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Does everyone have
to cycle with the organized rides?
The short answer is no.
You are on vacation and you can do what you like.
You do not have to participate in the guided rides.
You are more than welcome to ride on your own or
with your traveling companion. I will provide
you with an understanding of the area and how to get
around using a map of course. This is easily
done considering that you will quickly get oriented
with the area and the location of the Chateau.
Remember, we are not relocating during the week as
we stay at the Chateau the entire time, and this
allows everyone to gain independence from the group
rides if they want.
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What if my significant other or friend isn't a
cyclist, can he/she still come?
Yes, your significant other, friend or companion is
more than welcome to come. This is one of the
benefits of this vacation, not everyone has to be
interested in biking. The daily itinerary
includes biking in the morning. During that
time the non-riding companion will relax at the
chateau, where they can read, paint, go for a walk,
or pursue some other hobby/activity. The
entire group will re-unite at lunch and remain
together (if you want) for the remainder of the day
to participate in the non-cycling afternoon
activity.
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How strong of a cyclist do you need to be?
The cyclists who come on these trips can be very
experienced and strong to intermediates and
beginners. People who come on these trips
bring their own bikes, which automatically indicates
a level of experience. If you are a slow rider
then you will have to consider that you will be
doing more self-guided riding (using a map and
guidance from me). Otherwise, for the more
experienced and fit riders, we will work as a group
to ride at a decent tempo meandering about the
countryside. It is not uncommon for the group
rides to split apart as some riders may want to ride
faster or slower, or head back to the chateau
earlier then the designed ride. Again, this is
possible because everyone will have a map and
understanding of the area which will allow you to
have confidence in getting around on your own if
necessary. Previous guests have been very
pleased with this option, and they did not find it
intimidating to move about on their own.
Furthermore, if you get lost think of it as part of
the adventure. In fact, you are never really
lost as it is really easy to orient yourself and get
around. The worst case scenario is that you
took the "longer" way home, but that is what makes
biking so much fun.
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How long are the rides and when do we ride
during the day?
The rides begin very soon after breakfast and last
until lunch, which means between 3 and 4 hours of
riding. Lunch will begin when we return from
the rides, somewhere about 1 or 2 pm. Again,
you can make the ride shorter by returning on your
own to the chateau, or longer by continuing on your
own (there will be plenty to eat when you return).
You can even go out and ride again in the afternoon
if you like. If previous experience is an
indication most people are very satisfied with 3 to
4 hours of riding.
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What airport/town should we fly into?
You will fly into the Bordeaux Merignac airport.
If you are coming by train, from say Paris for
example, we can discuss particulars to pick you up
at another location that is convenient and
practical.
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How much more
is it for single occupancy in a room?
The additional fee for single occupancy is $1000 for
the Bamboo or Red Room, $800 for the Blue Room, and
$700 for the Green or Yellow room.
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Do the beginning
and ending dates of the trips correspond to arrival
and departure?
Yes, the dates correspond to the beginning and end
of the trip. Therefore, if the trip is the
24th to the 30th, that means you arrive on the 24th
and leave on the 30th.
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