Premiere Hotels
Accommodations may vary based on departure date. Any difference from what is listed below can be found by clicking on your desired date on the View Scheduled Dates or Private Dates tabs.
Hotel Maria Cristina
San Sebastián (2 nights)
Set in the city center, surrounded by gardens and overlooking the Urumea River, this elegant century-old hotel is just a short walk from sandy beaches.
Grand Hôtel Thalasso & Spa
St-Jean-de-Luz (2 nights)
Built in 1901, this hotel has retained the charm of the belle epoque while seamlessly incorporating modern luxury. (pool, spa)
Hôtel du Palais
Biarritz (1 night)
Rich in history and charm, this 19th-century oceanfront hotel has a grand design, spectacular views and an exceptional restaurant. (pool, spa)
This Trip Is Rated Levels 1-3
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next—and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
Daily Route Options (drag to see full )
| Daily Route Options |
| 1 |
Walking/Hiking |
2* |
500 |
|
|
8 |
1000 |
|
|
|
|
| 2 |
Walking/Hiking |
3* |
600 |
|
|
6 |
900 |
|
|
|
|
| Kayaking |
around San Sebastián (1.5 Hours) |
| 3 |
Biking |
7* |
200 |
14 |
800 |
32 |
2500 |
|
|
|
|
| Other |
Surfing Lesson (2 Hours) |
| 4 |
Walking/Hiking |
3* |
300 |
6 |
500 |
8 |
800 |
|
|
|
|
| 5 |
Biking |
13* |
800 |
24* |
1500 |
36 |
2000 |
|
|
|
|
| 6 |
Walking/Hiking |
2 |
200 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note:
The hiking terrain on this trip includes a mix of level in-town walks, hilly coastal paths and rugged mountain trails. The biking routes range from level to rolling with challenging climbs for those who opt for longer options.
* Includes shuttle.
Learn more about how we determine our activity level and fully support a range of abilities and interests.
Please note that our distance and elevation figures come from Ride with GPS. Other sources may give differing elevation figures due to different GPS and mapping technologies and other external factors.
Meals
All breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners
Available Bike Options
The key to a stellar day’s ride is a bike that’s perfectly in tune with your cycling style… Backroads has you covered with the best bike fleet in the world! Read on for your available bike options for this trip.
Backroads Titanium Bikes (Included in your trip price)
Our custom-built titanium bikes are specially designed for you—and we offer different models for varied terrain so your bike is ideally suited to the region. Our custom-made bikes are included in your trip price.
Touring Bike (Included)
Custom Kids Bikes (Included in your trip price)
Backroads is the only travel company to manufacture its own line of kid's bikes. While the wheels might be small, the performance is big—it's the perfect choice for kids. On all Backroads Family Trips, you'll find 20" and 24" bicycles for the younger set. They say good things come in small packages; when it comes to bikes for kids of all ages, Backroads is the expert.
Custom Kids Bikes (Included)
Burley Kazoo trailer bike (Included in your trip price)
The Burley Kazoo trailer bike, for children up to 85 pounds, attaches to an adult bike with your child providing some of the pedal power for a real team effort! It's ideal for kids who may be comfortable pedaling around the neighborhood but aren't yet ready for bike touring.
Burley Cub trailer (Included)
Burley Cub trailer (Included in your trip price)
The Burley Cub trailer, for one or two children 60 pounds and under, is sturdy carrier that attaches to our bikes. It provides a comfortable and safe ride in the spacious interior with inner pockets for snacks and drinks, a reclining seat with a secure five point padded harness system and an adjustable sunscreen.
Burley Cub trailer
Also Included
- Expertise and services of our experienced Trip Leaders
- Snacks and beverages between meals
- Additional guides and experts from the region on many trips
- Van shuttles to support a variety of route options
- Comprehensive Travel Planner with detailed pre-trip information
- Private guided tours at museums, historic sites, wineries and other select attractions as noted in the Travel Planner
- All gratuities at hotels and restaurants
- Special events, including wine tastings and other select attractions as mentioned in the Travel Planner
- On biking and multi-adventure trips, use of fully equipped Backroads titanium bike plus helmet and accessories
- Trailercycles, carriers, and kid-sized helmets for Family Trips
- Equipment and experienced guides for kayaking, rafting, snorkeling, sailing and canoeing as described
- Park and other entry fees
- Fares for trains, ferries and other modes of travel as listed in the Travel Planner
- Select coach transfers
- Baggage transfers and porterage
Get the Straight Talk about This Trip
We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.
Limited & Fixed Menus
On many nights, the gourmet restaurants where we dine offer specially prepared limited or fixed menus featuring a delicious selection of authentic regional cuisine.
Why Travel with Backroads in French and Spanish Pyrenees
Only the Best Hotels
On this trip featuring Premiere Hotels, you can count on the best lodgings French and Spanish Pyrenees has to offer. In fact, the hotels we've chosen in this region have higher retail room rates than those offered by any other active travel company—even when their trips cost more.
Get the Most Out of Each Day
Coordinating multiple activities throughout a single day can be tricky, but with Backroads you'll never know it. When you explore French and Spanish Pyrenees with us, you switch activities seamlessly without missing a beat. We invented the multi-adventure concept, and we're constantly adding new dimensions and fine-tuning the experience to make it even more enjoyable.
Our Superb Bikes Included
A great bike is obviously critical for a great multi-adventure trip; you don't want to gamble on one that's been sourced locally to trim costs. This trip features our acclaimed Backroads Custom Titanium bikes, expertly tuned and fitted, and included in your trip price. Learn why our titanium bikes are ideal for most riders.
A Second Van When You Need It
Backroads is the only active travel company providing two support vans in French and Spanish Pyrenees—because we know it's essential to ensure a truly great travel experience. It doubles our ability to be there when you need us to offer hydration, lighten your load or give you a lift if it's time to take a break. Read more on why two vans make all the difference.
A Great Trip for Teens
This Family Adventure, with its blend of challenging activities and cool places to explore, is ready to erase the doubtful looks of the toughest travel critics around: teenagers. We're not saying there won't be a single eye-rolling response (or the odd WhatsApp exchange with the gang back home), but this trip has plenty to keep teens in the moment and part of the family.
Everyone at Their Own Pace
We design and support our French and Spanish Pyrenees trips to suit mixed abilities and varied interests—so you can set your own pace, then change things up as the day unfolds. And all guests are free to do the same, traveling together or apart, with no one cramping anyone else's style. Which sounds easy in theory, but it's hard to pull off. Here's more on how we do it.
The Best Leaders in French and Spanish Pyrenees
Backroads has the best-qualified people to lead your trip in French and Spanish Pyrenees, and our guests back that up, rating our Trip Leaders an average of 9.75 out of 10 for all-around quality of performance. Get the facts (and no fluff) on how we recruit and develop the very best people for your trip.
A Variety of Routes Each Day
In French and Spanish Pyrenees you head off each morning after choosing among several expertly designed routes—all with detailed directions, mileage and shuttle options. Unlike trips with one fixed daily route (or worse, one guide that everyone's obliged to follow), you're free to enjoy the best of the region at your pace, stopping wherever you want to explore further.
Plenty of Kids on Your Trip
It may be hard to imagine being on a family trip with no other families on it—but it happens regularly with some companies. On a Backroads Family Adventure there are typically several families on each departure, creating more opportunities for your kids to make new friends as they try fun things together – which is a big part of the experience.
More Leaders to Support You
On our French and Spanish Pyrenees trips we have an extra leader supporting you along the road and trail—for a total of three, compared to the industry standard two. So we can be in more places at once, giving personal attention to guests traveling at their own pace. Here's more on our Trip Leaders.
Our Cultural Roots Run Deep
Thanks to our extensive connections in French and Spanish Pyrenees, Backroads takes you off the beaten track and deep into the region's culture in ways that traditional travel can never hope to do. We know the people and their customs, the legacy of art and architecture, the complex history and politic—and if we're not sure, our amazing local experts can fill in the blanks.
Tweens, Teens and the Rest
The activities on Backroads Family Adventures are designed with all of you in mind. We've got easier routes designed for younger kids' abilities – and attention spans—and great longer options scaled to fit the tastes and energy levels of tweens, teens and adults. To narrow down the best choices for your family, take a look at our age guidelines.
We Invented the Multi-Adventure Trip
After more than 30 years of creating Backroads Multi-Adventures, our trip designers know how to blend the perfect balance of biking and hiking with other activities to showcase the best of a region. And then they arrange the seamless transitions that would be so hard to orchestrate on your own—adding dimensions to your trip that are exciting, inspiring and just plain fun.
