Looking for feedback re French and Swiss tour companies

[U2adam!!!]

Hi all,

I'm looking for some feedback about the tour companies listed below. Short story is that I'd like to head OS next year for a few weeks and do some trips in the French and Swiss alps and have researched these companies at bit.

Does anyone have any first hand reports on what they were like in terms of value for money, organisation and service?

Any help would be much appreciated before I fork out the deposits.

http://www.polkadotcycling.com/

http://www.purevelo.com/

http://cycleventoux.com/

Thanks a lot.

Tim

[Meditator]

Can;t help you with that but why not do it without a tour. Is that you want them to carry your gear and find accommodation etc etc. I don't think you will find too many tourers here who use tour companies. If you are not bothered about having to carry your own gear, then you might as well do it on your own. Its not difficult.

[scirocco]

I

I don't think you will find too many tourers here who use tour companies.

True, but there are plenty of posters who aren't tourers (like me) but still use tour companies precisely because they don't want to carry their gear up and down mountains and find their own accommodation each night. (I like doing that stuff, just not on a bike!)

To the OP, I have no experience of companies based in the Alps but if you are interested in the Pyrenees I can recommend Pyractif http://www.pyractif.com. They are rather like that cycleventoux outfit you posted - small husband and wife team, locally based with a big house, not a tour company who fly in and out and have no real connection with the area.

[Meditator]

True, but there are plenty of posters who aren't tourers (like me) but still use tour companies precisely because they don't want to carry their gear up and down mountains and find their own accommodation each night. (I like doing that stuff, just not on a bike!)

I didn't mean there aren't such people on the site but unlikely to be many on the touring branches. You are an exception i expect.

[Aushiker]

I believe Cavebear2 used a tour outfit with his wife after he had completed the PBP last year. That was in France. Might be worth sending him a PM for the details.

Andrew

[roller]

To the OP, I have no experience of companies based in the Alps but if you are interested in the Pyrenees I can recommend Pyractif http://www.pyractif.com. They are rather like that cycleventoux outfit you posted - small husband and wife team, locally based with a big house, not a tour company who fly in and out and have no real connection with the area.

+10000!!

spent a week with these guys recently, had the most amazing week of cycling.

i was travelling by myself but due to the nature of the place (very much like a ski lodge) each day I was able to hatch a plan with someone else staying there which meant I had people to ride with each day.

based there, in a week i managed to cycle the Tourmalet, col d'Aspin (each way), Col de Peyrosourde, Port de Bales, Hourquette d'Ancizan (definitely one of my faves), Superbagneres and the Col du Portillon (sp?)

food was amazing, beer was cheap, can't wait to go back again.