Tour Confirmed
We cycle in Auvergne, the heart of Southern France. The landscape offers a paradise for cyclist enthusiasts. The vast highlands of the Margeride and the Aubrac have a very special charm with their miles of stone walls and sheep and cattle herds.
We will discover the green volcanoes at the gates of Clermont-Ferrand, the blacksmiths in Laguiole, the famous Rocamadour cheese, the mysticism of St. James’ Way and much more.
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$11,985 per person, share twin
$1,450 single supplement
3 – 20 September, 2022
On our Southern France E-Bike tour, we cycle on high quality Riese & Müller e-bikes.
Bike options are: The Nevo , The Mixte Charger and The Charger.
Helen lives in Christchurch and is a keen skier, cyclist and tramper. She has led tours for Tours Direct for over 10 years, and loves sharing her enthusiasm for a wide range of places and cultures. She specially likes to share walking and cycling tours, at a relaxed pace suited to travellers for whom this might be a first. She has worked as a cycling guide in New Zealand, taking visitors and locals on high profile trails such as Alps to Ocean and the Otago Rail Trail, as well as some hidden gems, and she led the first cycle tour for Tours Direct, along the picturesque Danube. She is a convert to E-biking and now finds she no longer needs excuses to avoid biking up to her hillside home.
We were completety happy with her care and attention. She has a lovely personality, and we would happily go on another tour with her.
Helen was great, never appeared hassled although she must have felt it at times. Always clear with instructions and showed concern for each of the group and very willing to sort any problems. Really well prepared and organised.
Want to know more about E-Bikes?
Come and see the Electric Bike Team for Auckland’s greatest range of e-bikes under one roof,and friendly, expert advice! We think these guys are great and have been most helpful with the technical side of E-Bikes and have given us straight forward and honest information.
All travellers joining the E-Bike Southern France tour must be fully vaccinated (two vaccinations and a booster). You need to get your booster dose within nine months of your second vaccination and at least 14 days before the tour departure date.
It is mandatory that you bring your valid International Travel Vaccination Certificate on tour. You will need to present the Certificate on arrival in Dubai and France.
Please ensure you have a printed Certificate and a Certificate on your Smartphone.
Dubai - No pre-departure PCR test or quarantine required for fully vaccinated travellers.
France - No pre-departure PCR test or quarantine required for fully vaccinated travellers.
All travellers joining this tour must be fully vaccinated. Your 'My Vaccine Pass' must be brought on the tour as proof of full Covid 19 vaccination.
It is important that the date of your final dose is at least 14 days before the tour departure date.
All travellers joining this cruise must be fully vaccinated. Your 'My Vaccine Pass' must be brought on the cruise as proof of full Covid 19 vaccination.
It is important that the date of your final dose is at least 14 days before the cruise departure date.
To safeguard your deposit and tour payment in the event of you having to cancel your reservation or curtail your tour, we highly recommend you take out travel insurance.
call us on 0800 868 748 if you like a travel insurance quote
The bike trails in the Hawke’s Bay are easy to ride and generally flat and smooth. Introductory Level.
If you have never ridden an E-Bike before we can help you learn, usually in 15 minutes. These trails are great to build confidence and increase your riding skills.
Needless to say the fitter you are the more you will enjoy the rides. Most days, 2 – 3 hours on an E-Bike (with frequent breaks).
All clients and support crew are required to be fully vaccinated.
Extensive Terms and Conditions are outlined in the free Information Pack
To safeguard your deposit and tour payment in the event of you having to cancel your reservation or curtail your tour, we highly recommend you take out travel insurance.
call us on 0800 868 748 if you like a travel insurance quote
The bike trails in the Hawke’s Bay are easy to ride and generally flat and smooth. Introductory Level.
If you have never ridden an E-Bike before we can help you learn, usually in 15 minutes. These trails are great to build confidence and increase your riding skills.
Needless to say the fitter you are the more you will enjoy the rides. Most days, 2 – 3 hours on an E-Bike (with frequent breaks).
All clients and support crew are required to be fully vaccinated.
Extensive Terms and Conditions are outlined in the free Information Pack
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There are many areas where the Riese & Müller e-bikes stand out in comparison to other brands. Riese & Müller e-bikes offer exactly what is needed in terms of sizes, technology, style, elegance, utility and more.
Their e-bikes utilize some of the highest quality lights, seats, brakes, tyres and mudguards in the business, and they exclusively utilize Bosch motors and batteries.
Additionally, each bike is hand built in Germany at a time when a lot of the other brands opt for cheaper manufacturing.
The Nevo
The Nevo has a distinctive design, coupled with its integrated battery and powerful drive. It impresses with its high level of riding comfort and pleasant handling thanks to its low step-through.
The Charger Mixte
The Charger Mixte boasts a slightly lowered top tube, a dynamic chassis with suspension fork and comfort seatpost, and the latest generation of Bosch motor.
The Charger
The Charger has sporty geometry, a dynamic chassis with suspension fork and comfort seatpost, and the latest generation of Bosch motor.
After checking in at Auckland Airport, we board our Emirates flight to Dubai.
On arrival in Dubai early this morning we clear customs and immigration and transfer to our hotel. We can check in straight away because we have booked an early check in. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Late this morning we go to the airport for our flight to Lyon.
On arrival at Lyon airport we are met and transfer to our hotel.
We have a leisurely start to the day and enjoy a historical tour of Medieval and Renaissance Lyon with a local guide. After lunch at a local restaurant we travel by coach to Clermont-Ferrand. This evening we have dinner at our hotel.
This morning we have a sightseeing tour of Clermont-Ferrand.
The afternoon is at leisure and this evening we have dinner at our hotel.
We get our E-bikes in Brassac-les-Mines and will cycle along the Allier river gorges. Brioude is a lively town and has a rich, architectural heritage with nice streets and squares.
Today we are welcomed by the Allier Valley. Thereafter we will leave the river behind us. Le Puy, which means ‘the summit’, will mesmerize us with its peculiar rocky needles, around which many legends are told. We are in the Central Massif. The landscape is volcanic and characterized by gentle hills, forests and pasture land.
Le Puy is considered one of the traditional starts for the walk to Santiago de Compostela. It has a mix of architecture and we’ll get to know it a little better with a guided tour of the centre. High on our list of must sees is the Cathedrale Notre Dame du Puy (UNESCO World Heritage Site). There is also the fascinating Saint Michel d'Aiguilhe Chapel, high on its hill which also provides a grand view across the town.
This afternoon is at leisure.
Today's stage will take us to the solitary plains of Margeride and the southern volcanic complexes of Auvergne.
The traditional food is very substantial. Hard cheese, the Tomme, honey and herbs are usually offered in the local markets. The flora of the natural highlands is absolutely worth seeing.
It is almost unnoticeable as the solitary mid-mountain landscape of the Margeride massif changes over into the region of the southernmost volcano of Auvergne. The local houses of grey basalt stone show the century-old architecture of the region. Laguiole is the centre of the blacksmiths. A factory is located right at the entrance to the village, where we can watch local blacksmiths do their work.
‘Le premier sourire du midi’ – the first smile of the south; that is what the pilgrims of the Road of Santiago called the Valley of the Lot, characterized by authentic villages, medieval castles, Romanesque churches and historic town centres. The well-known Aubrac cattle graze on the local pastures. Though it is hard to reach, we are now heading towards Conques, which is located in a side valley of Lot. It is well known for the Abbey church of Saint Foy, ‘Abbatiale Ste-Foy’, a historical work of art well worth a visit.
As we pedal west we will ride past vineyards on the river flats. The river was a main traffic artery, connecting Auvergne and Cahors with the wine trading city of Bordeaux. When we reach the mysterious stone pillars on the hills of Figeac we have almost reached our goal for today.
The village of Rocamadour is perched on the side of a limestone cliff. It majestically towers above the Alzou canyon. To reach the churchyard and the seven sanctuaries we have to climb 216 steps, the "Grand Escalier". Rocamadour is also world-famous for its goat's milk cheese.
We pass small villages and arrive at Le Rouget. Then we take the the train to Aurillac and approach the Mounts of Cantal. These are the remains of an enormous volcano that spread its basaltic lava within a radius of 70 km to form basalt organs and towers.
We now approach the "Pyramid of the Auvergne", the Puy Mary. In Murat we will return our E-Bikes and take the train to go back to the Michelin city of Clermont-Ferrand.
Today is at leisure in Clermont-Ferrand.
Late this afternoon we drive to Lyon airport for our flight to Dubai.
We transit through Dubai airport this morning and fly to New Zealand.
Home to New Zealand with special memories of enjoying the active life in Southern France.
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