutes before the gate closed, Southern Vision contacted Salamina, and then the young Boss Phillipo (apologies for spelling) broke the land speed record, and every level of service and commitment to get our passports to us! while the Southern Vision team worked on a backup plan the accommodate us and rearrange flights - All in under 45 minutes! We made our flight, sweating, tired, but very happy that we had chosen Headwater for a great fun way to celebrate.

Mrs Capper
Classic Chianti Cycling
31/08/2014

Excellent holiday, very well organised. Will definitely take another holiday with headwater

A special thank you to the reps Kate and Jim Illingworth who went far over and above there duty to make our holiday outstanding

A special thank you to headwater for the 2 bottles of wine we received for our 30th wedding anniversary



Thank you all

Mrs Elmer
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
30/08/2014

Puglia as a region is over-hyped. You will mainly be cycling along dusty roads through olive trees. The southern Italian towns have very messy litter strewn outskirts with disused factories and omnipresent graffiti but once you get to the centres you will find lovely old walled towns with stone pavements - completely closed as you are most likely to arrive in the middle of the afternoon siesta!



you did ask!!

Ms Robson
Heart of Veneto Cycling
30/08/2014

A great area with varied cycling and a relaxing base. Sarah was very helpful with advice on alternative routes.

Mrs Wall
Classic Chianti Cycling
29/08/2014

Excellent! Not a cheap holiday, but worth every penny. Good hotels, excellent food. Bikes were good. Friendly helpful service from the reps who went out of their way to meet the needs of individual guests.

Ms Sobczyk
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
15/08/2014

Not sure - with 6 of us booking together (ie a lot of custom for Headwater) it would have been much more helpful if someone in head office had thought through our travelling requirements more carefully. The girl who took the booking always said that we could fly on Friday or Sunday, but did not explain the implications of choosing the Friday in terms of extra travel problems to and from Munich, nor at the outset of the cost implications. The extra costs crept in as the booking progressed - as full time workers it was easier to just carry on with the booking than say hang on, why weren't all these extra costs explained before we started this process (room supplements, transfers, extra prices for flight because a busy weekend (did the UK sales rep explore whether the Sunday departure would have been cheaper for us, for instance - I think not). We also thought that Headwater should have had another rep out there in Piedmont - Martha and Esme could not help us out on non cycling days as they were on airport runs .... but with a holiday of this quality, there should be someone available at all times.. I would also add that I have been on a number of other holidays with cycling companies - more down market - but the experience and knowledge of the rep and mechanic has far outweighed the knowledge and experience of Esme and Martha; they did nothing wrong, but did not add the type of spark to the holiday a good rep can.



The daily notes explaining the route would have benefitted enormously from a proper map - with other companies we have been given laminated copies of the map giving all the local details - your sketches together with the provided maps were not easy to interpret. We suspected they needed a bit of an update - gradient outlines for example would help - we knew it would not be easy but the hills did seem to dominate!



We probably will go with Headwater again on account of the quality of the hotels, but will ask a lot more questions next time about exactly what is involved and what help will be available.



We did have a good time, but a lot of niggles that ought to have been sorted. I have never complained before about a holiday .....

Mrs Conway
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
13/08/2014

What a wonderful holiday! We thoroughly enjoyed it. Regarding the hills - yes, they're steep, but the bikes were perfectly maintained (thanks, Esme!) and the overall distances aren't that long, so I (reasonably fit but not a great cyclist, had probably been out 10 times this year previously and in Hertfordshire so hardly hilly) found them perfectly doable, and certainly easier than I had feared from reading earlier reviews. We did all the tougher options and the amount of cycling was just hard enough to give a sense of achievement/work up an appetite for the next feast! Personally, I enjoyed the challenge of the hills and the wonderful views at the tops! Having said that, if you haven't been on a bike in years/aren't generally active, this might not be the holiday for you.



Hotels were all lovely; restaurants all very good and the majority truly excellent. Spa facilities at Villa d'Amelia were particularly good.



We found plenty to fill the non-cycling days, sometimes on foot and sometimes by bike. Almost always there were local walks (e.g. on noticeboards in the town centre and signposted from there) which we enjoyed.



Overall a hugely enjoyable and memorable holiday!

We enjoyed another quality holiday with Headwater. This area of Italy is very pretty, ideal for gentle cycling and sightseeing. All of the hotels provided excellent food, wine and accomodation.

Mrs Wilson
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
30/07/2014

We had a wonderful holiday with Headwater. The hotels and food were excellent. The scenery is stunning because the area is hilly. (You definitely need to have done some recent cycling and be reasonably fit.) A great holiday for food and wine enthusiasts. We were planning our next Headwater trip on the flight back!

Mr Raven
Heart of Veneto Cycling
29/07/2014

Wonderful - just what we were after

Mrs Holman
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
22/07/2014

Excellent service from Kate and Jim starting with a postcard before hand saying that they were looking forward to meeting us. Excellent combination of sight seeing and cycling

Mr Ayech
Heart of Veneto Cycling
19/07/2014

it was very interesting, enjoyed the countryside, the people especial. the l' Albara family met some very good people and cycled with some . Pleasantly different

You really get to know a country on a bike - the real people, the flora and fauna, food and customs. Eat like a king and not feel guilty!

You have to accept some discomfort - mosquitos, missing/faulty air conditioning, rain showers, bikes with no suspension at all, miss the odd lunch, but it's got to be better than plonked next to a pool reading a book, and cramming another meal in.

Not sure you'd want to publish these comments though!

Seriously, we enjoyed our holiday, and look forward to our next one - maybe Denmark?

Mrs Charnley
Heart of Veneto Cycling
05/07/2014

People can book with confidence as the description in the Headwater booklet is an accurate description of the experience on offer. Sarah, our holiday rep, was very friendly and helpful. Our accommodation was very good, lovely location and great food. However, as a family group of between ages 10 and 67, we did feel that eating our dinner at 8.00 pm was far too late and we would have appreciated the availability of tea-making facilities in our rooms.

Ms White
Heart of Veneto Cycling
28/06/2014

The perfect holiday for the more active.

Overall a superb holiday, occasional cyclist managed route, good accommodation, good route and other notes. Good access to other locations for tourist visiting.

Excellent local rep.

Dr Lyttelton
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
22/06/2014

The holiday was a lovely mixture of fabulous scenery, challenging cycling and good food and wine. Your website does have some comments about the grading of the cycling, we did all the longest routes and although there were some steep hills the overall length of the routes was quite short so we agreed with the grading.

Mrs Scheer
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
18/06/2014

We had a fabulous cycling trip in this beautiful part of Italy. The accommodations were lovely and the dinners ranged from very good to excellent. The cycling was challenging at times, but not unmanageable. As usual, the Headwater bikes were great and the local reps were very helpful. The people in this region are very friendly and there were lots of opportunities to do wine and grappa tastings. This was our 4th Headwater trip and we are already planning the next one.

Mr Edwards
Heart of Veneto Cycling
14/06/2014

A very well organised holiday with excellent travel arrangements and a warm welcome from rep and hosts.

Mr Valdes
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
11/06/2014

The holiday was very enjoyable and the suggested places to visit/eat and short town guides were very helpful. The food in this part of Italy was amazing and there was a lovely mix of Coast and hills.

Mrs Pickles
Classic Chianti Cycling
10/06/2014

Tuscany is wonderful. Beautiful countryside and enchanting hilltop towns. However the cycling routes are long and steep, and hard work in the very high temperatures we experienced. It's a glorious holiday if you're fit!

Mr Payne
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
04/06/2014

Excellent route through the countryside beautiful but the cycling can be very challenging at times particularly if it is very hot.

This was our third holiday with Headwater and as always everything was great, the guides, accommodation, trip routes, bikes, excellent and memorable holiday

Mrs Alexander
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
02/06/2014

our third Headwater holiday. Set dinners in the hotels often poor and we are really fed up with this. It is not a cheap holiday but we seem to get the dregs of the food. Our best meals were out in independent restaurants. On the first night when Pallatzo Indelli couldn't feed us they sent us out for a wonderful simple fresh supper at a restaurant. Dinner with them the second night was DISGUSTING. We felt like the poor relations.

Headwater response:
Dear Mrs Alexander, Thank you for your constructive feedback, We were sorry to see that you were disappointed with the standard of meals served at some of the restaurants on this holiday . We have discussed your comments with our local suppliers and from this some new menus have been put into place with more choices available. Whilst the overall feedback for this holiday is positive, we realise we cannot afford to let our standard slip and thank you for bringing these points to our attention. We hope that by making these small changes our customers will continue to enjoy this lovely area of Italy.
Yours sincerely,
Headwater Customer Service team

Mis Wilson
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
02/06/2014

A solitary bat swinging from the arched roof of an underground Marmini Etruscan tomb. Lizards posing on sun bleached steps or rustling through the undergrowth as you cycle past. The call of frogs, the flash of jays. An abundance of flowers, butterflies, insects and birds and stunning panoramic views. Loads of local colour and culture. Pasta, gnocchi, pecorino cheese with a honey and pine nut dip, ricotta cheesecake, pizza al taglio, gelato. Buongiornos and waves from Italian cyclists. Enjoy those downhill whizzes because there are also some climbs - but you will survive to tell the tale!

This was our 13th consecutive year of cycling holidays with Headwater and was one of the best. This was partly because the weather was so good but mainly because the Veneto is such a lovely area for cycling and hoidaying. The food at all hotels was excellent and the local wines are not only excellent but cheap.

Mr Stead
Classic Chianti Cycling
30/05/2014

This was our first holiday with Headwater and we thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. The cycling was challenging and we would advised others choosing this holiday to be prepared for the 'undulations' also known as long, steep hills! However, saying that if you are of a competitive nature they only added to the enjoyment when you reach the top. On the whole the accommodation was fantastic especially the Relais della Rovere where nothing was too much trouble and Le Renaie whose family atmosphere was lovely. We're now looking forward to choosing from next year's brochure - roll on next summer!

Mr Holway
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
27/05/2014

Cycling quite tough; should be rated Two-Bike +. Landscape lovely but little variation. Rest days can be hard to fill. Accommodation good, breakfasts mostly wonderful.

Mrs McKay
Heart of Veneto Cycling
24/05/2014

L'Albara was wonderful and accommodated our dietary requirements (vegan) very well - every course had a vegan version and the quality of the food was the best we've had.

Mr Griffiths
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
21/05/2014

Good fun helped by good weather, hotels, food and wine.

Our stay in Monopoli was wonderful and the hotel was ideal - got a little lost on our way back on the first cycle ride as we mis-counted some of the 'Y' turns. Enjoyed the cycle rides along the side roads - pretty wild flowers in May.

Mrs Bird
Classic Chianti Cycling
12/05/2014

Katie and Jim looked after all our needs and we are grateful to them for making our holiday work. We found the cycling very tough, but were able to switch to the walking holiday with their help. We probably over estimated our ability but the grading of the holiday was a little misleading to us. Some of the other guests agreed that they had found it tougher than they had expected. Overall, the holiday was enjoyable and we would use Headwater Holidays again.

Mr Previte
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
03/05/2014

Because of our ages (I am 80, my wife is 78) we decided not to do the Puglia trip on bikes but by car. This worked very well. The only problem was the very narrow streets and difficulty in finding the way in Monopoli. Doing it by car meant we had more time to explore the places where we stayed and time to drive to Lecce. We thought that Masseria Salamina would be a very good base for anyone wishing to explore Puglia by car. It is a lovely hotel, easy to find and in a good location for visiting other interesting places in that area. The sea food restaurants on the coast are excellent, especially one at La Forcatella. The remains of the Roman town and port at Egnazia and the museum are very intersting.

Mr Woolstone
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
12/04/2014

A wonderfully authentic Puglian expeience -great locations, countryside, food, wine & cycling

Mr Dear
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
07/04/2014

We decided to book our own direct flights with BA instead of using the advertised Alitalia via Milan flights. The timings don't differ significantly and Headwater were happy to arrange non standard transfers at no extra cost. The standard of accommodation throughout the trip was of a high standard. We really enjoyed the stay in the Trulli house and were pleasantly surprised to be given a Trulli suite with a small patio garden! The highlight however was our stay in the Masseria Salamina. On booking we upgraded to a garden suite but on arrival we were delighted to be allocated the luxury suite complete with private balcony and sea views. We were made to feel really welcome by the family and the food was excellent. Simple, fresh and plentiful with much of it coming from their own farm.

The map of the area is only good for an overview but the route notes and briefing were excellent and at no point did we stray off route. Some of the roads (as has been mentioned before) are in a poor condition but this did not detract from the enjoyment of the cycling.

Another enjoyable, well organised and well supported holiday from Headwater. The next one is already booked!

Mr Whittaker
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
05/10/2013

This area of Italy proved to be lovely for cycling. Most of the routes were along very quiet lanes lined with dry stone walls, along side olive groves and vineyards. Staying in a Trulli in Alberrobello was a delightful experience, so much so that we wish we had been able to book an extra night: we didn't cycle on the middle day as we wanted to look round the town.

Mrs Marshall
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
28/09/2013

Your local agent organised a great tour through Puglia, linking key sights of interest via lovely quiet back roads where we observed rural life.

Mr Morgan
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
28/09/2013

Great combination of exercise, exploration and recreation.

A cycling holiday is an adventure. We started in summer weather and ended in cold and rain which did somewhat marr this experience. This was our 6th cycling holiday, and we felt that the route was somewhat artificial. [Our favourite was the Danube, Passau to Vienna, which was a real journey.]

Mrs Duncan
Classic Chianti Cycling
24/09/2013

good mix of cycling and rest days. Profile maps giving an indication of the heights gained and lost would be of interest. We cycled an extra day whilst at H della Rovere, and some information about possible routes might have been useful. In fairness, we hadn't told the reps we intended to do this as it was a last moment decision. Hotel Rovere room 404 was noisy as it was opposite reception and trundling suitcases early and late were noisily intrusive. Don't book this room or ask the hotel to lay down a rubberised pathway... The room was also quite dark.

Reps were excellent and helpful setting up and checking the bikes.. Rattly rear mudguards over the via bianchi and uneven road surfaces needed a bit of first aid. A bike bottle holder on the bike frame would have been nice

Mr Emms
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
20/09/2013

nice hotels, gentle cycling and wonderful surroundings....all makes for an enjoyable and relaxing break

Mr Robertson
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
20/09/2013

Piedmont is a very attractive area and not at all 'touristy'. It is, however, much hillier than we expected from brochure description, and though the climbs were interesting at times, the rewards were the views from the top and the descents!

The accommodation was excellent in every respect, the hotel and restaurant staff almost invariably very welcoming and helpful and the food and wines were generally very good. Special mention to the Osteria Dai Cateri in Monforte d'Alba for the best dinner of the holiday but most of the others were extremely good. Moda again in Monforte d'Alba was only average and Verde Rama in Castiglione Tinella was a bit disappointing; they gave us a restricted '?Headwater' menu and several of the dishes served were poor. I think all the other restaurants gave us a choice from their a la carte menus.

This is our third Headwater holiday and the bikes provided were the worst. The bikes were fairly basic and slightly heavy hybrids compared with what the Chain Gang gave us last year but they were poorly maintained and my bike was unsafe. My wife's bike's handlebars weren't straight and she couldn't get into the lowest gear (not handy in hilly terrain!). My bike's gears were also not set up corrrectly but I was able to sort that myself, but the bike felt unsteady on corners. Eventually it started creaking loudly going up hills and my wife observed the rear wheel wobble especially on corners. I've a little experience in bike maintenance and the problem seemed to be due to slack spokes that needed tensioned. Marc brought out, the following morning, a replacement wheel taken from another bike and this seemed ok during a quick test in the hotel's garage but after a few yards with panniers on, ball bearings started falling out of the rear wheel bearing. Unfortunately the reps had gone and as they'd forgotten their mobile, it was some time before I got a replacement bike. This was a Giant and much better than my original Headwater bike, thankfully. If both our bikes had been of this quality, we would have definitely considered another Headwater holiday and recommended you to our friends and family.

During the booking process, Headwater arranged the train tickets from Nice to Cuneo and informed me on the phone and in the original invoice, the train departure times and that we would change trains at Breil Sur Roya. When the final invoice arrived, train depature time and station to switch trains at (now Ventimiglia), had been changed. Fortunately I noticed the alterations but I think Headwater should have drawn our attention, specifically, to this, as we might have missed it.

Mr Collins
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
19/09/2013

On the whole all the hotels exceeded our expectations as did the bikes, which were very good, though I would recommend extra padded cycling shorts.



If you arent going to have lunch at a restaurant en route, buy your provisions early, because everything closes for lunch, we never did work out the closing times, as we always seemed to be on the road. Many of the roads are awful, so those padded shorts will serve you doubly!



The dinners are plentiful and wonderful food. The routes are delightful, mainly on small roads with little traffic. There was only one day which proved to be rather taxing with a lot of ups and downs from Alberobello to Martina Franca. Luggage transportation went without any hiccups and all in all it was a really enjoyable destination to catch the last of the summer warmth.

Mr Brown
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
14/09/2013

have spoken to joanne prior to your e mail but conform we thought the holiday was excellent in every respect. bikes were brilliant hotels and food better than expected. the area was fascinating and very unspoilt and great cycling routes.We were dismayed to hear of Ali accident just after our our meeting and hope she recovers quickly and fully because she was really great and helpful and knowledgeable and sensible. One set of directions per cyclist would have been better and advance warning of city taxes in two of the hotels might be wise. Otherwise a really great holiday.

Ms McLellan
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
14/09/2013

Helpful reps and decent kit with good route notes but accommodation and food variable; slightly disappointing overall. 50 euro 'cash back' for dinner in San G when hotel restaurant closed was a bit tight based on what the hotel charged for a 3 course meal (but did mean that we had a good night out in San G and the best meal of the holiday by far!). Cycling tough at times, more road work than expected and would have struggled if it had been in the height of the summer heat but rewarding and some memorable views.

Mr Fletcher
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
14/09/2013

A very good holiday. All the hotels were good and the local reps were fantastic.

Wonderful cycling holiday with varied days and experiences. The cycling could be easy or more challenging according to the options. The scenery and architecture was amazing, but very few tourists (except Venice)

The holiday itinerary was well-planned and took us through a delightful and unfamiliar part of northern Italy. The cycling was leisurely but varied, with opportunities to visit a range of very interesting and attractive places and sights. Sarah's advice and suggestions were excellent, and she dealt promptly with a problem with one of the bikes. Accommodation was very good: we particularly enjoyed our stays at Belvedere Resort ai Colle and at Agriturismo l'Albara (where dining alongside the family made for a great atmosphere). Everyone we met was friendly and helpful, the weather was excellent at this time of year, and the local wine a revelation (unfortunately we were only able to bring back 2 bottles from Gabriella at Agriturismo Il Feudo)!

Mrs O'Hanlon
Heart of Veneto Cycling
06/09/2013

The outgoing travel was poor as we waited 5hours in Venice for out train as our rep did not have the time to meet us earlier.

We were all very tired having been up since 3 a.m and not arriving at our destination until 5.30p.m. On our return we were offered a coach to take us directly to the airport for an extra cost of 10 euros each forfeiting our return train tickets. Why could this not have been done on the outward journey ad we could have spent a pleasant afternoon around the pool instead of waiting on a station. We used the main Station in Venice not the one of your choice as this one had left luggage facilities and restaurants.

Overall, very enjoyable with delicious local food and beautiful scenery. The thrilling downhill sections made up for the uphill challenges. Volterra is a gem and a wonderful place to celebrate your cycling achievements on the final night.

Mr Lane-Ryan
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
04/09/2013

Negatives first: Somewhat expensive for the type of holiday which will cause us to carefully evaluate 'rival' companies for next year. The countryside was too similar and the beaches poor unlike the Alsace tour we went on previously which was pleasantly varied with overall better hotels. The trulli experience was not to be recommended, no working air conditioning, light bulbs missing etc... On pointing this out told the air conditioning had been switched off as weather getting cooler ! In fact it could be switched on but did not work. Our friend next door discovered the air conditioning in his house had no plug. The plumber was to be told about the problem and we had a fan so clearly problem was longer standing.

Positives: the hotels were all good and staff helpful in most, the organisation of the tour by Southern Visions was excellent and the Salamina was to be particularly recommended. Weather perfect.

Overall we were happy with holiday but will be more careful over selecting the area we go to next year to ensure variety/interest. That is not the fault of Headwater!

Mrs Gentle
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
04/09/2013

We were unprepared for the heat or the severity of the hills

Mr Whitton
Classic Chianti Cycling
02/09/2013

Very well organised. Excellent reps on site. Excellent choice of hotels

Mrs Mowll
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
31/08/2013

Headwater were friendly, efficient and the holiday was well organised throughout with comprehensive directions. Rest days offered the opportunity to put the bikes on the train for part of the tours, or just cycle part of the routes and the hotels were well placed for this and other sightseeing. All in all, a very good holiday was had by all!

Mrs Melhuish
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
31/08/2013

We enjoyed our holiday in Piedmonte a great deal. Accommodation and food etc were excellent. Backup was good too. However, we felt that the cycling difficulty rating as stated (moderate/leisurely) was a little on the optimistic side Having cycled the 'Secrets of San Gemiagno' route last year (moderate), we thought 'Gastronomic Barolo' was significantly more difficult, despite selecting the 'easier' options when there was a choice of route.



Future travellers heading for this holiday via Nice (Easyjet) should note that you will have a 5 hour wait in Nice following the 6 a.m.departure from Gatwick The Castle Hill to the east of the city is pleasant place to spend a few peaceful hours, but had we known that we could have dumped our cases at the station this would have improved the experience.

Mr Groom
Classic Chianti Cycling
25/08/2013

Very well organised allowing us the opportunity to have many splendid days to enjoy both countryside and town alike. Accommodation, with one notable exception, excellent. Scenery, sights and sounds will all remain locked in the memory for a long time to come - would happily recommend the holiday

Mr Birtwhistle
Heart of Veneto Cycling
24/08/2013

As a holiday it represented poor value for money with poor communication skills on behalf of the hosts ad the area had little variety. The food was fair at best and nothing like we had expected or experienced on previous headwater holidays. Overall not good value.

Mrs Hunt
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
17/08/2013

Just what we wanted!

Mrs Ferguson
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
09/08/2013

A fantastic holiday. Great cycling routes and all the accommodation was of a high standard, beautiful scenery and fabulous food!

Mrs Campbell
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
07/08/2013

We had a fantastic holiday! The food was fabulous and the hotels were perfect. Villa Beccaris is particularly stunning. It is a beautiful part of Italy which is very lush - even in August. The reason for this is that it sometimes rains, so take some waterproofs for you and your valuables. We had 2 rainy days - the showers were short but heavy. The panniers supplied seemed watertight but some extra protection did not go amiss.



Grading a cycling holiday is difficult as it is subjective and depends and on what you are used to. We are in our mid-fifties, reasonably fit and do most of our cycling in Scotland or occasionally Yorkshire so are used to hills. We can happily cycle 50 - 60 miles/day. All of the towns in this region are on the tops of hills but you are often given the option of shorter/easier routes longer/more challenging ones. We always took the 'challenging' option as they are usually very scenic and didn't find them too difficult. However, so if you have not cycled for a while you will enjoy it more if you try to improve your fitness before you go. The bikes are good, with lots of gears and the distance between the hotels is not excessive so you can take your time and enjoy the scenery which is stunning. It is not really leisurely, however, and a novice might find it tough going at times.



The bikes also come with comfy gel saddles but we can recommend wearing proper cycle shorts. The extra padding helps and the seams in normal shorts can cause uncomfortable friction. The water bottles supplied by Headwater only contain 750 ml and there is no way of securing them to the bike so you have to keep them in the panniers.Bottles cages are not supplied for safety reasons but we took Camelback rucksacks which are very useful. They hold 1500 ml and the tubing means water is always readily available to drink on the move rather than having to stop half way up a hill. There are lots of public drinking fountains to top up so you don't need to worry about buying water in shops.



If you are thinking about an August holiday, be aware that this is peak holiday time in Italy so some shops and restaurants will be closed. As a result, we ate at the same restaurant on 2 consecutive nights but that was no hardship.

An excellent holiday with the usual high standards of food, accommodation and planning.

Really lovely holiday. We loved Il feudo especially, but variety in the hotels was a positive feature. Would avoid temperatures in high 30s next time by going earlier. Sarah was helpful and knowledgeable. Ideal for family with children, including chance to visit Venice and Vicenza.

Mr Smyth
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
26/07/2013

A marvellous combination of exercise, high class food, excellent accomodation in an unspoilt part of the world.

Our Tuscany Holiday (Secrets of San Gimignano) was totally brilliant and was enjoyed by the whole family ( 6 of us) - age range 24 to fit 70!.Our reps made life very easy for us and were incredibly helpful. The hotels were varied and all really lovely and well chosen by Headwater. The food was excellent - and being Italy, there were plenty of options for my vegetarian daughter ( no meat or fish). There was plenty to do on our non-cycling days which is always important.

Mr Kersley
Heart of Veneto Cycling
13/07/2013

Our holiday with Headwater was a real pleasure , everyone we dealt with , from the girls in the office to our rep Sarah were very professional , friendly and helpful , taking all the worry out of the planning . Okay , so we feel that we have maybe paid a bit more than we would have if we had done all the organizing ourselves , but hey , it was worth it !! Thank you.

Mr Hails
Heart of Veneto Cycling
11/07/2013

Excellent communication prior to departure - during the stay - and arriving home!! A great service which gives clients confidence that nothing has been left forgotten !!

Mrs Kimber
Classic Chianti Cycling
10/07/2013

Fabulous way to see Tuscany. Excellent service from the reps and they were reliable with delivrng luggage and had super local knowledge. All the hotels were friendly and had lovely pools which we needed when we arrived. A great holiday that I would thoroughly recommend.

Sarah was fantastic- all credit to her. Funny, kind, thoughtful and a wealth of knowledge!

Mr McLaren
Heart of Veneto Cycling
27/06/2013

It was well organised, trouble free, and thoroughly enjoyable with the added comfort of an excellent superb locally based english-speaking rep (Sarah) who was only a phone call away in case of any issue, big or small, and who provided excellent route notes and a fountain of local knowledge about the area we were cycling in.



the holiday was just what we needed and was 'up there' with the best package holidays we have done!

Mr Alexander
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
24/06/2013

Beautiful countryside, gorgeous hilltop towns, good accommodation, superb reps; cuisine (in and out of hotels) generally somewhat disappointing - ordinary and predictable (except Relais della Rovere) - this is more a comment on the region than on the Headwater aspects.

Mr Ogden
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
16/06/2013

All good. Particular thanks and compliments to Mark and Marsha who are lovely people and excellent reps.Also admired their efforts to speak Italian and to integrate with local people.

Mrs Shiel
Heart of Veneto Cycling
07/06/2013

We found the combination of cycling till 2 or 3 and then swimming in and relaxing by the pool ideal ! The food and welcome at the Villa Ganzerla were excellent.

Mr Hinds
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
04/06/2013

SShhsh! Don't tell anyone about Puglia ! After many years of travel in Italy , We have a new favorite region ! Wonderful food and wine,peaceful rural and coastal lanes, and each town is more beautiful than the last ! A real treat of a holiday - and few tourists ! Let's keep it like that !!!

Mr Hart
Classic Chianti Cycling
04/06/2013

generally excellent holiday. I think however, we over estimated our capabilities on the bike ride in tuscany. But enjoyed it nevertheless, esp. the scenery. We would certainly book with headwater again but be more careful on the bike ride we choose in future

Mrs Stonehouse
Classic Chianti Cycling
01/06/2013

we loved cycling in Chianti country - the climbs up to the hilltop towns were always rewarded with fantastic pistacchio gelati!

Mrs Maffre
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
23/05/2013

This is our third Headwater holiday, and each one gets better. The Piedmont is a beautiful area, the hotels and restaurants are first class, and the staff friendly and efficient. It is a very hilly area, hence the wonderful views (and also the long steep climbs on the bikes). The cycling directions were good overall, but a bit confusing in parts. Our reps were extremely friendly and helpful, and as I sprained my ankle on the 3rd day they had to move me on with the baggage! Nothing was too much trouble for them. I have already recommended this holiday to our friends!

No-one should expect to lose weight on this cycling holiday - the food and wine is superb!

Mrs Gillison
Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
21/05/2013

A well organised holiday with very helpful reps onsite. We haven't needed them in past holidays but had saddle trouble this time which was fixed in a trice (with a lift up one of the VERY steep hills as well!). Although we discussed this holiday on the phone before booking we didn't get a clear picture of difficulty from the brochure, so be very clear about how good a cyclist your are!!!

Mis Furber
Heart of Veneto Cycling
18/05/2013

We really enjoyed this holiday, the thing that made it was the friendliness of the people in the hotel! They would do anything for you! the food is lovely and they did a great job of catering for a vegetarian. it was very cosy but we did feel that previous holidays have been better value for money where we had more facilities! The rep is wonderful and the scenery is very pretty! We had some lovely weather and great cycles!

Dr Foley
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
17/05/2013

A little-known corner of Italy with some of the most captivating scenery, best food and wine and least touristy small cities the country has to offer. The holiday is definitely a grade 2 when it comes to the cycling as every village is perched on top of a hill but the food and wine are more than compensation for the effort of getting there. May seem expensive at first sight but the standard of accommodation and food are second to none. We've been on many Headwater holidays and this was one of the best.

Mr Isles
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
14/05/2013

This was our eighth Headwater holiday over 20 years and they have all been very enjoyable. Yet again, Headwater and their agents were very efficient throughout. We were particularly impressed by the Masseria Salamina which exceeded our expectations and was a perfect place to finish our holiday.



Wonderful opportunity to see some of the lovely Veneto plain, whilst getting exercise, and building up appetite for the evening meals. We have used Headwater twice now and would not consider using another cycling tour company as the variable start dates, knowledgeable and helpful reps, and welcoming hosts make the entire experience enjoyable.

Mr Hollander
Contrasts of Puglia Cycling
17/04/2013

Puglia tourist people very welcoming and can be very helpful but be careful of gross overcharging.



Look at your bills and dispute perceived unfairness on the spot.

Dr Johns
Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
20/07/2012

We've been on a headwater holiday once before (to Switzerland) and it was amazing - in fact it was the best holiday we'd ever had! However we were very disappointed this time. Although the scenery, accommodation and food were lovely the cycling was not enjoyable, it was punishing! Since this is the most important element of a cycling holiday it completely ruined our stay.

The difficulty rating was totally wrong. We're a couple in our 30's (not unfit) but not regular cyclists- the description suggested this would suit us fine and included descriptions of 'softly rolling hills'. This was certainly NOT our experience. The hills were steep and long and never ending.I'm aware that since we returned the difficulty rating has changed. Furthermore, the various stop-offs on the way (cafes etc) to refill water were closed due to the time of year (which we were not forewarned about) - considering the heat this made the cycling even more intolerable.

All in all very disappointing. We paid 5000 and were expecting another dream holiday. Instead we needed a week to recover once we got home.