Discover France  DiscoverFrance.com 

We did the Classic Provence bike tour and loved it. This was our first trip to France and Discover France had everything well organized. The hotels and routes they selected were great and they did a good job putting together potential sites along the way. – Adam, Charleston, SC

Great trip which was self-guided. Good maps, reliable bike rental guy, Jean Paul, and good bikes. The hotels were fancier than I'm used to, but I'm not complaining. Daily rides of about 50km, all the hotels had breakfasts, and Jean Paul went through the whole ride with us before we left to point out areas of interest and answer questions about the areas. We did the Dordogne tour and saw great cave art. It was just 2 of us.

It is a very well organized 'self guided bike tour' It is less than 1/2 the price of other tours that have a daily guide and a backup van. We were given bikes, supplies, detailed maps and itinerary and absolutely the best accomodations and food. (we chose the Chateau tour) I cannot say enough positive about it. There really were no negatives. Baltimore, MD

Did a self-guided tour of the Bordeaux region-mostly in the entre deux mers area which was lovely-rolling, agricultural (not just vineyards), lots of very old towns with lots of character; plenty of paved biked paths! Along canals, rivers, and a long one along an old train line ( get lots of shade as well). Great mix of accomodations. The bikes were great. If you're interested in being off by yourselves most anywhere in France, tremendous flexibility(you pick the dates, can up-grade the accomodations) at a much lower cost, check out Discover France. - West Tisbury, MA.

We loved our self guided bike tour with Discover France. We did three full days of biking, from 35K to 55K a day. After that, we were ready to stay in one place for a day and relax. But I was ready to get back on the bike right after that! What a beautiful experience. Our baggage was transferred from hotel to hotel, 2 amazing dinners and all 'petits dejeuners' were provided. We rode through unbelievably beautiful countrysides, and visited at least one chateau a day! One thing that could have been better, was that the bikes did not have kickstands, a mirror to keep track of your partner, and traffic,would have been great too. But these are minor details. I would recommend the Discover France tour anytime! - Chantal, Salinas, CA

We just completed our fourth trip with discover France and they continue to impress us with their organization, excellent equipment and thorough, knowledgeable staff members in the home office and in France. Our accomodations, food and service is always 3-4 star quality and, although I wish my french were better, it is always helpful that our hotel and inn hosts speak English. This year Discover France helped us organize a trip in both the alps and the yrenees that was simply a trip of alifetime.  - Cindy Fahay, Bath, Maine

We have taken two trips through this operator, one to do the TDF climbs in the Alps and one to do the TDF climbs in the Pyrenees. These are self guided cycling trips with excellent directions and accomodations. Just returned from the Pyrenees trip. The cycling routes are truly classic. If you are a fan of the TDF you understand the challenges and I won't describe them. Rather, let me say that the accomadations at the Hotel Miramont in Argeles are great. Beautiful property, centrally located in this small town, extremely gracious hosts and owners, very nice, clean rooms. great food and service. I can't say enough. If you want a challenge but want to have comfort after the work, this is a great trip. The operators have put together a great trip. - J. David Coughlin, Baker City, OR

We have taken six trips with Discover France/ Pure Adventures in both France and Italy. Obviously, the company has been a hit. We are drawn to the varied terrain within each trip, as well as the very different lodging and dining experiences, from high-end hotels with gorgeous views to the common table at a fisherman's home with fresh fish for dinner. The company has an eye for good regions with many medieval sites, good biking and delicious food. We also like the independence of the self-guided tour. - Debby F, Boston, MA

Tour of Loire Valley. FANTASTIC!  Excellent routes and accommodations.  Highly recommend. - Joy F., Wethersfield, CT

My daughter (21 yrs old) and I biked for 5 days thru the Loire Valley. Meals were fantastic, hotel/chateau accommodations were great and biking was wonderful... we were blessed with exceptionally great weather. The self-guided tour was perfect for us... my daughter was fluent in French and I spoke passable English (with an American accent ;-) We ate very, very well, slept comfortably, and biked splendidly. The tour support systems... bikes, maps, and travel support... were exceptional... we were very pleased with all aspects of our Loire Valley biking excursion. - M. S, Hampton, NJ

We found Discover France to the be the value for self-guided touring in France. They were about 25% less than the alternatives, and stayed in many of the same places. - Andrea C, Del Mar, CA

We loved our five-day (too short) tour of Provence, organized by Discover France. Self-guided tours are terrific for couples who want privacy and the ability to go at their own pace through the French countryside. Discover France plotted the route, with helpful highlights and suggestions along the way, booked our accommodations, and transferred our bags from hotel to hotel so we could ride free. Although they were only a phone call away in case of bike trouble, we felt wonderfully free and left alone to enjoy the French countryside. Highly recommended! - David L, Brooklyn, NY

We took 5-day Loire tour (3 scheduled days of biking) and really enjoyed freedom of self-guided tour. Support level is not as high as guided tour (we had thunder/lightning the first day and broken chain on second day, both of which took over an hour to address/remedy) but we would absolutely do it, again. Eating sandwiches on fresh-baked bread in town square among local, French villagers; using our rusty language skills; enjoying great meals at a great price; stopping as long as we wanted to at attractions along the way and having family bike together at our own pace made it all worthwhile! - K. Scott, Wilton, CT

We rode Discover France’s Loire Classic. They made the arrangements for the trip and provided assistance with figuring out how to reach the Loire Valley and then continue the rest of our trip afterwards. On arrival, we were met by the Discover France representative, Sebastian, who gave us our bikes and gear. He took time to review the route with us, explain our options and answer questions. One nice feature is Discover France provided a GPS with preprogrammed routes. Our accommodations included an inn in Amboise with quaint rooms and a garden café and a more modern hotel in Blois with rooms more akin to that you would see in the US. The itinerary allowed us to stay two nights at each hotel, so that we did not have to pack up each day. Discover France transferred our bags. We were provided breakfast each morning and one dinner was included. That was fine, because it allowed us to explore the towns where we were staying and try different foods. - C&C OKeefe, Brookline, NH

We did the Classic Provence 7 day tour plus 1 extra to climb Ventoux. Discover France accommodated our variation to their standard tour without fuss finding us a great hotel for the extra night. The pre-trip information pack and the tour booklet were comprehensive and accurate with the exception of our side trip up Ventoux. Equipment was well maintained and the weather they organised was perfect. - Matt White, Montrose, Victoria, Australia

We did a 3-day family trip in the Loire Valley and loved every minute of the experience. The upgraded accommodations were terrific and we loved the fact that we could alter routes as we wanted and returned to the same hotel each night. The DF staff went above and beyond what we expected and in addition to the normal outstanding routes, maps, GPS and bikes they took it upon themselves to secure a tandem for us to cycle safely with our visually impaired daughter. Highly recommend the DF experience! - RBA, New York, NY

This was an unguided tour where Discover France arranged hotels, transport of bags to the next town, bikes and detailed route maps. The routes were varied and avoided traffic for the most part, albiet a bit hillier than advertised. The hotels were usually historic buildings in the heart of the old parts of the towns we visited. We once had two flats in the same day so they dispatched very quickly a van to help us. Once in a while the directions were a bit hard to follow and could have benefited from more use of street names, but overall were great. The route took us through vineyards, olive orchards, woods, farmlands and small villages and was well-designed. On days where we stayed in the same village for two consecutive days they included loop tours that could be taken, but we found them to be too long and that a day of lesser riding to be welcome. Would definitely recommend this and doing it again in other locations. Going with support as opposed to a guided group is much more fun! - Tom, Houston, TX

A great time from start to finish! The maps were easy to follow and basically took us through southern France (Provence-Classic tour)on country lanes-there was hardly any traffic. Hotels were amazing and our luggage were forwarded to the next without any problems. It was nice to travel by bike alone, without the hassle of packing panniers so full gear it was drudery, as I have done in the past. We are already planning another trip for 2011-this time it's to Southern Italy. I would highly recommend Discover to anyone. - Robert Campbell, Chilliwack, BC

Bottom line: outstanding customer service. My sister and I did a self-guided 6-day 300+ mile bike ride across the Loire Valley (the Loire Challenging trip) with DiscoverFrance. The accommodations were wonderful, the trip was well coordinated, the bikes and gear were in great condition, and the maps and cue sheets were very good. THe best part though was Sebastien. Delta/AirFrance lost my sister's luggage and we spent the first 5 days wrestling with airline customer service agents, delivery companies, hotels, and international cellphone calls trying to coordinate getting the @#*! suitcase. Finally, we asked Sebastien, the in-country emergency contact, if he could help. I wish we'd done that days earlier. He, and his fluent French, took over everything and got the luggage to us super-quick. I can't emphasize enough how frustrating it was to worry about the luggage while biking in the same clothes for the 3rd day in a row while spending enormous sums on international cellphone calls. - Summer A., Washington, DC

Best of Bordeaux and the Dordogne Valley. We absolutely loved our self-guided tour. The routes were great with little vehicle traffic and there was enough challenge to really feel a sense of accomplishment. The bikes were great, the accomodations were fantastic, the directions were fool proof. We will definitely be return customers. - Randy and Cindy Webb, Richmond, BC

My wife and I ttok our sons, age 14 and 11, on the 3 day bike tour of the Loire Valley. As very novice cyclists we found the level of difficulty just right for our family, and the bikes very comfortable. The boys had fun using the electronic gizmos and keeping us on the right track. Visiting the chateaux are memories we will never forget. Paddling down the Cher under Ch. Chenanceau was unbelievable. Staying in one spot ( the spectacular Manoir les Minimes) and taking day long loops was ideal for us, and allowed us to explore Amboise extensively. - Ian Cook, Midhurst, ON

Our trip to Ireland was a wonderful experience in large part because of the excellent help with our trip from Discover France. The bicycles we rented were in great condition and were delivered and adjusted to the needs of our very large group of travelers. Accomodations in Ireland were stunning and the Discover France staff oriented us and then gave us the privacy we wanted for this kind of independent inn to inn biking experience. I would highly recommend them! - Joy Playter, Billerica, MA

DF provides a well-organized, scenic and accessible tour of the Western Loire Valley. This was our first self-guided tour in late October and it couldn't have been more pleasant or enjoyable. Their directions, maps, and GPS reassured us and their selection of hotels and luggage transfers was super. It was also a great value compared to other tour companies we considered. The scenery was beautiful and the route took us through vineyards, past regal chateaux, and into lovely villages. We will certainly use DF again in the future! - Sandy Mayer, Rochester, NY

This is the 3rd European Self-Guided Bike Trip we have taken with Discover France/Pure Adventures. We have used another company, but found them inferior and now will only travel with Discover France guiding us. We biked through Southern Italy--Puglia with a group of 9 friends. The accommodations were outstanding, the maps and routes were excellent (and the total travel cost for the package was very reasonable.) Our expectations were exceeded with all the great scenery we biked through and the historic hotel accommodations! Thanks again Discover France. - Cynthia L., Denver, CO

Last tour of the season, beautiful weather! Bikes, accomodation and meals terrific. My wife and I had a ball, and will be back again next year. - Jeff G, Gold Coast, Australia

We did a self-guided tour through Discover France. 7 friends, first time biking adventure to Bordeaux France. Although several of our riders are experienced in 1-day or 2-day rides in the US and seasoned international travelers - this was our first international biking trip. Discover France provided solid service from pre-trip planning, check lists, to day 1 orientation (via telephone), to clear maps/directions, and great places that we stayed each night. We had 2 bike problems during the journey - and their phone support and relations they had in local towns provided the necessary repairs in a timely fashion. The pricing was very fair and the customer service and quality of bikes (road bikes and hybrids) was excellent. We look forward to our next adventure. -Ruth-Anne Renaud, Chicago, IL

We did the 7 day Loire trip - fantastique! Perfect trip if one of you does not want to climb any mountains, and still be in a gorgeous part of France, with plenty of time to stop for lunch, sip wine at a picnic on the road etc. I also highly recommend the company - Discover France. Great attention to detail in every way. 5 stars. We will definitly be using them again. And I'm picky... - Len N., Oakland, CA

We did the 8day/7night self-guided Luberon tour in May/June 2011. Our meet-and-greet guide, Francois, was very informative and helpful, the hybrid bikes were great, the hotels superb, the maps and guide booklet good and we had an amazing trip (highlight climbing Mt. Ventoux)! Will definitely use Discover France again. Carolyn, Johannesburg, South Africa

My wife and I went on a 7-day self-guided tour with another couple starting from Tours, France in the Loire Valley. All aspects of the trip went off without a hitch. I thought everything was well-planned and well-executed by Discover France. The bikes, equipment and GPS unit performed without any problems, and the food and accommodations were superb. We recommend them highly. - B. Rosen, Belmont, MA

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