Tuscany Vespa Cycle and Bike Tour — Local services in Florence

We booked the Tuscany Vespa tour at a cost of almost $300. There was a winery piece included (which we anticipated to be very small from the description on their website )but we don’t drink so we were obviously less interested in that.

My frustration is because we were told that we would receive training. We had never used a Vespa before but we’re excited to try it and i have over 20 years of driving experience so figured this should be pretty easy. Their website says "The tour is perfect for all levels as we always begin with a lesson so that beginners may get the hang of driving."

As far as the “training” It was a five minute tutorial followed by less than two minutes on the actual Vespa before we “failed” The driving test and we’re told that we would have to remain at the vineyard. Now, I am all for safety so that’s not my issue here. But when I take issue with a tour and is positioned as a tour that will teach me something, then gives me less than 10 minutes of training and usage of the Vespa - that is not an acceptable proposition.

Each person should have been given a minimum of 10 minutes to try the Vespa and get comfortable with it instead of the two small laps around the parking lot. I don’t know anyone who could feel comfortable driving with that type of “training.”

This left us paying $300 for a winery tour and again, we don’t drink. When I asked Alexa, our tour guide, if they provide any refund for people who do not get to go on the Vespa, she very loudly told me that it was “NO REFUNDS! You took up a spot on the bus!”

She purposely said this very loudly in front of every other guest because I’m sure she anticipated them asking as well, but I found this to be very unprofessional and certainly not in the spirit of customer service.

Overall, I would not recommend this tour if you have not driven one of these before. You’ll just end up paying for a winery tour instead. As a note there were 16 or 18 of us on the tour and only four people passed their “test.” Most of them had experience on a motorcycle.

They did offer for us to ride with the guides after failing our "test" but it was very hot that day so the idea of sweating on/clinging to a stranger on a Vespa for an hour did not sound appealing.

So, at the end of the day, I feel as though I was taken advantage of and certainly not provided training on how to use the equipment properly nor the time to get comfortable with it. The other guide - who I can see now from the lovely response that they left to my review was the owner - (on my very first lap around the parking lot) yelled at me that “the Vespa was driving me”

I know! It is truly shocking that in my first 15 seconds on a Vespa I didn’t know how to drive it!? :(

Perhaps this tour is good for people who have written before but in my opinion, you can’t sell people a Vespa tour with training, and then just give them a winery tour expect them to be happy about it after...

We joined this 5 hour tour thinking it was an extended vespa tour of the region. In hindsight, I should have realized touring between wineries really doesn't make sense. I envisioned speeding down a country road driving with one hand, and a bottle of Chianti in the other. But that is just me and I digress. The tour itself was nice. The winery we visited and toured prior to our "vespa tour" was interesting with ancient monk rooms discovered under the building and with history going back a thousand years. The cellers were full of oak barrels and large vats. After that part of the tour, we had to "verify" our ability to drive the scooter, so if you don't know how, there is a high chance you won't be able to drive. This part of the day took over an hour. Once we were lined up, the tour guides lead us though small towns and country side vineyards. They took the time to stop traffic at intersections and kept us on course. This country is a beautiful place to see up close. The tour itself was an hour on the vespa. Being only an hour, it may or not be worth 140EU price for an hour drive. You'll have to make that call. I only point it out. We returned to the same winery for a tasting and lunch which was very fun indeed. We met wonderful people and we all had a great time. May I recommend Dejan toning down the comidial discourse during the drive on those who are married and the so called underlying desire for us all to cheat on our wives and husbands. I know in the group of 8 we were in, the sarcastic dialog on marriage and sex didn't go well. Most of us seemed to be startled at the level of course humor. I am a fun loving guy who loves jokes etc but the humor made my wife uncomfortable as well as other happily married couples in the group. As a note, they offer a $20.00 "insurance" when signing up for the tour to cover for any scratches and dings that may occur on the Vespas. I checked it out and most of the Vespas showed previous signs of falls, nicks, and scratches. It seems to me if there is a charge for a scratch or ding, they would fix it. The "insurance" seems unecessary it they don't repair previous damage. After all, how would they determine a new scratch from an old scratch. Whatever you do, don't get assigned to the 1958 mostly smokey powder blue vespa. My wife was the smallest of all the group and she told me the bike barely made it up the grades. Most of the driving tour was sub 20MPH. Overall, it...

I mean… wow. Where else do you get to ride vespas through the county roads of Tuscany and then enjoy wine and lunch at a local winery immediately after. This was one of those experiences that I will hold with me forever. Our tour was all couples, but my friend and I (21 yrs old) still had so much fun. At first you take a van from the middle of Florence out of the city about 20 minutes, then they do an intro to the winery and the wine cellars. After that they do a “Vespa school”… aka a quick lesson on how to ride the Vespas and a trial run to see if you’re fit to take them on the road. If not, you have the option to be a passenger (either with the person you came with or with an instructor). I personally was a passenger and had the best time looking over the rolling hills full of olive trees, vineyards, and castles of Tuscany during our ride. After that, you finish with a lunch (antipasto, primo, & dessert) and you taste two of the local wines. They served us the best honey I think I’ve ever had in my life and I will be dreaming of it forever. As for the wine, it was incredible. I’d like to add that the tour guides … Alexa and Dejan… were wonderful. They made us feel comfortable (even though I definitely was not on the Vespa) and were so kind and welcoming. They also will help with recs or anything you need! Overall, I would absolutely spend the money on this tour again, as it was honestly the best...