What a whirlwind of a year! Our 2025 tours are now all wrapped up and our 2026 cycling holiday preparations are well on the way. Our guides are taking a well-earned rest but here in the office, the team is as occupied as ever! We’re currently busy reviewing the fine detail of 2025 and putting all the crucial elements into place for 2026.
This month, we bring you some highlights of the year, as well as the latest availability for spring cycling holidays, and other tours which still have free places. This feedback from Marmot rider W. Carnwath (Best of the Dolomites mini-break, July 2025) is one of our favourites from the last season:
My first trip with Marmot, having done many cycling tours over the years, and I won’t be looking any further! The routes, the planning, the app, the phenomenally kitted out support vans, and of course the enormously experienced and qualified guides put Marmot simply miles ahead of the competition. If you want proper challenging cycling, with all of the other stuff brilliantly taken care of – these are the team for you. Fantastic!
We can’t say it much better than that! Enjoy the November issue 🙂
2025: From an improved Route Buddy app to snow on the Iseran, and everything in between!
2025 saw Marmot Tours turn 21! This year we ran 73 (ahem) exceptionally well supported road cycling tours spanning 25 different itineraries, and helped 1,270 of you create some incredible cycling memories. Whoop! Whoop!
It’s always great to receive your feedback forms and this year has been no different. They genuinely do inform many of our decisions about how to make improvements where we can. You equally tell us what we’re doing right and what you don’t want us to change, which is always great to hear!
One thing that has stood out this year is how much our app has been appreciated by riders. We’ve made a number of tweaks and improvements since we first introduced it in 2024. We’ll continue to make adjustments to ensure it’s intuitive and that the information it provides is the best it can be, to complement the support offered by our wonderful guides.
Cycling holidays with the BEST guides!
Speaking of which! Well, what can we say? Despite road closures, occasional biblical weather conditions (numerous landslides and a blizzard on the Col de l’Iseran on Raid Alpine in July!), plus a variety of other hair-raising curveballs thrown at them from time to time, our guides continue to be outstanding ambassadors for Marmot Tours.
Their professionalism, dedication, and passion are what consistently set us apart from other tour operators out there. We know this because you repeatedly tell us so! We’re incredibly proud and thankful to have such a remarkable bunch of good eggs on our team. They all routinely go the extra mile to ensure you have the best possible experience. Here are just a few pics of our guides in action from this year, which we’ve loved:
Back in May, we welcomed our new guides Xavi-Pol, Anna and Levi to the Marmot family. They were given a shot of Marmot DNA at our team training, then settled in as if they’d been with us for years. All three have already told us they can’t wait to work with us again in 2026, which we’re delighted to hear!
Here are just a couple of lovely testimonials we received this year, which have given us all the feels …
David and Xavi were wonderful in allowing me to complete the Gamoniteiro and Angliru at my snail-like pace, without ever making me feel like I was taking too long. I was nervous to attempt both climbs, but both David and Xavi were so encouraging and supportive, they gave me the confidence and courage to have a go. – K. Price, Picos & Angliru, June 2025.
The best thing about Marmot Tours are the guides. Emma was amazing. Made everything run smoothly, support was where needed and problems dealt with expertly. Couldn’t have done it without Emma’s excellent guiding. – M. Macdonald, Raid Pyrenees, June 2025.
We are also thankful to have such a wonderful community of cyclists who love the way we do things. Your loyalty really does mean a lot to us. We do what we do because of our passion for creating incredible cycling holidays. It might sound hard to believe coming from a business, but profit isn’t our driving force. As a certified B Corp, we have made a legal commitment to prioritise all stakeholder interests and the environment, instead of just focusing on shareholder profits. We frequently take a hit on the bottom line if it means we can offer a better experience for our cyclists.
Hotels and food
One area where we have limited control, however, is in the choice of hotels and food on offer. It’s hard to convey just how difficult it is to find hotels in remote locations with the required number of rooms who are prepared to accept a booking for a one night stay!
Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as just paying more for better quality hotels and meals. We would do so if it were this easy! In some locations, no other options are available. We painstakingly strive to develop good relationships with the hotels we use. We highlight to them the importance of breakfast and dinner quality, quantity, and variety, so that they meet our expectations and those of our riders. It is an ongoing challenge which we continue to embrace!
Our support vehicles on your cycling holiday
Our trusty bespoke vans are another Marmot Tours fixture that are always appreciated by our cyclists, and we think we’ve got our support model pretty much nailed, after 21 years.
However, some cyclists tell us they’d like us to carry a coolbox of drinks, others ask us to carry tea and coffee! By not carrying cold or hot drinks, it means we continue to support the small, rural businesses who rely heavily on our custom. Giving back to the local economy is something we take very seriously as a responsible tour operator bringing cycling tourists to each area. It’s also worth remembering that if those small cafes close, we would all lose convenient toilet stops!
It’s evident from your feedback that you love the way we run cycling holidays and for the most part, don’t want us to change a thing! We’re not ones for resting on our laurels, though, so fear not – we’ll keep tweaking our holidays where it’s in our power to make improvements.
Thank you, thank you, thank you once again for choosing us to support you on your cycling adventure this year. If you’ve already booked a holiday, we can’t wait to see you in 2026! If not, then we hope we can tempt you to come with us next year in this newsletter.
French cycling holidays in the Spring
Despite the plethora of Christmas TV and social media ads flooding our screens at the moment, we’re thinking further ahead … about fantastic destinations to go cycling in the Spring!
This month we shine a light on two of our holidays with gentler gradients. They’re both perfect for warming up the legs if you haven’t managed as much training as you would’ve liked over the winter. Equally, if you’d rather plump for a cycling tour with less climbing, these are the trips for you!
Cycling in the south of France: explore the Cévennes & Ardèche regions
Cyclists who come on this holiday consistently tell us how this tranquil area in the south of France exceeded their expectations. The landscape is exceptionally beautiful. You’ll experience the deep, dramatic gorges of the Jonte, Tarn and Ardèche rivers, plus expansive moorland and ancient, dense forests. It really is a wonderful part of rural France that has to be seen to be believed.
A beautiful part of the country I have never been [to] before. The itinerary was a great mix of interesting routes and riding for both advanced and intermediate riders. – T. Moss, CĂ©vennes & Ardèche.
We have availability on two of our spring tours and the dates of these are 07 – 14 May and 28 May – 04 June (our September tour is fully booked). Do check out the full itinerary by clicking the link in the heading above, and let us know if you’d like to reserve a place. At the time of writing, there are still good value flights to Marseille up for grabs!
Excellent – I thought the route through the CĂ©vennes was outstanding: always varied, always interesting … it just kept on coming. – D. Molesworth, CĂ©vennes & Ardèche.
Cycle in the tranquil Pyrenean Foothills
Another one of our trips which is perfect if you’re not seeking the altitude and climbs of the high mountains is our Pyrenean Foothills tour in Mediterranean France.
The route was great with some wonderful memorable highlights … I loved the tunnels & caves. The deep dramatic limestone gorges and the very steep excursions up to the Cathar castles [on the optional Challenge route] … steepest ever ridden! Wonderful. – J. Ruszka, Pyrenean Foothills.
This peaceful corner of Mediterranean France is a cyclist’s dream. Think deep and rocky ravines, verdant forests, sun-baked villages and numerous medieval castles and ruins. The climbs are shorter than those in the high mountains, but there are enough optional extras on offer each day to keep the more ambitious cyclists happy! What’s more, there are regular flights to Toulouse or Carcassonne from several UK and European airports, so your travel plans should be fairly straightforward.
We’ve got places available on our trips running from 08 – 15 May and 02 – 09 October. Have a look at the full itinerary including daily distances and elevation, and let us know if either date is of interest.
All the hardwork put into the course routing was invaluable and ensured the only thing to stress about was how the legs were feeling. Well done for finding fantastic courses with exceptional views, gorges, climbs and descents. – T. Martin, Pyrenean Foothills.
Cycle 2026 Tour de France climbs with us!
Have you checked out the Tour de France route for next year? It was tipped to be ‘mountain heavy’, and it didn’t disappoint! We were thrilled to see a heap of ‘Marmot Classics’ in there, so we thought we’d point you in the direction of the tours on which you can ride these climbs and stage endings yourself …
Col de MontsĂ©gur (1059m) – Stage 4
A lovely 6.6km climb to be found on our Pyrenean Foothills tour (see the above dates for departures with availability). This really is the best kind of cycling holiday if you’re looking for rides and climbs with gentler gradients. However, there are still extra loops and hills each day if you’re up for more of a challenge. Check out this super itinerary and drop us a line from the ENQUIRE NOW button on the webpage if you’d like to put your name down.
Col d’Aspin (1490m) and Col du Tourmalet (2115m) – Stage 6
The giants of the Pyrenees, and sure to be on many a cyclist’s bucket list. If you’ve not conquered them already, you can experience these wonderful Tour de France classic climbs yourself on our flexible pace Pyrenean Classic Cols tour (with three to four routes to choose from each day). We’ve got very limited places on our spring/early summer trips but slightly more availability on our tour departing 25 September.
Or how about the iconic Raid Pyrenees, for extra bragging rights?
An unforgettable, life affirming trip! I loved how it was broken down each day too with coffee stops, lunch, an afternoon break etc – made it much more enjoyable and manageable. The trip was recommended to me and I absolutely loved it. It’s one of the best trips, if not the best trip, I’ve done with an organised group. – F. Elkins
If you’ve considered entering (or have already survived!) the Marmotte Granfondo Alpes, the Maratona dles Dolomites, or L’Etape du Tour, then why not challenge yourself to the Raid Pyrenean? Traversing the Pyrenees in under 100 hours (4.5 days of cycling) with the tried and tested support of two awesome Marmot guides has got to be one of the best experiences you can have on a bike. But don’t just take our word for it; this is what a few riders who smashed the Raid Pyrenees told us:
Excellent … but epic and brutal at times!! No seriously, the route is really challenging – which is part of the attraction – but everything around it in terms of daily itinerary was spot on. – M. Fossett
First class. The guides are one of the major strengths and USPs of Marmot Tours. [Being] in vans, not on bikes, gives them so much more flexibility … Both in terms of logistical practical help but also in terms of creating and maintaining a vibe of positivity and fun, regardless of the horrendous Day 2 in particular! Exceptional. – J. Pout
Excellent. We’ve cycled across the UK, Europe and the US on road trips so I know how hard these things are to put together and this was as good as it gets. – J. Hewitt
Our tour departing 04 July has only got a handful of spaces left on it, so let us know quickly if you want to reserve one of those.
However, if you’re interested in taking on Raid Pyrenees with a bunch of mates, then there’s more availability on our trip running 06 – 12 June. But be warned! Now that we’re getting into winter, these spaces get snapped up pretty quickly, as cyclists start to nail down the challenge that will keep them motivated to train through the dark days and winter months. Drop us a line if you’d like us to help us put your plans in place, and we can take it from there.
Puy Mary / Pas de Peyrol (1589m), Col de Prat de Bouc (1392m), Col de Pertus (1309m), Col de Font de Cère (1294m) – Stage 10
There’s some truly excellent cycling to be had in the expansive Massif Central region and you can ride all of these climbs on our Raid du Massif Central. There are a tiny number places left on our tour departing 26 July.
Alpe D’Huez (1850m), Col de la Croix de Fer (2067m), Col du TĂ©lĂ©graphe (1566m), Col du Galibier (2642m), Col de Sarenne (1999m), Alpe D’Huez (again!) – Stages 19 & 20
Now we’re into the meat and potatoes of the Tour. Call us biased, but these are the stages that get really exciting. It’ll come as no surprise that you can ‘enjoy’ all of these climbs on a range of our holidays. Every one of the climbs above can be tackled on our Alpine Classic Cols tour: ride at your own pace with a choice of two to three routes daily – the Classic, Harder, or Challenge route, depending on the amount of cycling you want to accomplish. Please note that the only departure with any availability is our 29 August – 05 September holiday, so get in touch quick if you’d like to reserve your place!
However, our Alpine Highlights 3.5 day mini-break runs on the same flexible pace format, and is the ideal trip if you only want a short break. We’ve still got some space on our 15 – 19 June departure.
If the TĂ©lĂ©graphe and Galibier are your goals, then these climbs are also included in the mighty Raid Alpine challenge. We’ve only got a handful of places left on two of our tours running 26 July – 02 August and 05 – 12 September, so don’t delay if this is the challenge you’re setting your sights on for 2026!
Cycle Monte Grappa & Southern Dolomites in 2026
Our two new itineraries for 2026 have already proved to be extremely popular – all the places on our Stelvio & Eastern Switzerland tour have sold out! Places on our Monte Grappa & Southern Dolomites holiday have also been in demand, but we do have some availability left on one of our four departures, running 26 July – 02 August.
Why not check out the full details of this cracking itinerary? We’re sure that after this newsletter drops there’ll be a flurry of interest, so do let us know if this is the cycling holiday you’re interested in.
Marmot merchandise – an update from us
Having read many helpful comments in your feedback forms this year, we thought we’d share some insight into our branded items; both our giveaways and products we sell.
Thank-you gifts
We’ve always given our cyclists a token gift when they arrive on tour, and we like to offer something different every two years, to keep things varied. We offer these items merely as a ‘thank-you’ gesture; the marketing objective is considered very much secondary.
Over the years our giveaways have included plastic water bottles, ass savers, plastic Velopacs, turbo towels and this year, socks made from recycled fabric. Prior to but especially when we were certified as a B Corp, we made a pledge to cut down on our use of plastic, and eliminate using it when possible. All items we procure must have sound sustainability credentials and we consider the carbon footprint of every item we purchase.
This has had a significant impact on our decision-making when choosing items because sadly, the choice of products that meet our spec is still very limited, though we hope this will change. Juggling our plastic-free pledge, choosing items that will appeal to all cyclists plus the impact of Brexit on UK exports to the EU and you can imagine that it’s quite a tricky project!
As you may know, making huge profits is not what makes us tick – for example, if we stopped offering a thank-you gift, the money saved would not help us book more expensive hotels! It’s a simple gesture from us to you, to thank you for choosing us as your cycling holiday provider. You’re not obliged to take a gift, our guides simply offer them for those who would like one. From the feedback forms we receive, the majority of you do appreciate receiving these items, but also say you don’t expect it from us.
Marmot branded items for sale
In the past, we’ve had t-shirts, jerseys, gilets, and socks available to purchase on our tours. It’s not possible for us to handle ordering and fulfilment from our office, so we have always relied on our guides to roll out our merch on each trip. However, the practicalities of selling merch on trip are more complex than you can imagine! Strap in, for here’s a fuller explanation … !
At the end of April, before our eight vans leave our base in the Pyrenees, we need to stock them with everything they need – including all merch – for every tour until the middle of October. You can imagine the amount of space we would need in our vans to stock all size variations for a variety of items of branded clothing. Yup, you’ve guessed, there just isn’t the space! In addition, our guides have a broad set of skills, but not all of them want to sell kit, which we completely appreciate.
For some time now, we’ve wanted to offer you branded Marmot Tours jerseys and tour-specific t-shirts, printed on-demand from an online shop. This model would reduce wastage and allow us to offer a broader range of items. We’ve tried numerous ways to fulfil this wish over the past few years. It’s more challenging than you can imagine to meet the stringent procurement spec of being a B Corp as well as the supply and delivery implications of Brexit! We were very close to finding a solution earlier this year but sadly the UK arm of the company we were working with closed down. So back to the drawing board we went, delayed, but not deterred!
We still hope to introduce Marmot Tours branded kit for you to buy in the future. We will continue resolute, exploring our options. Watch this space and thank for your patience in the meantime – we’re on it!
