Help us bike the south of France

May 8, 2006 1:03 PM

Help us find a good bike tour in the south of France.

Mrs. Papercake and I have long dreamt of biking through the south of France. Now, as we're finally lucky enough to be able to afford it, we're starting to look into actually doing it... and are overwhelmed with the possibilities. There are tons of companies that organize these things.

Anybody with experiences or recommendations or warnings would be helpful. Thanks!

posted by papercake to travel & transportation (5 answers total)

I think you will get more useful responses if you explain/decide what kind of tour you want:
-What part of southern France (Provence, Pyrenees, Dordogne, etc?
-What time of year? Southern France is very hot in the summer.
What kind of riding do you want? Mostly flat? hilly? Alpine passes? Or some kind of theme (castles, wine, etc)?
Do you want a fully guided tour or a self-guided tour, or something in between? A fully guided tour books the lodging, maps the route, has a full-time guide showing the way, carries your luggage, etc. Self-guided tours give you the map and may move your luggage, and that's it.
Will you bring your own bikes or rely on the organizer to provide them?

So, I'll be happy to tell you about my experience last year, but it may be irrelevant to what you have in mind.
posted by pgoes at 2:36 PM on May 8, 2006

Two summers ago, not-yet-Mrs. Mookieproof went on a bike tour of Loire valley run by the Bicycle Adventure Club, with local logistics and support provided by Discover France. I know this isn't the South, but I think these organizations do other tours as well. She enjoyed it immensely.
posted by mookieproof at 6:06 PM on May 8, 2006

pgoes,

We're open to exactly where, but leaning toward the Provence region

We're also open to time of year, depending on price/scheduling (May to September ... which is basically almost the entire "season" it seems)

Type of riding -- we're looking for medium-to-easy (flat and hilly)

I imagine we're learning more toward full guided, although some of the sites I've been going to that are self-guided are intriguing as well

Definitely not bring our own bikes

Basically, I'd be happy to hear about any and all experiences (including yours!) that might help us make decisions and point us toward organizations that are good/trustworthy.

And thanks, mookieproof. I'll check them out.
posted by papercake at 6:19 PM on May 8, 2006

check out Experience Plus they have a really nice set of tours - I can especially recommend the Provence tour - they have a nice touch with the local contacts - friendships that they've obviously cultivated for years. I've never eaten so well in my life and they also had a nice mix of long cycling days and short fool around days.
posted by dorcas at 7:44 PM on May 8, 2006

Pricey, but fabulous tours.
posted by mozhet at 11:41 PM on May 8, 2006