Cycling for Softies
Gourmet cycling holidays
Leisurely Cycling Holidays In The Wine Regions Of France & Italy... & New For This Year In England.
Our luxurious cycling holidays aren’t about clocking up the miles, they're about the time in-between. Welcome to life in the easy lane...
Châteaux of the Loire
Tour Operator: Cycling for Softies
France
8 days (Bike: 6 days)
96 mi (~16mi per day)
Easy
Cycle paths/trails, Mostly flat, Quiet roads
Self-Guided
Semi-Supported
Prices from
Self-Guided
£ 1495
Overview
Tour Operator Cycling for Softies
A magical region, world-famous for its marvellous châteaux, magnificent rivers and delicious wines.
Playground to the French and English royal families for over 1000 years, this is truly the heart of fairy-tale France - illustrated perfectly by the high number of spectacular castles on route. Like drawings in a children’s book, they have been carefully preserved for all to enjoy, complete with underground tunnels, moats and beautiful gardens.
Visit these fabulous once-royal homes and ancient riverside towns, pedal peacefully along the Loire à Vélo cycle path amidst birdsong and the aroma of hollyhocks... and sample world famous wines as you weave your way through sun-baked vineyards on your Loire cycling holiday.
We love
Warm breezes filled with the smell of roses and ripening melons, stopping on impulse for degustation (wine tasting) in tiny vineyards, the gardeners’ paradise at Villandry, and the spectacular Son et Lumière at the chateaux.
Vineyards of Bordeaux
Tour Operator: Cycling for Softies
France
8 days (Bike: 6 days)
153 mi (~26mi per day)
Leisure
Cycle paths/trails, Some hills, Quiet roads
Self-Guided
Semi-Supported
Prices from
Self-Guided
£ 1425
Overview
Tour Operator Cycling for Softies
A loop from the city through the Médoc and Entre-Deux-Meres regions
The city of Bordeaux, the 6th largest in France, offers a heady mix of rich history, world-class architecture, excellent gastronomy and of course, fine wines. This tour offers the chance to explore this magnificent metropolis and to spend time amongst the region’s finest wine-making areas. You’ll ride a loop from the city through the Médoc and Entre-Deux-Meres regions, taking in famous wine towns like Margaux, Bourg and St Émilion.
Highlights
- Bordeaux City – Its architecture, culture, food and wine.
- The world-class red wines of Pomerol and St Emilion.
Minimum route distance 85 miles (136km) | Average temperature 25 degrees (May to September)
Bordeaux City Break
Tour Operator: Cycling for Softies
France
5 days (Bike: 3 days)
109 mi (~36mi per day)
Easy
Cycle paths/trails, Mostly flat
Self-Guided
Semi-Supported
Prices from
Self-Guided
£ 975
Overview
Tour Operator Cycling for Softies
Explore bike-friendly streets, vineyards and the beach!
The city of Bordeaux, the 6th largest in France, offers a heady mix of a rich history, world-class architecture, excellent gastronomy and of course, fine wines. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage site, valued as an inhabited historic city and an icon of the Enlightenment era. This city bike break allows you to explore the bike-friendly streets of Bordeaux, to explore some of the more than 120,000 hectares of vineyards that surround the city and to spend a day at the beach on the beautiful Arcachon Bay.
Minimum route distance 64 miles (102km) | Average temperature 25 degrees (April to October)
Burgundy's Route de Grand Crus
Tour Operator: Cycling for Softies
France
8 days (Bike: 6 days)
143 km (~24km per day)
Easy
Cycle paths/trails, Mostly flat, Quiet roads
Self-Guided
Semi-Supported
Prices from
Self-Guided
£ 1535
Overview
Tour Operator Cycling for Softies
This tour through Burgundy is an Oenophiles dream, based in one of the most famous of France's wine regions.
In between wine tastings and gastronomic stop offs, you will enjoy the relaxed cycling in between picturesque villages and wonderful hotels. Following the cycle Route des Grand Crus, you will enjoy gorgeous scenery, vineyard Chateaux and the delightful regional capital of Wine, Beaune.
We Love: Sampling wine in various “caveaux” (wine caves) along your journey, Hotel-Dieu des Hospices in Beaune, visiting Chateau de Savigny-les-Beaune and its collection of vintage planes and cars.
Côtes du Rhône Vineyards
Tour Operator: Cycling for Softies
France
8 days (Bike: 6 days)
126 mi (~21mi per day)
Leisure
Cycle paths/trails, Mostly flat, Quiet roads
Self-Guided
Semi-Supported
Prices from
Self-Guided
£ 2005
Overview
Tour Operator Cycling for Softies
As generations of film stars and artists have discovered, it's impossible not to be seduced by the beauty and glamour of Provence.
From ancient villages scattered with Roman ruins to historic cities, there are plenty of interesting places to stop and soak up Provençal history on our Côtes du Rhône tour.
In between stops you’ll enjoy wonderful laid-back cycling through vineyards, along rural trails and into the beautiful valleys of the Dentelles de Montmirail mountains.
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
Tour Operator: Cycling for Softies
France
5 days (Bike: 3 days)
90 mi (~30mi per day)
Leisure
Self-Guided
Supported
Prices from
Self-Guided
£ 830
Overview
Tour Operator Cycling for Softies
Stay in a luxurious hotel in the charming Saint-Rémy-de-Provence on this single-centre cycling holiday.
On this holiday, you’ll get to know the region intimately, as you cycle as much or as little as you like. On a single-centre tour, stay in one hotel in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and venture out each day to explore the surrounding areas. This is the same town where Van Gogh found inspiration for some of his most famous works of art, and we think you’ll be equally inspired here. On a Wednesday morning, the town hosts the largest weekly market in Provence, with regional specialities and beautiful crafts on offer.
The surrounding region is filled with olive groves filled with the symphony of cicadas, lavender fields wafting aromas through each breeze, and charming towns full of intrigue. On this 4-night tour, you have the option to ride out to exciting locations such as Les Baux-de-Provence, Eygalières, Tarascon and many more.
We love cycling up to the breathtaking Les Baux-de-Provence, wandering through its cobbled streets and visiting the many aroma shops selling lavender products.
Gubbio, Assisi & Umbria
Tour Operator: Cycling for Softies
Italy
8 days (Bike: 5 days)
E-bike tour
Leisure
Quiet roads
Self-Guided
Semi-Supported
Prices from
Self-Guided
£ 1145
Overview
Tour Operator Cycling for Softies
Iconic Italian countryside with fine wines and gastronomic delights
Pedal your way gently along quiet side roads and tracks; travel the ancient 'via Flaminia' highway of the Roman empire; and feast on wondrous Italian fayre and delicious Italian wines.
Our Tuscan e-bike tours are the perfect way to discover the rolling hills of the region. Gone are the days of huffing and puffing your way to the top, e-bikes make light work of the undulating terrain leaving you free to take in the spectacular scenery with the wind in your hair.
The Grand Tour of the Cotswolds
Tour Operator: Cycling for Softies
United Kingdom
8 days (Bike: 6 days)
193 mi (~32mi per day)
Leisure
Quiet roads
Self-Guided
Supported
Prices from
Self-Guided
£ 1625
Overview
Tour Operator Cycling for Softies
Take a tour of the classic English countryside aboard a top of the range e-bike.
Traversing the Cotswolds from north to south, this route blends the historical charm of the region with some of its finest contemporary touches.
Starting in the north, at Moreton-in-Marsh, there is an early opportunity to visit Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, before the route traverses the picture-perfect countryside to the south. On the way, stop in at the beautiful towns and villages, including Bourton-on-the-Water, Upper & Lower Slaughter, Tetbury, Cirencester and Bibury amongst many others. Roll into the Roman spa town of Bath on the final day to spend the last night in one of England’s finest cities.
Sparkling Sussex
Tour Operator: Cycling for Softies
United Kingdom
8 days (Bike: 6 days)
157 mi (~26mi per day)
E-bike tour
Leisure
Self-Guided
Semi-Supported
Prices from
Self-Guided
£ 1935
Overview
Tour Operator Cycling for Softies
Enjoy the best of Sussex and Sussex wine with this carefully created tour
Five nights and two vineyards with plenty of time in between to relax in our hand-picked, luxury spa hotels and explore the county aboard a top of the range E-bike. Expect peaceful lanes through charming countryside, easy riding along riverside and coastal paths and some spectacular scenery around the South Downs National Park.
We love
The scenic, luxurious beachside accommodation of Bailiffscourt offering a menu of award-winning spa treatments. Marvellous hillside rides passing through sprawling countryside and quaint hamlets.
What not to Miss
Scenic cycle routes featuring the picturesque Arundel Castle, Bramber Castle and the South Downs
Tour and tasting at the Ridgeview and Tinwood Wine Estates
Award-winning spa treatments at Ockenden Manor
Spectacular scenery at Cuckmere Haven
Chateau de Candes
Tour Operator: Cycling for Softies
France
8 days (Bike: 5 days)
96 mi (~19mi per day)
Easy
Cycle paths/trails, Mostly flat, Quiet roads
Self-Guided
Semi-Supported
Prices from
Self-Guided
£ 975
Overview
Tour Operator Cycling for Softies
Chateau de Candes is a delightfully quirky centre-base in the charming cobbled village of Candes-St-Martin.
The sumptuous and stylish maisons, lofts and apartments are scattered around the grounds and within the immediate vicinity of the stunning main castle building.
Candes-St-Martin is on the list of ‘des plus beaux villages de France’, or the most beautiful villages of France. A short walk (or ride) along the river is the village of Montsoreau, an old river port from the medieval period, when the Loire was a major trade route. It’s ch√¢teau, setting of a famous Dumas novel, is the only one in the Loire valley built in the riverbed itself.
What not to miss
The ancient abbey at Fontevraud, with its mix of historical and contemporary attractions.
Sampling the produce of the regions different wine appellations in one of the many local caves.
Paddling along the Vienne river between Chinon and Montsoreau in a canoe.