Heart of Veneto Cycling



I general enjoyed the holiday. Found the travelling to Gatwick challenging. If doing it again would go more regional. There was a mistake that sent us direct to the airport hotel instead of the Car parking facility that didn’t help and the hotel not booked for our return - this was sorted out promptly and we accept it was a honest mistake. Transfer from the airport to station was confusing because it wasn’t stated we needed tickets and I would advise that going forward this should be made clear. Train and transfer to hotel worked well. However before using the app Trenitalia we needed the agents email address to initially log in and this was not made clear. We inquired and it was sorted but maybe make clear initially. The hotel was excellent, it would have been nice to have tea / coffee facilities in the room but accept this may not be common in Italy. The food was enjoyed and we would stay there again or recommend. It was basic but adequate and had a relaxed and comfy feel to it. The family and staff welcoming and friendly The electric nikes Headwater app excellent. The bike support was not required but the individual concerned was good and filled us with confidence.

Overall I would travel with Headwater again and happily recommend.

So Thankyou.

Stephen Slinger, 31 May 2024



Many years ago we traveled with headwater, but this was the first time in years. We feel that headwaters has excellent trips, excellent planning and very helpful staff. We are very satisfied customers and will certainly travel again with headwaters. Staying at the agri Turismo was the best. What a good idea, that headwaters arranged. We would love to do something like that again maybe in a different country.

Julie Gardinier, 4 May 2024



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

Jannette Speight, 30 Sep 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.

Kenneth Cook, 23 Sep 2023



Well researched cycle routes and friendly hotels

Ian Phelps, 15 Sep 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.

Lydia Livingstone, 10 Sep 2023



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

Timothy Bohin, 9 Sep 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.

CHOLLET, 13 May 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.

DEAN, 6 May 2023



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.

Mrs Gray, 17 Sep 2022



Good. We enjoyed outselves.

Mrs Drake, 23 Jul 2022



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

Mr Wilkinson, 25 Jun 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.

Miss TAYLOR, 18 Jun 2022



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 Cook, 9 Sep 2019



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

Mr Dunn, 9 Sep 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.

Mr Snodgrass, 30 Aug 2019



Excellent relaxing holiday - accommodation was faultless.



Mrs Pitchforth, 17 Aug 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 Grimes, 27 Jul 2019



Food excellent. James very helpful.

Mr Worsdall, 1 Jun 2019



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.

Mr Robertson, 6 Oct 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.



Mr Hodgson, 8 Sep 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.

Mr Thomas, 1 Sep 2018



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

Mr Rosenfield, 14 Jul 2018



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

Mr Knight, 14 Jul 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.

Mr Simpson, 30 Jun 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.

Mrs Baker, 26 May 2018



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!

Mr Rishton, 16 Sep 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.

Mrs Ghali, 20 Jul 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

Mr Owens, 17 Jul 2017



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

Dr Vaughan, 24 May 2017



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

Mr Ridley, 6 Oct 2016



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

Mrs Lamont, 24 Sep 2016



Good healthy weeks holiday

Ms Linsell, 24 Sep 2016



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

Mrs Mitchell, 22 Sep 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.

Mis Dekan, 17 Sep 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,

Ms Barbour, 16 Sep 2016



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

Ms Pye, 27 Aug 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)

Mrs Chambers, 20 Aug 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.

Mrs Cox, 6 Aug 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 Jackson, 6 Aug 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 Davies, 30 Jul 2016



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

Mr Benner, 28 Jul 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.

Mrs Bailey, 16 Jul 2016



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.

Mr Bell, 10 Oct 2015



Very well organised lovely places to visit !!!!

Mr Harris, 19 Sep 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.





Mr Broome, 12 Sep 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.

Mrs Bullock, 5 Sep 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 George, 5 Sep 2015



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

Mrs Hoile, 18 Aug 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!!

Mrs MacEnri, 25 Jul 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!

Ms Hawking, 23 Jul 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.

Mr Biddlestone, 14 Jul 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.

Dr Young, 4 Jul 2015



Excellent from start to finish as usual!

Mrs Griffiths, 20 Jun 2015



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

Mr Lumsden, 13 Jun 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!!

Mrs Allen, 6 Jun 2015



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

Mr Harper, 4 Oct 2014



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

Ms Robson, 30 Aug 2014



Wonderful - just what we were after

Mr Raven, 29 Jul 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

Mr Ayech, 19 Jul 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.

Mrs Charnley, 5 Jul 2014



The perfect holiday for the more active.

Ms White, 28 Jun 2014



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

Mr Edwards, 14 Jun 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.

Mrs McKay, 24 May 2014



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.

Mrs O'Hanlon, 6 Sep 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.

Mr Birtwhistle, 24 Aug 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 Kersley, 13 Jul 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 !!

Mr Hails, 11 Jul 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 McLaren, 27 Jun 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.

Mrs Shiel, 7 Jun 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!

Mis Furber, 18 May 2013