Rider Requirements

Our tours are generally aimed at people with a generally good fitness level but are not aimed particularly at ‘hardened cyclists’. If you are choosing any ride level other than ‘Leisure’ then it is important that you regularly cycle at least a couple of hours per week. For the Advanced level tours, you should be fit, cycle regularly, and be competent on a mountain bike or road bike, depending on the chosen tour and used to cover the kind of distance specified for the rides. Safety is our top concern and we also ask you to wear the helmets provided or bring your own cycle helmet as well as cycle gloves and adequate clothing and footwear.  For a more detailed description of rider-levels required –  see here.

Nearly everything is included except for your flights, from the airport pick-up, comfortable accommodation at a private villa with pool, the cycles, and the guided tours. Please refer to the particular tour for details. Depending on the tour, meals will be included, either group prepared from a well stocked fridge, or with catering onsite. Wine will usually be provided on the table but any extra alcoholic drinks would be at your cost. Additionally to that, the wine-tasting events are included as well as other events such as a 2-hour wine-tasting course by an expert and cultural visits and events which depend on the location and can be seasonal. Transport of baggage when required and transport to certain events by minibus will also be included.

In other words, all you have to do is the pedaling and experience the fun!!

We provide high quality and well-maintained bikes. You will be allocated a bicycle of the correctly-sized frame according to your height that you will have specified at the time of booking. The bikes are generally all-purpose or hybrid models that allow riding on-road or on tracks as well as a selection of e-bikes. In some cases and for certain tours, mountain bikes or racer style bikes will be provided where there is significant or more technical off-road riding, but this will be specified in the booking process. Cycle helmets will also be provided unless you decide to bring your own.

For our on-site residential tours you will be staying at the lovely Maison Barthélemy villa with pool, see here for details. Otherwise at off-site locations, charming  accommodation will have been carefully and tastefully selected to give you the maximum comfort and facilities, if possible at or close to the wine-tasting chateau and restaurant location. It is generally chosen with a swimming pool so that you can relax after your ride, but please check this at the moment of booking. Rooms will generally be fully equipped with private bathroom, twin or double beds, tv, telephone, etc. Often rooms will have their own terrace or will lead to a common terrace for more enjoyment of your surroundings. Prices are based on two people sharing a room. Single occupancy will require a single supplement to be paid as part of the booking fee.

On booking, if this is greater than 4 weeks before the tour, a deposit will be paid and then the full amount 4 weeks before the tour. If you decide to cancel you will lose the deposit. If you decide to cancel for whatever reason within 4 weeks of the tour start, you will be liable for the full amount. We therefore strongly recommend that you have adequate cancellation insurance to cover any case of force majeure. In the unlikely event that we need to cancel a tour, we will fully reimburse you any fee paid but will not be liable for any other costs you might incur.

As part of our service, we offer airport pick-up and drop-off to make it as easy as possible for you to enjoy your tour without having to worry about arranging your own transport to the tour location. This requires that you are able to meet the collection vehicle at the specified time, one collection per arrival day. On booking, full details of the location will be provided with alternative transport options in case you are not able to use the airport pick-up service or if your flight is delayed and you miss the pick-up departure time. Unfortunately, we cannot cater for additional airport pick-ups other than at the time specified. On the last day, a drop-off vehicle will leave at the specified time for dropping off at the airport. If you miss this or are not able to use it for any reason, you will have to make your own alternative arrangements. Concerning the baggage limit, please see Baggage Transport below.

We recommend that you take out adequate travel insurance that covers the cost of cancellation of your flights, in the unlikely event that a tour had to be canceled for any reasons beyond our control, as well as appropriate cancellation, accident and repatriation cover. We will not be liable, in this event, for any loss other than the tour fee paid, as mentioned under cancellation.

For residential tours where there is the option of airport pick-up, we will transport you with your luggage normally via minibus. We will have capacity for one medium sized case as well as a small bag.

In the case of itinerant tours,  (for example on a tour where there is a change of accommodation when cycling from one point to the next) baggage will be transported for you so that it arrives at the destination when you arrive. It will be your responsibility to make sure, in this case, that your baggage is left for collection on the morning of the change.

• If you decide to purchase any wine or other produce following any of the events you are free to do so, but this will be between you and the supplier. Cyclo-Culture tours will not get involved and transporting any goods other than in your normal baggage will be your responsibility.
• English will be the language spoken throughout the tour, although we can cater for French and Spanish speakers as well.