Piemonte Testimonials
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a quintessential Italian experience.
Touring with A’qto was a quintessential Italian experience. From a bike rider’s perspective, the rides were well thought out and the routes were spectacular taking in the wonderful Piemonte scenery. Off the bike, Nancy and Damian included activities that immersed us in the local culture, cuisine and wine of the Piemonte region. It’s an all round package I highly recommend.
Michael F
another fantastic A’qto tour
Having just completed another fantastic A’qto tour, I would recommend it if your partner rides and you don’t. The daily activities were varied, interesting and highlighted the region’s local culture and environment. Nancy and Damian are excellent hosts who know how to give their guests the optimal Italian holiday experience on and off a bike.
Mary F
OUR SECOND TOUR WITH DAMIAN AND NANCY
Highlights were the rolling hills of Piemonte, the seriously good food and fabulous wine (our favourites- Arneis and Barolo)
This tour was beautifully planned with rides during the week giving us a taste of some steep gradients and building up our stamina for the finale –the Fausto Coppi Gran Fondo –a fantastic and fun event with 3000 or so other riders. It was inspiring to see so many women riding the Gran Fondo—the training before we left and riding in Italy for the week leading up to the event all came together nd meant I kept up with the men—no problem!
Clare (and Jim)
HIGHLY RECOMMEND FOR RIDERS AND NON RIDERS
We highly recommend A’qto in general, and the Piemonte experience in particular, to riders and non-riders.
As a rider, I enjoyed the well planned week, allowing us to explore the full variety of the region while progressively building fitness for the Gran Fondo. Carol, as a non-rider, enjoyed her personalised program that never felt like an afterthought. My only complaint is still being jealous of her cheese making visit! And for both of us, having visited other parts of Italy, Le Langhe was a new gourmet experience we’d recommend to any dedicated foodie.
David D and Carol B
THERE IS NO WAY WE COULD HAVE DONE THIS ON OUR OWN
One of the things that stands out is that I was riding, hoping Lydia would be having a good enough time, while she was having a great time, feeling sorry for me missing out on the things she was doing. I think that speaks volumes for the programme that Nancy put together, and the way that both riders and non-riders were well catered for. There is no way we could have done this on our own.
Shaun E & Lydia
A THOROUGHLY ENJOYABLE WEEK OF CYCLING, TOURING & EATING
Thanks for a thoroughly enjoyable week of cycling, touring, and eating. You guys did a brilliant job scouting out great places to stay, eat and riding routes that achieved everything anyone could dream of.
David M
A FEW SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE CLIENTS
- Train. You may think you’re in good shape, but there is no climb in Australia that will let you do 2000m of climbing like Colle Fauniera will. So train.
- Insure. You are spending a fair bit of cash on a great (GREAT) trip, so as soon as you’ve paid, make sure you’re insured in case you have to cancel.
- Get there early, especially if you’re taking your own bike. My bike went missing on the return journey. If that happened on the outwards trip, my trip would have been compromised.
Shaun E
THANKYOU FOR A LIFE AFFIRMING EXPERIENCE
What an amazing time I had in Italy. As a non-riding partner I really didn’t know how my holiday was going to turn out. Even though you made contact with me a few weeks before the trip, it was impossible to really know. As it happened, my expectations were well and truly exceeded.
The accommodation was wonderful and the activities you arranged were just fantastic. I would never organise these things for myself and they just opened me up to different experiences.
The truffle hunt was the most memorable, the cooking class was just complete fun, the chocolate tasting was lovely, made even better with the young chocolatier telling us his life’s journey and the beautiful guide we had through Monforte and Alba was a delight. Our walk through the vineyards was also fun. Finding fruit trees along the way and encountering local workers happy for a chat was great.
Coming together with the riders every evening meant that we could share our stories. I think they were just a little jealous of us.
Nancy, you really made my non-riding experience a joy. People connect so much with you, your own Italian heritage and your wonderful personality.
Thanks again for a life-affirming experience.
Lydia JP
