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Are any of the cities in Italy good for casual bicycling, as a means to get around the city?
In particular I was thinking of taking a design course in Naples in May. I am just wondering if I should bring my bike or not.
I have a folding bike that has served me well in Paris, NYC, Copenhagen, Berlin, etc.
My initial google results all seem to be about people doing road bike tours in Italy, not much about city cycling as a means to get around. For some reason I imagine Italian cities as not being very bicycle friendly.
Are any of the cities in Italy good for casual bicycling, as a means to get around the city?
In particular I was thinking of taking a design course in Naples in May. I am just wondering if I should bring my bike or not.
I have a folding bike that has served me well in Paris, NYC, Copenhagen, Berlin, etc.
My initial google results all seem to be about people doing road bike tours in Italy, not much about city cycling as a means to get around. For some reason I imagine Italian cities as not being very bicycle friendly.
RIP. You will be remembered. Hope you've updated your will.
Italian cities and bike-friendliness is an oxymoron. It could as well be another dimension. Something impossible that defies the theory of relativity.
Ok, so you have biked in Copenhagen (one of the bike-friendliest cities in the world) and Berlin (extremely bike-friendly). You are now stepping in a completely other world (Naples) where there is only one rule - there are no rules. Except maybe survival of the fittest. What would be the best comparison? Maybe comparing Boston with Mexico City. Or Boston and Mumbai.
You'll see it when you get there. Your first thought will be "thank goodness I left my bike at home. It's crazy out here. What was I thinking?".
Most of northern Italy is pretty bike-friendly, especially places like Ferrara, Verona, Mantova.... Here it is not too bad although sometimes I wish the cars paid more attention to us and the bike lanes were in a better state. I use the bike several times a week to go downtown, sometimes twice in a day.
You can do a lot of bike tours in the country side.
That said, Naples is one of the worst places to bike, I even met once a man from there, he was in his mid-30s and had never learnt to use a bike. He said that it was too dangerous in Naples and that it would probably get stolen anyway, so he had no use to learn it.
Napoli alongside Palermo is the least bike friendly city in the whole of Italy, first of all biking is a nightmare due to lack of respect of traffic rules but the city is also perched on several hills which makes biking hard for anyone who isn't well trained
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ariete
RIP. You will be remembered. Hope you've updated your will.
Italian cities and bike-friendliness is an oxymoron. It could as well be another dimension. Something impossible that defies the theory of relativity.
Ok, so you have biked in Copenhagen (one of the bike-friendliest cities in the world) and Berlin (extremely bike-friendly). You are now stepping in a completely other world (Naples) where there is only one rule - there are no rules. Except maybe survival of the fittest. What would be the best comparison? Maybe comparing Boston with Mexico City. Or Boston and Mumbai.
You'll see it when you get there. Your first thought will be "thank goodness I left my bike at home. It's crazy out here. What was I thinking?".
Not really, most Northern Italian cities are actually bike friendly.
Go to places such as Parma, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, Fidenza and it would be as easy as biking in Helsinki. Even Milan and Turin have an extremely efficent bike sharing system even though bike lanes system is still far from nearing perfection
Not really, most Northern Italian cities are actually bike friendly.
Go to places such as Parma, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, Fidenza and it would be as easy as biking in Helsinki. Even Milan and Turin have an extremely efficent bike sharing system even though bike lanes system is still far from nearing perfection
Ok. I suppose the situation has become better recently. Haven't been in Italy in 10 years.
I looked up some videos and pics. Naples looks crazy! I had no idea. I will leave the bike at home. I wonder how I even get around. Maybe I'll just do the online version of the course.
Last edited by Chompy Omega; 03-16-2016 at 11:19 AM..
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No wonder the Northerners call the South "Africa".
