Frequently Asked Questions

First of all, "Scooterbella" is a division of Customwalks Italia, sharing the same passion for creating unforgettable travel experiences. Customwalks has been honored with TripAdvisor's "Travelers' Choice Award" in 2021, 2023, and 2024, recognizing the "Best of the Best" as rated by travelers worldwide. The same dedicated team of tour managers and guides who have earned this acclaim also operates our Scooterbella Vespa tours, ensuring the same high standards and attention to detail on every adventure.

So, with that in mind, here is what people have said about Scooterbella (taken from Trip Advisor reviews):

We always have at least one fully bilingual guide on tour so they are capable of contacting emergency services in case of need. All of our guides have first-aid training and carry first-aid kits with them. Previously we have had to cope with medical emergencies and we have always managed to do just that, cope with the situation and ensure that the afflicted client is looked after as best as possible. Furthermore, since we have an office in Italy we can always follow up and help the client deal with insurance issues (which is why we request everyone's insurance policy number and contact details, as well as a contact in case of emergency), or rebooking of plane tickets, etc. Needless to say, having professional bilingual guides looking after you can be of great benefit.

Your initial inquiry goes directly to our owner/manager Brett Naisby, who can answer any questions. Brett is also happy to chat via ZOOM, Whatsapp, or telephone. Brett is in Italy, so please take into consideration the time difference.

Please see the "About US" page on our website. Photos and brief bios of our guides are displayed there.

We cap our walking trips at 14 participants. We usually have groups between 6 and 12.

We confirm our tours when we reach our break even point of four participants. We may guarantee a departure for only two people, but a small group fee would apply. Please see our Guaranteed Departure Policy. for more information.

On our walking tours, we have at least one Customwalks guide accompanying tours with up to 8 participants. Once there are more than 8 participants, there are two Customwalks guides.

To have a private departure of one of our "regular tours," we request a per-person supplement that diminishes from pretty painful for two people (Sorry!) to barely noticeable once you reach six people. Beyond 7 people, there is no supplement for a private tour. We request a supplement for a private/closed tour of fewer than 8 participants because we price our tours based on the expectation that we will get 8 or more participants. By closing off a private tour for a group of fewer than 8 people, we have no chance of getting to 8 participants, and therefore our pricing is “off”. Therefore, we ask for these supplements to bring our pricing in line with our costs.2 participants: a per-person supplement corresponding to 25% of the tour price published on our website. 3 – 4 participants: a per-person supplement corresponding to 15% of the tour price published on our website. 5 – 6 participants: a per-person supplement corresponding to 10% of the tour price published on our website. 7 participants: a per-person supplement corresponding to 5% of the tour price published on our website. 8  – 14 participants: no supplement requested. The price is the price published on our website.
We can also do private tours for large groups. The largest tour we have done was for 35 guests.

We have a mix of clientele. Our tours are not prohibitively expensive, so we get a nice cross-section of people, geographically, demographically, and socio-economically. Most of our travelers are from the United States, although about 25% of our clientele comprises Australians, New Zealanders, Canadians, South Africans, and Brits.

On average, ages range from early 40’s to mid 70’s with the majority in the 55 to 70 bracket.

There are usually at least two or three single travelers on our regular departures, sometimes more. We get more single females traveling with us.

Yes, we do, but it is relatively modest since we only charge the extra fees passed on to us by the hotels. We do not penalize single travelers by adding a margin to the single supplement.

Many of our tour participants have traveled extensively, while others may be on their first overseas trip. Generally, we get fun and interesting people who are curious about the world and enjoy exploring new cultures and the wonders of nature. Hikers and bikers are often just that way! Of course, there is always the risk that you may not like someone on your tour, but that is a relatively rare occurrence. We recognize that a group is made up of individuals, and therefore, we design our tours to allow plenty of free time so you can have time for yourself. And lastly, if there is someone who is disruptive to the group, our guides have the authority to kindly ask them to smarten up, or leave the tour. Happily, in 19 years of doing tours, we only needed to do this on one occasion.

We design each day to have a balanced content of activity, cultural content, cappuccino and lunchtime, short breaks, and then free time at the end of the day, and then dinner. So, a typical day starts with breakfast at about 8 a.m, and we generally depart at about 9 a.m. We break up our rides, with lots of stops. Indeed, we try not to spend more than 45 minutes driving before having a break. In the morning there is always a cappuccino stop, then a visit of something (village, villa, castle, artisan, etc) then another ride and then lunch. Afterward perhaps a cultural visit/special event, then arrive back at the hotel around 3:30 – 4:00 for some free time, then get together at about 7:00 for an aperitivo followed by dinner. The guides will then brief you on the next day’s activities.

Brett guided his first tour, a cycling tour in Alsace, in June 1990 for a company called Butterfield & Robinson. He established his own walking and biking company in 1996 called Customwalks. He started running ScooterBella Vespa Tours in 2006 and eventually renamed the cycling division as Mondo Bike Tours in 2017.

For many years, the company was based in Christchurch,  New Zealand with an Italian subsidiary. As of January 2024, we have closed the New Zealand company. "Customwalks Italia SRL" is now the sole business. 

CUSTOMWALKS ITALIA S.R.L. 
Case Sparse La Fonte No. 2

C. F. – P. IVA: 01477800526

Customwalks Italia SRL is a bonded licensed tour operator in the European Union. ,

First of all, we at Customwalks enjoy our meals! The quality of the culinary component of all our tours is equally important as the hotels, hikes, and guides. We generally treat our travelers to various restaurants, from low-fuss trattorias with excellent food that locals frequent to restaurants featuring high-end, sophisticated dining. If the group is small, with less than 8 participants, we tend to order a la carte. We offer our guests three-course meals, and you can choose to do an antipasto (starter) with a secondo (meat, fish, or a vegetarian main) or a primo (usually pasta, risotto, or polenta in the north of Italy), all topped off with dessert. So, you can mix and match. Sometimes, we will order a starter for everyone (usually a mixed plate of tasty delights) to get the ball rolling, and then you can choose from a primo or a secondo. We also typically order “ contorno” (vegetables and potatoes) for the table. You are probably aware that in Italy, vegetables are a side dish (this is not such an issue in France). If the group is a little bigger, we consult with the restaurants to develop a set menu whereby you can choose between two or three plates for each course. Creating a set-menu helps speed up service, reduces the time the guides need to take to translate the menu, and helps the kitchen prepare the dishes in a timely fashion. We also know our restaurants and what they do best, and we develop these menus to avoid duplication during the week and to ensure you can try various regional specialties. We also pay great attention to our restaurants' acoustics, down to reserving particular rooms or tables. Eating together is a social occasion, and nothing is worse than being bombarded with echoey chitter chatter from others or our own tables! 

We do not include wine with dinner because some people don’t drink, and for those who do, some might want to try more prestigious wines while others are indifferent. By not including wine, we feel we can help people to drink what they want. Most of the time, the guides will suggest different wines from the wine list that they know offer good value for money or are particularly good. (We like to drink well!). They will mention the price, and usually, the group will make a unanimous decision. However, everyone is encouraged to drink what they want. We often have several smaller tables, so one table might go big, with a Barolo or a Brunello, while another table might choose something more modest but delicious all the same. Whoever partakes pays their portion. Easy peasy. We settle the wine bill at the end of each meal.