Published on: 20 March 2016  | Last updated: 9 January 2020

National and international routes

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  eurovelo 8 (Ciclovia del Po e delle Lagune)

  The eurovelo 8 route crosses Italy with France at one end and Slovenija at the other. For much of the way it follows traffic-free cycleways along the river Po. There are also long traffic-free sections as it follows the Adriatic coast.

  Read more: eurovelo 8

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  eurovelo 5 (Ciclovia Francigena)

  The Via Francigena is the tradi­tional pilgrimage route that runs from Canterbury in south-east England to Rome. Although eurovelo 5 is also called the Via Francigena Romea, for much of its way to Italy it’s a completely different route. In Italy, the two meet up at Pavia on the river Po. There’s also a Moncenisio variant to the Ciclovia Francigena which provides a useful route for cycle travellers coming from France and heading towards Rome.

  Read more: Via Francigena and eurovelo 5 in Italy

Lakes

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  Lakes of Lombardia and Piemonte

  This route is a great option if you’re looking for an accessible route that links the major Italian lakes. Based on the Laghi di Lombardia route prepared by the by the FIAB (Federazione Italiana Amici della Bicicletta), it’s partic­u­larly valuable in providing a link between the Lago di Como and the Lago di Garda –a densely-populated area where without local knowledge it would be easy to go wrong.

  Read more: The Lakes of Lombardia and Piemonte

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  A tour of the Western Lakes

  A 250-kilometre road tour that takes in five lakes. Three of the bigger lakes: Lago Maggiore, Lago di Lugano and and the Lago di Como, as well as two smaller lesser-known gems: the Lago d’Orta, Lago di Mergozzo. The route avoids the busier roads and there are sections of cycleway. There’s relat­ively little climbing, except for one classic climb to the chapel of the Madonna del Ghisallo - patron saint of cycling. This is a loop, so you could avoid it, but it would be a shame to miss the great views of the Lago di Como.

  Read more: A tour of the Western Lakes

Coastal routes

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  Cycling the Liguria coast

  A 342-kilometre cycle tour takes you though the Italian Riviera – the arc of coastline in north-west Italy – famous for its flowers and mild climate. Along the way there are glamorous seaside resorts as well as the World Heritage sites of Genova and the Cinque Terre – with its villages clinging to the coast line and the terraced hillsides carved out over generations.

  Read more: Cycling the Liguria Coast.

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  The Cycling Riviera (Liguria)

  A 24-kilometre cycleway along an old railway line on the Ligurian Riviera dei Fiori around San Remo. Short, but defin­itely sweet, and you can always do it both ways.

  Read more: The Cycling Riviera

Mountains

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  The Mountains of Lombardia

  A 227-kilometre tour through northern Lombardia and a little bit of Switzerland. From the Lago di Como (200m) to the Little Tibet and on to the border with Trentino taking in some classic mountain passes. You could add in side-trips to more great passes including the Passo dello Stelvio or combine this tour connects with the Dolomites tours for an epic ride across the mountains of northern Italy.

  Read more: The Mountains of Lombardia

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  Mountain valleys of Piemonte

  This tour explores the alpine valleys between France and Italy on the western side of the Italian region of Piemonte. Like much of the Italian Alps, the area is a fascin­ating mosaic of languages and history. The area deserves to be better known: if you’re looking for great mountain scenery, unspoilt alpine villages, authentic Italian towns, then this area has it all.

  Read more: Mountain valleys of Piemonte

Overview map

Overview of the national and inter­na­tional routes in North-West Italy. Click on the route for links to go direct to the guide or to the theme page (links open in a new window).

  Map:  FT-map-NW-Italy-overviewshow map in overlay    |  FT-map-NW-Italy-overview  show map in new window