Raid Pyrenean

Overview

Epic traverse of the Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean in 100 hours. 720km Raid Pyrenean route with 11,000m ascent. Conquer many famous Tour de France climbs including Aubisque, Tourmalet, Peyresourd, Portet d'Aspet, and more! Official route including registration plus certificate and medal for successful finishers. Comfortable 2* and 3* hotels with local cuisine geared to cyclists. Half-board: breakfast and dinner including wine with dinner. Exceptional support from two of our expert, fun and proactive guides with exceptionally well-stocked support vans. Benefit from our unrivalled experience: we've been supporting cyclists on the Raid Pyrenees since 2004. The Raid Pyrenean is a bucket list challenge for any road cycling enthusiast. In the 1950's the Cyclo Club Béarnais created a cycling route across the Pyrenees from coast to coast, keeping as close to the Spanish border as possible (on surfaced roads). The 'catch' was the 100 hours given to participants to complete the traverse! This is a chance to cycle most of the famous cols in the Pyrenees, including beasts such as the Col du Tourmalet and Col d'Aubisque. You'll also ride through the many other quiet and beautiful roads and cols of France's southernmost mountain range. The scenery is stunning, the road surfaces good and the car drivers are generally extremely courteous and respectful towards cyclists. Since 2004 we've been supporting cyclists to conquer the Raid Pyrenean and to achieve their goals. We are passionate about what we do, and over the years we've helped hundreds of cyclists to complete this epic coast-to-coast cycling challenge. The expertise and experience of our team is evident on every one of our tours: we provide two highly customised support vans per group, our guides are attentive and energetic, and we know that this is not just a cycling challenge - it is also a holiday, so we keep it fun! While this is a group holiday, the tour is very much about YOUR goals and aspirations and we pride ourselves on our individual customer focus; from your first enquiry to the last moment of your holiday. 5 days of stunning cycling, with detailed GPS route files provided. On-the-road support from two friendly and knowledgable guides both in customised support vehicles. Water and unlimited snacks (fruit, cake, nuts, snack bars etc) at support stops. 6 nights twin-share hotel accommodation including breakfasts. 6 three-course evening meals, with wine, beer or soft drinks included. Airport transfers on arrival and departure days at specified times. Our photos of you and your holiday, shared with you after the trip. Tips paid to evening meal restaurant staff on behalf of the group. Your money financially protected by ABTOT. Added consumer confidence and support via our ABTA membership. Single-occupancy hotel room for the whole trip (supplementary cost). Hire bike - titanium frame with hi spec components, safety checked by your guides each day (supplementary cost). Transfers from and/or to Toulouse airport (TLS) (supplementary cost). Spare bike tyres, tubes and components in case you need them in an emergency (on-trip). CO2 canisters to borrow (and pay for if you use them) (on-trip). Flights to and from the destination airport (not included). Insurance for you and your own bike (not included). Spending money for lunches and cafe drinks during the day (not included). Tips for your guides (not included). Energy gels, powders, or recovery drinks/snacks (not included). Spare parts specific to your own bike (not included). GPS navigation device and handlebar mount (not included). Bike lights (whether hiring or bringing your own bike) (not included). HIRING A BIKE: Bring your own pedals (saddles are provided but we recommend you bring your own to be comfortable). Weather in the mountains can be highly changeable, and sometimes extreme. You’re likely to encounter a range of conditions and temperatures during your trip. You should bring warm and waterproof layers to protect you from the cold and rain. This is particularly important for the long descents that you’ll encounter on this trip. The Raid Pyrenean is a very challenging ride, and you need to be a fit and experienced road cyclist to enjoy and get the most out of this trip. Although only four and a half days of riding, the days are very long! You should look carefully at the daily stats of distance and climbing on the trip webpage to make sure this itinerary is right for you before you book. See our blog about Raids, and please get in touch if you’d like further guidance. We stay in comfortable 3* and 4* hotels with ensuite facilities. We have selected the hotels for their location and for their customer service towards cyclists. You will be sharing a twin room with another client (of the same gender) unless you book a single room for a supplement. Each hotel has a garage/locked room to ensure that your bike has a comfortable night too. All the hotels have WiFi but it is not always reliable! Some only have WiFi in reception as opposed to in individual rooms. Also, WiFi can be slower in the evenings when many riders choose to upload their routes to Strava, stretching the bandwidth. We move on each night of this trip, so opportunities to use hotel laundry facilities (where they exist) are limited. However, we can help dry your hand-washed kit, so consider bringing some hand-wash detergent with you. The hotels and restaurants we use can cater for most dietary needs and allergies if we know what these are well in advance. Each day, your guides will also double-check with the kitchen, to ensure they have something suitable planned for you. You can let us know about any special dietary requirements on the booking form or via email. Please note that we request you stick to your dietary preference for the entire trip, as it’s very complicated for the hotels (and guides) if an individual has dietary requirements for some meals and not for others. Your day will typically start with breakfast from 07:00. Your set-off time will vary according to your riding pace and will usually be between 07:45 and 08:45 - your guides will advise you on a departure time that works for you and for the support of the group as a whole. Lunch is typically served in restaurants and cafes from 12:00 to 14:00. Arrival time at the hotel at the end of the riding day is usually between 17:00 and 20:00, depending on riding pace as well as on the weather, and any unforeseen problems. Dinner is usually served at 19:30 (the guides will arrange a later dinner for anyone getting in after this time). Your guides may adjust these timings depending on the needs of the group or the weather conditions. This trip is all about completing the cycling challenge! You are of course welcome to have a lift in our vans if you need one, for example if you’re injured or exhausted. A lift in the van (unless it is downhill in bad weather conditions) will invalidate your Raid completion. If you have rim brakes on your carbon wheels then we definitely do NOT recommend you bring them on this holiday - this is because we have witnessed several cases of sudden and catastrophic delamination of these wheels on descents. Take a look at our blog about this issue. If you’re bringing your own bike, then please also bring: bike lights, a pump, tyre levers, inner tubes, brake pads, a chain link, a spare rear derailleur hanger. Tools for bike assembly are not required as Marmot Tours has them available for you to use on arrival (including a torque wrench). See FAQS for more detail. If you are a non-EU national, to enter the EU you will need a passport issued within the last 10 years, that is also valid for at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave the EU. Residents of many countries can enter the EU for short stays without a visa. From 2027, all non-EU visitors to the EU will require an ETIAS electronic travel authorisation. Travel insurance is essential for all Marmot Tours holidays and anyone without insurance is not able to take part in the tour. Our guides will meet you at the airport. We offer included airport transfers at scheduled times from Biarritz Airport (BIQ) to the start hotel in Hendaye, a journey of around 30 min. We also offer transfers from Toulouse Airport (TLS), a journey of approx. 3 hr 45 min, at an extra cost of £60. You'll have time to assemble your bikes before we gather in the early evening. Our two guides will brief you on the week ahead and how the holiday will work. This will also give you a chance to meet your fellow riders, before enjoying a hearty dinner, and getting psyched up for the challenge ahead! After a truly epic (and brutal!) five days, it's time to give your legs a well-earned rest and head home! Our included transfer drops you at Perpignan Airport (PGF), or we have limited places on a transfer to Toulouse Airport (TLS) for an extra cost of £45. We're certain that your memories of this fabulous challenge will last a lifetime. The question is, what's next?!

Daily Ride Schedule

Accommodation & Services

Accommodation

Hotel

What's Included