Carcassonne, France

€785 (per person) / 8 nights / Half Board

Holiday Details

Ride Grading

Grade 3: Difficult: for the regular cyclist looking for a rides that won't break the legs but will make you work. MTB Grading: Blue

Grade 4: Hard: For regular, experienced cyclists. Typically routes of a longer distance or some tough climbs (and descents) included. MTB Grading: Red

Location

Carcassonne, Occitanie, France

Holiday Highlights

A guided bike packing tour starting and ending in the Bastide city of Carcassonne. The tour uses a mix of quiet rural roads, forest access roads, traffic-free cycle paths and is suitable for gravel bikes, touring bikes, or XC mountain bikes.

You will pass fields of sunflower into the vineyards beyond then see the landscape change to forest as the ride ascends towards the mountains. After an overnight stay in a mountain refuge the route turns back towards Carcassonne with a visit to a swimming lake and an easy pedal via the Canal du Midi.

The ride is carefully planned to enable you to ensure you have opportunities to access provisions, passing villages/towns that have shops, bakeries, and water fountains. Stops can be made as needed.

Holiday Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrive in Carcassonne. Overnight stop in a local B&B for introductions and to get organised.
Day 2 - 70 km on easy trails towards with an overnight stop in a French bastide village.
Day 3 - A 50 km ride into the mountains to stay overnight in a refuge on the Plateau de Sault in Occitanie.
Day 4 - Continuing into the mountains for a second night in a wild camp/refuge in the Mijanes area.
Day 5 - Leaving the mountains for the Gorge du Galaymus and an overnight stay at a 3-star campsite in the Haute vallée de l'Aude.
Day 6 - The final leg back to Carcassonne for return flights the next day after an overnight stay in a 3-star hotel
Day 7 - Flights home

Description of Accommodation

Accommodation on this bike packing/gravel tour is mix of authorised wild camping locations, mountain refuges, and 3-star campsites that have a cafe/bar and pool.

An evening meal and breakfast the next day is provided at each overnight location.

Offers

Some sections of this bike packing tour are challenging but where this is the case the daily distances are reduced. The ride is guided but all riders are self-supported and will be supplied with a packing list. Meals are provided at the campsite and the hotel/B&B on the first and final evenings.

All riders will be provided with GPX route information and detailed maps. Riders are encouraged to stay together but also to ride at their own pace. The ride is led with a "no-one left behind" ethos and is a great introduction to bike packing in France.

Before accepting payment you will be provided with a questionnaire about your riding ability/gravel experience and also be asked for a medical certificate and proof of insurance.

This route is also offered as a women-only holiday on the following dates:
September 10th to 17th 2022

Dates for 2023 will be announced later this year.