2025 Summer Tours

2025 Tours

These multi-day tours are open to group members who semi-regularly come on normal group day rides. Where it is necessary to limit the number of participants on these tours due to accommodation or logistics limitations, priority will be given based on attendance on the normal group rides since the last multi-day ride. The intention will be for our usual day ride in France, plus one or two tours in Europe and then one later in the summer, in the UK. We had a a planning meeting on 30th January where there was considerable interest in the day trip and on both main summer tours and we agreed the dates for these.

Day ride in Brittany - 5-7th May

We have 18 participants for our annual day trip to France. There will be 4 cars taking 12 people and bikes with the remaining 6 taking their bikes on the ferry. We take the overnight ferry departing from Portsmouth at 20:15 on Monday, 5th May disembarking at 08:15 the next day at St Malo and returning on the same ferry [it stays at St Malo during the day] then departing at 20:30 from St Malo and arriving back in Portsmouth at 07:45 on the Wednesday.

The plan for the day ride from St Malo is for those in the cars to make their way to the car park at Rue de Licastel in Chateauneuf d'Ille et Villaine, about 20 minutes from the ferry terminal - no height barrier this time. Those that are going by bike will ride to join the others - about 8 miles. As the bikes are normally first on and off the ferry the cyclists should arrive at the meeting point about the same time.

The 2025 day ride route [38 miles and 420m ascent] starts from the car park and loops around to the town of Dol de Bretgane, an optional climb up Mont Dol then heads for the coast before returning to the cars.  For those riding from the ferry port [50 miles and 610m ascent] the route as last year follows mainly quiet roads around St Servan with some pretty views along the way then follows EV4 to meet the others at the car park.

At the end of the ride, we can come back via La Madeleine shopping centre with a Carrefour hypermarket to pick up any wine and French delicacies wanted.  These day trips are good fun occasions - you can read about last year's trip HERE

Main Summer Tours

Chateaux and Vineyards - 7-11th July

  • This centre-based holiday follows a similar format to last year’s popular holiday in Normandy that David organised and led
  • Currently, there are 9 people on this trip in three cars
  • Ferry to France from Portsmouth to Ouistreham
  • Drive to Amboise on the River Loire – 3 - 4 hrs
  • The cycling holiday based at the Novotel in Amboise
  • There will be longer [~40mls] and shorter [~25mls] route options each day - Typical hillier day ride, Typical flat ride
  • Many of the famous Loire chateaux are within easy reach from Amboise
  • We could take advantage of the Train Loire a Velo on a day ride that has 83 bike spaces in a dedicated carriage - Flyer for Train Loire a Velo
  • The countryside is fairly flat and the cycling easy

Tour of Switzerland - 23 - 30th June [and for some, Liechtenstein, Austria and Germany too]

  • This combines the Lakes and Mountains tour with the easier River and Lakes tour where the two groups will ride together for the first three days from Luzern to Chur
  • There are 5 participants on the Lakes and Mountains tour and 7 participants in the River and Lakes tour - flights, hotels and hire bikes are all booked
  • Fly from LGW to Basel on Easyjet
  • Take the shuttle bus to Basel SBB station then a train to Luzern for our overnight stop
  • In the morning, pick up the hired ebikes at the SBB station. The first day's ride follows the southern edge of Lake Lucerne to Beckenried for the ferry across the lake to Gersau then follows the northern edge of the lake to Morschach. Some will take the bike shuttle to Sisikon [the road on the section is closed to cyclists due to traffic in the narrow tunnels through the mountains] whilst no doubt some will take the hilly but very scenic route around the road closure. Once the group is together we will follow the lake edge again along the spectacular Axmanstrasse to Fluelen the start climbing towards the pass to our overnight stop in Gurtnellen
  • The next day we continue the climb up to Goschenen  then through the narrow Schollenen Gorge  with it's Devils Bridge to Andermatt. From there the R&L group will take the train to the top of the Oberalppass whilst the L&M group ride up the pass climb with it's 8 hairpin bends enroute. Then, all together again it is mostly downhill to our next overnight stop at Disentis.
  • Leaving Disentis it is mainly downhill for the first 20 miles to Ilanz at the start of the scenic Ruinalta Gorge [one of the highlights of the Glacier Express train that runs along the bottom of the gorge] when the route gently climbs for the next 7 miles before descending to our next overnight stop in Chur with again, some spectacular scenery along the way.
  • Next morning the groups separate with the R&L group following cycle paths beside the Rhine downstream through Liechenstien and into Austria for their next overnight stop in Feldkirch .
  • Meanwhile, the L&M group backtrack slightly and through the woods high up the hillside above the Hinterrhein to Thusis and the Viamala Gorge to continue climbing to the Sufnersee and their overnight stop just beyond Splugen.
  • Next day the R&L group continue following the Rhine down to Bregenz on the Bodensee then follow the northern edge of the lake into Germany, past the scenic island of Lindau, to their next overnight stop at Friedrichshafen, famous as the home of  Zeppelin early airships. Meanwhile, the L&M group start the climb out of the valley to the top of the San Bernardinopass rounding 21 hairpin bends on the way before the descent down the other side with it's 46 hairpin bends to their overnight stop in Bellinzona.
  • For the last cycling day, the R&L group continue around the lake edge to Meersburg for the ferry across the lake to Konstanz then into Switzerland again to follow the path along the edge of the Untersee to Stein am Rhein . They follow the path beside the Rhine to their last overnight stop in Schaffhausen.
  • The L&M group take the train from Bellinzona up the valley of the River Ticino to Airolo where they start the ride up the Val Tremola to the Gotthard Pass with it's 37 hairpin bends in the 8 miles to the top on the famous old cobbled road. Then there is the rapid descent down to Goschenen or if there is enough time to Altdorf [1700m of descent]. From there, it is the train to Schaffhausen to meet up with the other group and all return our hire bikes. We will take the opportunity to visit the Rheinfall where the Rhine drops 23m at a waterfall on the edge of Schaffahusen
  • On the last day we will all take the train to Basel and onto the airport for the flight home.

Either

Or

  • Radnor Ring - a loop through the Marches from Hay on Wye to Rhayader, Elan Valley and Knighton - Radnor Ring