Italy from coast to coast: from the Adriatic Sea to the Tyrrhenian Sea, through four regions. This Collection takes you on central Italy’s best roads, allowing you to explore the area’s beauty, nature and artistic cities.

The route is divided into five stages from Persaro on the Adriatic coast, across Italy to Porto Ercole on the Argentario promontory. You discover many varied landscapes from the sea to the hills, cross the Apennines and descend towards the coast. You venture through enchanting lands, dotted with cities and villages rich in history and traditions. Gems like Urbino, Assisi, Orvieto and Pitigliano blend into the spectacular landscapes of the Adriatic coast, the Corno gorges, Lake Bolsena and the Argentario.

With the exception of the Tour to Bolsena Lake, all of the routes in this Collection start and end in a city that’s worth visiting, such as Urbino, Todi and Gubbio. Each Tour also stops at different places of artistic and cultural interest such as Assisi, Orvieto and Sovana.

If you want to plan the stages differently, you can replan using the complete Tour. All the cities en route offer accommodation, food and supplies. You pass several campsites too.

Pesaro is well connected and easily reachable by public transport, while connections are scarce on the Tyrrhenian coast. The nearest train station to Porto Ercole is Orbetello Scalo, about 10 kilometres (6 mi) away. Remember that you need a ticket for your bike on regional trains and to book your bike onto intercity trains in advance.

This Collection is designed for touring bikes, but you can also ride a racing bike as the route runs along well-surfaced asphalt throughout. I suggest riding between April and October to enjoy more pleasant temperatures and honour the route’s tradition of a dip in the sea, both at the start and at the finish. You can walk the route in the colder months if you have the right equipment, but it may be a bit chillier for a swim.