Road cycling holidays in beautiful Sardinia: extra departure!
We first introduced the fabulous island of Sardinia to our collection of flexible-paced, multi-route cycling holidays in 2018. Since then, apart from during the pandemic when we couldn’t get over to the island with our vans, this has been a really popular destination for cyclists wanting to come on holiday with us.
Our September 2024 departures sold out in record time this year, so you’ll be pleased to know that we’re now able to offer an extra GUARANTEED DEPARTURE! The date in question is:
29th September – 6th October.
Fantastic hotels
Our Sardinian Highlights tour really is very special indeed. The cycling is excellent, encapsulating the best of both coastal and mountainous areas including past Giro classics. What’s more, we’ve crafted this holiday around wonderful 3 and 4* hotels. Most have swimming pools and some have spas, so you’ll be able to take full advantage of these at the end of the day. You’ll also enjoy traditional Sardinian cuisine (wine included with dinner, as is customary on all our cycling holidays), and you’ll receive an introduction to the culture of this fascinating island.
As for the climate at this time of year, it’s perfect for cycling, with an average high of 26°C in September, cooling to around 17°C during the evening.
How much cycling each day? You decide!
Cycling in the mountains is never easy, but the island’s gradients are generally kind. The daily Classic routes average 83km with 1,475m of ascending, so it is one of our gentler itineraries. However, as with all our flexible pace tours, there are daily opportunities to extend yourself further, should you wish. The Challenge routes average 121km with 2,383m of ascending.
Like our other road cycling holidays, you’ll have two expert, fun guides with their well-equipped support vehicles to assist you while on the road. It’s completely up to you how much you choose to cycle each day: there are at least two and sometimes three route options daily, so there’s no pressure to keep up and neither will you be holding up others. This is YOUR holiday and our guides are there to help you achieve YOUR goals!
Interested? Have a read of the itinerary and trip notes then drop us a line by clicking on the ENQUIRE NOW button from the webpage. We can pencil you in while you check out flights and book your time off work. Job done!
European road cycling minibreaks: filling the gaps in your summer
Our cycling minibreaks are the perfect escape if you want a shorter break away, all while being supported by two fantastic Marmot Tours guides and support vehicles.
Whether you’ve already booked your main holiday and would like to squeeze in some time away on your bike, or you can’t take much time away from work, or even if you’re concerned you might not want to cycle for a whole week, we’ve got the perfect cycling escape for you.
Cycling in the Dolomites
Our Best of the Dolomites 4-day minibreak is an absolute treat. For the duration of the tour, you’ll stay in the same hotel on the shores of Lake Alleghe. We’ve crafted spectacular routes with three (yes, three!) route options each day, so you decide how much or how little you want to cycle. They all allow you to explore the very best of this breathtakingly beautiful region, famed for its magnificent limestone peaks and home to numerous Giro classic climbs. Think the Marmolada and Sella Ronda loops of the Maratona cyclosportive and more.
We’ve still got a handful of places left on our 8th – 13th July and 31st August – 5th September departures, so why not check out the itinerary and get in touch if you’d like to enquire about a place?
Climb Mont Ventoux
If you’re interested in pushing yourself to the max and bagging a medal, then how about the Mont Ventoux Club des Cinglés Challenge? Our guides will offer you impeccable support from the road, as you attempt three different ascents of the Giant of Provence in one day. However, there is absolutely no pressure to do so – even one ascent of Mont Ventoux is worth celebrating!
Our guides always pick the best weather day for the challenge. For the remaining days of the trip, you’ll enjoy some warm-up rides in the foothills around Ventoux, revelling in the glorious Provence countryside and discovering some lesser-known climbs. You’ll stay in one of our favourite hotels, the Domaine des Tilleuls in Malaucène, where you’ll receive a warm welcome. You’ll love its beautiful grounds, including a pool and spa – perfect for relaxing those muscles at the end of a tough day of cycling!
We’ve got a teeny bit of availability left on our 28th – 31st May tour so do let us know if you’re interested, and we can pencil you in while you look into flights.
As both of these cycling holidays are centre-based, they’re ideal if you’d like to take a non-cycling partner with you. There are a multitude of other activities on offer in both the Dolomites and Provence, or there’s always the option of just relaxing for a few days, in either of these wonderful locations.
Just hit ENQUIRE NOW from either webpage, and we can help you with any queries you might have.
Our raid focus this Spring: Raid du Massif Central
Another challenge (for those of you who like a medal) is the spectacular Raid du Massif Central. It’s not top of many cyclists’ agendas, simply because many riders don’t know as much about the cycling opportunities in this part of France compared with, say, the Alps or Pyrenees. However, it is a glorious week of cycling, where you’ll ride through a variety of wonderful landscapes and enjoy some truly memorable rides.
The ‘Raid Cyclotouriste du Massif Central’ is an official route organised by the cycling club in Mazamet. As with all raids, you’ll have a route card that must be stamped at various points on the journey to receive a finisher’s certificate and medal. We’ve enhanced the official route with some ‘cheeky’ extra rides that really showcase the best cycling in the area, making it a similar challenge to our other raids (Pyrenean, Alpine, Dolomites and Corsica).
An incredible French cycling challenge
You’ll cycle through charming French villages and across moorland beneath big skies. You’ll wind your way through deep limestone gorges and dense chestnut forests, and you’ll marvel at the sweeping views of Provence from Mont Aigoual. This raid is no mean feat! You’ll tick off just over 900km in 6 days with 16,900m of ascending, all while being fully supported on the road by two of our incomparable guides and bespoke vans.
Glowing feedback from riders
Here are a couple of comments from previous cyclists, who completed this raid in 2023:
This is a fantastic route; beautiful and varied scenery, quiet roads, great climbs. It was a revelation.
I. Davies.
The coordination between the two vans was excellent. They seem to stop just when you need them and it is reassuring to hear the horn as they pass by. Everything was so well done. From the food, the briefings. I was equal slowest rider in the pack but with the excellent maps, detailed route and files downloaded into the Wahoo, I was fine to ride at my own pace. I really appreciated the fact that it was supported, not guided and that we are all encouraged to ride in a way that will best get us through the challenge and not feel pressured to ride at another’s pace. Marmot has set the standard. Best value for money, organisation, freedom to ride at your own pace while supported and great staff. I did a second tour with another company after this and Marmot came out ahead.
K. Johnson.
If the Raid du Massif Central sounds right up your street, then we do have limited availability on our tour taking place from 7th – 14th September. Just click ENQUIRE NOW from the webpage, and we can take it from there.
Cyclist magazine issue 150: cycling Col de la Loze
If you’re a Cyclist magazine subscriber, or if you picked up a copy from a newsstand, you might have read in their latest issue (no. 150) that they featured the Col de la Loze as their Classic Climb.
Despite this climb being the undoing of Tadej Pogačar in last year’s Tour de France (as well as Jonas Vingegaard, of course), this is a marvellous ride. So much so that we felt compelled to include it in our NEW road cycling holiday in the Northern French Alps.
But fear not! You won’t be following in Tadej’s footsteps (pedal strokes?!) with two of our fantastic guides supporting you. You’ll explore all the delights of this part of the Northern Alps, the same peaks and valleys that many people are enjoying on two planks at this time of year. Col de la Ramaz, Col des Gêts, Col de Joux Plane, Col de la Colombière, Col des Saisies, the Cormet de Roselend, Col du Tra and more.
Flexible pace cycling tour in the French Alps
As always on our flexible pace cycling holidays, there are optional extra loops and climbs each day, if you want to challenge yourself that bit further. This really is a superb place to ride your bike and as with all our guaranteed departures, you can just put your name down and then count down the days (and maybe a bit of training wouldn’t go a miss!), knowing that all the planning is taken care of.
We’ve got a bit of availability on only one of our departures for this itinerary when the Alpine pastures will be at their best:
17th – 24th August
On all our road cycling tours, the holiday price includes transfers, and for this trip, they are from Geneva Airport, which has plenty of international flight options.
If you’d like us to pencil in your name while you check flight prices and availability, then just get in touch and we’ll look forward to helping you with your enquiry.
March is B Corp month!
B Corps are businesses balancing people, planet, and profit, and we’re proud to be one of them! March is B CORP MONTH, and as a newly certified B Corp, we’re part of the community raising awareness of how businesses can be better and more specifically for us, how we plan to use travel as a force for good.
B Corps are constantly moving forward, working to create more inclusive workspaces, improve their climate impact, and respond to the ever-changing issues in the world. Being a B Corp isn’t a destination, it’s a journey. We’ve only just begun ours at Marmot Tours but we already recognise that we’re a perpetual work in progress. We’re always moving forward and thinking of new goals to grow our impact. Over the next year, we’ll be making plans for how we’re going to do this. To learn more about how we achieved our B Corp certification, head over to our B Corp webpage.
If you’re inspired to learn more about B Corp as a consumer or for your own business, click this B Corp Month link .
Winter training for cycling – without cycling!
Have you met Em? She might have guided you if you’ve been on one of our cycling holidays before. If you’ve met her, you’ll know what a bundle of energy she can be, and how into keeping fit she is. Em has kindly written us a blog, taking you through her training routine which she follows not only in the winter but all year round, given the fluidity of our seasonal weather these days!
If you’re looking to try something new with your training, or you’re just interested in what Em does to keep in shape, then why not head over to our blog and have a read … we challenge you NOT to be inspired!
