Travel insurance

It is important to be correctly insured when embarking on a cycling holiday. We recommend checking the details of your travel insurance (if you have one) and, if necessary, subscribing to our contract below. Please note that France Bike Trips is simply an intermediary between you and the insurance company.

You can choose between these travel insurance contracts while completing your booking form:

• I subscribe to the "comprehensive multi-risk" insurance cover (4.5%), minimum premium of 15 €:
  This contract covers assistance, repatriation, lost or stolen luggage, holiday interruption and cancellation. To see the full contract, click here.
• I purchase the "cancellation only" insurance cover (2.5%), minimum premium of 10 €:
  This policy covers cancellation only. To see the full contract, click here.
• I purchase the "repatriation & assistance" insurance cover (1.6%), minimum premium of 10 €:
  This policy covers assistance, repatriation, lost or stolen luggage and holiday interruption. To see the full contract, click here.

Food

"L'art de la table"

This trip is also an opportunity to discover the famous French gastronomy. 

We pay very careful attention to the quality and the variety of your meals.  Fresh and local products will be served wherever possible.

Depending on the meals included in your chosen tour:

• Continental breakfasts taken at the accommodation  
• Cereal bars and dried fruit during the day
• Hearty dinners (3 to 4 courses, with local dishes)

• For lunch, we offer 3 options based on your preferences: 
  • A picnic to carry along in a small backpack. It contains an individual salad (carbohydrate and vegetable based salad), cold meats, cheese and fruit. This picnic can be carried in a small backpack or a handlebar bag. 
  • "Racing food" for those "allergic" to backpacks: energy bars, dried fruit.
  • No lunch organised by France Bike Trips, leaving you free to stop and eat when and where you choose (restaurant, bakery, grocery store...).

Please check the "Dates & Prices" section for meal plan details.

Baggage

During the day you carry only a daypack for additional clothing, water, food, camera, etc. The rest of your baggage is transferred each day to the following nights accommodation.

Our / Your state of mind

- A "group" tour: If you join a guided tour, you will be part of a group for several days. This is a superb opportunity to meet new people and share some magical moments. However, a group tour requires that each person show friendliness, openness and mutual respect for their fellow travellers.

- An "adventure" tour: despite the most careful preparation, adventure tours can present unforeseen events. Accepting these risks will help you enjoy your trip to the full, in the knowledge that your guide, our local partners and the entire France Bike Trips team will offer you the most suitable solutions to any given situation.

Your equipment

Personal equipment to bring:

Luggage

All your luggage must be distributed in two bags: a backpack and a travel bag:

1/ Backpack (or saddlebag)

This is the bag or saddlebag (saddle or handelbar) you use every day while cycling, if you choose to take a picnic lunch (see paragraph "Food"). This bag should not be too large (up to 20 litres).

It will contain: a picnic for lunch, snack food, camera, waterproof and extra clothing and sunglasses, ...

2/ Travel bag

This is the bag that will be transported from one accommodation to the next by vehicle. It will contain all the belongings you will not use during the day. You will find it at the accommodation in the evening (or sometimes for lunch).

List of equipment to pack:

For your head

• A cap or other head protection against the sun
• A hat or sweat band
• A bike helmet.

For your upper body

• Two cycling jerseys or technical t-shirts  (made of synthetic or natural breathable fabrics)
• A warm shirt or sweatshirt
• A fleece
• A waterproof jacket

For your legs

• Two good quality cycling shorts with chamois (avoid triathlon shorts)
• A pair of warm cycling tights or leg warmers
• Trousers
• Casual short
• A swimsuit.

For your feet

• A pair of biking shoes
• A pair of shoes suitable for the evening
• Sandals (not compulsory, but nice for warm evenings...)
• Sport socks.

For your bike

• Gearing adapted to riding in the mountains: if in doubt ask your local cycle dealer
• 2 spare tubes
• Puncture repair kit
• Spare brake pads (except if you start with new pads)
• A rear derailleur cable
• Chain lube
• A pump
• A multitool

Other

• A pair of bike specific gloves
• A bike lock
• A headlamp with batteries
• A pair of spare laces
• A toiletry kit and towel
• 2 bike bottles 75 cl (or camelbak)
• A pocket knife
• A few plastic bags to protect your belonging
• A needle and thread
• A small individual pharmacy: sunscreen (face and lips); band aids + double skin (Compeed); Immodium; pain killers, earplugs, other personal medication.

Self-guided tour "user guide"

Active autonomy: what you need to know for our self-guided tours

In order to achieve the planned tour programme, you must:

• Guide yourself with the highlighted maps and road book;
• Choose suitable start times adapted to the lengths of the daily stages as well as your own riding pace, and leave an adequate safety margin of time;
• Obtain daily weather forecasts from your hosts, and take into account the weather conditions when planning journey times;
• Arrive at the booked guest houses and hotels listed in the programme on the given dates; 
• Bring the necessary personal equipment to carry out the tour. France Bike Trips equipment list constitutes the necessary minimum;
• Carry insurance policies and emergency telephone numbers with you at all times;
• Be familiar with basic first-aid steps;
• In the event of any problems during your trip, contact France Bike Trips (contact information in your travel documents). Possession of a mobile phone that works in France is strongly recommended.

Self-guided tours are undertaken without a guide and at your own risk. France Bike Trips cannot be held liable for any route error, misconduct, personal imprudence, inadequate planning or inappropriate reactions in the event of incidents.

Any programme change of your own initiative is under your responsibility and at your expense. 

Having said this, with our advice and good preparation, you should be able to look forward to a wonderful, trouble free holiday. Enjoy your trip!