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  • French – Swiss Alps Tour

    BESPOKE or DIY (Do It Yourself)
    DAYS | NIGHTS – Flexible To Suit Group Requirements

  • LOCATION

    French – Swiss Alps

START | END

Start: Lyon International Airport – or Grenoble Train Station, France.

Finish: Zurich or Geneva International Airport.

DURATION

Days | Nights

Flexible to suit each group’s requirements

May – October each year

Advance bookings are open!

$750 reserves your spot for a Bespoke French – Swiss Alps Tour. 

$750.00 AUD

No hidden Credit Card fees.

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French Swiss Alps TourFrench Swiss Alps Tour

Welcome to the French – Swiss Alps Tour

We’ve designed our French – Swiss Alps Tour, to give you inspiartion, ideas and suggestions of whats possible for Bespoke or DIY (Do It Yourself) Tours in Europe.

Whether you’d like your Bespoke or DIY tour to take in parts of Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, Germany or Switzerland, just to name a few, we’ve got you covered.

We can design your dream cycling, non-cycling and off bikeholiday, wether you’d like a private tour for a couple, individuals, a small group of friends, a cycling club, what ever your needs – we’ll take care of the rest.

We’ll use our vast experience to design the perfect itinerary for your needs. We can provide: As much – or As little as you need.

Including: cycling specific vehicles, drivers, rider support vehicles, non-cycling program, electronic or printed ride routes, event entries, cycling friendly hotels, cycling guides, cycling mechanic, restaurant reccommendations – bookings, recommend excellent additional tours and activities to suit your personal interests or just about anything you can imagine to make your dream tour / holiday come true.

[read on for our suggestions for our French – Swiss Alps Tour]

Sample Itinerary:

Arrive: Into beautiful, Lyon International Airport – or Grenoble TGV Trainstation. Short transfer via vehicle.

Ride: First up we ride in the foothills of the French Alps in the Chartreuse Mountains, we’ll traverse through historic Grenoble and pause for our first taste of cultural immersion at a local patisserie for a well earned snack, hydration stop and enjoy some French time.

Apres Ride: Indulge and relax in our wonderful 4 star hotel’s natural, thermal water pool, the water is high in sulphide and salt, it’s the perfect way to relax and recover from travel and or a ride.

The slow pace of our village, location and the beautiful grounds of our historic hotel all add up to create the perfect start location to your tour / holiday

Dinner: Due to the warm climate, pure mountain air and our wondefull surrounds, tonight we’ll dine alfresco and enjoy beautifully prepaired local ingredients over a three course welcome dinner and drinks

The French | Swiss Alps: The spectacular Alps form a natural border between Switzerland, France and parts of Italy. The unparalleled views across the Alps make the journey worthwhile, even if it’s just to see this incredibly beautiful and unique landscape.

We offer plenty of flatter roads to ride and or for non cyclist the chance to be active each day, to hike, walk or explore in the regions we visit. The cycling group can choose the legendary Cols including: Alpe d’Huez, Glandon/ Croix de Fer, Telegraph/Galibier, Izoard, and many more of the climbs and cycling routes made famous by the Tour de France.

In Switzerland we’ll enjoy plenty of great undulating rides around stunning postcard like Swiss lakes, climb remote Swiss Alpine roads to iconic James Bond like locations including the Gottard Pass, Andermatt, take in legendary roads used by the Tour of Switzerland and visit secret roads to view the famous Eiger mountain.

Local immersion through food, language, local delicacies and experiences are a key ingredient for a truly memorable cycling holiday, we’ll take you to the best places to sample beautiful local prepaired speciality foods, wines, craft beers, cool drinks and regional products.

Our Tour Highlights

 French – Swiss Alps Tour

French Alps: Alpe d’Huez, Glandon/ Croix de Fer, Telegraph/Galibier, Izoard
Swiss Alps: Gottard Pass, Interlaken,  Andermatt, Zurich

Our Tour – Sample Itinerary

Day 1

Airport pick up: 8am Lyon International Airport, France
Transfer: 1.5 Hours to Alps Hotel
Tour start: 10.30am  Hotel. Assemble bikes
Ride: 11am. Foothills, Grenoble, Chartreuse Mountains Local Loop 50km.
Non-Cycling: Morning – Explore the local area or prepare for the trip ahead. Afternoon, relax and enjoy the wonders of our natural thermal spa town village or take a trip into Grenoble for some shopping on the high street.
Overnight: French Alps
Meals: Welcome Dinner.

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Day 2

Ride: Alpe D’Huez – Col du Sarenne, Secret Balcony roads Loop 75Km-2300mVert.
Non Cycling: Plenty of options based on your personal preferences. Scenic chairlift ride Alpe d’Huez, explore Alpe D’Huez Village and or Hiking/ walking trails, or Scenic drive through the Alps.
Overnight: French Alps
Meals: Breakfast.

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Day 3

Ride: Col d Croix du Fur – Glandon – St Jean du Marienne. Options 30km/70km/80km/100km (2500m)
Ride Options: Catch the van to the Col du Glandon following ride route – ride Glandon to Croix du Fer 5km descend 25km to the Frejus Valley below.
Non Cycling: Scenic drive along Alpe d’Huez’s jaw dropping balcony roads, Visit the Alps, pause for scenic photo stops a top Col du Glandon and Croix du Fer. Plenty of options based on your personal preferences.
Overnight: French Alps
Meals: Breakfast.

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Day 4

Ride: Col du Telegraph – Galibier – Col du Lautaret 40km/80km/130km – 2500m climbing or 40km ride with 1500m descending.
Non Cycling: Scenic ALpine drive, visit the villages of Valloire, enroute stop off atop the scenic Col’s du Telegraph and Galibier. Bring your camera for the massive Alps landscape photos. Plenty of options based on your personal preferences
Overnight: French Alps
Meals: Breakfast.

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Day 5 – Transfer Day:

Ride: Lacettes du Montvernier (photo stop at secret viewpoint), remote Col du Chaussy –  Col de Madeleine 30km – 70km/2400m
Non Cycling: Transfer day, Scenic Alpine drive through beautiful country, pause for refreshement stops at lovely mountain chalets at Chaussy and Madeleine.
Overnight: Swiss Alps.
Meals: Breakfast. Join us for an informal swiss dinner and drinks

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Day 6

Ride: Active Swiss recovery day, ride Lake Genava – Evian, Rhone river valley ride, visit to the UCI center Aigle 45km/350m
Non Cycling: Join the group to visit Swiss Mountain villages, to Evian on Lake Geneva for morning Tea. Visit the headquarters of the UCI – cycling center. Alternativley a hiking day in the Swiss /French Alps border region, walking and remote mountain cheese tasting experience with a local guide.
Overnight: Swiss Alps
Meals: Breakfast. Dinner: 7.30pm Informal Swiss mountain dinner and drinks

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Day 7

Ride: Nufenen Pass, Gottard Pass small cobbled Roman road, Andermatt
30km-90km climbing 1100m-2500m. Optional extra’s available.
Non Cycling: Transfer Day with group into a remote Swiss Alpine region. Morning tea stop at the top of the Nufenen Pass, lunch at Gottard, options to hike or explore our Swiss Alpine village, relax in our chic hotel spa.
Overnight: Swiss Alps
Meals: Breakfast. Dinner: 7.30pm Informal dinner and drinks.

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Day 8

Ride: Hotel, Susten – Grimsel -Furka Pass 30- 90km / 2400m climbing
Non Cycling: Travel with the group on the stunning Loop of the remote high Swiss Alps. Alternatively explore our Alpine Village, take a guided walk into the region.
Overnight: Swiss Alps
Meals: Breakfast. Dinner: 7.30pm Informal dinner and drinks.

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Day 9

Ride: Secret roads of Grosse Scheidegg, visit a remote alpine glacier, famous Eiger mountain, pause in Grindelwald, traverse lake Interlarken.
Non Cycling: Travel with the group or pause in Interlarken to explore the historic town, shops, bars and restuarants.
Overnight: Swiss Alps
Meals: Breakfast. Dinner: 8pm: Meet Hotel Lobby. Final Dinner and Drinks included.

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Day 10 – Departure Day

Breakfast: 7am
Ride: 7.30am – 9am  Optional Pre Breakfast recovery / lake ride.
Pack bikes if travelling with a bike or take accessories off hire bikes.
10am-12pm: Free time to explore our lakeside village
12pm: Checkout of Hotel. 1hr Transfer to Zurich Airport.
Non Cycling: Morning hike, explore our lakeside village.
End of Tour.  Zurich Airport.

We can design and host as much or as little of your FrancoSwiss Tour as you need, let us know what you need and we’ll bring it together.

Ciao Pat and Grace Fitzpatrick

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11

Years of Experience

67

Tours Completed

1,423

Trip Guests

36,122km

Cycled on Tour

267

Hotels Visited

What Makes Us

Première Classe

Experience, Since 2007

We’ve been on the ground running tours for over a decade and have long graduated from the School of Rookie Mistakes. We’ve accumulated thousands of kilometres in knowledge that goes into planning our itineraries and running our trips. When you’re with us, we’ve got your back. We want to see you achieve what you came here for. That’s why we build in contingencies for our contingencies so no matter what challenges the race, road or rain throws at us, we have a solution that will bring a satisfied smile to your face at the end of each day.

Trips Guaranteed To Run

We believe that our trip numbers should never be your problem. Whether our group size is 3 or 33, we run all of our trips to the same premium standard. We value your trust in us and understand how excited you must be. Once you’ve booked your spot on any of our trips, that’s it – you’re coming. So confirm your annual leave, book your flights and start packing!

More Ride Options

We understand that this is your cycling holiday and that you have your own goals and desires. We get to know you and give you a minimum of 3 ride options every day, so you can tailor your trip and manifest your dreams. Our goal is to have you achieve and experience everything you’ve set out to – and more. As corny as it sounds, there is nothing more rewarding for us than your smile at the end of each day. Oh, and hugs. We love hugs, especially after you’ve achieved something so meaningful to you.

Ride More, Transfer Less

We know you’d much rather be sitting on your bike than in a vehicle, so we design our itineraries to ride more and transfer less. There’s a great sense of satisfaction that comes with riding point to point so, whenever possible, we build this into our itineraries. Riding more and transferring less is also achieved by multiple nights stay in strategically located hotels, so there’ll be times throughout the trip where you can unpack your bags and call your room home for a few days.

Spectators Welcome

Whether you’re a fan of Pro Cycling, or your partner is a cyclist – you are welcome and encouraged to join our trips. Taking care of spectators is a specialty of ours. We give you plenty of options throughout the tour. Whether you want to experience the beauty of the ride routes by vehicle and join up with your cycling partner en route, cheer the pro-riders at race viewing points or spend time wondering the beautiful villages and cities we visit – the choice is yours. We ensure you have as much fun and adventure as the cyclists each day.

We Are "Details" Nerds

There really is no other way to put it. We. Love. Details. We consider every inch of your holiday from the pre-tour organising and planning to the on-tour running of it all. Every decision we make is about giving you the best possible experience. We want you to switch off and enjoy the ride. We know what it’s like to work hard for something, and we love to make you feel rewarded for your efforts. Let us handle the details, so all you have to focus on is having the best time and creating lasting memories.

Pro Bike Mechanic & Rider Support

Each trip has a professional bike mechanic and rider support vehicle. We carry a pro-team work stand, extensive toolbox, essential parts, hydration and nutrition aboard our dedicated support vehicle. Should anything occur en route, we’ll have you sorted and back on your bike in no time.

Bike Security

We take the security of your bike and belongings very seriously when you entrust them into our care. We go the extra mile by implementing a number of security measures and only choose hotels that supply us with secure storage options. We are proud to say that since our first tour in 2007, we have never experienced any problems with personal belongings or bike security on any of our trips.

Fabulous Accommodation

We believe accommodation is more than just a bed for the night. It’s a place to call home when you’re living out of a suitcase. We choose a variety of comfortable, characterful and quality accommodation styles to give you a complete experience. From city chic to family run chalets and everything in between.

Global & Local Experience

When you travel across the globe to be with us, we get excited. We love sharing everything we know and love about the people and places we visit. We ride the secret backroads, reveal the best hidden cafés, introduce you to incredible regional produce and have you feeling like one of the locals sooner than you can say bonjour, buongiorno and hola.

Local Lingo

Travelling to a country where the locals don’t speak your language, can be daunting. So that’s where our local lingo can help alleviate your apprehension. We’ll give you some basic tips on how to interact with the locals so you get the most out of your experience. You don’t have to be an expert, just have a go and remember to pack your sense of humour as there’ll be lots of laughing along the way.

Safety & Skills Coaching

We want you to go home to your family in better condition than when you left, so we place importance on your safety and skills. We’ll infuse you with tips, tricks and customs of riding in the countries we visit to give you the best cycling experience in the safest, most enjoyable way. As part of our service, we offer complimentary skills coaching en route for those wanting to hone any area of their biking. Expert skills coaching has been a unique area of our business for over 20-years, having fine-tuned the skills of pro-cyclists, Olympians, national and world champions.

Travel Tips

We’ve learnt a lot about travelling over the years. Once you’ve booked your trip with us, we can advise you on tips and tricks that will help make your travel experience more enjoyable, less stressful and have you well rested and ready to start your trip in optimum form.

Friendships

One thing you may not have considered when booking your future holiday is the opportunity for friendships. We pride ourselves on creating a group culture with great camaraderie that support and cheer for each other. It’s quite common for our trip participants to become lifelong friends (with us and with each other). Friendships that span the globe is one thing that really gives us a warm fuzzy feeling.

Your Goals Matter

Booking a cycling trip is a great motivator to set health, fitness, riding and travel goals. We are here to cheer you on and guide you through your preparation and link you up to other tour participants upon request. On tour, we do everything we can to see you achieve your goals and celebrate those milestones with you. Our flexible yet organised approach means that we’ve never cancelled a landmark ride in our 10+ year history. Your goals matter and we love seeing you reach them.

We Bring Out The Best

This is our philosophy – our heart and soul. At any given time, we bring out the best of that moment. We’ll show you where to stop and smell the roses, take in the most spectacular views, capture the best selfies and drink the best coffees. We are about savouring the moments and reminding you that you are in the best place at the best time.

Advance Bookings:

We open up our Advance Reservations for trips so you can book well ahead. Guarantee your position by booking up to 12 months prior.

If you’d like to organise and book your trip more than 12 months prior, contact us via email or phone, we’ll arrange everything so you can make an advanced early booking.

An advance booking, accompanied by a fully refundable $750 AUD (Australian Dollar) ensures priority booking status when the trip details are announced. Note, an advance booking is not considered final until payment is received.

Once specific trip itinerary details are finalized, we’ll contact everyone on the advance reservation list via email, we’ll include the itinerary and offer a priority booking position before opening up bookings to the wider community.

If a trip fills – as it often does in the advance bookings, we create a waiting list and then offer reservations on a first-come, first-serve basis (based on the date the advance reservation was made) once our advanced booking guest have finalised.

To cancel an advance reservation a cancellation request must be submitted in writing/ via email within 14 days of the trip details being published. The (AUD) $750 advance reservation payment will be immediately refunded for any cancellation received within this 14-day period.

Final Payments:

The balance of your trip payment is due no later than 120 days prior to your trip departure date, we will forward via email your final payment invoice. You can choose to make full payment earlier if you prefer to finalise your trip payment early, contact us and we will arrange for an invoice to be sent.

What if I have to transfer, change or cancel my trip:
We understand you may not be able to go on your trip, cancel, change or transfer due to personal or medical reasons. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to transfer to another trip that has places available. If you have a question give us a call or email.

Due to the high demand, limited hotel availability and the advance payments expected by our hotels and restaurants we use, the following cancellation conditions apply to all of our trips.

* PLEASE NOTE: For Phil Anderson to attend this tour, there needs to be a minimum of 4 guests booked. In the event that Phil does not attend this tour, our experienced, professional team of Australian and local on and off-bike guides will host your tour.

AFTER BOOKING, IF YOU CANCEL:

120 – 91 days prior to departure 50% cancellation fee of the trip price
90 – 61 days prior to departure 75% cancellation fee of the trip price
60 days and less prior to departure 100% cancellation fee of the trip price
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