Pedalers Pub & Grille

Cycling the best of Asia, Alaska and the Pacific since 1987

“Have you ever wanted to pedal across the Andes... or watch sunset
on the Taj Mahal... or see lemurs dancing through the trees...
or bike through the hidden valleys of the Himalayas?.”

November 2012 marks 25 years of bike tour organizing for the crew from Pedalers Pub & Grille. To celebrate we are preparing a grand journey to the far corners of our planet. A cycling holiday unlike any offered, a bicycle tour of a lifetime. And you are invited. The lucky few (space is limited to 30 riders) will spend eight months, cycling on six continents, exploring 25 destinations ... from the Americas to Europe to Africa to Asia and across the Pacific.

Once In A Lifetime will be a global journey, not an around the world ride. We will leap frog across the planet, taking in some of the best rides. Some of them are well known to cyclists, others are best kept secrets, all will provide an interesting look into the country being visited.

The journey is forming in the fertile imaginations of our crew, with most stages laid out and ready to go. The trip will feature all the hallmarks that make the bike tours from Pedalers unique. We will be enjoying nice inns and lodges each night, properties that reflect the history and culture of the area being visited. Enjoy hearty meals, featuring the mouth watering local flavors and washed down with cold beers. The culture and lifestyle of the countries will be opened up by our local expert guides, joining us at each destination to introduce you to their homelands. Rides and routes that will fulfill your desire for miles, while still leaving time for discovery.

Registration is open now and space is limited to 30 participants. Will you be there for the celebration ?

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Once In A Lifetime
8 months
6 continents
25 destinations
Inn to Inn

Level

Price
$95,000 - Tour Cost
$11,000 - Single Sup

Dates
Tentatively June 2015 - Feb 2016

Itinerary
Ireland - France - Germany - Austria - Slovenia - Italy - Turkey - Israel - Jordan - Egypt - Kenya - South Africa - Madagascar - India - Bhutan - Thailand - Laos - Viet Nam - Cambodia - Indonesia - Australia - French Polynesia - Chile - Argentina - Peru - Costa Rica - ??? - Mexico

Route Character
Primarily paved roads with some dirt stretches, terrain will vary from flat to mountainous

Mileage
Total: a whole bunch
Daily Avg: 45 to 50 mi / 80 to 90 km

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Overview
Itinerary & Details

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Global Cycling » Once In A Lifetime

Itinerary Overview

Our journey begins in the USA, gathering at Boston Airport, then shuttling into rural Vermont for a "getting to know you" stop. Based out of an delightful inn, we will enjoy some day rides and evening social hours. Guests will also have a chance to get used to packing and unpacking the bikes, as we will be doing that frequently for the next 8 months.

And we are off, first stop Europe... Our first Europe ride is a journey up the west coast of Ireland, taking in historic cities, the scenic Dingle Peninsula, visiting the Cliffs of Moher, joining in for songs in the pubs of Doolin, exploring the fjords of Clifden and more. Saying our fare thee wells to Ireland, A short flight takes us next to Bordeaux to start a sampler of southern France, biking through the Dordogne, Tarn and Provence regions, exploring fabled cities such as Rocamadour, Les Baux des Provence and more. Our France adventure climaxes with some of the classic French Alps climbs for the Tour de France, bike in the footsteps of Hinault, Merckx, Armstrong and others, pedaling over the fans' graffiti painted during the 2012 stages, relish the glory upon reaching the pass.

Cruising across Switzerland, we are enroute to Germany for a ride along the Romantische Strasse, enjoying quiet bike paths and walled medieval towns, such as Dinkelsbuhl and Rothenburg ob de Tauber ... and perhaps sampling a few of the regional beers at dinner. From the castle towns of Fussen and Hohenschwangau, we head first to Italy's Dolomites for a ride around the Sella Ronda, one of the most dramatic bike rides in the world, then continue south to quiet Slovenia. Formerly a part of Yugoslavia, Slovenia is home to the Triglav Alps where we start cycling, finishing at the coast of the Mediterranean. Enjoy a few free days in Venice, followed by a ride through the colorful hilltown towns and villages of Umbria.

The ancient lands of the Middle East are next... The first stop is Turkey, where we will board a 3 masted barquentine clipper for a trip along the coast. While the lazy tourists on the cruise spend their days shopping, we will head out by bike to explore the region at each port call, biking and boating in style. Next we head further south for a ride along some of the old spice trading routes in Israel and Jordan. Our unique route here will explore both the desert and the coast, visiting historical wonders such as Petra and Jerusalem and experiencing life in the open desert with a night in a Bedouin tented camp.

Our last stop on the Middle Eastern portion and the beginning of our Africa safari will be Egypt, where we again embark by ship, this time to sail along the Nile. We will enjoy exploring Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, we will cycle to Nubian villages and swap our bikes for camel back travel one afternoon.

Kenya will be our next Intermezzo, a free week to do as you please. We will have some options such as safaris for game viewing in the national parks, perhaps some beach time on the coast and yes even some optional cycling. From Kenya we fly to South Africa, where we will ride the famed Garden Route. This outstanding road route explores a variety of different sides of South Africa, from the wine country to the coast, from forests to dry savanna. The last stop on our Africa portion is truly magical, the island nation of Madagascar. This isolated land mass has an incredible array of animal and plant life, most unique to the island. We will enjoy a two week ride across the island, exploring the lush forests home to the lovable lemurs, relaxing on the coast and experiencing the landscapes of Isalo National Park.

Exotic Asia calls us to explore... Leaving the lush forest of Madagascar, we head next to the desert state of Rajasthan in India, where we will explore the ancient fortresses and palaces of the Maharajahs, experience everyday life in small villages and enjoy the unique landscapes of this region. As one can't be in the area and not see it, we will also take a daytrip to visit the famed Taj Mahal. A short flight along the Himalayas takes us to our next stop, Bhutan. This ancient Himalayan kingdom only recently opened its doors to outside visitors, so the traditional ways of life still prevail in everyday activities here. We will enjoy several days of challenging yet spectacular cycling, plus a couple of days of hiking, including a visit to fabled Tigers Nest, a colorful monastery perched on a shear cliff face.

Flying to Thailand, we will enjoy some freetime in Chiang Mai, a quiet northern town, before embarking on our Cross Indochina Tour. This three country ride, starts in northern Thailand exploring small villages and ancient temples, followed by a relaxing trip down part of the Mekong River to historic Luang Prabang, Laos. From Luang Prabang, we head northeast through quiet rural countryside and remarkable karst landscapes to the border with Viet Nam. We will end our ride at the popular hill resort town of Sapa in Vietnam, then enjoy the deluxe Victoria Express overnight train to Ha Noi. A couple of days off the bike for exploring Ha Noi and sailing through Ha Long Bay on a junk finish our Viet Nam visit. One last stop is mandatory in Southeast Asia, a couple of days in Siem Reap to explore the immense ruins of fabled Angkor Wat. Accompanied by local experts we will enjoy some leisurely rides through the many must see ruins of this complex.

Islands, islands and more islands... A legendary island of Bali is our next stop and our next Intermezzo. Again you have a free week to do as you please, perhaps relax at a beachfront resort or maybe fly to explore some the remote wild parts of Indonesia. Rested and recharged, we head down under to Australia and its small island state of Tasmania. Best known for the Tasmanian Devil, the island packs a lot of variety into a small space. During our ride we will sample outstanding wines (some of Australia's best), bike through rainforest, alpine terrain and grasslands, explore historic colonial towns and enjoy surprising delicious haute cuisine in the local pubs.

The popular cycling destination of New Zealand is a part of our adventure, but rather than following the standard West Coast ride, we will set out to explore some of the unknown northern parts of the South Island, enjoy spectacular lakes and alpine landscapes, quiet little towns and the gregarious kiwis. Departing New Zealand, we head for a white Christmas, though the white color will be from beaches not snow. Once again we board a cruise ship, this time sailing around the islands of French Polynesia, using our bikes to explore at each port call, discovering Bora Bora, Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea and Tahiti.

Completing our circumnavigation of the globe, we are back in the Americas... Our first ride will be a two country spin through Chile and Argentina, crossing the Andes and enjoying the Lakes & Volcanoes region. It is spectacular riding, as we cruise the lake shores, enjoy ferry trips and tackle a few climbs through the alpine wonders of the Andes. Keeping to the Andes, we fly north to Peru and our final Intermezzo. Here you will have to options to visit Machu Picchu via train or hiking, or simply take a few days to relax in Lima. Our final stop off will be Costa Rica, where we will embark on a ride from the central mountains to the coast, enjoying the volcanic landscapes of Arenal, the lush rainforests, as well as the dry coastal forests.

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Price
$95,000 - Tour Cost
$11,000 - Single Sup
$2,000 - Deposit

Scheduled Departures
Tentatively June 2015 to Feb 2016

Lodging:
Hotels, Inns & Resorts

What's Included:

Accommodation in the area's better Hotels (double occupancy)
Most Meals
Service of Team Pedalers guide(s)
Service of Local Guide(s) at each destination
Full Van Support
Daily route directions and maps
Sightseeing and cultural activities
Air, Bus, Train and Ship Travel (as specified in itinerary)
Custom Built Bicycle

Meeting & Flights:
Your group will meet at Boston International Airport on Day 1.

Visas & Travel Documents:
Passports are required of all guests irregardless of nationality. Your passport should have at least 8 months validity past the last date of our tour. Due to the number of countries to be visited, starting the trip with a blank or recently renewed passport is advisable.

Visas are required for many of our stops. Pedalers will be using the services of a visa expediter to obtain the necessary visas for each rider. This will be done on a couple of occasions during the trip, as many destinations provide visas that are valid for a limited time.

Intermezzos:
We have several intermezzos planned during the trip, giving you a chance to have a bit of personal time away from the entire group. The intermezzo stops range from a couple of days to a week in length. Guests will have a few options to choose from for the break or you can use the time to go explore somewhere else that interests you.

Bookings & Deposts:
A $2000 non-refundable deposit is required to confirm a spot on the tour.

The final balance due will be billed in three even payments, the first being due 6 months prior to departure (2nd and 3rd due at 4 months and 2 months prior).

Cancellations:
Initial deposits are non-refundable, unless Pedalers Pub & Grille cancels the trip. We highly recommend purchasing trip cancellation insurance to cover costs if you have to cancel your plans.

Cancellations by guests that are received more than 6 months prior to departure, will receive a refund equal to 60% of the final balance paid to date. Cancellation by guests received between 6 months and 2 months prior to departure will receive a refund equal to 30% of the final balance paid to date. Cancellation made less than 2 months prior to departure will receive no refunds.

If the trip is full and if we are able to fill your spot from our waiting list, then a refund of 90% of the final balance paid will be available for cancellations due to medical issues, family emergencies or deaths.

FAQ:

Can I do part of the tour ?
The trip is being offered as a package deal only. Due to the limited number of rooms available at some of our destinations, we are selling space to full trip travelers only. If by chance the trip does not sell out, then shorter options maybe offered close to departure.

Can I bring my own bike ?
Sorry, but no. There are a couple of reasons, first having only one type bike allows us to kep the number of spare parts reasonable. Second, as our chosen bike fits into a suitcase, we can easily check them as baggage on scheduled flights. Having full sized bikes in boxes would be impractical on some of our planned flights.

I heard about the round the world bike tour during 2000 and their problems, why will yours be different ?
That tour, while a great idea, suffered from both logistical mistakes and personality clashes. With 20+ years experience planning international bike tours, we have worked around the logistical issues that befell that tour. From simple things like a folding bike that allows us to travel by regular flights to important things like having cycling people on the ground at each of our destinations watching over everything prior to our arrival.

Read More
Overview
Itinerary & Details

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Worldwide

Bicycle Tours & Cycling Holidays

Once In A
Lifetime

Worldwide

Bicycle Tours & Cycling Holidays

Once In ALifetime

Once In A
Lifetime