Tour Details

Tours are typically 9-days and  include the following: 

  • All hotel accommodations including luxurious châteaux and charming inns

  • Seven (7) evening gourmet dinners including carefully selected regional wines

  • All breakfasts and picnic lunches   
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  • Use of 21-speed men’s or women’s frame touring bikes. Bikes are equipped with water bottle, lock, and pump

  • Support vehicle following every mile of our journey to carry luggage, purchases, handle repairs, or to give a timely lift

  • Services of  Francine and Jeff who are familiar with the region, the language and will offer riding tips or provide mechanical assistance

  • All baggage transport
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  • Transport  transfers to and from train stations at the beginning and end of the tour

  • Complete information packet on how to prepare for the trip

  • Daily maps and pre-marked routes with arrows  for easy riding

  • A specially designed HWBT jersey

Lodging

After cycling all day, it's nice to know that a wonderful place is awaiting your arrival. HWBT always tries to stay at unique and interesting inns and hotels that are special to the region we are visiting.  That's why the accommodations will range from 5- and 4-star chateaux or villas to quaint and charming inns.   This variety allows our tours to be more affordable than other bike tour companies.  And, we believe you have an opportunity to become more familiar with the places we visit by staying in a variety of these carefully chosen accommodations.

In most cases we stay two nights at each location to provide the opportunity to really explore the area.  This also allows you the chance to sleep in and just enjoy the offerings of the hotel. So whether it's fluffy white robes with a six-course evening meal, or a charming farmhouse with dinner served family-style, HWBT always provides interesting, memorable and fun-filled accommodations.


Cuisine

If the heart of a country is found in its people, then its soul  is often found in its cuisine.  And, after an active day of bicycling it's nice to experience the rich soulful and unique cuisine a region has to offer. 

One of the main "ingredients" of a tour with HWBT is the partaking not only in the  excellent cuisine of the country we are visiting but also the local wines. Francine, whose family's background is deeply rooted the art of cooking, takes extra care in selecting the menus and wines for our evening repast.
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For lunches, you can try out a local café that is on the way to our next destination or you can join us on our optional daily picnics. The "pique-nique au sauvage" allows you to feast on fruits, fresh   breads, cheeses, pates, and other daily market treats. 

Fitness

We are not fitness fanatics.  We just enjoy cycling and in particular we enjoy exploring areas that are interesting and fun to bike. Many of the people who join us are recreational cyclists and do quite well if they prepare in advance by cycling several times a week at least three months prior to departure.  However, the more prepared you are, the more you will enjoy the trip.  An active travel vacation is just that... active... and it requires good aerobic health.  Some of our tours are more challenging than others.  So be sure to talk to us in advance to understand what to expect.

We don't travel in packs and the way the routes are marked there is no reason to.  You can cycle at your own pace and get to the destination when you want.  This allows you to pick your spots to stop and smell the roses and not feel like you have to "keep up".  We tend to travel 35 to 45 miles a day. And since we typically spend two nights at our accommodations,  some riding days are optional. 

Our tours have a variety of terrain, from traveling along riverside roads to some routes requiring hill climbing.  So, get out on your bike and practice some distance rides along with some hills.  Stamina will be key for some of our days. But keep in mind,  walking up a hill also allows you to enjoy the view that much more.  The derriere is typically what requires the most work! Many of our cyclists bring their own bicycle seat and others bring their pedal systems too.

Whatever you bring, make sure you pack a sense of adventure, 'cuz we are going to have a good time!