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General FAQs
Our classic, flexible-pace tours have at least two route options each day - a 'classic' and a 'challenge' route - , so you have the choice between either a shorter or longer ride (and often one or more at a level in between). Sometimes the optional extra routes are tagged on at the end of the day, sometimes after lunch, and sometimes mid-morning,. You select your route in the app and the guides can see which route you're riding (you can also see the other riders cycling that route). These tours attract a variety of cyclists with a range of experience and abilities, and have a relaxed holiday vibe. Having said that, the longest route option each day is comparable to a typical day’s riding on a raid - so there is always the opportunity to beast yourself if you wish!
A raid, on the other hand, follows a single, defined, challenging route and must be completed within a specified time limit. It is a point-to-point journey with a set distance to complete each day, where you will get a 'carnet' stamped en route, rather like an Audax ride. Many of our raid tours are on historic routes devised by French cycling clubs. Completing a raid is a fabulous goal to set yourself and an excellent motivator for your training. The sense of achievement at the end is quite incredible - some have said life-changing! Do check out our blog (23/04/19) on raids which provides some helpful questions and answers you may have about them.
Many riders say that the shared challenge of a raid is a bonding experience; it creates a great group dynamic as everyone is riding the same climbs each day. However, due to the long riding distances, there isn’t always time for getting a feel for the region, whereas on a classic tour, there is more time to stop off, take in the scenery, and get to know your fellow riders.
Raids and challenges
Yes, you'll need to do some training to prepare for this trip. All our raid routes are challenging and you need to be a fit and experienced road cyclist to enjoy and get the most out of these tours. Please look carefully at the daily stats of distance and climbing on the trip webpage to make sure the itinerary is right for you before you book.
Many of our raid riders are club cyclists or have done cyclosportives or other long-distance rides. However, by no means all of them have, and we have had some successful raid cyclists who have been fairly new to road cycling but who have a high level of fitness, for example from a different sport. For their first raid experience, many cyclists choose to start with the Raid Pyrenean as it is just four and a half days in the saddle.
In the UK, it can be difficult to find extended climbs for training but generally, if you build up your strength on some steep climbs, and your stamina by doing long daily distances, you will really benefit.
Classic holidays
Our classic, flexible-pace holiday itineraries offer much more flexibility, with a classic and a challenge route available each day (and sometimes an additional route too). Although we move on most days, the distance and altitude gain between hotels are manageable for most people who road-cycle regularly. For cyclists wanting more of a challenge, there are optional extra loops and climbs at various points in the day. Should you find the route too much, you are always welcome to hitch a strategic lift in one of our vans.
When it comes to cycling in the mountains, we encourage everyone to ride at their own pace, and you know best when it comes to what you feel comfortable with. On any Marmot Tours classic holiday, it’s all about the ambiance of non-competitive cycling and having a great time doing it. With the exceptional support from our two guides and support vans on the road, there is no pressure to keep up with anyone else or worry about being held up by more leisurely riders. Our guides are there to support YOU, regardless of your pace.
As a road cycling holiday tour operator, our priority has always been to craft itineraries that appeal to regular and fit cyclists. We occasionally receive requests from cyclists wanting to bring a non-cycling companion. Many of our itineraries are not suitable for non-cyclists because the tour group moves on to a different location every day. Non-cyclists that have joined such trips in the past have spent long hours travelling in our support vans, or in their own vehicle, with little opportunity to carve out their own enjoyment. However, we do have some itineraries that lend themselves perfectly to non-cycling guests, despite our tours being designed with cyclists in mind. These are generally centre-based tours and are as follows:
Club des Cinglés de Mont Ventoux Challenge - Your base is the beautiful Hotel Ventoux Provence, set in tranquil grounds with a pool and terrace. Non-cycling companions have the option to explore Malaucène, relax for a couple of days whilst their cycling companion takes on the challenge, or explore the area around the base of the mountain. E-bikes are available to rent locally.
Best of the Dolomites Minibreak - The Sporthotel Europa is a lakeside chalet hotel in Alleghe in the heart of the Dolomites. This is a fabulous area to explore on a bike, but equally captivating for those wanting four days away in breathtaking surroundings. Local walking, sunbathing, swimming or taking a pedalo on the lake are all options for non-cyclists.
We welcome cyclists from all corners of the globe! However, all our content and communications are in English. We run our tours in English, which means it is the language our guides use to deliver all verbal and Whatsapp messages. English is also the language of all the written content in our app. This means you need to be an English speaker to understand the important information provided each day about safety, navigation, etc.
If you are coming on tour with a friend who is a stronger English speaker than yourself, we ask them to commit to translating all verbal communications from the guides to you. As you may not always cycle with this person, it is important that they and you consider this commitment carefully. For written communication in Whatsapp and our app, we advise the use of a translate app which can be accessed from your phone camera (by using two phones). The safety of every rider on our tours is very important to us, and this will ensure you can ride safely while on holiday with us.
You will need money for lunches, cafe stops, and any extra drinks before or after dinner (wine, beer or soft drinks are included with evening meals). Prices vary depending on the itinerary location. All countries accept Euros although you may also want a few Swiss Francs on our tours that pass through Switzerland. Almost all businesses accept card payments, but occasionally payment can only be made with cash.
In general, expectations around tips in restaurants and cafes are lower in Europe than they are in the USA or UK, for example. Having said that, cash tips for good service are of course universally appreciated! For evening meals, Marmot Tours tips the restaurant staff on behalf of the whole tour group.
The Marmot Tours guides put a great deal of effort into ensuring you have an excellent holiday, and most of our customers choose to express their gratitude to their guides with a cash tip, a gesture that is highly appreciated. If you want to tip but are unsure what is the ‘right’ amount, then a suggested guideline of €5-€10 per guide per day, or 5% of the total cost of your holiday would be fairly standard for a multi-day trip in Europe. Cash tips are preferred. However, we've introduced the Tipd app (accessed from the Marmot Tours Route Buddy app during your holiday) so that you can easily leave a tip for your guides paying by Apple Pay, Google Pay or bank card. The tip you send will be split equally between your two guides and received within two working days.
Tipping is the traditional way to thank your guides for great service, but it is always discretionary, and the amount is entirely up to you. Our team are all paid fairly.
On our classic tours (everywhere except Spain):
On our flexible-route classic tours, your day will typically start with breakfast from around 08:00 with set off time at around 09:00 to 09:30. Lunch is typically served in restaurants and cafes from 12:00 to 14:00. Depending on which route you choose each day, you’ll be back at the hotel any time between 14:00 and 18:00. Dinner is usually served at 19:30. Your guides may occasionally need to adjust these timings depending on the needs of the group or the weather conditions.
On our classic tours in Spain:
Your day will typically start with breakfast from around 08:30 with set off time at around 09:45 to 10:15. Lunch is typically served in restaurants and cafes from 14:00 to 16:00. Depending on which route you choose each day, you’ll be back at the hotel any time between 14:00 and 18:30. Dinner is usually served at 20:30. Your guides may occasionally need to adjust these timings depending on the needs of the group or the weather conditions.
On a raid:
Your day will typically start with breakfast from 07:00. Your set-off time will vary according to your riding pace and will usually be between 07:45 and 08:45 - your guides will advise you on a departure time that works for you and for the support of the group as a whole. Lunch is typically served in restaurants and cafes from 12:00 to 14:00. Arrival time at the hotel at the end of the riding day is usually between 17:00 and 20:00, depending on riding pace as well as on the weather, any unforeseen mechanical problems, and so on! Dinner is usually served at 19:30 (the guides will arrange a later dinner for anyone getting in after this time). Your guides may adjust these timings depending on the needs of the group or the weather conditions.
Like you, we are hoping that you’ll have sunshine and perfect cycling temperatures during your holiday, but obviously it’s the one aspect of your trip over which we have no control! Weather patterns in the mountains are highly changeable so the good news is that if you do get rain or cold weather, it is not likely to hang around long. Even during good weather weather, the mountain environment requires that you bring ALL the recommended layers to protect you from the cold. When you are sweaty and tired you’ll really feel the cold on a 30-minute descent even on a warm day, let alone on a chilly one. Please refer to the packing list posted on your holiday pages of The Link.
Absolutely - arriving a day early or leaving a day later may make it possible for you to use your preferred regional airport, or other mode of travel. It is best if you make your additional hotel booking independently, either directly with the hotel (you’ll usually get the best rate this way) or via a booking platform. This is because we do not get preferential rates at the hotels we use and we would have to charge you an admin fee if we made the booking for you. We recommend you stay near the relevant airport so you can join one of our included transfers. However, if the start/end hotel is only a short taxi ride away, you may prefer to head straight to the hotel. Please let us know of your additional arrangements along with your travel plans.
We hope you don’t have to as you’ll be missing out on some great cycling! However, we know that sometimes you need to get home for something important so we’ll do our best to work with you on an individual basis to make a plan. We are likely to be able to facilitate your transport but you would need to pay for any independent transfers required. Unfortunately, we’re not able to offer refunds or discounts for holidays that are cut short, and due to the point-to-point nature of many of our tours, it may not always be simple (or cheap) to leave a tour early or join a tour late.
Most of our trips are point-to-point and we move on each night. A few hotels on a couple of itineraries do have the opportunity for a massage to be booked, and if so, this will be mentioned in the holiday Essential Information. Massage bookings are made via your guides or directly with the hotel on the trip.
Your tour group will comprise any number of up to around 21 riders. We believe this is the optimum group size - it’s large enough for you to find others who cycle at a similar pace. In our experience, there is less opportunity for you to find like-minded riders in a much smaller group. On the other hand, the group size is not so huge that you’ll be lost in a crowd, making it feel impersonal. We get lots of cyclists booking as solo travellers and many small groups of friends. If you think you can get a group of 18 - 21 riders together, then we may be able to offer you a custom departure date.
One of the things we love is that we get a wide variety of cyclists on our tours, from club cyclists, people training for other events, those raising money for charity, ex-pro cyclists, and those who are relatively new to cycling, looking to try something new on holiday.
Absolutely! You are more than welcome to book any of our tours as a solo traveller. We have many cyclists coming on their own, and the group size of around 21 riders provides the best opportunity for great group dynamics. We find that early on in the week, smaller groups tend to form, comprising riders who share similar goals for the week, and who ride at a similar pace. At the end of each day, we all come together for drinks and dinner, so there is plenty of opportunity to mingle with the whole group and to get to know each other more. Many friendships have been formed over the years, with cyclists agreeing to book future Marmot Tours holidays together!
18 is the minimum age on all our raid and challenge tours.
16 -18 year olds are welcome on our classic flexible-pace holidays but only if they book with their parent or legal guardian who also needs to cycle with them at all times during the holiday.
