Are the trails you will ride when the tour is over paved?
They are almost all paved. Some are crushed limestone. I did part of my test ride on one of these trails and it seemed OK.

Maybe try to get the shop to throw in a pair of Armadillos?
If they don't throw them in, are they worth buying? How much are these?

Does the support have an excellent reputation...?
I don't know their reputation. The tour is run by WomanTours. Anyone ever hear of them?

As for the compact double gearing, that really depends on what you know about yourself as a climber, what the mileages will be, and so forth.
I don't know anything about myself as a climber. This is my first tour.

Thanks for the help!