Tuscan - Accommodation

[adjustablewench]

First of all apologies to all those not joining us in Italy - as i fear there may be a lot of Tuscany related chat on here over the next couple of months! (but if you feel left out you could always trot off and book your flights ;P)

Anyway - i seem to be having lots of chats with various people about accommodation so in an effort to avoid constant repetition of conversations (yet) another thread seemed like a good option for sharing of information


1) Before - here is the option of sleeping in the sports hall full of snoring bikepackers before the event - but if people aren't up for that i know other options are being looked into. Who is up for shared accomodation at the start?

2) During - just wondered if Gairy or others in the know may like to impart their knowledge about best options - bivi bag alone? with tarp? or tent? how easy is it to find places to kip? I see there are over 260 riders signed up . . . i imagine potential bivi spots may be busy!

3) After - I personally fancy getting a little time to relax at the end in Florence - so will be looking into options there and maybe getting a few other options for a plan b at the end or in pisa.

[Taylor]

When are people flying in?
Bristol to Pisa only arrives at 21.30 so I'm having to travel on the Tuesday and stay overnight there so I'll be in Pisa when most BB riders turn up on the Wednesday.

Before
With regards to Wednesday night, I'm happy to stay elsewhere as there's 308 riders entered and I saw a thread from Andrea saying that it'll be a squeeze but he'll find a way to accommodate everyone. Maybe we could introduce them to "Bothy snoring championships" and bring the reigning champion, Matt or runner up, Chew.

During
I was thinking borah bag and cuben tarp but if it's going to be really buggy I'd bring my Luner Solo.

After
I'm booked to fly back on wednesday evening so I'd be happy with a bit of beach or Florence or somewhere.

[Wotsits]

My flight arrives on the Weds & i don't plan to be in the sports hall for the fart/snore-a-thon...

Been looking at accommodation before- in Massa, & after- in Florence.
I'll be looking to book something for the Mon & Tues night before flying back home on the Weds. Happy to share if we can find somewhere suitable..

Already messaged a couple of places about accommodation & bike storage for before the start in Massa, only had one reply so far, but they have got room for all of us & it looks cheap..

During..
Not sure yet tbh

[Mike]

Start accom I'm not too fused about we land at 1440 Italy time. On the train upto massa prob straight away so we can get there for the dinner and socialising. As for the middle bit I'm with Taylor depending on the bugs it will be tarp or tent.

Now iv looked at accom for the Sunday night to tues night. I'm guessing if we can get finished by Sunday mid day we can get the train back up to Florence. Just as a guide for three nights accom in a hostel iv found right near train stn in centre we can get a 6 or 8 bed on suite dorm for around 22 quid a night. It looks nice too. I guess it depends on how many of us r heading for Florence for a few days. I defo will be.
The other option is camp out somewhere on the sunday might if we finish by then on that peninsula then get then train mon morn upto the city and have two nights :0)

**Hostel arci rossi**

[Taylor]

Would it not be better to find bike bag storage in Pisa, rebuild your bike there, store, ride then return, dismantle and fly?
Otherwise it means returning to Massa for bike bags and then back to Pisa or getting Andrea to transfer them to the finish and cart them around for the next 2/3 days?

[gairym]

Transport:

I'm driving down from Chamonix early on the Wednesday morning. I'm currently unsure about whether to leave my car at the start and then get the train back up (the easiest and quickest option) or to drive to the finish on Wednesday so that I've got clothes (and beers) waiting at the finish???

Accommodation:

Before - no way I'm doing the sports hall again, pretty much no sleep last year and felt knackered on the first day. Been chatting with Jase about it but nowt organised yet, happy to do whatever.

During - there's no shortage of countryside and as long as people are discreet there shouldn't be any hassle with bivi-ing. I'll be taking a Borah bivi, lightish sleeping bag (taking a full on summer bag and a Venom 300 and will see what the weather is doing on the day) and a little tarp.

I didn't experience much by way of bug nastiness last year but others did. It's later/warmer this year which might be better or worse???

After - no plans yet. I'm definitely going to have a day or so somewhere nice but no idea what or where yet.

Florence sounds good. If I leave the car at the finish I could drive up (taking some kit with me for people? maybe even a space or two at a push in the car?).

So far every option sounds like a win!

[Mike]

I'm prob using a ctc bag leaving it at pisa airport then I will pack it up again the morning we fly back :0)

That way like u say we won't have to lugg it around the hostel has bike storage.

[Wotsits]

My plan was to first- not miss the flight

Pisa- depending on what sort of bike bag i decide to use, either build the bike at the airport & get all my gear for the trip together there, with maybe one change of clothes & leave everything else at the airport left luggage.
Or
Get ready then leave everything at the train station left luggage..
Or
Build bike & get ready at the sports hall & take a bit of a chance & leave bags there..

Go for the pre-arranged event food. Stay over somewhere in/near Massa Weds eve..

Event- Ride, eat, sleep, repeat..

Finish- Sun/Monday
The thing is i'm not sure what sort of state i'll be in at this point & what day i'll finish.. This will have a bearing on what i do Sun night-Monday day..
I'd be happy for us to share the cost of sending a bag to the finish with a change of clothes in each.. But otherwise will just head back with what i've got on
Train back up to Massa or Pisa- depending on where bag(s) are. Pack bike back up & leave in left luggage- either train station of airport..
Take the bag with my civvy clothes & head to Florence to immerse myself in the culture/wine/beer for a couple of days..

Fly home (hopefully) a happy man..

[adjustablewench]

if the train station or airport left luggage places took bikes - surely they would take a bike bag?! seems odd if they will let you leave a bike without a bag but wont let you store a bike bag there. Is leaving your bike at pisa definitely an option?

i think we are all in the same position for the afterward options (as in no-one really knows when we will finish and how we will feel) - my thinking though is that we should look into a few places that could take a group of us and store bikes too. there will be loads of hotels and hostels in Florence . . . .but not many that can accommodate bikes properly. And like Taylor says there is the option to stay on the coast afterwards so maybe look for a few possibles there too?

[Taylor]

Not as far as I'm aware.

[Wotsits]

Not as far as I'm aware.

+1

I didn't think the airport or train station left luggage allowed built up bikes.
They may even have a maximum allowed size for a packed up bike/package.bag.

That's why i asked Andrea if we could leave anything at the start, there's an outside chance we'd have to do that if we had any probs with left luggage..

[Mike]

I'm not sure we can leave the bikes at left luggage iv been researching that and most of the stuff I can find on airport and train websites say it's only suitcase size. The airport one said that it was only available from 7 in morn till 8 at night but I'm sure we can leave stuff for days it's around 7euro a day :)

[Wotsits]

I think this is the left luggage charges for the train station-
http://www.depositobagaglipisa.it/tariffe.pdf

No list of maximum size i can see..

I'm also thinking to take this in consideration when booking the Florence accommodation, so at a push i can keep my bike with me in the room if i need to..

[adjustablewench]

i think if mandrea , is doing a bag carriage service from the start to finish i will send my bag with him - that will contain my civvy clothes and my ctc plastic bike bag tape and packing bits for my bike and maybe a reasonable lock too.

that way if i can find accomodation that can house a bike to i just book in and feel fairly happy my bike is safe as i wander around florence (or sunbathe on the beach!).


so for me -

land - build bike - reorganise bags so i just have one bag i'm not riding with - go to massa - leave spare bag it to be transported - ride
pick up spare bag - got to hotel/hostel - wander round then take bags and bike to pisa and pack bike to travel. (it works in my head at least!)

This will also save the faff of getting trains to pisa and back too - i dont want to spend my free time hanging about stations

[Wotsits]

There's another option for left luggage that i'm sure will be geared up for tourists- Florence train station

http://www.grandistazioni.it/cms/v/inde ... 16f90aRCRD

http://www.amoitaly.com/deposit/firenze.html

[Wotsits]

i think if mandrea , is doing a bag carriage service from the start to finish i will send my bag with him - that will contain my civvy clothes and my ctc plastic bike bag tape and packing bits for my bike and maybe a reasonable lock too.

Might be worth asking Mandrea if he knows what the situation is like for leaving bikes at left luggage?

[adjustablewench]

i think florence left luggage will be worth an ask - but i really dont fancy treking back to pisa and then back to florence to drop my bike off . . . it's a cuple of hours on the train and then you will have to drop it off and hope the next train isnt too long back to florence - but i still reckon it will be 4 hours of faff . . . . 4 hours better spent sipping prosecco in the sunshine somewhere

[gairym]

Assuming that nothing happens to me between now and June there's also the option of me meeting folks in Massa/Pisa on Wednesday on my way past and putting some stuff in the car to be collected at the finish.

Even if we decide to do this it's still a good idea to have another option sorted just in case I get ill, the car breaks down, my legs fall off etc...

Just an idea.

[Wotsits]

i think florence left luggage will be worth an ask - but i really dont fancy treking back to pisa and then back to florence to drop my bike off . . . it's a cuple of hours on the train and then you will have to drop it off and hope the next train isnt too long back to florence - but i still reckon it will be 4 hours of faff . . . . 4 hours better spent sipping prosecco in the sunshine somewhere

Another thing to look at- train availability & times

[gairym]

How about this for the Wednesday night:

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/9608480?s= ... e7ed907708

Sleeps up to 12 people, is near the start and hard a pool/spa!!!

It's also a 15th century villa.

Huh? Huh?

[Wotsits]

How about this for the Wednesday night:

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/9608480?s= ... e7ed907708

Sleeps up to 12 people, is near the start and hard a pool/spa!!!

It's also a 15th century villa.

Huh? Huh?

Looks good Gairy!......but double beds big boy

[gairym]

That's still 6 beds, no?

I'll sleep on my mat floating in the pool!

How many of us are there anyway?

[Wotsits]

Breakfast in the hot tub!

Think there's over 10 of us going, but better have a head count to see who want to share..

That's cheap though!

[adjustablewench]

Count me in!

[adjustablewench]

Cheap until you account for €800 deposit refunded afterwards - €200 final cleaning bill!!