Making a Booking with Hooked on Italy ( Hooked on Cycling and Walking )
Booking a holiday can be very exciting especially if it is your first such holiday. If you are booking a cycling or walking holiday then at Hooked on Cycling & Walking we have the experience to help you along the way. We are unique in the market in so much we cater for all experience levels , holidays for beginners , holidays for families , holidays for expereinced cyclists and walkers, holidays with great scenery and holidays full of local culture and history. Luggage transfers are included on all our moving on tours. We have selected only the best farm estates for our Farm stays.
Follow the below simple steps when making a booking

• First decide what type of Holiday you wish to take.
• Check out flights or decide on how to get to the tour start and make sure flights are available at the cost you wish to pay - but do not make the flight booking yet.
• Enter the tour page and click on the BOOK THIS TOUR NOW button at the bottom of each page
• Here you can enter the tour details you wish to book along with the following items , Names of all persons in your party , an address for correspondence , Heights of each person(Cycling) , any extras such as half board and extra nights , your room requirements.
• You will then be forwarded to our payment page where you can choose to send us a cheque for the deposit ( UK Residents ) or pay by credit card on our next very secure page. A deposit of £75 per person is needed to secure your reservation( 30% of any farm stay holidays) , before doing so check out the booking conditions
• At this point it should be noted that according to UK LAW we are obliged to follow the UK Package Travel Directive which specifies that all money paid to Hooked on Cycling for a holiday must be held in our Client trust account until after your holiday is completed. Thus ensuring your holiday is safe from the moment it is booked with us. We are also members of UK Incoming the former British Incoming Tour Operators Association further guarantee of our quality of service.
• On receipt of the deposit we shall confirm your booking
• At this point you can make your flight reservations ( the booking process usually takes 48 hours )
• 8 Weeks before departure the balance of the holiday is due and you can send us the balance at this time . We shall email you a reminder at this time. We have a surcharge of 1.5% on cards for the balance of holiday payments.
• We post your tour package to you around 2-3 weeks before your departure.

Your Financial Security
In accordance with “The Package Travel, Package Tours Regulations 1992” all passengers booking with Hooked on Cycling are fully Insured for the initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all monies paid to us, including repatriation if required, arising from the cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Hooked on Cycling.

 A certificate detailing this cover will be given to each and every passenger as evidence of cover.  Please ensure that you have been given the appropriate certificate(s) at the time of booking.

This insurance has been arranged by Towergate Chapman Stevens through igi Insurance Company Limited.

Testimonials
To view some feedback from our previous customers please click here

Tour Categories and Grading for Cycling Holidays
Moving on Tours
A moving on  tour enables you to see the most of a particular region , each day you will cycle to another beautiful village passing some of the regions most stunning scenery to a good local welcome at your booked accommodation. We have moving on tours in most regions of Scotland , France , Spain , Italy , Slovenia , Hungary , Belgium , Romania, Austria , Portugal , Greece , Canada, New Zealand , Tasmania, England and Wales to name but a few . The tours are graded from 1 to 4+ and by the levels of support we provide to each tour . We have 19, 12 , 10 , 8 , 7 and 4 night tours available and many tours can be customised in some way.

Cycle Resorts
These are fixed based holidays at a specially selected hotel which cater for cyclists of all abilities. Some resorts offer various guided rides per day. Cycle Resorts are not only ideal for the beginner or keen cyclist but also for non cycling partners of families as Mum or Dad can go off cycling while there is still plenty to do for the non cyclist during the day. Each location varies but most have high energy food, guided rides of various distances, laundry facilities, Gym, Sauna’s, swimming pool, coaching, massage and much more.

Independent Tours / Self Guided tours
Tours can generally be started any day of the week giving you the greatest flexibility, luggage transfer are always included. You follow our routes and maps at your leisure to your next booked accommodation.

Group tours
Group start on pre-defined dates and include luggage transfer in the basic holiday cost. There are two types of group tours , on our basic group tour the guide usually is in a van and provides local support for you. Our Guided group tours have a cycling guide showing you the way to cycle.

Tour Grades
All our cycle tours are graded to help you determine if they are suitable for you however it is only an estimation as there are many factors which determine a tour difficulty like wind direction, road surface, temperature and of course ones fitness and preparation for your cycling holiday.
Level 1 : Easy biking in nearly flat landscape, some minor hills maybe on some days, these tours are usually for people with little or no experience. The daily distances will be between 18-30 miles per day.
Level 2: Biking in flat to hilly areas. You may encounter some climb from time to time sometimes short but steep. The daily distances are between 18 - 40 miles per day
Level 3: Strenuous biking trips in hilly regions where climbs cannot be avoided. These could be long in places. The daily distances are between 18-45 miles per day
Level 4: Serious and strenuous biking in mountainous regions, climbs are longer and steeper than level 3 tours. Distances between 18-50 miles per day.
Level 4+ : Serious tours for serious cyclists often in training or with many years biking experience. Distances 30 miles per day upwards

Moving on Tours & Holiday Grading for Walking Tours
A moving on  tour enables you to see the most of a particular region , most days you will walk to another beautiful village passing some of the regions most stunning scenery to a good local welcome at your booked accommodation. We have moving on tours in most regions. The tours are graded by way of average walking time considering terrain and gradients. Our tour grades are indicated below but it is often hard to grade tours in a fixed way and therefore should be treated as a guide only. With the estimated walking time , grading and terrain details you can compare this too maybe some walks you have done in the past and decide if it is suitable. Of course if you require more information then please do call us.

Level 1
Trips with short walks of generally three to four hours ( excluding breaks ) and / or optional excursions, flat or slightly hilly terrain using well kept paths. Your luggage is always transported.

Level 2
Trips with easy day walks are interspersed with more strenuous sections. Four to five hours walking per day ( excluding breaks ) in hilly to mountainous areas using well kept but sometimes stoney paths. Your luggage is always transported

Level 3
Trips with strenuous day walks or trekking in mountainous regions. Five to seven hours walking per day , sometimes carrying backpack with stuff for 1 night. Height differences between 500 - 1000 metres per day.

Level 4
Trips with heavy excursions in mountainous regions sometimes carrying backpacks with stuff for a few nights. six to eight hours walking per day with height differences of up to 1200 metres per day.. This grade is only suitable for guests with excellent condition and no fear of heights.

With an independent tour you can holiday in any size group from individuals , couples or small groups , group tours have a maximum size of around 12-16 persons but the minimum varies from tour to tour and is detailed in the tour details

Fixed location Holidays
Fixed location holidays are based in hotels , guest houses , Inn or Huts in regions suitable for walking. This type of holiday is sometimes suitable for families or when not all family members wish to walk each day and it allows for maximum flexibility.

Insurance
It is essential that travel insurance is purchased to cover cancellations , accidents , and repatriation. We have negotiated a policy with UK Underwriting Ltd which covers activity holidays and will also cover cycles and equipment to certain limits. We will not accept a booking unless you are insured either with this policy or with a suitable alternative.

Children
We welcome family groups however we feel that you know your children’s capabilities as an individual and only you as a parent should choose what is suitable. Child discounts vary on each tour so please ask for a quotation . Children over 12 years of age will be charged the full adult price. Discounts are usually only available if sharing a room with two adults

Methods of Payment
We accept payment by Cheque , Debit or Credit Cards. We have full on line secure booking page

Privacy Policy
Hooked on Cycling respects your privacy. We will only collect, store and use your personal information for defined purposes. We use your information to support and enhance our relationship with you, for example, to process your booking and provide support. We do not sell your personal information. We only share your personal data with your consent, as required by law.  At any time you may contact us with any privacy questions or concerns you may have. You also may ask at any time to see the personal data you have given us and request correction or deletion. We do not hold any credit card information in our office once a booking has been confirmed and your card has been processed.