Tour News for 2009 - New Trips, Unique Opportunities
Scroll down for Family Tours and New Carcassonne Tour

Tour de France = French Grand Tour 2009

We are already sold out on 1 trip, but 3 trips remain open with space. Of the trips still available, here are some short descriptions of each:

1. Nice-Provence - see the first week of the TOUR including the Team Time Trial. This is a cycling tour is for a very small group of 6-8 persons, guided. The cycling is moderate; not strenuous. Perfect for enthusiasts, but you don't have to climb Mont Ventoux to enjoy it!

2. Spain - Barcelona & Girona: it is not France. Though perplexed (;)), we can understand people want to try other countries from time to time! The cycling in this part of Spain is fantastic!

3. Pyrenees + Mont Ventoux - strong cycling. Ride the challenging Pyrenees routes of the Tour at a time without the big crowds, then go the massive crowds at Mont Ventoux for the big finish!

4. Hotel Rooms only at Lake Annecy. Inquire for info

Contact us at info@cyclingclassics for tour options, route info, level and tour information. 
Or visit our site at www.cyclingclassics.com/grand_tour.php

NEW Family Tours - "Star Tours" in France 2009

We call them 'star' tours, because it is a literal translation from French: Etoile; or circuit en etoile. That is commonly known as a 'hub and spoke trip' in English. The choice of words is perfect for a cycling trip I suppose, but Star Tour is shorter, and more elegant - no? Regardless, we are pleased to announce 3 NEW Star Tours for 2009:

Burgundy - Beaune 4 Nights - great for wine lovers who want to do some easy cycling to the vineyard country surrounding this wine capital. From 490 euros/person!

Loire Valley - Amboise Family Tour - call it a family tour, or not; but any of these star tours suits the varying abilities commonly found in a family of many ages and talents. The area around Amboise is mostly flat and the little village is filled with activities that young and old can appreciate! From 495 Euros/person.

Provence - Avignon Star Tour - actually based from Villeneuve lez Avignon for easy city escapes and returns by bike, you have excellent lodging and 'tons' of activities, sites, and possibilities in this cultural capital of Provence. The cycling is pretty easy to moderate and includes wine country, the Pont du Gard, and other typical villages of Provence. From 555 euros/person.

NEW Carcassonne Cycling Tour 2009

New - a completely different itinerary that still includes Carcassonne! The old tour was a nice tour and very much off the beaten path, but it was perhaps a little too 'off-beat' ? One problem we finally had this year was that one night of this tour cost us 350 euros! Ok, that does include a dinner in a 2 star Michelin restaurant, but we didn't think that was necessary anymore.

So, ta-da... A new Tour - Carcassonne Countryside 2009!

The highlight is still of course the UNESCO World Heritage site of Carcassonne's Cite Medieval; but we have added the super charming village of St Guilhem le Desert and Moureze; both in the interior country of Languedoc/Herault; but filled with charm.

From Wikipedia: Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France ("The most beautiful villages of France"). The village has maintained its historic state. Because of its isolation, in 806 Saint Guilhem established here the monastery of Gellone. Situated in the narrow valley of the Gellone river where it meets the steep sided gorge of the Hérault River, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is essentially a mediaeval village located on the Chemin de St Jacques (St James' Way) pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostella.

So, the new price for this gem: 995 euros/person in double occupancy! 7 nights and 8 days and all that is included!