Randonnee Tours

Randonnee Tours

Randonnee Tours was the pioneer in offering self-guided trips in Europe, starting in 1989 and now offers trips in 14 countries. Prices are typically at least 25% less than comparable guided trips, and the extra perk of letting you choose between "classic" accommodations (3 and 4 star hotels and inns) or B&B/Casual (bed and breakfasts and lodges). Luxe and Premier Deluxe options allow riders who are looking for the freedom of independent riding combined with the luxury of 4 and 5 star hotels. A big plus is that Randonnee is willing to work with you on customizing your tour to fit your needs, whether that means tacking on (or taking off) days from the trip, mileage, or additional areas to visit in the region.

  • Operator Type:
    Full-Service Operator
  • Website:
    http://www.randonneetours.com/
  • Price Tier:
    $
  • Avg Price Per Day:
    $210
  • Services:
    Bike Provided
  • Country:
    Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, United States

Leave A Review

*

16 Reviews

  1. Donna Leban, Burlington VT-Reply
    May 3, 2023 at 6:00 pm

    I have been on 6 different Randonnee self guided tours in both North America and Europe. I generally very much enjoy the routes, the destinations, the hotels, the directions especially now that they are using Ride with GPS, and the local support. I’ve invited friends on many of these trips, and we’ve had some wonderful adventures in places we’d never have gone on our own.
    Therefore, I was very disappointed with the hybrid bikes provided on our most recent trip to Andalusia, Spain. The roads were generally quite good (except in older parts of towns where cobblestones prevailed), so it made no sense that we were provided very, very heavy German-made bikes with heavy-duty front shocks, generator-powered front and rear lights, a water-proof rear pannier bag, and fenders. This in a place where it seems to never rain! The bikes worked well, but weighed as much as an e-bike without the motor assist- at least 45 lbs. We did manage to complete most of the rides of up to 45 miles per day, but these heavy bikes took their toll on us on the hills and the headwinds. We missed one day of riding because we had suffered in the heat on the long uphill grade getting to Carmona and didn’t want to repeat it the next day.
    If you are doing a tour with Randonnee, get as much information on the bikes they are providing ahead of time. You might be better off with an e-bike in locations like Andalusia where they rent bikes from a local shop, and do not use their own bikes. Note, they never mention this in any literature. Be forewarned. We were caught completely off guard.

  2. Jerry, Dublin-Reply
    August 3, 2017 at 4:16 am

    Excellent organization, itinerary, bikes, and hotels. The area manager for Puglia, Italy where we biked was helpful and able to provide personal trouble-shooting as necessary. The company gives lots of options –hotel grades, trip length, bikes- so you have more choices.

  3. Steve C, Calgary, AB-Reply
    March 27, 2017 at 6:27 pm

    Great tour of Provence, wonderful accommodations but lousy bikes and poor directions. Really, equipment issues on a bike tour are kind of unforgivable, however it’s hard to be upset at the route you take.

  4. S. Danno & M. McNeill-Reply
    March 27, 2017 at 6:26 pm

    Nice variety and good locations of hotel. The staff at all locations was helpful and we did not experience any language or luggage issues.

  5. M. Klug-Reply
    March 27, 2017 at 6:26 pm

    …Great choices!!! The accommodations were lovely, clean and comfortable. I found Eve Cabanel to be very Helpful and the area manager provided us with good service. The walks were beautiful and challenging. The villages were quaint with excellent accommodations and the service was stellar. We loved Tuscany and wish to walk other areas of this great region

  6. R. Pasturel-Reply
    March 27, 2017 at 6:25 pm

    Burgundy exceeded by far over expectations. Food and wine out of this world and wonderfully welcoming people. Our best cycling tour in France from all over 6 times

  7. Russel-Reply
    March 27, 2017 at 6:25 pm

    Our accommodations were delightful, we really enjoyed Fare Nui in Beaune. The routes were as
    promised – quiet country roads, little traffic, fabulous scenery, interesting towns and villages. Added details about where to shop and bank were most helpful. The bikes were fine and well tuned up.

  8. M. Bradby-Reply
    March 27, 2017 at 6:24 pm

    The tour directions were easy to follow and provided interesting information. The bikes were great. We had a well-appointed room overlooking the Dordogne river and could watch the cruise boats and canoes going up and down as well as people moving about. The hiking and canoeing were beautiful and well within our abilities. The area manager was very prompt and efficient. He was also generous enough to allow Marie to ride with him on the last day.

  9. D. Ford-Reply
    March 27, 2017 at 6:23 pm

    All 3 locations in the Dordogne were beautiful and the hotels were lovely. The people at all the locations were very gracious and helpful. I found Eve Cabanel to be very helpful in planning. We thought the Dordogne was the perfect place for a bike tour. The beauty of the area and history were outstanding. It far surpassed our expectations.

  10. S. Ashmore-Reply
    March 27, 2017 at 6:23 pm

    The accommodation was WOW – all clean and very nice. The food at each hotel was exceptional and reasonable. We greatly enjoyed all the destinations. Wish we would have had more time. The Dordogn wasn’t overall a leisurely tour – it was moderate to difficult because of the length and grade of the hills. However I would not recommend changing a thing – it’s the nature of this beautiful region. We are not cyclists, but we are in decent shape.

  11. G. Strathy - California-Reply
    March 27, 2017 at 6:22 pm

    The pretour material was excellent and the level of difficulty was exactly what we were looking for. Everything worked like clock-work. The area manager gave us good advise and the accommodations + breakfast were top match.

  12. L. Booth-Reply
    March 27, 2017 at 6:22 pm

    … The accommodations were fantastic, the scenery was breathtaking, our coordinator was great, and the biking was superb. It was one of the best vacations ever. We can’t wait for our next trip!!! The pre-tour material was overall very informative and any questions that the material didn’t answer were answered promptly by Randonnee.

  13. V. Lusbader-Reply
    March 27, 2017 at 6:21 pm

    … planning was perfect, the hikes were varied and inspiring, the B&B were all great – the one in Victoria so beautiful and elegant. The islands are beyond gorgeous, and we cannot wait to come back and explore more. The service provided by Randonn‚e was excellent. We felt very well taken care of and very efficiently organized. And we knew we had someone available if we needed help at any point. It was an amazing introduction to a wonderful part of the world (BC Gulf Islands), and we will definitely visit again.

  14. Susan H., Sacramento, CA-Reply
    March 27, 2017 at 6:20 pm

    We have taken two trips with Randonnee and each time we’ve had an outstanding experience. The charming, mostly family-run, small hotels and the always right on dining suggestions add immensely to the excellent route directions with plenty of historical background information and with many options let you make it the trip you want to be on. There is a tremendous sense of freedom in being on your own with no schedule except your own but also knowing that Randonnee is there is the background making everything as easy and worry-free as possible. As with all the bicycle companies, Randonnee is reflective of the warmth and detail orientation of the owner and her staff.

  15. Marla N., Philadelphia, PAS-Reply
    March 27, 2017 at 6:19 pm

    Did Dordogne tour as a family of 4, including 2 teenage daughters. Found company very responsive to customization requests for our trip with an excellent customer service/customer satisfaction company culture when a few glitches occured. Excellent Cannondale bikes. Would definitely do a trip with them again. Recommend for independent travellers who do some of their own research and preparation to supplement that provided by Randonnee.

  16. J. Hoyt, Chicago, IL-Reply
    March 27, 2017 at 6:19 pm

    We did a 6 day tour thru Burgundy France with Randonnee Tours. We booked a guided tour (great explorations) but it had to be converted to a self guided tour due to lack of other bookings. The bikes were good. The pre-tour information was decent but we found the directions somewhat confusing at points, for example we got lost because the directions said to pass thru a village and take a right, but the actual right was in the village. I had created a GPX track on my phone and used it quite often to make sure we were on the route, which worked out very well for us. The route was well planned with good roads for biking. The hotels were excellent and the local support was seamless.