This Marseille to Barcelona cycling holiday travels between two beguiling historic cities, passing through the marshes of the Camargue, medieval villages, oak forests, and the Canal du Midi. It's a guided small group tour designed to escape the crowds of Provence. The Camargue region is a landscape of wetlands with abundant birdlife, white horses, and bulls. Cycling is the perfect way to explore this area and travel between Marseille and Barcelona. The tour is designed for a sociable small group led by a guide over eight days. Daily distances are achievable, with a maximum of 70km, though 50km is the norm. There are some long climbs, such as the approach to Figueres over the Banyuls Pass, with an optional visit to the Dali Museum. Where necessary, the group will travel by train and bus, cycling only the most interesting parts of the route. All transport arrangements are pre-organized and included. Before reaching Figueres, you'll ride a short section of the Canal du Midi to the picturesque town of Beziers and have opportunities to swim in the Mediterranean Sea. The final stretch from Figueres to Barcelona explores the rolling hills of the Emporda region, with swimming off sandy beaches, visits to ancient Greek ruins, oak forests, and charming medieval villages, culminating in Barcelona. The areas ridden through are scenic and a world apart from the more well-known images of Provence or the Costa Brava. They are more relaxed and see fewer tourists, making groups of cyclists, staying in locally owned hotels and eating at locally owned restaurants, and sampling local vineyards, especially welcome. Top tip: As with any long distance cycling holiday it's worth investing in comfortable clothing, a good quality helmet, and gloves. But rides are leisurely - this is a fun holiday, not an endurance test. Trip type: Fully escorted small group cycling holiday. Activity level: Active. Expect to be riding around 50km each day (max 70km) with some steep ascents and descents on some days. Accommodation: Locally owned hotels wherever possible. Properties that are set up for cycling groups. Meals: All breakfasts. Lunches will either be picnics, with regional fare sourced from local shops, or stops at cafes. Evening meals will be taken in local restaurants. Included: Accommodation and meals as above. Services of professional tour leader. Bike hire (you are recommended to bring your own helmet); transfers where outlined in itinerary and to/from airport; luggage transfers. Responsible Travel: Cycling holidays are a relatively sustainable way to travel as they have less negative impact on the local infrastructure, environment and people while encouraging positive interaction with local people. We cycle on routes that are removed from mass tourism, creating less pollution, noise and traffic. When using motorised transport we work with small, locally owned transport companies. Precious resources are saved, in multiple night stops, by using hotels with policies of reusing towels to reduce pollution and water consumption. In addition our leaders encourage groups not to buy plastic bottles but refill and reuse from a large water container carried on the support vehicle during rides and for the whole journey. We visit and cycle in the protected lowlands of the Camargue and Rhone Valley. This area is home to a wide variety of bird species and made up of dykes and salt water lakes. Tourism is essential in these parts to sustain the natural habitat but often by-passed by the hordes heading south to the Mediterranean. Cycling and staying in the region is a great way to support the local community and enjoy the natural beauty on offer. As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of UK travel industry bodies Tourism Concern and AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.
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