1) To reach the Val di Chiana (The Chiana Valley)
The Val di Chiana is easily reached by car or train as it is on one of Italy’s major roads connecting Rome to Milan. The Val di Chiana is, in fact, a sort of natural corridor for the motorway and the railway line. The motorway toll gates and the train stations of Chiusi and Arezzo, as well as ten in-between stations, are thus important reference points for anyone wishing to reach the Sentiero della Bonifica.

2) Is it better to bring your own bicycle or to rent one? What types of bicycles are suitable for this ‘journey’?
Both solutions are feasible. To use your own bicycle means having to bring it with you and then having, perhaps, to load it on to a train for the return journey. Instead, direct rental means that you can arrive “empty handed” and, even more important, you can leave it wherever you are when you have finished your journey.
Of course, if you decide to rent, you are advised to organize everything well beforehand and to book with specialized tour operators who are your point of reference also for the collecting of the bicycle at the end of the trip.
The cycle and pedestrian path mainly follows a white track road; therefore, it is advisable to use on this journey or trip a touring bike (city bike or a hybrid both are fine), with special tyres for mixed surfaces or a mountain bike. A road bike is not advisable because, even though the route is often quite smooth, its special tyres or narrow tubular ones, typical of this kind of bicycle, do not allow for the right fluidity of movement or for enough road holding grip.

3) Along the way, can you rely on finding tourist facilities or the supply of special services for those who travel by bike?
The Canale Maestro della Chiana flows through a countryside inhabited by few. It does not cross town centres; instead, it goes close to but barely touches, easily reached hamlets and villages. As for offers of hospitality, there are various tourist accommodation structures along the route who warmly welcome ‘slow’ travellers who ride along the Canale Maestro della Chiana: hotels, farm hotels, private holiday homes, B&B’s have all undersigned a commitment regarding the welcome and the services offered for those who travel by bike. There are 11 services for the tourist cyclist: bicycle storage, equipment and workshop supplies, bike wash, suitable refreshments, laundry service, bike rentals, tour leaders and guides, excursionist’s corner, internet point, information, emergency service. The accommodation structures that adhere to this circuit must be able to supply the first 4, while the other services can be used according to the availability of each structure.
As for the logistics of the route, there are two tour operators who guarantee services along the way, with special attention paid to families, from bike rentals, little trolleys and children’s seats to the transport of luggage between the various stages, to the picking up of the bike and of possible travellers along the path or at the end of the journey. Besides, a booking service at the various stages or stopovers is available. As for the area’s services such as mechanic assistance points or health structures (chemists and hospitals), a complete list of these can be found on the tourist cycling map of the Canale Maestro della Chiana and its website: www.sentierodellabonifica.it

4) Are there any “all inclusive” offers?
Of course there are. The two tour operators offer ‘on the road’ package tours of various types, depending on time availability and on the cycling capacities and preparation of the tourist cyclists. Of course, single services are also available. The rule is always the same: contact the tour operators well in advance.

5) If you wish to travel independently, how can you organize the journey? Stopping places, services, useful information.
Autonomous and independent tourist cyclists are welcome on the cycle and pedestrian path of the Canale Maestro della Chiana. The route is ideal for anyone who wishes to travel in complete freedom. A well-trained cyclist can do the whole trip in one day but in order to enter the feeling of the place and the people, it is a good idea to break the journey up into two or three stages; and even to go off the beaten track towards other points of interest. The map’s and website’s information is sufficient to organize the trip alone. The local tourist offices, most of all the APT [Tourist Promotion Offices] of Arezzo and Chianciano Terme, are invaluable contacts. Further information on organizing one’s own holiday can be found on the websites www.apt.arezzo.it and www.terresiena.it..

6) Which are the cautionary measures to be taken before and during the journey?
First of all, a suitable documentation about the area and about the cycle and pedestrian path is advisable. Along the whole route, there are wave bands for mobile phones so all you need to take with you are useful contacts and numbers. When travelling alone, you must take care of how and what you eat. Never set off with empty water flasks (not “one” water flask) or without a reserve of fast-working sources of energy, such as dried fruit, fresh fruit or energy bars. The Sentiero della Bonifica, in fact, though never being far from refreshment points (indicated) is sometimes made up of solitary stretches. And when cycling, both hunger and thirst must be avoided: to drink when you are thirsty and to eat when you are hungry means that it is already too late! For similar reasons, it is good common sense to depart with tools necessary for simple repairs, starting with a kit for mending flat tyres (inner tubes, tools for taking off the tyres, patches).

7) What are the characteristics of the cycle path? Do you have to be well trained?
The Sentiero della Bonifica does not have any technical difficulties. Regarding differences in altitude, it is definitely easy and does not require the qualities of a mountaineer as it winds constantly across flat land. So it can easily be undertaken by amateur, untrained cyclists, although they must consider how much stamina they really have. The lack of climbing roads is an advantage for everyone but before departing, we advise you to consider how long you can last on the saddle. Although specific athletic training is not necessary, you should at least be used to the pedals and…to the saddle; in other words, you should set off in fairly good shape. For those travelling with children, a good idea is to divide the journey into two or three stages. Despite the fact that the route is always well indicated, it is important to take the specific map along with you, with a lot of practical and useful information.

8) Is the Sentiero della Bonifica suitable for children?
Without a doubt, yes! The path is good and safe for cycling and offers many points of historical, naturalistic and landscape interest, all ideal for kids. If you exclude the rare junctions with the provincial roads (always well indicated), the path is forbidden to motorized traffic so you can cycle in perfect safety, freedom and peace. However, we always recommend a helmet to be worn as well as a suitable clothing for cycling (specific cycling shorts, gloves, sunglasses, replacements)

9) Apart from the cycle path, what is really the Canale Maestro della Chiana? Which experiences can you try out first hand?
The Canale Maestro della Chiana by bike means travelling in a healthy way, while rediscovering a new means of communication with nature and people. It is a unique trip, an experience that you can have only if you are willing to move slowly. By car or train, you see a different Val di Chiana. By bike, you can truly enter into contact with this area and its people by means of their agricultural produce and their craftsmanship: vineyards, olive groves and orchards, wine cellars, farms and old-fashioned village stores; peaceful places along the canal, in open country or in always welcoming hamlets.

10) Which are the periods of the year advised for travelling along the cycle and pedestrian path of the Canale Maestro della Chiana?
Spring and autumn. Summer is fine, too, as long as you avoid the really hot periods (July and August) as the whole route is “under the sky” and without any shade. In winter, temperatures can be harsh and the Path then becomes an excellent route for those who wish to get fit by bike, but the atmospheric conditions are not suitable for holidays. It is unadvisable to try out this cycle and pedestrian path after heavy rainfall. When the Canal is near to overflowing or to flooding, there are parts of it which would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get through. In any case, the area’s safety is guaranteed 365 days a year by the hydraulic experts who quite literally live in close relationship to the canal in the easily recognizable lodges along the route..