Is it best to ship or rent your bike for a bike tour?

What kind of rider are you?

Sight-seeing or serious?

If you’re an avid cyclist hoping to conquer some of the biggest mountains in the French Alps, then we recommend shipping your own bike. You’ll be in the saddle for long days and will be much more comfortable on a seat and fit that you’re familiar with. Besides, you’ll be flying down some well-earned descents and you’ll likely feel much safer at top speeds on your own bike.

If you’re a sight-seer looking to tour sunflower fields and historic cathedrals, then we would suggest not taking on the stress of shipping your bike. Even if you ride a lot at home, our local guide will help navigate the rental process with you. We know these routes and roads very well so we can suggest the best bike for you and your tour.

What would increase the enjoyment of your bike tour?

Pedaling on a familiar saddle or having our guide set up your rental for you?

We recommend evaluating what would increase the enjoyment of your vacation. (After all, this is your tour – you should make it your own!) You could be facing a broken or bent part on your bike from the shipping process or you could be sitting on an unfamiliar saddle on a bike with components different from your bike at home. Is having your own bike going to help you enjoy your trip more? Or is not even thinking about your bike unless you’re on it going to increase the value of your vacation time?

If you decide you prefer a rental, we’ll discuss the type of bike you’ll want on your cycling vacation but our guide will actually help set you up when you arrive at your starting point. We do everything we can to help make sure you’re on a comfortable rental. You aren’t trying to handle the rental situation in another country with a language barrier.

We can also help with the logistics of shipping your bike. We can even sell you a case!

Whatever you decide, the bottom line is that you aren’t in it alone. We’ll do our best to help where we can. Our guides will even be available to help with minor mechanicals – on your own bike or on your rental. They’re great for lunch suggestions also!