Detours in France

We just got back from our biking adventure through the Burgundy wine region and couldn’t recommend it more.We opted for a self-guided tour so we could go try different wineries and explore the villages without any time/group constraints.The GPS routes were clear (we also used our iPhones with great success), the local suggestions were incredible helpful, and our home-base hotel in Beaune was beautiful and historic.We felt safe riding on the roads and through the villages, with helmets and well-maintained road bikes. Sarah was responsive and helpful from the moment I initially reached out to book our trip, and during our trip itself.Highly recommend booking with Detours in France! We can’t wait to do it again.

Florent was wonderfully helpful in designing our itinerary and arranging hotels, dinners, tastings and transfers. The routes were fantastic - we did 24-33 miles per day (4 days) which was perfect for us. We toured through Pauillac, Margaux, Bordeaux and Saint Emilion. Most routes were mostly flat. Early May was mild, comfortable weather and towns/roads were very quiet. Flowers were blossoming on roadsides. A mixture of small roads through vineyards, quaint sleepy towns, flowering meadows, farmland and enchanting forest. Touring bikes were very nice and comfortable To ride. The GPS app was easy and practical to use. The hotels were all very nice and comfortable with excellent locations. All of our dinners and wine tastings were spectacular. Highly recommended, trip of a lifetime!

Just returned from an amazing 3-day bike tour in Bordeaux through miles of gorgeous vineyards and medieval towns with friends. September is grape harvest season and low numbers of tourists. The entire experience was first class due to Sarah - the booking of the trip, last minute changes, and timely support from Detours during our trip.Sarah proactively switched our hotels with a free upgrade in one town due to prior, negative feedback. This was greatly appreciated. All services were delivered as promised on schedule with Sarah communicating frequently to ensure our taxi met us at the train station via email and WhatsApp - despite my not checking either in a timely fashion because I didn't expect this level of service!The first hotel had a plastic folder with written instructions and a map for each ride, information about the towns, etc. READ THE INSTRUCITONS THE NIGHT BEFORE YOUR RIDE! Suggest you bring the entire folder on your ride should you have questions on scheduled stops.Sam arrived with the bikes shortly after our arrival at the hotel and patiently showed us how to use and recharge the bikes (several times!) despite the pouring rain. He also recommended some local restaurants. The bikes and helmets were in excellent condition, equipped with much needed bags and a water bottle. Fortunately, we did not need to contact Sam during our rides.  One piece of advice - bring a rain jacket on your ride, even if it sunny! The mapping app was excellent and easy to use, but make sure your phone is fully charged before heading out. Suggestion - have another rider install the app on their fully charged phone as a backup as the app consumes the battery at a rapid rate. I also suggest you have another mapping application installed on your phone; we were lost only once but Google Maps helped.We had one incident with the payment of the dinner in our first hotel due to poor communication between the hotel manager and reception desk. Sarah responded to my email by 7:15 the next morning indicating that she had already contacted the hotel and resolved the issue.We found it challenging to find spots for lunch while riding. Not a big issue easily resolved by eating a big breakfast. Tough to arrive for the wine tastings at the scheduled times. One was excellent, missed one. and could have skipped one.I have already recommended DeTours to two biking friends and hope I am able to book another tour with them in the future. I could not ask for a better experience!

Exceptional biking experience in the Alsace region of France. We loved our routes, hotels, and guided information we received for each day. The bikes and app were so nice and working with Florent was lovely! He answered every question we had and was always a message away for further assistance. I highly recommend using Detours in France for a memorable and exciting biking trip!

OMG! Detours in France exceeded our expectations in every way! Sarah Bird is not only the most efficient travel guide I’ve ever had, but the kindest, most fun, and a wealth of history and information about the Burgundy region. My three sisters and I planned this trip in 2021 and 2022 and had to cancel due to Covid and health issues. Detours accommodated us in every way. Very understanding people. Book your tour with these guys! You won’t regret it. Ours was an Easy Walking tour for one week. Through lovely vineyards of Burgundy. Our 3 hotels were outstanding and 3 dinners were part of our package! We learned so much and plan to book another trip with Sarah and her competent crew!

We had a fantastic time cycling through Burgundy with Detours. The hotels were both excellent with perfect locations. Nice breakfasts and friendly staff. We also loved the routes. We felt like we got a great representation of Burgundy as well as variety of landscapes and vineyards. The written instructions were excellent and we loved the descriptions of the buildings we passed and the historical significance. We also really liked the walking tour of Beaune provided as well as the evening light show. The bikes are fantastic. Totally reliable, well fitting and in excellent clean condition. First rate! we also appreciated the restaurants and especially loved that they knew who we were and how friendly they were to us. As far as we are concerned, on the next trip we will book with Detours ( hopefully next summer) ask them to reserve all of our meals. We also met really nice people dining at every restaurant and had lots of lively conversation. Riding with GPS. Once you get the hang of the software and turned off all data it works great. One of us kept the written instructions visible in the pannier and the other had the app open in a back pocket and the map of the route on the pannier so between the two of us we were able to navigate well.

I recently went on a cycling tour with Detours in France and it was an amazing experience. The tour was well organized and the bikes were of good quality. The routes were interesting and the scenery was breathtaking. The organizers were knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend this company to anyone looking for a great cycling tour.

We had a fantastic 10 days cycling around Burgundy and it was unbelievably smooth thanks to the great work of Sarah and her team. When we first started looking for a service to help shuttle our gear between stops on a bike holiday, I didn’t expect much beyond someone who would help book hotels and arrange for the luggage transport. I could not have been more short-sighted about what kind of value Sarah would add to our experience.We wanted something a little longer than the standard week-long trip and she managed to deftly balance the needs, interests, and expectations of our group of six and give us all the trip of our dreams. The GPS routes were spot-on and we all loved how much time we spent roaming quiet side roads and paths away from the traffic. The routes gave us an excellent taste of the entire region, from quiet meanders along the canal to rolling countryside and a few thrilling climbs and descents. There’s no better way to see Burgundy than by bike and we loved getting a real sense of the area by exploring it at such a leisurely pace.Sarah and her team were masters at all of the little details that made everything so effortless for us. The bikes were in excellent condition and the panniers perfect for carrying the day’s supplies. The hotels were well-located and all extremely comfortable, including several that were well beyond what we had expected for mid-tier accommodation. The included meals were well chosen and we really appreciated the daily suggestions for notable stops, tastings, restaurants, and picnic supplies.Frankly, I’d love to have Sarah just organize my entire life for me - I know I’d be in great hands, just like I was for this trip. A million thanks for helping us have so much fun -- I can't wait for the next one!

We just finished a 9 day self directed bike trip in the Loire Valley. Everything was perfect with impeccable directions and attention to detail. The routes, hotels and especially the chosen restaurants were fantastic. We really appreciated being able to choose our own meals versus a set menu.Sarah was such a great resource, quick to respond and very willing to accommodate our changes to their set trip. We appreciated the initial phone call and tips for travel in France, a nice touch.Would highly recommend using DeTours

An Amazing Guided Trip To BurgundyWe just spent a week with Sarah guiding us thru the Burgundy region for a wine focused trip. We went with people who always use Sarah because she's that good. For first time visitors, but being big wine people, my wife and I had a terrific time. Sarah balanced our tasting visits with interesting history and side trips. She picked a wide variety of tasting visits including some off the beaten path. We had great transportation, unbelieveable lunches and dinners, even a cooking class and barrel making that were excellent. We will definitely contact Sarah for a return trip and recommend contacting her to design any kind of experiences you want in Burgundy.