The AIDA cycle route is 930 km long and can be travelled bi-directionally from West to East and vice versa. The track provided on the site is by convention in the direction West > East, but is 85% valid in the opposite direction as well: any counter-running sections are corrected by the presence of stickers, which are placed along the entire route.

The AIDA cycle route runs along the Po Valley, which means that 90% of it is totally flat, while on the remaining 10% the gradients are almost always less than 4%, as for example in Franciacorta, or on the moraine hills of Lake Garda.

The only challenging stretch is the climb to the Moncenisio pass, which in 20 km takes you from an altitude of 670 metres to 1716 metres above sea level, but can be tackled with a BiciTaxi service.

Regarding the presence of gravel roads and  all-vehicles roads, in the AIDA EST section, from Verona to Trieste, out of a total of 430 km (100%), we have:

– Gravel roads (no vehicular traffic): 102 km >> 24 %
– Asphalted path or restricted zones (bicycle or pedestrian areas): 92 km >> 21 %.
– Mixed use (with vehicle traffic): 236 km >> 54 %.

In mixed traffic we mainly have country roads with a vehicle every 5-10 minutes, which are considered low traffic. So only 10% of the AIDA EST route can be considered to be on busier roads, say provincial roads or crossings over provincial roads, mostly on crossings such as river bridges.

Although we do not have the same precise data, we can say that AIDA WEST (Moncenisio – Verona) also follows this distribution, and summarising in overall logic: the AIDA cycle route is 40% traffic-free, 50% low traffic, 10% heavier traffic. The surface of the Ciclovia is 35% gravel and 65% asphalt. 

For AIDA EST below is an image of the exact survey of the sections carried out in 2019 (perhaps with slight variations from today): green unpaved, purple cycle-path/restricted zone, yellow with vehicular traffic:

Aida is a cycle route with a good number of unpaved stretches (35% of the total), most of which are pleasant, and only to a lesser extent uneven. This, however, leads us to recommend the use of a touring bike suitable for all terrains, or a gravel bike or MTB, all with sturdy wheels and possibly equipped with gears. The use of racing bikes is not recommended.

There are few single track sections, concentrated in the Lower Bergamo area. In any case, the presence of paths and other obstacles (such as moped blocks along some of the cycle paths) makes the AIDA cycle path not perfectly passable with trolleys, accessories or non-standard-sized bikes.

The weather along the AIDA cycle route is that of the Po Valley: it has a humid temperate climate with a very hot summer: average temperatures are low in winter (-1/2 °C) and high in summer (25/28 °C).

In the cold season, minimum temperatures can be several degrees below zero at night, and sometimes remain negative or close to zero even in the middle of the day. In summer, on the other hand, maximum temperatures can reach peaks of 38 °C, sometimes higher.

Rainfall is mainly concentrated in the spring and autumn months, but thunderstorms are frequent in hot and humid summers. Fog is a strongly decreasing phenomenon, but in winter visibility along the cycle route may be limited, also due to lack of lighting, so it is good to be well lit and wear reflective items, just as in summer in the hours before sunrise and after sunset.

The ideal time to travel along AIDA is therefore the period from the beginning of May to mid-July, and from the end of August to the end of October. Moreover, in the Vercellese and Novarese area the May/June period is particularly suitable for seeing the flooded rice fields: an incredible spectacle that will give you the sensation of riding on water.

At the same time, the hottest time of the year is not recommended, as the heat is felt, and some stretches of the Ciclovia are exposed to the sun with few trees, and unfortunately also with little water fountains (mainly in the Vercelli and Novara sections).

A further caution is to avoid riding the sections of the AIDA along cycle paths at weekends, such as the Naviglio Martesana cycle path, because they may be heavily frequented by walkers and pedestrians.

The AIDA cycle route is still far from European infrastructure standards, both in terms of the road surface (sometimes unpaved) and in terms of safety, due to the passage at some critical points.

However, with the right amount of attention and spirit of adaptation, it is possible to tackle it with children in tow: usually there is a railway station within 30 km of the cycle route. Simply, due to the unevenness of the surface in some sections, the AIDA cycle route is not recommended for travel with children under 6 years of age.

The website does not offer a complete list of all the facilities along the AIDA, but only those that have offered to be AIDA ‘supporters’: this means that they are related to the project, support it and promote it.

There is no convention policy on prices because the cycle path industry is not yet mature enough to guarantee large numbers, but some of the Supporters will be happy to meet any requests you may have.

Susa can be easily reached by regional train from Turin, while for the ascent to the pass there is a Bicitaxi service with a trolley for transporting bicycles and minivans: by contacting us at info@aidainbici.it you will receive the taxi driver’s contact details: as he is not always available, it is advisable to move well in advance (at least 2 months) to understand the organisation of everything.

We also remind you that the Moncenisio pass is subject to winter closure in the period from November to May.

If, on the other hand, you wish to arrive by car, there are many free parking areas in Susa: the three most convenient car parks at the station are unattended, but in quiet areas.