Owner Operated Tour Guides

All Gourmet Cycling Travel trips are owner operated; your tour guides are always Simon, a former pro cyclist and top cycling coach, and Jon, a Michelin starred chef and wine connoisseur. This allows us to give professional and truly personalized service at a great value.

Our years of knowledge and passion combine in order to provide you with the trip that you have always dreamed of. In both of our chosen professions we have always preferred a more hands-on approach. We do not have to explain to you who your guides are because we are your guides. Between the two of us, we have lived and worked on a combined total of 5 continents and travelled to 6. Passionate about travel and what we do, we strive to keep every trip fresh and innovative, finding adventure under every previously unturned stone.

All Accommodations

All accommodations for the duration of the tour are included in the price. We thoroughly scout out each region ahead of time to select authentic, luxury inns and hotels that give a true experience of the region. We hand pick each room to ensure our clients receive only the best experience. We select our accommodations based on warm and passionate hosts, picturesque and relaxing settings, ideal bike routes, and proximity to local cultural sites. These accommodations are often off the beaten track and are the best kept secrets of a region.

Most Meals and Wine at Dinner

All meals except one dinner and one or two lunches are included in each tour. We always leave you the opportunity to discover a restaurant on your own, with our recommendations of course! This is why on each tour we leave one lunch and one dinner open. Here at Gourmet Cycling Travel, we believe that food and wine are essential components in experiencing a region. This is why local, artisanal wines served at dinner are also included.

Cycling Support and Nutrition

We take bicycle guiding to a whole new level with on-the-road coaching; expert climbing and descending tips; carefully planned sports nutrition; detailed route maps; high quality carbon or titanium rental bikes ($400 rental fee); and more. A support van will sweep the course and provide you with extra nourishment or pick you up if you have had enough for the day. Our goal is to treat you just like a Tour de France professional!

We carefully chose our daily bike routes using local knowledge to ensure the most scenic, quiet roads that are pure cycling heaven! Our tours include some of the most famous climbs of the Tour de France like Alpe d'Huez, Mont Ventoux, or Col du Tourmalet.

Private Tours, Wine Tastings and Relaxation Hour

Join us for exclusive access private winery tours, museums or historical monuments. We'll always take a little time at the end of the day to relax! Whether it be tasting local wines, celebrating the days hard ride with a glass of champagne, getting a massage by the pool or step out to the garden for a game of "Boule". You will find a perfect balance between exercise and relaxation.

Cooking Classes and our Gourmet Picnics

What better way to rejuvenate in style after a long ride than with one of our legendary Gourmet picnics? We'll indulge you in an artfully prepared picnic showcasing various local specialties in incredible settings. Just what you need to refresh yourself before your next adventure.

Don't feel like riding today? No problem, how about preparing a cooking class with our chef Jon? We could begin with a visit to the village market in order to select our ingredients together and then return to begin cooking our meal. Not only was he the chef of a renowned cooking school in Avignon, Jon has also headed up the team at other well known Provencal restaurants and has worked closely with various local markets. Let yourself be immersed in the fine products, tradition and liveliness of a market visit.

All Transportation during the Tour

We provide all transportation from day one of the tour when we first meet at the tour meeting point, up until the last day of the tour. We get you from region to region by road or rail. When possible we like to bike to our next luxury inn.

Luggage Transfers and Handling

Relax and enjoy your surrounding while we transfer your luggage to our next hotel or inn.

Gourmet Cycling Travel Guest Packet

Approximately six weeks prior to departure you will receive a Gourmet Cycling Travel Guest Packet. This Guest Packet includes destination and tour-specific information, local and regional history, training tips, as well as suggestions for packing and general trip preparation. One week prior to your tour start you will receive an email containing a tour start meeting point reminder and any last minute information.
Once you arrive at your destination your tour leaders will brief you on the day’s upcoming activities and rides. Detailed ride maps will be distributed before each day's rides.

Online Tour Photo Gallery

After each trip we'll set-up an online tour gallery where each tour participant can share their photos with other participants. We take lots of photos on each trip and will upload them in the same gallery for all to share and relive their wonderful, shared memories!

Not Included

Airfare
Transportation to the tour starting point
Accommodation before and after the tour
Gratuities for guides
Alcohol except wine at dinner
Personal items purchased.