"Roll up for the magical mystery tour" goes the famous Beatles song. OK, the Beatles sights and locations around Liverpool are pretty well known - but not by us. Cycling down Penny Lane, towards Strawberry Fields and visiting Eleanor Rigby's grave brought much of the extensive Beatles catalogue to life.

### The Route
The various locations around the city are well known but Liverpool Cycle Tours have cleverly woven them into a neat bike tour using bike paths, quiet roads and even parks. You'd hardly know you were in a busy city - although this was the day after Liverpool won the FA Cup so the city may have been a bit subdued with a few sore heads around!

Our first stop was around the corner from the massive and impressive Anglican Cathedral. This was a sculpture 'A Case History', recognising many Merseyside luminaries, not just the Fab Four. Popularly know as The Cases it is of, well a pile of suitcases. In the background is the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) which was founded by Paul McCartney in his old high school. LIPA also took over the Liverpool College of Arts building - alma mater of John & Cynthia Lennon and Stuart Sutcliffe.

![IMG_0541.jpeg](https://strapi-prod-media-library.eu-central-1.linodeobjects.com/IMG_0541_884614c8cd.jpeg)  
*The Cases and LIPA  | Cycle Tours Global* 

The tour continued with other past and present stories about the Beatles and their various haunts, houses and schools. Stuart Sutcliffe, Pete Best, Brian Epstein and The Quarrymen were not left out of a very thorough tour. 

![IMG_0547.jpeg](https://strapi-prod-media-library.eu-central-1.linodeobjects.com/IMG_0547_52e0ebd579.jpeg)  
*The Empress Pub and impressive Ringo Starr mural | Cycle Tours Global*  

### The Guide
"Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes" was coming from a speaker on the back of our guide Phils's bike, as we rode down Penny Lane. This was a lovely addition to the tour and Phil was full of stories, even about the street sign which has become a tourist attraction but is sadly not well maintained by the local council.

![IMG_0555.jpeg](https://strapi-prod-media-library.eu-central-1.linodeobjects.com/IMG_0555_107be620aa.jpeg)  
*Penny Lane | Cycle Tours Global*

Phil is the owner of Liverpool Cycle Tours and is a local. He is full of stories and anecdotes - not just ones you can find online, but from family and friends who were there in the 50s and 60s (not him!) and knew John, Paul, George and/or Ringo. Phil is enthusiastic and cares deeply about his city and its legacy - he is also an environmentalist and a musician.

### Key moments
![IMG_0562.jpeg](https://strapi-prod-media-library.eu-central-1.linodeobjects.com/IMG_0562_ab9db3c2e9.jpeg)  
*Eleanor Rigby's gravestone | Cycle Tours Global*  

![IMG_0567.jpeg](https://strapi-prod-media-library.eu-central-1.linodeobjects.com/IMG_0567_68a057f335.jpeg)  
*Strawberry Field visitor centre | Cycle Tours Global*  

![IMG_0565.jpeg](https://strapi-prod-media-library.eu-central-1.linodeobjects.com/IMG_0565_52c075b661.jpeg)  
*John Lennon's "Imagine" piano | Cycle Tours Global*  

![IMG_0563.jpeg](https://strapi-prod-media-library.eu-central-1.linodeobjects.com/IMG_0563_d2e6740ca3.jpeg)  
*The original and long gone Strawberry Field orphanage | Salvation Army*  

![IMG_0571.jpeg](https://strapi-prod-media-library.eu-central-1.linodeobjects.com/IMG_0571_d5b05f5cff.jpeg)  
*Liverpool waterfront ride back to the city | Cycle Tours Global*  

### The Bikes
Liverpool Cycle Tours supplied excellently maintained electric bikes that made the whole tour very easy. I never got out of Eco mode but there were several higher levels of pedal assistance - not that the route was hilly or demanding at all. Phil even carries a spare battery on his bike for the highly unlikely event that there's a problem or someone runs out of charge!

<><><>  

What we didn't see were the Beatles statue and the Cavern Club, which is still pumping. These are in the city centre so easily done on your own.  

![IMG_0596.jpeg](https://strapi-prod-media-library.eu-central-1.linodeobjects.com/IMG_0596_0c1415dee8.jpeg)  
*The Beatles Statue | Cycle Tours Global*  

<><><>  

The author paid for his own tour with support from [Liverpool Cycle Tours](/tour/liverpool-cycle-tours).


Liverpool Cycle Tours have a number of great bike tours exploring different aspects of the city. I chose the Beatles tour for my discovery. And why not - this is the city of the Fab Four!

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Magical Mystery Bike Tour of Liverpool

The Luberon Valley and Natural Park probably offers the best leisure cycling in Provence. And [Provence Cycling Holidays](/tour/provence-cycling-holidays)' (PCH) "Memoires de Provence" B&B in Coustellet is the ideal base  to explore it from - although they also have a self-catering villa close by that may better suit groups or families. 

Most guests arrive by car or even train to nearby Cavaillon. In our week, of the 4 B&B guest rooms, 2 couples came by car, 1 by train and 1 by bike (us!). It's an easy 36km half day cycle from Avignon to Coustellet, mostly flat. 

The tour was self-guided, but was far more than just accommodation with bike hire. Neil and Nat had suggested routes for each of the 5 cycling days that you could choose from their portfolio. They recommended particular routes for certain days to include local markets, festivities or other events. And if that wasn't enough each route had easy, medium and hard options with all having been thoroughly researched and recorded on cue cards and easy-to-follow GPS navigation. Each morning at breakfast Neil, and Nat at the villa, tirelessly went through the route options, maps and cue cards. Rob and I choose mostly medium routes which were quite challenging in the heat. The hybrid hire bikes we used were excellent and some guests sensibly opted for the e-bike upgrade which allowed them to do more, more easily. Neil was also available with his van during the day in case he was needed - as happened once during our week (one rider got separated and triggered a search - he found his own way back to base though!).

The time of year to visit is an important consideration for a stay. Tours are available from April to October with July and August being the hottest months - we were there in July so can vouch for that! Lavender season is mid-June to early or mid-July, although the (slightly) cooler months have a lot to recommend them too. If I did the tour again it'd probably be in May/June or September.

Coustellet, our base, is at the western end of the 37km [Véloroute du Calavon](https://www.freewheelingfrance.com/bike-routes-in-france/veloroute-du-calavon-provence.html), a flat greenway (voie verte), most of which we thoroughly covered during the week on our various rides. And although you can stay on mostly flat routes, the villages and other sites most worth a visit often involve hills - some quite steep. However Neil has found the best ways to access them to minimise climbs (unless of course climbs are what you're looking for, in which case you're well catered for too).

The Véloroute du Calavon is part of the much longer 1500km [EuroVelo 8](https://en.eurovelo.com/ev8) Mediterranean Cycle Route that links Spain to Greece by bike. It Intersects with the Via Rhôna at Avignon which was how we arrived. This local section was recently upgraded and is very well maintained.

Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence was set in the Luberon and deservedly placed this stunning region in the spotlight. His experience was based on his time living in Ménerbes, one of 'Les Plus Beaux Villages de France' (the prettiest villages in France). There are currently 171 villages with this designation across France - 3 of which are in this part of the Luberon. The others are stunning Gordes and well-known Roussillon, both of which are on PCH cycle routes.

However I wouldn't like to be choosing the villages as there are so many others that could be included like Lacoste (former home of the Marquis de Sade), hilltop Saignon and also Fontaine de Vaucluse - the fountain or spring of Vaucluse, one of the largest springs in the world. Larger towns that could also fit the bill are L'Isle-sur-le-Sorgue, Bonnieux and Apt.

A major reason I enjoy cycling in France is the wine. Riding through or close to vineyards and visiting wineries or 'caves' adds so much to an already great experience. And while not one of the best known wine regions, [AOC Cotes du Luberon](https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-luberon) produces a great drop. I particularly recommend visiting Domaine de la Citadelle and the Cave du Luberon in Coustellet itself. The latter is also near the Lavender Museum and some great restaurants, so plenty to do off the bike too!

Another thing to love about this trip was it was [centre based](/tour?accommodation=Single+centre), so no packing up each day and moving on. You could ride from the B&B every day, which says a lot about the quality of cycle routes in the area.

<br>

If you're looking for a cycle tour in France that has a bit of everything, you can't go far wrong with Provence and the Luberon. And I have no hesitation in recommending [Provence Cycling Holidays](/tour/provence-cycling-holidays) as the host of choice.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The author was a guest of [Provence Cycling Holidays](/tour/provence-cycling-holidays)

The Luberon Valley probably offers the best leisure cycling in Provence, and has now become quite well known through Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence.

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A Week in Provence

New South Wales (NSW) is Australia's fourth largest state by area - bigger than either the US state of Texas or the UK and France combined - and surrounds the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

Home to Australia’s best known city and packed with stunning landscapes and huge national parks, New South Wales has endless beaches, famous surf breaks, rugged rock formations and vast bushland. The ACT is much smaller but is very well developed in terms of cycling infrastructure and bikeability.

Highlights
- Blue Mountains for stunning scenery
- The South Coast for white sandy beaches and beautiful coastal routes
- The food and wine scene of the Hunter Valley, Southern Highlands and Mudgee/Orange
- Rural landscapes of the Central West and regional areas
- Cosmopolitan Sydney
- The cool vibe and great cycle infrastructure of the federal capital Canberra (ACT)

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*To see more tours from the tour operators listed below just click on the operator name. To see all the tours we list for New South Wales and the ACT please click [here](/explore/new-south-wales-bike-tours).*

With NSW becoming more cycle friendly the number of bike tours available is steadily increasing ...

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10 great bike tours in New South Wales (and ACT)

Thank you for your interest in our 2023 [Travel Club](/blog/ctg-travel-club) cycling tour. I enjoyed [a taste of Alsace](/blog/a-taste-of-alsace) last year and liked it so much I want to go back and take some friends (old and new!) with me.

Itinerary: Strasbourg | Colmar | Alsace Villages | Basel

Details
- Duration: 7 nights, 5-7 days cycling
- Dates: September 1-8, 2023
- Tour Operators: See listings below
- Guiding: mixture (see listings below)
- Start: Strasbourg, France
- Finish: Basel, Switzerland
- Distance: 300-360km
- Average Daily: 50 km
- Bike Type: Any
- Surface: All paved roads
- Terrain: Flat to undulating
- Difficulty Rating: Easy/moderate
- Accommodation: 3 and 4-star hotels
  - if you do the optional Basel day ride you might need to book an extra night
- Meals included: 7 breakfasts
- Group Size: small
- Cost: see listings below (approx. AUD $2300 in total)
- Bike Hire:  Optional (standard or e-bikes)

We are aiming for a combination of the 4 tours below (or similar). The main Alsace tour will be from Strasbourg to Basle with 3 other (optional) tours.

If you are interested in joining us then please add to your wishlist or [contact me](/contact).. A  deposit will be then be payable (refundable if for any reason the tour doesn't go ahead).

Thank you!  
*Bruce* [Editor]

Ride with your CTG Travel Club mates (old and new) in France this September - plus a bit of Switzerland and Germany!

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Cycle Alsace with us in September 2023

Sometimes you just want to ride with other women!

The conversation and camaraderie are different, you laugh at different things. Women only tours are more likely to be felt as nonthreatening, more comfortable and more emotionally supportive. It's a different dynamic. This is particularly important to women who are single, whose partner doesn't want or like to travel - or for a host of other reasons...

Here is a curated selection of some of the best we've found - but click [this link](/explore/women-only-bike-tours) for many more around the world!  
Most [self-guided tours](/explore/self-guided-bike-tours) or [tours for groups](/tour?tour_types=Groups) also make a great option if you're organising a group of women to ride together.

Sometimes you just want to ride with other women!

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8 Great Bike Tours for Women in Australia and New Zealand

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North America Bike Tours

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Europe Bike Tours

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Rest of the World Bike Tours

The darker the green, the more tours are listed for that country. You can zoom in on the map for a closer look - very useful for Europe in particular.

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Catch up on the latest articles...

Magical Mystery Bike Tour of Liverpool

A Week in Provence

10 great bike tours in New South Wales (and ACT)

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