All Real Travel France tours are inspired by two themes: farm to table and travel by bike. We specialize in our home region of French Catalonia located in Languedoc-Roussillon—the southernmost region of France on the border of Spain.

Farm to Table: On every tour we incorporate visits to local producers where you get to meet the makers of fine olive oils, goat and sheep cheeses, artisan patés, lavender honey, organic almonds, natural wines, country bread and all the farm foods for which the south of France is famous. No matter which type of tour you choose, expect to taste your way through southernmost France getting a behind the scenes look at traditional food and wine production—while touring in a rich cultural setting with the Pyrenees and Mediterranean as a backdrop.

Travel by Bike: We’re dedicated to supporting and inspiring travel by bike and all of our tours reflect this. Traveling by bike means parking your car, carrying your belongings and pedaling to your destination. We recognize everyone may not be ready to hit the open road by bike just yet. So we offer varying levels of comfort and support to meet you where you are and get you started. We don’t offer luxury service to spoil you. We offer just enough service to encourage you.

LEVELS OF SUPPORT
Trip leaders, inn-to-inn with luggage transfers: We provide your bike, helmet and handlebar bag. We ride with you from inn to inn. One tour leader pedals with the group while the other transports luggage to the next night’s inn. There is light vehicle support in way of bike repairs, roadside snacks and drinks and the rare lift for an over exhausted rider.

Trip leaders, single location with daily loops: We provide your bike, helmet and handlebar bag. We ride with you and return to the same location each night—usually a countryside inn with views and a tranquil setting. Some days offer light vehicle support in way of bike repairs, roadside snacks and drinks and the rare lift for an over exhausted rider (harder days only, not every day).

Trip leaders, inn-to-inn, self-contained: We provide your bike, helmet, handlebar bag and two rear saddle bags. We pedal with you from inn to inn. You carry all your stuff in rear saddle bags. With lodging and meals in inns and restaurants, you won’t need to carry much. There is no vehicle support. There is no luggage transfer. You are responsible for any taxis or transport on your own should you not be able to pedal to the next destination.

Self-guided: Any of our itineraries are available as self-guided trips any time of the year according to availability. We make reservations at inns and restaurants for you, we set you up with bikes and gear, we give you maps and cue sheets and you pedal at your own pace, on your own.

Personalized Itineraries: If you want a campground to campground trip, a shorter or longer tour or a theme like Tour de France cols of the Pyrenees, we’ll do the planning and send you on your way.

 

LEVELS OF DIFFICULTY
All of our tours are for active individuals. We do not have tour options for sedentary people. Though we rate each tour’s difficulty level, it’s up to you to determine your own condition and capability.

Our ratings are based on the tours we offer and are not comparable to other tour companies’ ratings or descriptions. Difficulty levels are very subjective and so we encourage you to look at each of our tours’ mileage, elevation gain/loss, and road conditions.

Overall, we do not cater to flat, easy going, beach cruisers. Nor do we cater to ultra-sports seekers. The idea is travel by bike and that means accepting whatever terrain happens to be between you and your destination. Of course, we seek out the best routes between destinations. But still: all of our tours include hills, all of our tours travel on roads where there may be automobiles, and all of our tours travel short portions on gravel roads.

BEGINNERS: We believe beginners can handle the same obstacles as seasoned bike travelers. They simply need more time to get comfortable on the bike, more time to get where we’re going and some good tips and instruction. Beginners are active people (runners, hikers, walkers, swimmers, etc.) who may not have biking-specific experience. Or they may have biking experience, but no travel by bike experience (saddle bags, distances, daily consecutive riding, weather conditions). So be forewarned, if you’re a beginner we may have shortened the mileage and chosen less challenging hills to allow for more time, but you’ll still be facing the same obstacles as other tours: hills, distance, automobiles on roads and bumpy surfaces like dirt roads through vineyards. None of our tours include technical mountain bike trails. To consider:

  • What about hills? Avery began traveling by bike in mountainous regions. She can tell you, if you start with hills, you don’t know anything different. With the right gears and patience, anyone who determines they’re capable of joining our tours, can climb hills. The worst thing that can happen is you get off and walk. Big deal.
  • Automobiles. You need to have good balance and feel comfortable enough on two wheels to share the road with drivers.
  • The most scenic routes in our region are often dirt or gravel roads. All tours include portions on these surfaces. We ride hybrid style bikes with wider tires than road bikes for that reason. There are no technical mountain bike trails on any of our tours.
  • The goal is to get from point A to point B. You don’t have to train like you would for a competitive event, but you should put a few miles on a bike before joining a beginners tour.
  • Newcomers are usually surprised at how much ground you can cover on a bike. Over equal units of time, an individual can ride a bicycle four times the distance as someone walking.
  • Beginners are also surprised at how each day’s mileage works for them, not against them. As your body adjusts to the bike, each day get’s easier, not harder.
  • Be ready and willing for an active vacation. We believe everyone who wants to, can travel by bike.
  • The ambiance on tour is not competitive. We don’t ride in formation and drafting is prohibited. We encourage everyone to go at their own pace.
  • Our philosophy is that everyone ride to the challenge each day. Tours with vehicle support are only for luggage transfers, bike repairs, injuries and real instances where riders just can’t keep pedaling. We won’t leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere, but we do expect you to put forth your best effort before we send a rescue.

MODERATE: Moderate tours have slightly longer distances and steeper and longer hills. It’s all subjective though, so look at the statistics and decide for yourself. Other challenges may be included in moderate level tours like self-contained touring (where you carry your own stuff using saddle bags) or notable cols (high mountain passes) on the itinerary. To Consider:

  • Automobiles. You need to have good balance and feel comfortable enough on two wheels to share the road with drivers.
  • The most scenic routes in our region are often dirt or gravel roads. All tours include portions on these surfaces. We ride hybrid style bikes with wider tires than road bikes for that reason. There are no technical mountain bike trails on any of our tours.
  • The goal is to get from point A to point B. You don’t have to train like you would for a competitive event, but you should put a few miles on a bike. You should ride some long hills and if your tour is self-contained, you should train with saddle bags.
  • Be ready and willing for an active vacation. We believe everyone who wants to, can travel by bike.
  • The ambiance on tour is not competitive. We don’t ride in formation and drafting is prohibited. We encourage everyone to go at their own pace.
  • Our philosophy is that everyone ride to the challenge each day. Tours with vehicle support are only for luggage transfers, bike repairs, injuries and real instances where riders just can’t keep pedaling. On self-contained tours (no vehicle support) you are responsible for your own taxi and transportation should you need assistance.

CHALLENGING: Challenging tours include cols (high mountain passes), are self-contained (you carry your stuff in saddle bags) and average the longest distances of any of our tours. Though more challenging than our other tours, these trips are still accessible. They are not extreme adventures. But it’s still all relative, so study the statistics and confirm details with us before deciding if you’re capable. To Consider:

  • Automobiles. You need to have good balance and feel comfortable enough on two wheels to share the road with drivers.
  • The most scenic routes in our region are often dirt or gravel roads. All tours include portions on these surfaces. We ride hybrid style bikes with wider tires than road bikes for that reason. There are no technical mountain bike trails on any of our tours.
  • The goal is to get from point A to point B. You won’t get there if you don’t train. You should ride distances, climb some long hills and ride with saddle bags before joining a tour rated challenging.
  • Be ready and willing for an active vacation. We believe everyone who wants to, can travel by bike.
  • The ambiance on tour is not competitive. We don’t ride in formation and drafting is prohibited. We encourage everyone to go at their own pace.
  • Our philosophy is that everyone ride to the challenge each day. Challenging tours do not have vehicle support. You are responsible for your own taxi and transportation should you need assistance.