Bike Tour Reviews: French Alpes Tour  Alpes And Ventoux


French Alpes Tour: Alpes and Ventoux

COUNTRY: France

7 nights
4.9/5 (13)
Rider Level: Enthusiast
Rider Level: Enthusiast

4.9/5 (13)
7 nights

Self guided from EUR € 2953

Self-guided:
Daily: Jun 1-Sep 15, 2024

Description:
This cycling tour allows you to experience for yourself the most legendary climbs of the world-famous Tour de France: conquer the commanding Col de la Croix de Fer, cycle to the top of the awe-inspiring Alpe d'Huez, climb the captivating Col du Galibier…

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  • French Alpes Tour
    (5/5) Steven Ahrendt 5 months ago

    Fabulous experience

    Our group of eight thoroughly enjoyed our Bike Tours experience. The hotels were both comfortable with excellent breakfasts and multi course dinners featuring local cuisine. The bikes were as advertised and all in great working order. The guide picked us up in Grenoble and was fantastic. He accompanied us on the rides in van providing water as needed and set up a nice picnic lunch for us. He was also an avid cyclist and accompanied us on bike on additional supplemental rides when we encouraged him to. Overall the tour was 6 days of outstanding cycling and everything that was advertised and more!

  • (5/5) Jon V 6 months ago

    Experience of a lifetime!

    Every single thing about this trip, from the planning, to the rides, the bike, the food, the hotels, were perfect! Do not hesitate to book this trip and anticipate an experience you will cherish. Suggest that you bring your own saddle so you are comfortable on the bike.

    What was the date of your tour?
    August 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    •  (photo by Jon V)
    •  (photo by Jon V)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Julian McManus 6 months ago

    Trip of a Lifetime

    Exceeded my expectations in every way. The routes, the climbs and the cuisine were superb. And adding a guide with a van took the experience to another level (water, food and even shelter in a rainstorm). The meticulous planning of routes, the well-maintained bikes and the personal touch all combined to make this a fantastic way to ride and enjoy some of the best of France at the same time!

    What was the date of your tour?
    August 2024
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Julian McManus 6 months ago

    Trip of a Lifetime

    Exceeded my expectations in every way. The routes, the climbs and the cuisine were superb. And adding a guide with a van took the experience to another level (water, food and even shelter in a rainstorm). The meticulous planning of routes, the well-maintained bikes and the personal touch all combined to make this a fantastic way to ride and enjoy some of the best of France at the same time!

    What was the date of your tour?
    August 2024
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • Col du Croix de Fer (photo by Julian McManus)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (4/5) Daniel Radosevich 8 months ago

    Awesome experience

    Overall I really enjoyed the tour. Everything from the hotels to the suggested climbs were fantastic. I trained pretty heavily for this and that definitely paid off in form of being able to complete the more difficult routes and not be too exhausted for the next day. The hotels were all great, especially Hotel Cassini in Freney. They went above and beyond to help us out, like when my bike came with the wrong pedals for my cleat type. They gave us a ride into town to the bike shop where we resolved the issue with Discover France/Biketours.com. The only other issue (the reason I removed a star) was the way the tour company sizes you for the bike. They went by height alone and manufacturer recommendation. I'm right on the line for sizes, but if they took inseam measurement into consideration, it would have been clear that I needed the smaller of the sizes. Unfortunately they assumed the larger size and there really wasn't time to rectify the situation. There was no "bike fitting" on day 1. The hotel showed us our bikes that had been shipped there and that was that. Even with the seatpost slammed all the down and saddle pushed far forward it hurt to ride. I made due with it, but I would have enjoyed it even more being able to ride comfortably. I left France with knee and Achilles pain unfortunately. I would suggest knowing your frame size and requesting that vs leaving it to chance and I would suggest the tour company take note of this review and start considering other measurements like inseam in the sizing process.

    The suggested routes were fine, but I would say trust the local knowledge, especially in Freney. Maarten at Hotel Cassini was very knowledgeable and helpful and can give you some insider recommendations should you want to deviate or add more to your day.

    Lastly time of year should be a consideration for this tour. We knew going in June might be iffy weather wise. We did have to miss the Galibier climb due to an avalanche, but again Hotel Cassini helped us out there with alternatives.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • Top of Ventoux (photo by Daniel Radosevich)
    • Alpe d'Huez climb (photo by Daniel Radosevich)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Alexander Sandor 8 months ago

    Wonderful trip

    This was a challenging but highly rewarding trip. The food and hotels were excellent and contributed to our success on the bikes.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2024
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) mdoyler September 5, 2019

    Once in a lifetime

    What an amazing trip. My wife and I will be talking about these rides for the rest of our lives. The accommodations were great, and the meals were an absolute delight. Don't be afraid to do an unguided trip such as this, it was incredibly safe and easy to navigate

    What was the date of your tour?
    8/22 - 8/29
    How many tours have you completed?
    0
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • Croix de Fer (photo by mdoyler)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) oldjoe June 19, 2018

    Fantastic scenery!

    A great mix of Alpine and Provence scenery. Wonderful small hotels with charming hosts and gourmet food! Challenging but not intimidating terrain with easy navigation. Would love to go back!

    What was the date of your tour?
    6/1-7/18
    How many tours have you completed?
    5
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Romeo July 29, 2016

    Bubba Goes to France

    Guides were Fantastic! The Accomodations were great! The food was Tremendous! The guides were able to adjust our rides on the "fly" to accommodate our hunger for more suffering. They made it so easy for us. The all inclusive aspect of this, meant we could focus on our riding only without worry about eating, transferring from place to place, etc. I can't wait for Bubba France 2!

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2016
    How many tours have you completed?
    This is my First
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Hillbilly July 8, 2016

    Bubba Goes to France

    After many months of training, our local group, Team Bubba, went to France to take on the Alps and Ventoux. I can't say enough good things about the local guides and the hospitality they showed us, as well as our wives, who went with us. Having local guides was definitely a distinct advantage. We are already planning our next trip to the Pyrenees.

    What was the date of your tour?
    6/19-6/25
    How many tours have you completed?
    0
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • Team Bubba (photo by Hillbilly)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Garmin July 5, 2016

    Outstanding

    Trip was personalized to everyone's needs. Guides were excellent!

    What was the date of your tour?
    6/25/16
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Doktar July 2, 2016

    What was the date of your tour?
    6/25
    How many tours have you completed?
    1st one
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Greg3904 June 30, 2016

    Best Vacation Ever!

    My wife and I were blown away with the trip. We had never been to Europe and had no idea what to expect. Our expectations were exceeded beyond belief. It was a fantastic experience!

    What was the date of your tour?
    6/18/2016
    How many tours have you completed?
    First time
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)