Guest Testimonials

The best way to understand the total experience of staying at our hotels and the cycling experience around the Italian-Swiss Lakes is to read their testimonials. Who can know better then them about what we are doing?

Guest testimonials

Eight of us had a great time with Stefano on the Gentle Cycling Tour in the Italian Lakes.
The hotels were very comfortable, with great food and service. We all hired electric bikes which were very impressive and helped us cope with the few uphills we tackled. Stefano gave us a choice of routes and included opportunities to visit local places of interest including lovely gardens and a cable car (travelling in what is basically a large bucket!).
Our choice of mainly flat routes meant we had a good deal of time on roads, but generally drivers were very considerate. We enjoyed the times we were able to be on cycle routes away from the main roads. Unfortunately our cycling on the final day was interrupted by terrible weather, but Stefano was flexible to change the route when necessary and we cannot hold him responsible for the rain!
This was a lovely holiday and we would all recommend the cycling tour.

Glyn Evans, Charlie Halliday, John and Judith Layzell, Phil and Tricia Nutt, Yvette MacLeod and Steve Macey , Hampshire and Suffolk, UK (stayed in Varese and in Colmegna on Lake Maggiore, June 2024)

Guest testimonials

LNIBT arranged and led my wife and I on a week-long cycling trip, and we could not have been more pleased. We designed the trip on the foundation of the "Gentle Cycling Tour," but the itinerary had to be tweaked to fit our travel dates and the ride schedule had to be modified on the fly to deal with changing COVID and train requirements.
Stefano pulled it off without a hitch. The logistics were flawless and the rides were terrific. Stefano was inventive in selecting rides to suit us, and he was attentive to all our travel needs off the bike, both before and during the trip. We were amazed at how well our rented bikes fit us: we sent Stefano our measurements and he arranged for the bikes to be set up and waiting. We didn't even change the seat heights. This is an example of his attention to detail, which was evident throughout the tour.
By the way, the hotels were great and very enthusiastic about hosting cyclists.

John and Lorin Graham, Colorado, USA (stayed in Varese and in Colmegna on Lake Maggiore, September 2021)

Guest testimonials

I had the pleasure of doing a Lakes of North Italy bike tour in early August this year as part of my build up to UCI Gran Fondo races at the end of the month. It was a fantastic experience and I would highly recommend it as a tour group.
I stayed at both Hotel Ungheria in Varese and had a few days at Camin Hotel Colmegna at Lake Maggiore as part of my stay and they were both were excellent. Hotel Ungheria is a lovely, friendly family run hotel and I felt very welcome there. They had great breakfasts and their "post ride snack/lunch" was a meal in itself and very welcome after a big ride. Nothing was a problem and they were more than happy to help out with any questions I had about the local area and things to do.
The Camin Hotel Colmagna was bigger and a bit more impersonal but they were very welcoming. They had some lovely facilities and I got to stay in an apartment which was very spacious and modern. The lack of air conditioning in the heat of late summer was not ideal but they did provide a large standing fan to keep cool. Food was excellent at breakfast with a huge selection of delicious foods and they even had a make your own waffle machine. Dinners were off a set menu usually and they had an extensive salad bar with lots of nutritious food.
Stefano, my guide was hugely helpful and was very flexible regarding the rides that were planned. Due to my racing plans and training needs I had to change around most days what was planned and his flexibility in changing the schedule to suit what I needed was great and meant that I got the most out of the experience. He was good company and clearly, like most of us, loves riding his bike.
I really wished I had been able to do some of the scheduled rides as they looked fabulous and I would love to come back with my husband one day and do some of those other rides and climbs. It is such a great area for cycling and I only explored such a small part of it!
Happy cycling!

Vicki Martin, New Zealand (stayed in Varese and in Colmegna on Lake Maggiore, August 2018)

Guest testimonials

Amazing! I'd recommend this tour to any avid cyclist who enjoys challenging rides, beautiful scenery, delicious food and wonderful people. Stefano is a very knowledgeable and competent guide.
I was able to simply enjoy the lake views and country sides while Stefano gracefully navigated each days route.
There is some traffic in town and on the routes however, I found drivers to be quite aware and courteous of cyclist.
The entire staff at Hotel Ungheria are warm and welcoming. The Segafredo Family does a great job with hotel operations and Martina, Marina, Ilaria, and Maria provide warm and kind service. The morning breakfast includes a large selections of delicious options and great coffee.
Upon return from each days ride a buffet snack awaits you. This "snack" as they call it is nothing short of a full meal with amazing extras beyond your preselected menu. The rooms are spacious and comfortable with great sunset views.
The experience has made me a stronger rider while enriching my life with lasting memories of Varese and the Northern Italian Lakes.

David Franceschina, Seattle, WA, USA (stayed in Varese, September 2017)

Guest testimonials

Had a great time exploring the stunning lakes region around Varese with Stefano and 2 other Australians!
Stefano was very friendly and welcoming, and went out of his way to help us with the bikes, adapt the route if we were tired, and show us some of the hidden treasures on the backroads of the region (including gelato shops!).
His knowledge of the area and care for his guests is exceptional! I've left with a sense of achievement for some of the tough climbs we did, and glad that I survived the cobblestones in the tiny villages. Thank you Stefano!

Vanessa Hughes, Broadview, SA, Australia (stayed in Varese, July 2017)

Guest testimonials

We need to post a very big thank you to Stefano for taking us on the best cycling tour. We can't rate this high enough.
And a special thanks also to Simone and his wonderful parents & sisters at Hotel Ungheria, who were so friendly and welcoming, nothing was too much trouble and they couldn't do enough for us. Highly recommend their bike hotel.
Back to the riding, Stefano planned everything in great detail, he had a book made up of every day's ride with options for harder rides if you wished. The rides he planned were fun, challenging, always included beautiful and interesting scenery and visits to unique places.
We were always fascinated by and loved riding through the little villages, some with cobblestones paths, others with roads wide enough for 1 car only.
He showed us Sacro Monte, which then became a 'must do challenge ride', Villa Ponti, Villa Panza, Villa Della Porta Bozzolo, the Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso on Lake Maggiore; did the Brinzio climb a few times & in reverse, we went to Lake Lugano, we were excited that we rode into Switzerland.
That week at Varese was the big highlight of our few weeks in Italy, and we would highly recommend Lakes of North Italy Bike Tours to anyone!

Jan and Alan Kerr, Towradgi, NSW, Australia (stayed in Varese, July 2017)

Guest testimonials

We had an amazing time taking part in the Northern Italy Gentle Bike tour.
It was challenging in parts but the views of the lakes and mountains were definitely worth the effort. Our tour guide, Stefano was very knowledgeable and it was a pleasure to ride with him.
The hotel was perfect and all the family and staff were very friendly and helpful.
We will definitely be back.

Rosie & Roland Pompermaier, Farnborough, Hampshire, UK (stayed in Varese, May 2017)

Guest testimonials

We, as a group, would like to thank you all for the warm and excellent service which was given to us during our 6 day cycling tour.
It was just fantastic from the first few minutes we arrived at the hotel to the last few minutes we left to the airport.
We were always treated very well both as far as all the services within the Hotel itself, to and during all the cycling routes we had!
Not to mention the fantastic and beautiful places we visited! The place itself is already beautiful and thanks to your team it was just a fantastic and unforgettable experience.
Food provided was always excellent, not to mention those energy snacks provided to us during the rides!
Keep it up guys and thanks for this unforgettable experience indeed!
Saluti a tutti. Ci Vediamo di sicuro

Mark Gauci, Michael Grima, Raphael Fenech Adami, James Saliba, Brian Rogers, Geoffrey Farrugia, Anton Galea and Rennie Abela, from Malta (stayed in Varese, September 2016)

Guest testimonials

On behalf of my wife, Sandra, together with Carole and Roy Hill, I'd like to express my appreciation to the hotel, its serving staff and, especially, to our bicycle guide, Stefano, for making what could have been a distressing week in Varese such an enjoyable one.
When we made our reservation last April, we had no way of knowing that Roy would have a serious fall on his bicycle in Canada just weeks before leaving for Italy. The nearly 4 week gap following his fall in which Roy was unable to ride, obviously affected his ability to climb the hills around Varese.
That Stefano was able to alter our planned routes to make them less steep and shorter on such short notice showed remarkable planning flexibility.
After the first night, we also enjoyed all of the restaurants arranged for us to eat at - especially for me the two nights at the fish restaurant. And the after cycling late lunch servings "hit the spot" (I.e. they were exceptionally welcome).
The bicycle I rode on was among the best I have ridden because it was super light with easy changing gears.
Thanks again for a very enjoyable week in quite difficult conditions.
Sandra and I have now posted our pictures of our stay in Varese HERE (see archives/October 2015).

W. Paul McCrossan, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (stayed in Varese, September 2015)

Guest testimonials

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our bike tour at the Hotel Ungheria in September 2015.
The hotel served all of our needs and the family running the hotel could not have been nicer to us than they were.
We were looking for a bike tour in Northern Italy with the following characteristics: affordable, challenging without being too difficult, nice roads with manageable traffic, and being around good people. The tour met all those needs.
The price was right and included seven nights in the hotel, all meals were included (we had plenty to eat and drink) along with rides to and from the restaurants, and it was very nice to have our bike clothes washed for us each day.
The daily bike rides had spectacular scenery and varied routes led very well by our guide Stefano.
There were some good climbs, like Monte Campo dei Fiori, that provided for a good workout.
Optional routes could be chosen depending on how ambitious the cyclist was that day.
Some day we would like to go back and do the ride over to Lake Como.
Traffic wasn't a problem. Each ride leaves the hotel in Varese and the first 5-6 miles go through the city and there are plenty of cars in that stretch out and back but after that traffic was mostly a non-issue and after the first day we were comfortable leaving and returning to the hotel.
We met and rode with five others on the tour and had a great time with them - riding, having meals together, and just sitting around chatting.
Thanks again to the hotel manager, Simone and his family for their hospitality and our tour leader, Stefano, for showing us the sights of Northern Italy and parts of Switzerland.
We hope to return before too long.
The hotel's website includes a great deal of information on the daily routes showing where they go and the range of difficulty for both the basic and avid options.
Use these to determine whether the gentle biker or road biker tour is best suited for you.

Bob and Nancy Norcross, Madison, Wisconsin, USA (stayed in Varese, September 2015)

Guest testimonials

This is the email Stan Stewart sent out to his bike club: Sunnyvale-Cupertino Cycling Club

Subject: 2016 GPS Varese Schedule, Northern Italy into parts of Switzerland
SCCC:
If you're interested at all, I can provide any additional info you might want on this great week of riding (and great week of food!) for this GPS Varese road schedule. A very economical cost to boot.
I can promise you that no matter what your fitness level is, every day the ride can be designed to challenge you or alternately give you an easier day, if needed.
Once you get out of town (5-10 km) you essentially have NO traffic, great forests, beautiful views and very interesting historical towns to stop in, some dating from Roman times.
Besides getting in/out of town, the only other areas than can have some traffic are on a couple of sections of lakefront on Lake Lugano into Switzerland.
Without further delay, see below.
Stan

Stan Stewart, Los Gatos, California, USA, (stayed in Varese, July 2015)

Guest testimonials

I have been to Italy many times visiting relatives and site seeing.
My stay at Hotel Ungheria and bike tour with Stefano is one of my most memorable trips.
The Segafredo family have created a warm, hospitable, traditional hotel experience complete with quiet rooms, a fantastic breakfast, food for a day of biking topped off with a classic northern Italian meal in a local Varese restaurant.
Stefano, with his local knowledge of the area, lead us through the magnificent countryside that surround 5 beautiful lakes.
I have fond memories of a wonderful week.
I highly recommend this adventure to anyone looking to experience the wonderful lakes region of Italy
with the Segafredo family as hosts.

Ronald C. Licata, Wethersfield, Connecticut, USA (stayed in Varese, June 2015)

Guest testimonials

Thanks VERY Much for a great bike holiday and the hotel experience.
The Hotel was EXTREMELY nice, the breakfasts were fantastic, MORE than enough. The snack for lunch was very good, the snack when we got back was also EXTREMELY good. The Fresh baking by Anna every day was and should be a great selling point in your website.
You can say anything you like about it, we would support it. Stressing that the hotel is a family business and that all the siblings work there is also a nice thing. Frankly the hotel is a VERY nice place, and the rooms and services are as good as one could desire.
The bike tours each day WERE very good. Stefano made the tours good for the level of the slowest rider in our group and that was good. The roads outside Varese were amazing and for the most part very good.
I have to say that the trip was great. WE would NOT comment like this if we didn't have a great trip. We comment because we really enjoyed the hotel and the tours, and want to make the experience even better so that it will be a big success.

Paul Kramer, Berkeley, California, USA (stayed in Varese, September 2014)