See Italy in a way few travelers ever experience…
We’re excited to share two amazing e-bike trips this year!
Italy is one of my favorite countries in the world, and definitely the one where I’ve spent the most time abroad. (Three years as an expat, and countless other trips.)
And after all that time in the country, I’ve never seen it the way I have on these trips. You could go to Italy 100 times on your own and never have this kind of adventure!
Scroll down for what makes these trips special…
A question from a traveler at the end of our first group trip:
Yes! Part 2 is happening…
When?
Marche: June 15 – 21 and
Sept. 28 – Oct. 4, 2025
Umbria: September 14 – 21, 2025
How much?
We have some discounts happening for people who book soon! Details below
On What?
Top-of-the-line E-bikes OR gravel bikes (your choice!!)
You’re invited!
Get Ready For A Unique Adventure…
What’s the experience really like?
Last year, we did this trip with a group of seven Tilted Map readers from age 25 to 76! Here’s what they had to say:
(Scroll with the arrows for more!)
What’s the experience really like?
Last year, we did this trip with a group of seven Tilted Map readers from age 25 to 76! Here’s what they had to say:
Swipe for more!
Who should go?
Feedback that’s making us tear up… 🥲
People make all the difference
A few group photos from our last trips, and a shout-out to Marco for being an amazing guide. We’ve traveled a LOT and we know that a guide can make or break a trip. We keep traveling with Marco because he’s great at what he does, and he selects a great team.
A Little Preview:
Here’s the video of our first bike trip with the same local guide we work with now! Grab a beverage, kick back, and see yourself on the trail… And at the dinner table, sipping local wine at the end of the day.
Where will we sleep?
We work with Marco to carefully choose each of our accommodations. We’re not aiming for fancy, but lovely, cozy, authentic and 100% local. Here’s what last year’s crew had to say:
A few of our B&Bs, hotels & farmstays:
What will we eat?
Well, I am glad you asked! Marco’s local connections have us eating in amazing restaurants, and farmers’ kitchens, and rustic local eateries. Homemade pastas, locally-made cold cuts, local wines, bread, meat (including more exotic dishes like duck and wild boar) and some vegetable dishes. (Central Italy, where we’re going, does love meat. We’ve accommodated vegetarians with no problem; for strict vegans, it would be a challenge.)
And be prepared: There will be a LOT of food. We’ve tried to minimize this where we can, but over-serving is a feature of Italian culture, and even more so of central Italy. (I recommend you read this blog post for an idea of the structure of Italian meals.)
Some of our spectacular meals:
What’s Included:
What’s NOT Included:
The Details that make us Different
This trip is designed with sustainability in mind in so many ways.
The opposite of over-tourism
We’re visiting rural areas that receive very few tourists – and that actually love taking some away from their over-touristed neighbors like Venice, Florence and Rome. (And most of the places we’ll go are spots non-Italians pretty much always miss.)
100% Local
Every single hotel we stay at, every restaurant we eat in, every farm we visit is 100% locally owned. Most are entirely organic, as well. These people live here, they know the land intimately, and they care about protecting it.
As I talked about a bit in our video (around the 1:35 minute mark), these are the businesses that let people in these rural areas thrive and keep their unique cultural traditions alive.
Our guide, Marco, and his wife, Silvia (who does lots of behind-the-scenes work), are both from the region. Their small business is 100% local.
Fewer Cars on the Road
While we will have a support vehicle moving our luggage from one hotel to the next while we bike, that’ll be just one vehicle. And it’s not driving through the ancient villages we’ll visit, or up to the magnificent view points we’ll ride to. The way I see it, this trip is an alternative to each of us likely renting a car to see these sites as a road trip, as most people would.
And hey, if spending a few days on a mountain bike or e-bike on this trip makes you realize you’d like to do that even a tiny bit more at home too, and you could even start replacing some car trips with bike rides, well then that’ll be a lovely side effect. 🙂 (That’s what happened to me after my first bike trip with Marco.)
The “Last Mile” by Train
If you don’t live in Europe you’ll probably have to fly to get to Italy. I know, that’s just the way it is. While you could look for flights into the airports of Perugia or Ancona, that’s almost guaranteed to add an extra flight to your route.
Instead, we recommend booking your flight into and out of either Milan (MXP or LIN) or Rome (FCO). Those are the two biggest hubs in Italy, so it’s most likely you’ll be able cut out a layover by flying there and continuing by train.
Both Milan and Rome are just a 2 to 4 hour train ride from Fabriano, where we’ll start the Marche trip. (And will give you some lovely views from the train!)
TIP: If possible, I’d recommend booking a flight that arrives the night before our first day, staying in a hotel in Milan or Rome for one night, and taking the train the next day.
Funding Carbon Removal & SAF
In 2024, Marco and I donated $60 of every trip registration to Tomorrow’s Air, to fund carbon removal projects and SAF (sustainable aviation fuel). We’re planning to do the same this year because, as an expert in sustainability and climate, I think this is one of the best places to invest for change.
I definitely don’t consider this a carbon offset. It’s not meant to counteract, or offset, the exact amount of emissions from this trip, or from the flight to get there. (There are lot of challenges with thinking we can do that precisely – from how exactly we calculate the emissions, to what price we put on them, to what happens with the money.)
Instead, this donation is about making sure some money goes to the projects that really need to be funded in order to reverse climate change, and to make net-zero aviation a reality.
Yes, we have a lot of work to do to make either of those happen. But as an aeronautical engineer recently told me on the topic: “If you went to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and looked at where we’re at now, everyone would have said it was impossible. It’s not impossible.”
Just for you
Discounts:
- Early Bird: If you sign up for September’s Ruralmente or Cuore Verde trips by June 15, 2025 you’ll save $400…
- And save $200 on either trip for being a Tilted Map reader! Use the code MAP10RURAL (or write that Ketti sent you when you make your booking with our guide).
- Can’t come this time? For other dates and trips with Basecamp523, you’ll save 10% with that code!
Choose Your Own (Literal) Adventure:
The trip we’ve Loved twice!
Ruralmente
“Rurally”
2025 dates: June 15 – 21 orSept. 28 – Oct. 4
Highlights:
Ride through the region that’s one of Italy’s best-kept secrets, on a route we’ve tested – twice!
A NEW Adventure together!
Cuore Verde
“Green Heart”
2025 dates: September 14-21Highlights:
We can’t wait to discover this wild and green region with you! We’ll ride more miles per day on this trip, but Marco tells us the terrain is less rough, so difficulty is similar.
These dates Don’t Work for you?
You can also go solo (and still save money)
Want to join Basecamp523 on another trip? Marco offers lots of guided and unguided tours – anywhere from 2 to 9 days!
You can make your own group with friends, and still save 10% on your experience with the code MAP10RURAL (or just write that Ketti sent you when you make your booking on Marco’s website).
Stay in the loop!
If you’re not on my email list yet, drop your details below for updates from Tilted Map, including future trips!
Planning & Details
Ready to dive in on the details? Check out my blog post about our first Marche trip for a day-by-day itinerary for Ruralmente, or our other relevant articles about Italy below.
