Published on: 20 January 2015  | Last updated: 2 March 2017

“ 

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. ”

Lao Tzu

The first step in organ­ising your tour is probably going to be thinking about how to get there (and back). In this section you’ll find guides to getting there by plane and by train.

… by plane

Getting there: airlines is a survey of the options if you’re flying to Italy

Getting there: airports is a guide to the Italy’s airports including inform­ation about nearby cycling routes as well as practical stuff like airport train services and rail connections

Getting there: airport train services is a guide to the rules about bikes on the train services to and from the Italian airports with airport rail services (Rome Fiumicino, Milano Malpensa, Torino Caselle, Bari Karol Wojtyla, and Palermo Falcone-Borsellino).

Getting there: bike boxes and left luggage is a guide to the options for what to do with your bike bag or box once you’ve arrived - and some options for getting a bike box for your return journey

… by train

If you’re in Europe then the train is a very practical option for getting to Italy. Sadly, it’s not as easy as it should and some people get put off. These guides will tell you what you need to know and what you need to do:

Getting there by train gives you a guide to the options for getting to Italy from the UK.

Getting there by train: inter­na­tional connec­tions - a guide to the rail links between Italy and the rest of Europe – so you can plan your journey by aiming for the most convenient crossing point.

Getting there be train: useful websites is a guide to, erm, useful websites for making your travel plans and in particular, finding bike-friendly trains.

Getting there by train: useful websites - Swiss Railways. The TGV-Lyria services offer a fast and bike-friendly option from Paris, this guide will help you with the last leg across Switzerland.

Getting there: finding bike-friendly services through France. The French railways company (SNCF) has two versions of its website: one will give you inform­ation about which trains have bike-carriage facil­ities, and the other one doesn’t. find your way to the inform­ation you need with this guide.

Getting there by train: eurostar is a guide to the rules for taking your bike on the eurostar trains from London

Getting there by train: train company call centre numbers. [Warning: dated popular culture reference] If you need to book a place for your bike, or you just need some inform­ation - who you gonna call?.