Madrid and Segovia surroundings

This is one of our star guided bike tours. We visit the most attractive parts of the Madrid sierra including the medieval village of Pedraza and Rascafria. Bicycling through the lands of Segovia, we stop at villages with Romanesque style churches where the people´s livelihood is drawn from the natural produce of the land they live upon.

Arriving at the noble and 1000 year old city of Segovia, we are cast back centuries in history. We enter under a superbly preserved Roman aqueduct and continue on the beautiful cathedral and the Alcazar (Castle fortress) just like those that appear in fairy tales. Our accommodation is in the centre of the city.

On day 2 we ride up to the Palace of La Granja of San Ildefonso, once a royal summer residence of the spanish kings. The road rises to cross the sierra once more. We ride along a Roman road, flanqued by large pines, trees and brooks. Arriving at El Escorial, we are once more surrounded by famous monuments like the monastery and palace of king Philip II, gardens and palaces that still stand graciously as they did in old times. Our tour ends in Madrid , where we will enjoy the intensity of the city life offering its museums, gardens palaces and well preserved monuments. We normally ride in the mornings, have lunch together, followed by sightseeing and arriving at the hotels in the early evening when time id free.

Segovia is well known for its perfectly well conserved masterpiece of Roman architecture: the aqueduct. It's gastronomy based on suckling pig, roasted lamb and the rich Segovian bean stew and the typical sweets of the region to end up a delicious meal.

  

Price per person	EURO 995 in excellent 3 and 4-star hotels in double occupancy. Single supplement Euro 175
Other options	Self-guided tour available only for advanced bicyclists. Final dinner at the restaurant Botín followed by late Flamenco show
Departure dates in 2010	Mondays in April 26th, May 10th, May 31st, June 21st, August 16th and October 4th or anytime with a minimum of six participants
Difficulty level	B (Intermediate) and C (Advanced). 5 bike routes of 35-65 km /22-43 miles. Twice crossing the Guadarrama mountain range, medium to high difficulty with van support. Length of routes adaptable to the groups´ ability
Days/nights	7 days/6 nights of which two in Madrid
Included in the price	6 nights accommodation, mostly in 4-star hotels and all buffet breakfasts, VAT taxes included 4 menu lunches (2 plates, dessert and drinks included) 4 dinners mostly at the hotels, in Pedraza at a restaurant 5x guided day tours with experienced bike tour leader in English language (also possible in French or German) Vehicle support with driver, modern air-conditioned VW minibus with trailer accompanying group min 6 pers. New 27-gear bike rental, individually adapted Helmets if needed Daily refreshments, water, cereal bars & fruits Admission fees during the bike tour 1x Glasswork museums at la Granja near Segovia 1x cathedral in Segovia 1x monastery of El Escorial CD photo album Our 3-hour Madrid city tour by bike Detailed information Bravo Bike welcome gifts
Supplements/ options	For extra nights or further information before or after the trip, please contact us. We are happy to provide you with any additional info and advise during your holiday in Spain
Discounts	Larger groups, please ask for special discount
Airport-AVE train station	Madrid-Barajas international airport (MAD), Atocha (AVE high speed train) and Chamartin train stations