Travel agency organizing Europe itineraries?

[Grog]

Dear Wise Ladies of TE,

My sweet partner and myself will have a few weeks off in May and June and we want to take them for our "official" honeymoon. We want to go for a bike trip in Europe, and we need your help and knowledge to organize it.

Here's what we're after:
- France, Italy, Spain or Portugal

- Supported (i.e. itinerary, bags transportation, hotel reservations... meals optional) because we have road bikes which cannot be fitted with panniers, and because we don't want to argue over whether we should turn right or left

- We provide the bikes

- No guide or group needed (or wanted for that matter - it's our honeymoon after all!!)

- 50-100 km a day, for a week, and HILLS please.

I have found a number of travel agencies in Europe who do this sort of trip, but most offer itineraries that seem a bit too easy for our taste. My sweet partner is a very strong cyclist and I want to take him to hills and roads that will take his breath away (literally if possible). Another option would be to go to a place like Bourg d'Oisans (Alpe d'Huez) or somewhere in the Pyrennées, stay in one town for the whole week and do all of the surrounding bike rides, but at the end of May there is a risk that we find ourselves in the middle of the snow storm in some of those high-altitude locations.

I've been to Europe several times and speak French, and enough Spanish to get by (no Italian or Portuguese, but I think I could manage).

Any suggestion, link, recommendation, etc. is welcome!

Thank you!!!

[kelownagirl]

Yikes, I'd better get your book in the mail ASAP! (You still at the same address? )

Erik and I used BikeRentalsPlus (found online) and were very happy with them. They do everything from fully supported with equipment to do-it-yourself. (We rented their bikes and panniers and that was it.) You can find them online if you google them. I don't know how their supported trips compare price-wise. We found it was cheaper to plan our own trip but YMMV...

Forgot to say they do France and Italy.

[Thorn]

Hmmm....we've done self-guided, but on touring bikes and at a sight-seeing pace. It was with Rondonee ( http://www.randonneetours.com ). While they're really good at customizing the itinerary, I'd say it unlikely that they could plot you more challenging routes. They're more of a company that plots vacations that use a bike.

On the challenging cycling route, there is Cycle Italia ( www.cycleitalia.com ). But, they're a full-service group. They're adding a do-it-yourself, but you might not get to see as much of the country that you want. If you want great routes and challenge, Cycle Italia can provide.

Although you probably have already figured it out, what you're looking for is "self-guided" as the keyword. We've looked into some of the companies
( e.g., http://www.pure-adventures.com ), but haven't ridden with any of them. I really enjoyed our self-guided trip through the Dordogne and look forward to doing another, but, like you, I want more mileage and challenge.

Good luck.