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Provence to Pyrenees VIP Tour

VIP Tour de France for cycling fans without the hardcore mountain rides! All kinds of fans follow the Tour and some want to enjoy the French Art de Vivre and the most famous bicycle race at one time. We created this tour for those people but also for couples who want to travel together but are not perhaps of the same ability. This tour allows cyclists of more moderate abilities come along and enjoy some VIP treatment as well!

The tour starts in fabulous Aix en Provence on Bastille Day and then participants enjoy a few days in the Vaucluse countryside surrounded by vineyards and lavender before going further south to Carcassonne area and sunny Languedoc Roussillon. Carcassonne, known for its medieval fortress, is also surrounded by vineyards and crossed by the Canal du Midi. The trip finally winds up in the mountains of the Pyrenees where all the action takes place around the Col de Tourmalet. A great cross section of southern France charm and history! SOLD OUT

Special VIP Stages included:
D-Day at Revel - the last stop before the Pyrenees take over the race!
Village Attendance - Sisteron the day after Bastille day and a short drive from Aix en Provence
Attend Finish in Izoard bus - Bagneres de Luchon stage finish in the Pyrenees


Itinerary

Click on a day to see that days itinerary.

DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5 DAY 6 DAY 7 DAY 8

July 14: Arrival Day in Aix en Provence Today is Bastille Day, so we want to start things off right in a lively and famous Provencal site! Arrival by TGV from Paris or Marseille airport is easy. Meet at our deluxe and centrally located hotel at 4pm for an orientation and welcome. Bike set up then dinner on your own and party in Aix!

July 15: Up early, bus to Sisteron with our bikes and gear for a VIP experience! We don’t waste any time as we go directly to the Village to check out the race, the media, the pro's and all the VIP's who gather before each stage. We will visit a team bus and take any opportunity to meet celebrity personalities.

After the Tour departure, we will depart for the Vaucluse to do a moderate cycling tour in the area around Mont Ventoux. We preview the ride with a start in Sault, the capital of lavender, we will ride through the Gorges de la Nesque and down to the deluxe Chateau de Mazan, our accommodations for the next 2 nights. Gastronomic dinner included!(B,L,D)

July 16: Ride Mont Ventoux region. As the Tour is in central France and a long way off, we take advantage of sublime countryside and go for a charming ride through vineyard country of the Cotes du Rhone. The option to ride up Mont Ventoux is available for any strong cyclists! We'll make time for a wine tasting and then back to the swimming pool and our chateau hotel followed by another gastronomic dinner. Time to catch the Tour stage finish on TV. (B,L,D)

July 17: VIP Day at Revel! A day you won't soon forget, today we'll depart Mazan for the TDF course and ride a good bit before we get on the course before Revel, located between Carcassonne and Toulouse. You will ride the race course just ahead of the pros and will cross the finish line and then access the podium! We then hang around for the pro finish and post stage activities. Following that, we'll board the bus for another chateau hotel just south of Carcassonne in the quiet countryside; gastronomic dinner included, of course! (B,L,D)

July 18: Tour passes to Ax 3 Domaines. After a leisure morning and breakfast, we will ride in the direction of Carcassonne, approximately 50 km away over rolling countryside. We'll take the time to visit the medieval city classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site! Subject to time available, we may be able to catch a portion of the stage between Revel and Ax near Quillan. Return to our chateau hotel and another gastronomic dinner! (B,L,D)

July 19: VIP DAY in Luchon! We will need an early start to travel to Bagneres de Luchon where we can put in a moderate ride into Luchon and then enjoy the stage finish by the pros in the Izoard bus located on the finish line complemented by our Tour hosts and surrounded by media and personalities covering the stage. After the close of events and activities, we board our bus again and travel to the somewhat famous village of Lourdes and your 4 star hotel in the heart of the pyrenees. Dinner open, many restaurants available locally to explore. 4 star quality hotel and very comfortable. (B,L)

July 20: Tour travels to Pau! Though we have completed our VIP accesses by now, we can travel just down the road or have a moderate ride to the arrival town of Pau. We can offer the option to ride into the mountains and watch tour pass over the Col de Soulor or Aubisque and then return to Lourdes for some free time and open night for dinner again. (B,L)

July 21: Departure Day. The Tour de France is on rest day and a perfect time to return to Toulouse. Depart after breakfast, end of services at Toulouse rail station. For extra nights, please inquire. (B)


What's Included

WHAT'S INCLUDED:
All lodging in superior category hotels and rooms, (see below), all breakfasts, 6 picnic lunches, 4 dinners according to the itinerary, 3 professional cycling guides, motorcoach transportation throughout, 1 support vehicle for rides, all VIP accesses mentioned, VIP Souvenir kit, souvenir Discover France TDF jersey, energy kit including gels, bars, and drink mix, route book for rides, and Pre-Travel documentation. We also provide Pre & Post tour travel services such as help with trains, Paris hotels, rental cars and other services.

To know more about the VIP services, visit this page

OPTIONS:
Bike rentals are available on a first come, first served basis. We offer Look 566 carbon road bikes and also new Scott CR1 carbon road bikes. See the links above or click on our Rental Page link to know more.

Added Nights: Aix before the trip start, or in the Pyrenees or Toulouse or other city after the tour are possible. Contact us for quotes. We can also book Paris hotels.

Non-cycling spouse: there is no reduction for non-cycling participants as all the same services are needed for all group members. Non-riders are welcome to come along but separate tour activities are not provided for apart from the itinerary described on this page. To add on a Paris stay at the Tour finish, see our Paris Offers.

 

Tour Rates

PRICE: SOLD OUT
3345 Euros, based on double occupancy.
Single supplement: please contact us

1 persons $xx.xx
2 persons $xx.xx
2-4 persons $xx.xx
4-6 persons $xx.xx
6-10 persons $xx.xx

 

Photos & Videos

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Bike Information

Bike rentals are available on a first come, first served basis. Click on our Rental Page link to know more.

General Tour Info

Duration:July 17-25, 2010 - 8 nights & 9 days

DATES:
July 14-21, 2010
7 nights & 8 days

HOTELS:
Aix en Provence = Roi Rene****
Mazan = Chateau de Mazan****
Couiza/Carcassonne = Chateau Ducs Joyeuses****
Lourdes = Gallia et Londres****
Note: rooms are mostly twin rooms - meaning 2 single beds. These can be pushed together to make a double. Changes to room category will be made when possible. Room categories are usually all the same, but some variations may be required for large groups.

LEVEL:
This tour is a moderate cycling tour and is meant to accommodate varying levels of cyclists capable of riding 40-50 km per day over mostly rolling terrain. Spouses who are not so strong are encouraged to come along and even non-cyclists can be accommodated to a lesser extent.

ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE:
Aix en Provence is Arrival City - accessible by TGV from Paris, nearest airport is Marseille. Toulouse is the departure city with TGV trains to Paris and connections to many key European capitals by air.

OTHER DETAILS:
Guides - 3 guides will cover this group which has space for 25 participants. All guides are professional licensed cycling guides.

Meals: buffet breakfasts are included daily. Substantial picnic lunches will also be provided on 6 days. Dinners, where included, will be gastronomic in nature with multiple courses; wine is not always included.

Watching the Tour: there is no better access than that which is provided in these VIP trips. You cannot do better! If some participants wish to add a helicopter flight or other VIP service, please contact us to know what is possible.

Tour Map