Bicycle tour experts name best trips all around the world on two wheels for women

(TRAVPR.COM) USA - May 29th, 2013 - CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. –BikeToursDirect, which offers more than 400 bicycle tours on six continents, has announced its list of top five choices of cycling tours around the world for women interested in active holidays.

“While most bike tours appeal to both men and women, some really stand out as favorites for our women clients,” says BikeToursDirect President Jim Johnson. “Sometimes it’s the focus of the tour—like spas, cooking, and wine and cuisine. Other times, it’s the destination.”

BikeToursDirect has also found that most of its women clients tend to appreciate guided group tours with leisurely paced itineraries and the support of a guide and accompanying van.

“Of course, many women prefer to ride more independently, and self-guided tours appeal to them,” Johnson adds. “They’re the best of two worlds: independent riding with the support of a local company that plans your route, books your hotels, transfers your luggage and is available in case of issues along the way. We also have more challenging tours that appeal to many clients—both men and women.”

Here are the company’s top picks:

Cycling and Cooking in Italy

Italy is a classic destination for culinary holidays. Women will feel at ease savoring all of the pasta and gelato they can handle when they’re cycling along the way in Italy’s famous region of Tuscany. On this 7-day itinerary ladies can cycle leisurely loop tours of Tuscany between the hands-on cooking classes and tastings at a local food artisan.

Bali Paradise Ride

Just like in Eat, Pray, Love – women can pedal past emerald rice paddies climbing up the hillsides and ancient temples tucked under towering palm trees, cycle around volcanic lakes and along black sand beaches. Cycling through Bali is a great way to experience one of the most beautiful places on Earth and to clear. Travelers can clear their heads and get away from the daily duties of womanhood on this island escape.

Champagne Getaway in France

Women celebrating a milestone in their lives can indulge in an authentic toast on the Champagne Getaway in France, where travelers are immersed in the ultimate air of sophistication, graceful living and celebration. On this 7-day self-guided bicycle tour – guests savor an array of champagnes made within a few miles of each other near where Dom Pérignon, supposedly invented the bubbly by accident in the early 18th Century.

Spring Tulip Tour – Holland, Netherlands

Women interested in gardening will love exploring the world’s most famous tulips in Holland. Between April and mid-May, BikeToursDirect offers special cycling tours through the legendary tulip fields of the Netherlands. Offering a very leisurely cycling itinerary, this 7-day bike-and-barge tour leads cyclists through vast fields of tulips. The highlight of these beautiful flowers is at world-famous Keukenhof Park, where travelers can admire 85 acres of wonderfully colorful flowering bulbs. This tour also accommodates e-bikes for women looking for an especially leisurely experience.

Wine, Wellness and Castles in Hungary

Travelers can discover the beauty of old Europe cycling through Hungary. Women will be able to thoroughly relax on this 12-day tour where every day they’ll take a dip in thermal pools along the Danube and enjoy Hungary’s famous gourmet cuisine and local wines. They’ll also swim in the second largest natural thermal lake of the world, decorated by beautiful water lilies. It will be like a fairytale when women wind down after the day of cycling and spa visits in their castle accommodations.

BikeToursDirect serves as a central resource for bicycle tours worldwide, representing nearly 100 local bicycle tour companies that offer 400 tours in 70 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas. BikeToursDirect offers a variety of resources to help travelers search for and choose tours and handles the entire booking and payment process. Learn more at www.biketoursdirect.com.

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