Discover France Announces

Enhanced 2012 Tour de France Program

For Non – Cyclists Who Can’t Get Enough of the Excitement

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Nov. 30, 2011 – Discover France http://www.discoverfrance.com, a French company, invites devotees of Tour de France (TDF) to join a variety of non-cycling trips offering VIP access to the pageantry of this international competition.

“We’ve had such enthusiasm from our ‘camp followers’ that in 2012 we’re providing even more access to VIP sites,” announced Loren Siekman, owner. “There are so many die-hard cycling fans who can’t get enough of the excitement we’ve tweaked our non-cycling trips to include more VIP access and more route highlights than ever before. Just because you can’t follow the tour on bike doesn’t mean you should miss these special opportunities.” Siekman noted that Discover France is one of the few officially licensed operators that run these tours, so they are granted the best access and the best viewing.

New for 2012 will be passage (on a first-come, first-serve basis) on select stages in an official Tour car. More non cycling tours have been introduced, including a Champagne Tasting & Tour VIP experience that will be a two-night trip in the Champagne region as well as VIP access. Helicopter flights combined with a VIP Tour car behind the peloton can be arranged for VIP clients, available for groups of three to six and starting at 9 a.m. and concluding at 6 p.m. on the same day.

Following is a sample of non-cycling tours and Paris packages all with VIP access.

• An Opening Stages Tour includes a July 3 and 4 team time trial finish in an exclusive area complete with snacks, champagne and the best view, plus in Olonne Sur Mer hanging out with former pros, media, and tour officials and team prior to the day’s stage.
• The Grenoble + Paris Tour brings guests on July 23 and 24 to the time trial finish in Grenoble in an exclusive area complete with amenities and the best view plus from VIP Tribune Grand Palais seating viewing the winner ride the Champs Elysees with the rest of the riders.
• A Paris + Hotel program includes Grand Palais Tribune seating after a personal welcome by Tour de France hostesses, plus two nights at a four-star hotel. Or another option is to forego the hotel portion and simply enjoy the Grand Palais hospitality in addition to Triomphe, a cocktail buffet, open bar throughout the afternoon, champagne served after the final and a VIP “Tour de France” gift.

Discover France Adventures has been organizing bicycle tours and hiking tours in France since 1994 and has offices in both the USA and in France. Discover France is a pioneer in bringing self guided cycling and hiking and now multisport adventures to a broader market outside of Europe.

Discover France Adventures award winning tours are made up of their unique self guided tours and very competitively priced guided tours. They are proud to be a continued supporter of Sustainable Travel International.

Visit http://www.discoverfrance.com for all details or contact them by phone at 800.960.2221 or by email at contact@discoverfrance.com.

New, Easy Cycling Tour from Discover France

Maximizes Opportunities to Soak Up

The French Countryside and Tour de France

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Dec. 6, 2011 – Discover France http://www.discoverfrance.com, a French company, announces that for the first time it will offer in 2012 a new and easy cycling tour for people seeking access to Tour de France (TDF).

Formerly, race enthusiasts only had hard-core tour options of cycling the TDF or following along on a non-cycling route.

“Now even entry level cyclists can experience the close-up excitement and controlled chaos of the Tour de France,” promised Loren Siekman, Discover France director.

The new guided itinerary includes visiting UNESCO World Heritage site of Carcassonne, tasting a region’s best wines, enjoying luxurious hotels plus privileged VIP Access to the race on several stages of Le Tour.

The per person rate is 1730 Euros for a four night July 12-16 Pyrenees VIP Easy Cycling Tour.  See: http://tour-de-france-tours.com/tours/pyrenees-vip-easy.php

Race highlights include the finish in an Izoard bus at Cap d’Agde on July 14 (Bastille Day), plus D-Day in Foix on July 15 where guests ride on the final kilometers of the Tour stage and cross the finish line in Foix. Here they go under the finish banner and onto the podium for pictures and Tour music just like the pros.

Discover France Adventures has been organizing bicycle tours and hiking tours in France since 1994 and has offices in both the USA and in France.

Discover France Adventures award winning tours are made up of their unique self guided tours and very competitively priced guided tours. They are proud to be a continued supporter of Sustainable Travel International.

Visit http://www.discoverfrance.com for all details or contact them by phone at 800.960.2221 or by email at contact@discoverfrance.com.

We wanted to remind you the benefits of self-guided touring with this press release we once sent out. If you have already been on a self-guided tour it is kind of hard to forget the upsides of this kind of travel because odds are you had an amazing time. If you haven’t I suggest your try it out for your next trip and see what all the hype is about. I can honestly tell you you won’t be disappointed.

FRANCE—What inside travel secret have the Europeans known for so long that seems to have escaped North America travelers? It’s the understanding and utilization of self-guided touring.

“Self guided travel is a growing trend due to the flexibility it presents and the extraordinary price that accompanies it,” states Discover France founder Loren Siekman. “It applies primarily to bicycling as well as walking tours, but certainly to many other activities as well. Because it offers support as well as independence, guests don’t have to put forth any effort in order to generate a relaxing and memorable vacation.”

The differences between group travel and self-guided travel are quite vast. With the most obvious being that with group travel there is a fixed date that vacationers must fit into their schedule, as opposed to being able to choose departure dates and trip duration with a self-guided trip. In addition group travel tosses guests into a pool of fellow travelers that will not be known in advance, and of course there is a colossal difference in price.

Self guided biking and walking can be characterized by the following benefits:

Flexibility – Durations can be modified to meet a client’s needs, hotels are available for many budgets and there is no minimum participation, eliminating the threat of cancellation by the operator.

Affordability – Prices are amazing by comparison to the group guided option, yet worth the extra it might cost over doing it all yourself in a self-contained concept.

Support – Most operators offering the self-guided programs also provide baggage transfers, emergency support, orientations, transfers, and add on services. Often, these support services are extremely beneficial because they are founded on expert knowledge of the region, and therefore a very reliable source for finding and offering unique properties, routes, and visits.

Individuality – Many of the tours follow themes, and are created with a unique vacation experience in mind. Off the beaten path routes are well chosen and naturally provide for a lot of interaction with the locals and their culture.

As with all other types of travel, there are a number of questions guests need to ask themselves before deciding if self-guided travel is right for them. It’s an individual case each time, and the team at Discover France will be glad to help travelers make a decision.

Guests should first ask themselves if they are fit enough to accomplish the requirements of the trip they are contemplating. Cycling or walking tours always require some minimum level of fitness; however, on a self-guided trip local support contacts would have to be notified in the event that a participant can’t finish the stage.

Secondly, travelers need to know if they can get by in a vernacular that is not their primary language. This doesn’t mean they have to speak a second language, just simply get by. For example, will phrasebook pronunciations and charades be enough? If this causes panic to the traveler, it may not be an ideal fit. On the other hand, many good experiences result from these types of cultural encounters.

Finally, guests will need to be able to read a map and follow road signs. This is generally an easy task, but if travelers are not comfortable with the interpretations, it again may not be an ideal vacation plan. Nearly all self-guided trips will have this little “adventure” built into it, so guests should count on it with any tour.

The routes, the organization and logistics, as well as the services that accompany self-guided travel have been in place and operating in Europe for many years. The team at Discover France is hopeful that North American travelers will now make an informed decision to join the many who have gone before, and continue to go self-guided touring year after year.