# Planning Euro Trip 2015... but to where???



## Rackerman (Jan 9, 2014)

Hi All,

My brother and I did a great Thomson Tour trip in September through the Dolomite mountains in Italy and we are considering another trip with them for 2015 but would also like to explore the options of traveling on our own and perhaps heading to a destination to be based from and ride from.

Thomson does a phenomenal job of looking after all aspects of the trip including hotels, routing, ride leaders, ride support including ride fuels and all hotels and transfers. We covered our own flights and provided our own bikes. They provided almost all meals during the one week trip.

Of course, for this service, there is cost... What we are looking to do is:

1. Find a location that we can hang out at for a week and bike from with a varied type of riding but no shortage of classic and notable climbs
-Ideally, we'd like to ride around 60 miles (100km) a day as a minimum and around 6500 ft (2000m) in daily climbs
2. Nice area with a good variety of restaurants
3. We will travel with our own bikes and gear
4. Ideally, looking to travel in September 2015

I've thought about the following areas:

1. Grenoble France (Alpe D'huez and surrounding climbs)
2. North East Spain (On edge of Pyrenees National Park)

Other than that... I'm open. I'd rather not do Italy again and would prefer Southern France or Spain for the weather in September...

I welcome your opinions and feedback. Please post city names as the base to start from as I'll be researching routes and climbs on Strava.

Pics below from the top of the Stelvio and Climbing the Giau... We like a challenge!


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## DaveT (Feb 12, 2004)

You might investigate the Belvedere Hotel in Riccione Italy, a bike hotel. They provide a pretty complete bicycle holiday with rides catering all qualites of riders. Their tour guides that lead the really 'interesting' (hard) rides are former pros. 

I spent one of the best weeks of my vacation life there and have plans to do it again in a year. I cannot say enough good things about them.


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## Rackerman (Jan 9, 2014)

Hi DaveT and thanks for message. We'll consider Italy again but we're looking for some warmer and possibly more consistent weather later in the year.


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## Bumpstop (Mar 9, 2010)

Bagneres de Luchon.


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## Rackerman (Jan 9, 2014)

Tell me more? I'll Google this though and see what it tells me...


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## Bill2 (Oct 14, 2007)

Andalucia is fantastic in autumn


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## Rob-c (Jul 4, 2014)

Spain is a great place to explore away from the cities
England is cold wet and grey


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## Bumpstop (Mar 9, 2010)

Rackerman said:


> Tell me more? I'll Google this though and see what it tells me...


Luchon is arguably the urban epicentre for the classic Pyrenean cols of le Tour - it's within striking distance of too many of the 'great' cols to list here. Services are readily available. There are B&Bs, campgrounds, gites, etc. throughout the Garonne Valley, so your options are simply to decide what kind of experience you want. Fly in to Toulouse, 1.5 hours north. 
I've cycled there the past four years, always mid-Sept thru early October, and had only two or three days of heavy rain where you don't feel like getting out - light showers are more the norm at that time of the year. Temps in the mid to high 20s (C), of course 6 C +/- for every thousand metres....
The Spanish side of the Pyrenees (Catalunya) is also awesome, although its a bit harder to find the same level of services. And its a bit hotter still, we experienced low/mid 30s C in 2010 during the period Sept. 15 - 20th. Usually sunny.
Or, the Ariege region.. or over near Argeles-Gazost... 
I would recommend velopyrenees <dot> com as a great source of information and place to stay for cyclists. Hard to go wrong in the Haute-Garonne/Haute-Pyrenees/Ariege.


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