PalQ

No i don't live in France though i spent two months there a year for ten years when my son was small - can't come up with an answer for your question as seems only a group tour would be in order then, and those are tremendously expensive as they are geared to luxury-loving crowd. I've done all my bike trips solo (not included the groups i once led) and i love it but understand your hesitation.

ahotpoet

PalQ
I did a VBT tour last month and I did love it and was very comfortable but if I want to do more trips like this I need to find an alternative that is not so pricey.
Thanks for your suggestions

PalQ

Afraid they're aren't much cheaper trips to my knowledge at least from US -maybe some locally in France. Well there is the HI (Hostelling International) trips that are much cheaper but don't stay in upscale hotels. Maybe Gerhard's Odysseys from Portland OR - i've been familiar with his tours for many years and seem good. VBT has a sterling reputation. If your young might contact STA Travel 800-477.8364; otherwise convince a few friends and do the Loire-type programs where vans carry your bags between hotels at a fraction of the price of VBT-type tours.

janemc

If you want companies or route ideas check: Erickson Cycle Tours
www.ecycletours.com

or Ciclismo Classico
www.ciclismoclassico.com

I've used both companies and both were great!

icithecat

My brother flew with his bike BA from Vancouver/London/Rome this fall with the itinerary of a two week trip down the west coast and over to Sicily. Unfortunately his bike spent six days in Heathrow's lost luggage. He never made it as far as Sicily.
The upside is that BA was forced through non delivery to pay for his hotel, meals and daytrip to Florence for his six day stay in Rome.
The key was in writing an eloquent letter to BA that the purpose of the trip was a winter training ride and that they foiled it.
He can claim to be a racer though, because he has the track record to prove it.
He did manage 100 miles a day with his luggage on his back on his track bike down the Amalfi coast roads.
Yes he is insane.

julies

ahotpoet--

A few suggestions for you.

Check out cyclingsafaris.com. They are A LOT cheaper than the other group tours. As a single you could probably
join one of their groups. As I recall, a week long trip is in the E550 to E700 range per person. A friend has taken 3 of their trips and recommends them.

We used the Anjou Bike Center last year which arranges custom made trips. This was also about 1/3 the price of the tours you generally see described by the major companies.

Tulip tours in Holland also arrange custom made tours that are quite reasonable.

Here is a site that has bike tour reviews.http://www.biketour-reviews.com/bike_Riderreviews.htm

Here is another site for very reasonable group tours.

http://www.rueckenwind.de/index.cfm?...=1&lang=en

And yet another site for Germany

http://www.velociped.de/English/index.htm

we like to bike but can't spend the money the big bucks American tour operators want. These seem very reasonable to me, but I haven't taken their trips.

ahotpoet

JulieS
Checked out alot of these links. Thanks so much. When is your next bike trip planned. I see you have done the gite thing as well. Is there a trip report to be had?

julies

I guess I haven't put together any trip reports on these trips. If you are interested, I could give you details on last summer's bike trip to the Loire area. Before our bike trip we rented a wonderful gite for 5 days in the heart of Brittany. We just returned 3 weeks ago from a Spain and France trip where we rented an apaartment in the Spanish Pyrenees for 3 days and a gite in in the foothills of the French side of the Pyrenees for 4 nights. Then we stayed at a B & B for 4 nights in the inland Costa Brava area.

Other times we have rented gites in Normandy and just ourside of Granada in Spain. Renting a house or apartment for 5 to 7 days has now become our preferred way to travel. Now if we could just find that perfect gite in an area with great biking around it and a good bicycle rental set-up we'd be set.

ahotpoet

That is my dream trip. How many miles a day do you average? Do you go for the easy terrain of the more hilly stuff? How would you categorize your Loire trip? I would love the details of that trip. I so want to see this years harvest on a bike.