Italy is a great place to ride a bike. Eventhough the roads can be narrow, the drivers know exactly how wide their vehicles are, and they pass safely. The scenery can be spectacular. The people were not as openly friendly as other countries we visited, but we met some great Italians through Warm Showers and Couchsurfing.
Italy is expensive, but not nearly as expensive as we had feared. In the off season, it can be a challenge to find campgrounds that are open – especially when you are travelling in non-touristed areas. There are many options for wild camping.
We arrived in a small town in Southern Italy with very little knowledge of Italy or Italian. This certainly left us feeling completely lost. We recommend arriving in Italy in an area more familiar with tourists, such that you can get oriented before setting off for the untouristed areas.
Italy is a Schengen country. As a Canadian, you do not need a visa to visit a Schengen country as long as you are not staying for longer than 90 days with an 180 day period in the Schengen countries (most of western Europe). If you are riding through Western Europe for longer than 3 months, it is advisable to look into Schengen visa requirements. We did not need to worry about this, but have heard that some countries can fine you for overstaying, but others just look the other way.
We rode our bikes across Southern Italy, and took a train with our bikes across Northern Italy. Click here for our journal entries.
Coming soon, our route through Italy.