Author Topic: Out-of-hours eating in Italy  (Read 1362 times)

Out-of-hours eating in Italy
« on: 03 July, 2019, 08:28:37 am »
I'm planning an audax-style ride from Munich to Lake Garda in a couple of days (following the Rando Imperator route), but I'm unfamiliar with options for out-of-hours eating there.

Normally I'd just look up 24-hour petrol stations and be done with it, but is that a thing in Italy?  A lot of them seem to be self-service, with no attached shop.

Any tips or experiences for riding a bike at silly times of day in Italy?  I'm expecting to arrive at the bottom southernmost point of Lake Garda around dawn on Saturday morning.

S2L

Re: Out-of-hours eating in Italy
« Reply #1 on: 03 July, 2019, 09:25:44 am »
Coffee bars open much earlier than in the UK, not uncommon to find them open at 6 AM, same for bakeries. Restaurants and bars close much later than in the UK, so again, you might be able to get proper food at midnight in towns and cities... for the time in between maybe carry some rations

Re: Out-of-hours eating in Italy
« Reply #2 on: 03 July, 2019, 09:50:05 am »
If you're really worried about it, take the route over the Brennerpass. There'll be definitely something open on top of the pass at any hour.
For the rest, having ridden the Rando Imperator route, if you're quite slow stock up in Austria. Occasionally you'll find a pub in Austria open until midnight. On top of the Resia, take the main road. If you're at the Resia pass in late evening, don't bother with the bikepath but take the normal road. That's easy descending. You might find a bar open untill late.
The first ones will open fairly early as a lot of Italians enjoy an espresso before heading to work.

Pete Mas

  • Don't Worry 'bout a thing...
Re: Out-of-hours eating in Italy
« Reply #3 on: 03 July, 2019, 12:20:41 pm »
Yes I agree you may find coffee bars open in the early hours in Italian villages. often with tempting pastries, etc. I've also known restaurants prepare late evening pasta fests for hungry cyclists, and other snacks to order. Look out for pizza outlets as well, either take-away or eat-in. Good for late-evening feeds.
''It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive."

R.L.Stevenson

Re: Out-of-hours eating in Italy
« Reply #4 on: 03 July, 2019, 01:09:16 pm »
Thanks for the tips :) I'm planning (hoping?) to do it pretty fast, so if I leave at daybreak then I expect roughly 350km-550km to be ridden in darkness (assuming I don't stop).  This means everything from Bolzano (ish) onwards, basically.

However, I did find a handful of Esso stations along the road from there down to Garda that seem to be open 24 hours (and have a shop).

On top of the Resia, take the main road. If you're at the Resia pass in late evening, don't bother with the bikepath but take the normal road. That's easy descending. You might find a bar open untill late.

Thanks – I was actually planning to descend on the road anyway.  I'm hoping to reach Resia some time on Friday afternoon – will the road be horribly busy at this time?

caerau

  • SR x 3 - PBP fail but 1090 km - hey - not too bad
Re: Out-of-hours eating in Italy
« Reply #5 on: 03 July, 2019, 02:25:59 pm »
When I briefly lived in Italy for a while back in the 90s, as far as I could tell they barely even started at the pubs and clubs *before* midnight.  :-D   And that was Garda/Verona io habitato.
It's a reverse Elvis thing.

Re: Out-of-hours eating in Italy
« Reply #6 on: 03 July, 2019, 08:05:07 pm »
Thanks for the tips :) I'm planning (hoping?) to do it pretty fast, so if I leave at daybreak then I expect roughly 350km-550km to be ridden in darkness (assuming I don't stop).  This means everything from Bolzano (ish) onwards, basically.

However, I did find a handful of Esso stations along the road from there down to Garda that seem to be open 24 hours (and have a shop).

On top of the Resia, take the main road. If you're at the Resia pass in late evening, don't bother with the bikepath but take the normal road. That's easy descending. You might find a bar open untill late.

Thanks – I was actually planning to descend on the road anyway.  I'm hoping to reach Resia some time on Friday afternoon – will the road be horribly busy at this time?

No idea, I've never descended there during daylight.