Upload
others
View
1
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Loire Valley/Normandy France
Cycling Trip 2020 May 6 depart – May 12 return
Dear Friends,
Over the span of a decade, I have adventured with many of you through various
regions of Italy together and most recently back in May, we explored Umbria with its
hilly landscapes and charming medieval towns.
For 2020, I have been drawn to France.
Seventy five years ago on June 6, 1944, thousands of American soldiers and their
Allied nation comrades crossed the English Channel to attempt an invasion against the
near impregnable German enemy fortified coastline of Normandy France. It was a
desperate plan by the nations’ leaders of the time to wrestle back any small measure of
control of Western Europe from the grips of the evil Nazi empire. Those leaders also
estimated that once the fatal invasion launch order was given, thousands of these
young soldiers would never see home again – and sadly they were correct. On June
6th of this year 2019, the world recognized and celebrated in solemn reverence the 75
year anniversary of that special-yet-horrific day and to honor those soldiers whose
bravery and self-sacrifice ultimately led to the German army defeat in the months
following. I promise you this: there is no greater feeling of spine-tingling pride that can
bestow upon any American than standing silently in view Omaha Beach and the rows
of white crosses marking the home of the brave who died that day. That’s where we will
head this coming May.
However, we will start our ambitious cycling journey due south in the Loire Valley to
admire France’s historical castles, magnificent chateaux, historical towns, stunning
landscapes in the “Valley of the Kings” and home to some of my favorite wines
Savignon Blanc, Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume. And we will end our fantastic journey with
a celebratory dinner and evening in Paris, the City of Lights.
As always, non-cycling companions happily welcomed to join and be guided for a
‘deeper dig’ of those towns and local wonders while the cyclists ride.
John Profaci
[email protected] 908-468-7703
Loire Valley/Normandy France
Cycling Trip 2020 Details and Pricing
The itinerary following will be finessed in the weeks ahead following our scouting trip to France to review roads, locations for lunches, scenic stops, dinners and hotels. France is essentially “flat-to-slightly rolling” so we can cover a lot of distance each day. In fact, we will plan to break our own cycling trip distance barrier with a total of about 400 miles over 5 riding days. HOOYAH! Electric assist bikes are available for rent and as always plenty of vehicle support provided for those will who wish to ride less on some days. To get a look at France itineraries and compare value with other bike tour companies:
Ciclismo Classico: https://ciclismoclassico.com/tours/loire-valley/
Backroads https://www.backroads.com/trips/BBNI-9/brittany-normandy-france-biking-tour
Non-Cycling Companions: Once again, we are offering a “non-cycling” group tour of the region led by Kim. Those not cycling will enjoy a more relaxed but thorough experience of the towns and sites of interest while meeting up with the cyclists for lunch and later in the day at the destination towns. Transport will be provided with optional local tours when available.
Flights: If you wish to travel with the group from the airport to our hotel on May 7th, you need to either be with us on our group flight (below) or meet us at baggage when we arrive in order to get onto the Bus Shuttle to the Loire Valley. There are also numerous hourly scheduled trains heading to the Loire Valley from Paris as an option. Not required to fly with us but the preferred group flight is:
Departure: Air France flight AF007 departing JFK on May 6 at 7:00pm arriving Charles De Gaulle Airport Paris at 8:20am Thursday May 7.
Return: Air France flight AF010 departing Charles De Gaulle Airport Paris on May 12 at 4:15pm arriving JFK 7:20pm.
The chartered bus shuttle will be scheduled to depart as soon as our group has its luggage and hopefully NO LATER than 9:00am from Charles De Gaulle on May 7th in order to reach our hotel in Loire Valley by about 12 noon. Once we arrive at the hotel, we will meet our guides, set up on bikes and plan for an afternoon 35 or 65 mile “chateaux loop” ride.
Arriving ahead of time to Paris to explore on your own before our trip starts is always a great idea to acclimate to time zone change before the cycling starts. That excursion will be at your own additional expense of course!
Trip Cost:
*$2950 per person (single room) or $2700 per person if doubling up. Flight cost not included. The trip will be “self-guided” so you must have a Garmin/GPS unit with the routes uploaded and we can give instruction to those who haven’t don’t that before. We will have two support vehicles on the roads patrolling and call-reachable in case of injury, mechanicals or needs to pick up and shuttle riders for any reason – fatigue or otherwise.
- Cycling estimated at 400 miles and 10,000 elevation gain. - All-inclusive: ground transport to-and-from Paris Charles De Gaulle airport, rental race bike, single rooms in hotels, all breakfasts, all lunches, all dinners, water, beer and quality French wine during meals. Electric- assist bikes, Full Carbon bikes, route loaded GPS units, helmets all available for an upcharge.
Save your spot:
Deposit $500: to PV Sports and Wellness which will be 80% refundable until Nov 1 because we have now reserved rooms and will lose deposits starting November. Full Trip Payments are due January 1, 2020. We need to follow travel industry standard “payment and refund policies” as other tour companies to avoid losses. Deposits for rooms have already been made as its late in the planning already. Please review the chart below and let us know if you have any questions.
Checks made out and mailed to: PV Sports & Wellness 16 De Hart Road Maplewood, NJ 07040 Zelle and/or Venmo payments accepted as well.
2020 Loire Valley/Normandy Cycling Tour Fees & Cancellations: DEPOSIT TO RESERVE A SPOT: $500 Cancel Fee return
If you need to cancel before November 1, 2019 you will receive back: $400
If you cancel after November 1, unfortunately there will be no deposit return: $0
TRIP PAID IN FULL by January 1: $2950 single rooms /$2700 doubles Cancel Fee return
cancel before February 1, 2020 you receive back $1,850
cancel before March 1, 2020 you receive back: $1,000
cancel before April 1, 2020 you receive back: $500
after April 1, unfortunately there will not be any refunds: 0
* Note: If the final trip cost need to be adjusted up for any reason, we will provide the option to cancel with
100% refund of the deposit.
First come/first serve on spots and we will accept a total of 25. Please email me if you have any further questions. [email protected]
Thank you! John Profaci
Loire Valley/Normandy Cycling Trip 2020 Itinerary May 6-May 12
Have you ever dreamed of sleeping in a fairyland castle in an enchanted forest? If so,
here’s how to make your dream come true: Go online, research and reserve an evening
in your Loire Valley castle-of-choice for the evening of May 6th. Upon your morning flight
arrival to Paris that morning, take the Loire Valley train to either Ambois, Blois or Chinon
which are all nearby our group hotel on May 7. Pre-arrange your shuttle to your castle
and make it happen. Otherwise, keep dreaming and consider our group flight below:
May 6 - Depart JFK Airport on Air France AF007 at 7:00pm and arriving to Charles De
Gaulle Airport (CDG) in Paris at 8:20am on May 7
May 12 – Depart Charles De Gaulle Paris Airport (CDG) on Air France AF010 at 4:15pm
and arriving JFK at 7:20pm (same day)
Day 1: Loire Valley
Day 1: Thursday May 7 arrive to Paris and bus transport to the “Valley of the Kings”
Chateaux Chenonceaux
The Loire Valley has been coined “quintessential France” which still glows of former glory from
the Renaissance France era - rich with history, intrigue and drama of kings, queens, mistresses,
and knights in shining armor. The magnificent castles, walled fortresses, palaces and chateaux
from centuries ago are still intact. And coincidently, it is the location where Leonardo De Vinci
chose over Italy to spend the final years of his life.
8:20am: Group arrival into Paris on Air France Flight AF007 from JFK Airport. Our
private bus will meet for transport to Hotel et Spa Du Domaine des Thomeaux.
Hotel et Spa Du Domaine des Thomeaux
12:00pm: Check into our rooms and meet our cycling support guides who will set us up
on our rental bikes. Cycling routes will be planned for a 35 mile and 60 mile ride which
will direct us to the doorsteps of the notable chateaux including Cheverny, Blois,
Chaumont Sur Loire, Chenonceaux – depending on the distance you choose.
8:00pm: Welcome dinner at the hotel and a good night sleep.
Day 2: central France region of Alencon
Day 2: Friday May 8 - Loire Valley to Alencon 91 miles/3915 elevation
Today we start our scenic riding north through the beautiful central France countryside to
ultimately reach the shores of Normandy. Let’s get this party started!
Northern Loire Valley and Central France countryside
7:30am: Breakfast in our hotel, pack luggage and bring to lobby for pick-up.
8:00am sharp: Cyclists depart north and stop for an outdoor lunch tbd somewhere in
the northern Loire Valley countryside about 4 hours into our ride before continuing to
our hotel destination near the town of Alencon.
5:00pm: arrive to our hotel by the lake Les Etangs De Guibert. Dinner at 8:00pm
Les Etangs De Guibert
Day 3: Normandy Coast town of Bayeux
Day 3: Saturday May 9 - Alencon to Bayeux 85 miles/3225 elevation
Today we will continue our ride north and arrive into Normandy following a countryside lunch.
Our hotel Domaine De Bayeux is located in Bayeux which is a quaint and preserved town having
the distinction of being the first town to be liberated on D-Day. Unlike most French towns in the
region, Bayeux was spared bombing and destruction during the war and to this day the
sentiment “Vive l’Amerique” still resonates with the residents of this town. Tour expert Rick
Steves’ loves this town.
Bayeux
8:00am: Breakfast in our hotel, pack luggage and bring to lobby for pick-up.
8:30am sharp: Cyclists depart north to the city of Bayeux
1pm: Lunch in the countryside tbd
5pm: arrive to hotel Domaine de Bayeux
8:00pm: Dinner in the old center of town
Domaine de Bayeux
Day 4: D-Day sites and finish at Honfleur
Day 4: Sunday May 10- Normandy Coast to Honfleur 95 miles/3250 elevation
8:00am: Breakfast and luggage to lobby
8:30am sharp: Depart for Normandy memorial sites
This will be our Longest Day. We will start our day riding west to the historic beachhead called
Pont du Hoc to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers and observe the World War II Pointe du Hoc
Ranger Monument located on a cliff eight miles west of Normandy American Cemetery
overlooking Omaha Beach. It was erected by the French to honor the U.S. Army Rangers who
scaled the 100-foot cliffs and seized the German artillery pieces that could have fired on the
American landing troops at Omaha and Utah beaches. At a high cost of life, they successfully
defended against determined German counterattacks.
Pointe Du Hoc
We then ride back east for a quick stop at the infamous Omaha Beach landing site and
observe the Omaha Beach Memorial. We will continue to the Normandy American
Cemetery and Memorial where we will get off our bikes to spend 1.5 hour on our own to
visit. We will have access to our “day bags” and change shoes and clothes as desired.
Omaha Beach Memorial and American Cemetary
1:00pm after leaving the Memorial around noon, we will continue to ride beachside
and stop in Arromanches-les-Bain which is another historic site during the Normandy
landings where an artificial port was installed to unload tanks and other heavy
equipment.
Arromanches-les-Bain
Arrive to Honfleur for hotel and dinner
Honfleur is a cozy historical port town situated where the Seine River meets the English
Channel. It’s been in use by merchants and sailors since the Roman era and spared destruction
during both World Wars. Samuel de Champlain sailed from this port on his way to North
America in 1608 when he discovered the St. Lawrence River and Impressionist painters Monet
and Boudin have enjoyed time practicing their craft in Honfleur.
6:00pm: arrive to Honfleur and check-in to Les Maisons de Lea Hotel and Spa
Les Maisons de Lea Hotel and Spa
8:00pm: Dinner location in Honfleur port to be determined
Day 5: Final ride to Giverny and evening in Paris
Giverny is a village in the region of Normandy where Impressionist painter Claude Monet lived and
worked from 1883 until his death in 1926. The artist’s former home and elaborate gardens, where he
produced his famed water lily series, are now the Claude Monet museum.
images from Monet’s gardens
Day 5 Monday May 11- Honfluer to Giverny 77 miles/3400 elevation
8:00am: Breakfast and luggage to lobby
8:30am sharp: Depart for Giverny with a pre-determined ‘rest stop’ for a snack.
1:30pm: arrive to area of Monet’s Garden museum, give up our bikes, change into
regular clothes and enjoy a relaxed final lunch before heading to Paris.
4:30pm: Arrive by bus to the Paris
5:00pm: check into the luxury K+K Hotel Cayre located in the Saint-Germaine des Pres district which is a quaint neighborhood near the Musee D’Orsay, the Seine riverbank, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre Dame. Arguably, the best location in Paris.
Saint Germaine des Pres district K+K Hotel Cayre
8:00pm Farewell Dinner at a restaurant to be determined
Day 6: Depart for home
Day 6: Tues May 12: Depart for Charles De Gaulle Airport for 4:15pm flight
Breakfast at hotel and time to explore some sites before the bus departure
12:30pm: Private bus from hotel to airport Bon Voyage!