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Slow Lane Magazine, May 2019
Insights and stories from across Europe and beyond
  • favourite (but oft-forgotten) festivals
  • Nepal's secret valley
  • boutique beauty in Drôme Provençale
  • carving out a future in southern Italy
  • Inntravellers' Tales – our new writing competition
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A Short Cycle through Catalonia

Past stone villages to golden sands
 
As you cycle self-guided through pretty medieval villages while your luggage is transported ahead to the next charming hotel, you’ll have time for sightseeing, leisurely lunches and – thanks to the benevolent Mediterranean climate – dips in the sea.
A Short Cycle through Catalonia. 4 nights
A Short Cycle through Catalonia. 4 nights
 

Holiday information

 

A short cycling break in Catalonia

This stretch of coastline, between Palamós and Begur, reveals hidden coves and sandy beaches where you can relax well away from the crowds, while inland, the Empordà Plain, south of the River Ter, is a beguiling patchwork of medieval farms, ancient villages, fields of sunflowers and vineyards.

The peaceful, northern bays of the Costa Brava are small arcs of inviting sand enclosed by rocky outcrops and wooded hills; inland, quiet, undulating lanes lead past tiny vineyards, cornfields and olive groves to medieval villages and bustling market towns. This is perfect cycling country, with plenty of time to pause for a dip in the sea, to visit a Romanesque church, or to linger over a seafood lunch. 
The warm, sunny climate ensures a long season, and much of life here is lived outdoors. Cycling chiefly on quiet backroads, with sections on farm tracks, this journey takes you to the wooded foothills of the sierras, the medieval villages of the coastal plain, and sandy bays.
 
Gallery
 

Itinerary

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights.
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 13 14 15 17 21 25 29 28 25 21 16 14
    mm 51 47 63 57 57 42 26 48 67 106 64 60
  • Arrival in Peratallada
    Night 1: at Hostal Blau (the first of two nights here).
    As your first night's accommodation is on the day of travel, Day 1 is your first day of cycling.
  • Circular route from Peratallada: 24.5km
    Our suggested circular ride for your day at Peratallada leads north along quiet country roads to visit the ruins of an old Iberian (pre-Roman) settlement near the beautiful walled village of Ullastret, passing ancient farmsteads, sleepy hamlets, vineyards and fields of sunflowers. For a longer day, continue your ride through more atmospheric villages, and along a pretty path which runs next to the River Daró.
    Ullastret to Gualta on the circular route around Peratallada
  • Peratallada to Llafranc: 20km 
    Cycle south across the inland plain via hill-top Pals, where you can spend some time exploring the ancient ramparts and the cobbled streets of houses built from the peach-coloured local stone. Seek out, too, the various Romanesque monuments and the viewpoint overlooking the Mediterranean, the Medes Islands and the Montgrí Mountains. There are various good restaurants, making this a good point to stop for lunch. The terrain is mostly flat, and you eventually cruise into the delightful bay of Llafranc for your final two nights at the Hotel Terramar.
    Pals, on the route from Peratallada to Llafranc
  • Circular route from Llafranc: 29.5km
    You could simply spend the day on the beach, but we recommend a pleasant circular route south to Palamós. You have the option to explore the beautiful botanical gardens at Cap Roig, well worth a visit, as well as many coves and beaches where you could relax by the sea. There is also a lovely stretch on the via verde  (greenway), a designated traffic-free cycle track on a disused railway line.
    Cycling along the via verde to Platja de Castell on the circular route around Llafranc
 

Accommodation

You stay in a friendly guesthouse on the inland plain, and a hotel near the sea. 

Occasionally, due to availability, we may offer an alternative hotel, as shown below. You will be informed of any change to the usual hotel (along with any price implication) prior to us confirming your holiday to you.

Wherever you stay in Llafranc, we recommend adding an extra night to give you more time to relax by the coast at the end of your break.
 

Extend your stay

 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter.
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NB: this should be used as a guide only. Fluctuations in exchange rates could result in significant variation by the time you come to pay.

  • 4 nights: 06 April - 28 October 2019

    Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    6 - 30 April # £595 £190
    1 - 23 May £610 £190
    24 May - 21 June £670 £215
    22 - 27 June £695 £240
    28 June - 29 August £758 £285
    30 August - 30 September £695 £240
    1 - 24 October £610 £190
    3rd & 4th person discount -£85
    Single traveller supplement £85

    Includes accommodation, meals, bike hire, luggage transfers and any other services integral to the holiday as described, plus cycling notes and maps, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.

    # ADD £15pp/n (£30pn in a single room) for stays in Peratallada 18-22 Apr 2019

    ADD £35-50pp/n for the alternative hotel in Peratallada (reductions apply for single rooms; contact us for prices)

    Electric bikes available: add £38 per person

    Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.

  • Room upgrades (£ per person per night)

    Hostal Blau
    Terrace: 06 Apr - 28 Oct 2019 £12

    Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    Prices include an extra day’s hire of a standard bike. If you are upgrading to an e-bike, add a further £8pp per day.
    Hotel Terramar (with dinner) Double room Single room
    06 Apr - 31 May 2019 £110 £145
    01 Jun - 30 Jun 2019 £125 £170
    01 Jul - 31 Aug 2019 £140 £200
    01 Sep - 30 Sep 2019 £125 £170
    01 Oct - 28 Oct 2019 £110 £145
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Girona
    ALTERNATIVE AIRPORT(S):
    Barcelona

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend flying via Barcelona. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book flights and onward connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Belfast Intl. - Barcelona easyJet,  jet2 
    Belfast Intl. - Girona jet2 
    Outward route Airline
    Birmingham - Barcelona Norwegian,  Ryanair,  Vueling 
    Birmingham - Girona jet2,  Ryanair,  Thomas Cook,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Bournemouth - Girona Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Barcelona easyJet 
    Bristol - Girona Ryanair,  Thomas Cook,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Cardiff - Barcelona Vueling 
    Outward route Airline
    Nottingham East Midlands - Barcelona Ryanair,  Thomas Cook 
    Nottingham East Midlands - Girona jet2,  Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Barcelona Norwegian,  Ryanair,  Vueling 
    Edinburgh - Barcelona (via Paris) Air France 
    Edinburgh - Girona jet2,  Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow - Barcelona jet2 
    Glasgow - Girona jet2 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow Prestwick - Barcelona Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Leeds Bradford - Girona Ryanair 
    Leeds Bradford - Barcelona jet2,  Vueling 
    Leeds Bradford - Girona jet2 
    Outward route Airline
    Liverpool - Barcelona easyJet,  Ryanair,  Vueling 
    Liverpool - Girona Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Barcelona British Airways,  easyJet,  Norwegian,  Vueling 
    Gatwick - Girona TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Barcelona British Airways 
    Outward route Airline
    Luton - Barcelona easyJet,  Vueling 
    Luton - Girona Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    London Southend - Barcelona easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Stansted - Barcelona Ryanair 
    Stansted - Girona jet2,  Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Barcelona easyJet,  jet2,  Norwegian,  Ryanair,  Vueling 
    Manchester - Girona jet2,  Ryanair,  Thomas Cook,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Barcelona easyJet,  Vueling 
    Newcastle - Girona jet2,  Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Southampton - Barcelona (via Paris) Air France 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend flying via Barcelona. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you. We charge £30 per person for our flight booking service (£50 for India and Nepal). Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.

  • Prices below are based on 2 people travelling together. If you are travelling solo or as a party of 3 or more and our arrangements include a taxi, please contact us for prices; additional passengers often pay less.

    Connecting travel options - flying via Girona

    Outward route Price per person Latest flight
    arrival time
    direct taxi Girona airport to hotel (0h45) included flexible
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    direct taxi hotel to Girona airport (1h) included flexible

    Connecting travel options - flying via Barcelona

    Outward route Price per person Latest flight
    arrival time
    rail Barcelona Sants to Girona (0h40), taxi Girona to hotel (0h45) £6 1900
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    taxi hotel to Girona (1h30), rail Girona to Barcelona Sants (0h40) £20 1200 (1300 Sun)
What is included
  • 4 nights
  • 2 dinners
    4 breakfasts
  • luggage transported
  • route notes and maps
  • high-quality bicycle
  • return taxi from Girona airport
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

All 8 reviews
  • Mr D McKenzie
    USA
    03 October 2018

    My wife and I recently completed one of your self-guided tours.  Our tour was "A Short Cycle through Catalonia”.  I just want to share with all of you how very much we enjoyed the entire experience.  Every detail was exactly as it was supposed to be.  We were picked up and “delivered” by a very helpful gentleman on the first day, our hotels were excellent, the bikes were perfectly fitted to our needs, the route directions were easily followed, included meals were great, and our return “delivery” was on time and very pleasant.  Bottom line… we loved the entire experience.

  • Ms E Bowes
    Australia
    01 October 2018

    We had a fabulous trip. The weather day 1 was challenging with the wind almost blowing us off the bikes! But the visit to the runis at Ullastret made the effort worth it. Day 2 was gorgeous, riding mostly on quiet bike paths and finishing at spectacular Llafranc. Day 3 was completely different again as we visited all the beaches. Both hotels were amazing. All in all a fabulous family holiday.  

  • Steve and Elaine
    07 May 2018

    We were very impressed with the efficiency of Inntravel staff, the quality of the accommodation, transport/transfers and the travel pack. 

    A tip for other potential travellers, who may be considering this particular holiday, is they might wish to upgrade to electric bikes as the bikes were a bit heavy especially if they are not regular or seasoned cyclists; but the routes were good and generally flat taking in lovely countryside and interesting medieval villages on off road cylepaths with very little traffic on the minor roads. This is a good hoilday for anyone wishing to be a bit more adventurous whilst not being too strenuous or daunting.

  • anon
    01 April 2018

    I normally plan and arrange our own holidays but due to limited time opted for a tailor-made holiday from you. I was so glad I did. I'm not sure we would ever have found the places you suggested. We spent the four days trying to decide which was our favourite part and couldn't!  It really has been one of our favourite holidays ever, so relaxing. Thank you. 

  • Mr R Wakeham
    Macclesfield
    16 October 2017

    The route, scenery and Catalan welcome was fantastic. Thoroughly enjoyed the food however by October many restaurants have closed for the winter so a quick phone call in advance of any planned visit is advisable, but we did find a venue every day.The route through orchards, vineyards, olive groves and woodland mostly off road was the perfect relaxing cycle ride for a relaxing break.  

  • anon
    12 May 2017

    The highlight was the cycling itself through the picturisque routes, the easy and pleasant cycling because it wasn't so steep and with e-bikes it was much easier for my aunt and her friend to cycle long distances.

  • Mr D Morrison
    London
    12 April 2017

    A fantastic tour through the Catalonian countryside, with 1000-year-old villages, fields of flowers and fruit trees, beautiful coastline and beaches, and some awesome food along the way. Two really nice hotels - one a historic building, and one absolute beachfront - both with super-friendly staff. I loved the exercise and my wife loved her electric bike!

  • Mary Lewes, London
    05 April 2017

    A delightful holiday in the most beautiful Catalan countryside - with a fabulous mix of wild flower meadows, orchards, woodland and beach.  Everything worked perfectly with friendly and comfortable hotels and food at each stop.  Many thanks.
 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help.
  • Our chosen bike rental shop will provide you with a city trekking bike with 21 gears (grip shift system); a waterproof map case on handlebars (one between two bikes); odometer (one between two bikes); panniers/saddlebags; puncture-proof tyres; and a lock. Electric bikes are available as an upgrade (see price panel), subject to availability, and must be requested at the time of booking. The bike shop also has a limited number of tandems.
  • Helmets are a legal requirement on public roads in Spain, and as such are included free of charge with your bike.
  • Yes, we will provide GPX tracks for this holiday prior to departure so that you can follow your route on your smartphone or dedicated GPS device if you wish. (We also provide maps and our tried-and-tested route notes.)
  • We’ll send you route notes and maps 2-3 weeks before your holiday. The route notes not only contain directions to get from hotel to hotel, but also include practical information about places of interest and eateries along each route, plus cultural information about the area. On mornings when you are moving between hotels, you leave your luggage in reception as you leave, and it will be transferred ahead to your next accommodation so that all you need to take with you are a camera, sun cream, drinks, food and waterproofs.
  • You do need to make sure you’re covered, because it’s you who is responsible for any damage to or loss of the bike during the holiday. You should always lock it (preferably to an immovable object) and remove any easy-to-steal accessories when leaving it unattended. The travel insurance policy that we offer covers you for loss and damage (provided you’ve locked or stored it appropriately). If you are arranging your own insurance, but it doesn’t cover bikes, we can provide bike-only cover for £19 per person. More details >
  • We can book a wide range of airlines and routes from the UK. As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. For Europe and Morocco, there’s a £30 booking fee per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). For India and Nepal, the booking fee is £50 per person. More information on flights >
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

    You don’t have to buy our policy (if you live outside Europe you’ll definitely need to make your own arrangements, as the policy is only for UK and EU residents), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to Spain, but not a visa (if you are travelling after 31 October 2019, see the Brexit question below for more information). If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice can be found through the following NHS link: www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/advice/ You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). UK citizens should also obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) by applying at a Post Office or at www.ehic.org.uk. The EHIC allows reciprocal health care but should not be seen as a substitute for travel insurance. EHICs may cease to be valid in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
  • (Castilian) Spanish is one of several official languages; in Catalonia, for example, Catalan has equal status. The currency is the Euro. Spanish time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • Even in the event of a no-deal Brexit, it’s been confirmed that flights will continue as normal and that you won’t need a visa to go on holiday (the limit on stays is 90 days). What you will need if there’s no deal is a passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of your arrival (extra months added because you renewed your passport early do not count) and adequate travel insurance to cover you for accidents and illness in case reciprocal health deals are suspended. If you are driving while on holiday, you will probably need an International Driving Permit (plus a Green Card if you are taking your own car to Europe). More information >
  • The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.
    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
Last fetch time is : 7/16/2019 5:03:14 AM