There is no better view of Europe’s astonishingly compact diversity than this ride. Burgundy, the Jura, the Savoie and French Switzerland, all of which you will visit, share borders and language, and once shared government. But they differ in scenery, cuisine, social order, and just about everything else. A closely-knit trip that leaves you feeling like you’ve crossed a continent.
Tour Details
Duration
14 Days/13 Nights
Location
Northern Burgundy, Switzerland
Season
June, August
Tour Type
Road Touring
Nearest City
Paris
Physical Condition Required
Good
Destination(s)
Northern Burgundy, France The Alps, Switzerland The Jura and Savoie, France
Distance Traveled
Varies Day to Day
Fully Guided
Yes
Guest Capacity
19
Support Vehicles
Local Rail Lines - No Sag Wagon
Bike Rentals Available
Yes
Bike Brands
Bikes are custom-built, 21-speed road tourers, designed for the biking that is done.
Accommodations
All hotels (and sleeping berths on overnight trains) are included in the cost of the trip.
Blue Marble bypasses chain hotels in favor of family-run inns: pretty in the country, central in the towns. A 17th century courtyard is preferred to an in-room TV.
Transportation to Start Site
Please Contact Blue Marble for details.
Dining
Breakfast (continental) is included, except on overnight trains. It is generally taken at the hotel. Snore.
Most dinners are also included. You are on your own for dinner (and its expense) two nights per “trip week”.
Included dinners may be taken in a group, or you may dine on your own, or in smaller “sub-groups”, with suggestions offered by the coordinator. On nights when you prefer one of these latter options, funds will be distributed sufficient to permit a wide selection of restaurants.
Meals are special events, and a focus of the trips, especially in the Latin countries. Choice is never lacking. But Blue Marble pride themselves on their ability to show local cuisines, often different from anglo-American tradition. “Picky” eaters, or those with special diets which exclude food types or groups, may find this focus tiresome. And since special diets are rare in Latin Europe, hosts are surprised by them. Complex dishes may contain some food you wish to avoid, hidden as a seasoning. Chefs who take pride in their creations are not only unwilling (or unable) to remove the offending ingredient, but can be unwilling to even discuss the recipe! Fortunately, the flexibility of the meal program allows you to retreat to a pizza place if the cultural experience becomes oppressive.
About Liquor
Guides showcase regional wines and beers. Guests pay for their own drinks.
Rates
$3,950.00per personCurrency Converter (Rates shown are in US Dollars. Rates and terms are subject to change.)
Additional Rate Info
Optional Private Single Room Supplement: $595 See Blue Marble's website for Canadian and Euro prices.
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Tour Itinerary
Days 1-3: Road Biking: Chablis, Auxerre, The Nivernais Canal A midday train to the Yonne valley. Meet your bike for a ride to Chablis, her steely white wines among France’s finest (nothing like the Ernest & Julio parody).
Through Auxerre, cathedral city and Nivernais canal port. Then along the poplar-lined tow paths. Race the barges and dust them at the locks. Climb to Vézelay’s basilica, launching point for two crusades. Then launch your own on fortified Avallon.
Days 4-5: Road Biking: Epoisse and the Gaulois Across the plateau, through fields of grain and pastures of wildflowers. Epoisse is home to great cheese: your picnic is served!
Visit Fontenay Abbey, a 12th century gem of monastic life. Flavigny-sur-Ozerain’s 8th c. abbey is now a candy factory, for those who prefer a sweeter host....
On to Mount Auxois, where Caesar beat Vercingétorix to close Gaul’s history and open France’s. Tiny lanes pass isolated farms and medieval villages to bring you to Dijon. One of France’s oldest and prettiest cities is your home for two nights.
Days 5-7: Road Biking: Dijon, the Côte d’Or Half-timbered houses, tiled roofs, and the Ducal Palace, now a beautiful art museum, vie for your attention. Oh, so does mustard.
Then a day in the world’s greatest vineyards (Blue Marble reveals a prejudice). Vines cover every inch of the Côte d’Or (“Golden Hillside”). Achieving a balance between wine tasting and bicycle mastery is a challenge.
Gevrey-Chambertin, Aloxe-Corton and Beaune are possible destinations. Finally, back to Dijon for a celebratory snail or two.
Days 7-9: Road Biking: The Jura Meet in the evening in the heart of the Jura mountains, on the shores of the lovely Lac de Joux, a center of the famous Swiss clock trade. Monacled men in tiny workshops surrounded by Holsteins. Seriously.
A loop ride on Sunday carries you into France. The French Jura produces some of France’s best cheeses, and her most unusual wines. The biking is idyllic. Pedal through grand expanses of pine forest, pausing for dips in clear mountain lakes. Befriend trout and betray them at dinner. Back to Switzerland for the night: if the trout left you cold, have a Jura fondue, the local and delicious variant of the famous cheese dish.
Head south (mostly down an Alp), and to lovely Lake Geneva. A steamer across the lake (and back into France) takes you to Evian-les-Bains.
Days 9-12: Road Biking: Lake Geneva, the Rhone, and the Alps Visit Lake Geneva, by bike, boat, and train: Montreux, Lausanne, Geneva, and the pretty Savoie towns that line the water. Sail or swim in the fresh blue of the lake, practice your putt or gulp Evian from a public tap in the eponymous town on the shore. Perch is a regional specialty, as is mushroom-and-cheese-covered toast. Yum!
Then follow the Rhône into the Alps, through fruit orchards and camouflaged military installations. Language changes from French to German, wine from red to white.
Days 12-14: Road Biking: Zermatt, the Vispa Finally to Zermatt, at the foot of the Matterhorn: a relaxing place – unless you like nightlife. Alpine walks with a breathtaking view of the mountain (there’s no air up here anyway), hot chocolate and fondues, tennis... the peace of your stay is interrupted only by a vicious mini-golf tournament. Optional.
Back to the valley below: 40 kilometers downhill. Wheeeee!
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