Drew A., Signature series 2009
Over a month and I still have not recovered from the trip-i.e I want to go back and do it again! The food, the company, the cycling-it is still like a dream...
Bill M., Signature series 2009
This is a spectacular way to see the Tour, get up-close access to riders, and ride some of the best routes in France, all while staying in great hotels, eating great food and getting excellent support from the great team of Custom Getaways guides. In short, for cyclists and fans of the Tour, there's no better vacation than this.
Tim N., Yellow Jersey 2009
First of all I can't express what an awesome time my son and I had on the Yellow Jersey 1 Package. It was incredible! Our guides were spectacular and went out of their way to accommodate us. The access to all the different aspects of the race that Custom Getaways provided was incredible.
Gerard O., Etape du Tour 2009
I write to thank you for all of your help with ref to L'Etape. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and must admit that of the previous six Etapes I have done, your company made this, number 7, the best of the lot.
Thanks again for a fabulous experience.
Fleur J., Ride in a team car/ Monaco 2009
You offer a great service. The team car experience was sensational.
Suzanne J., Etape du Tour 2008
Hi all! Thanks for a great E'tape trip! Trip of a lifetime!
Reynaldo V., Signature Series 2008
Reynaldo would like to thank you for all your service and attentions during his stay at the Tour de France trip. He wants you to know, that he had a wonderful time there, and that he will always regard you as a very kind and fun person to be with. Please, consider him as a true friend, as he feels the same way about you. Reynaldo is looking forward to his next trip at the Tour de France this coming year, so he expects to see you there again.
David W., Premium 2008
I wanted to write to thank you so much for putting together what was probably the greatest vacation that I ever had last month. The whole trip, from Chateau Arnoux, to the Alps, Beaune & Paris, was perfect in just about every way. Not only the physical and mental challenge of the mountains (for this flatlander), but also the scenery and the incredible up-close access to the TdF starts & finishes.
It's hard to pick out any one highlight of the trip; there were just too many. Of course climbing up the Alpe D'Huez on stage day was truly unforgettable; as was the helicopter ride off the mountain.
Mike M., Etape du Tour 2008
First and most important, I want to repeat my praise for you, Geraldine, and your entire Custom Getaways team. I can't thank you enough, except maybe to say that I've told my friends that if I ever get to back I'm going with you.
Del M., Non-Cycling 2008
The tour was fantasic and hopefully will be back in 2010. Catherine (tour guide) was a great personality which made for many laughs on the tour.
Art S., Etape du Tour 2008
Kerry and I had a fabulous time. Beyond expectations. Our experience with CG was flawless. We really enjoyed the mix of staying at the small town near Campan and the city of Pau.
Tony B., Signature Series 2008
It was a wonderful holiday yet again.
Thank you for a wonderful time yet again, it was good to enjoy the company of some one with as black a sense of humour as I have!!
Hopefully it was a so much fun for you as it was for us
Kurt B., Signature Series 2008
Thanks for the follow up and pictures. Also a BIG thanks for the outstanding trip that you put together for us. You and your entire crew were extremely professional, flexible, and accommodating. The entire trip was all 1st class! Liz and I had a great time, every second of the trip. It was way more than I could have even imagined. I fully enjoyed my birthday surprise - as I told Liz, it was the dream trip that I never even dreamed of. I certainly want to return and very well may with a very good friend/cycling buddy of mine that would absolutely LOVE this trip. Thanks again, for all that you and your staff did. I've been advertising your company since our return again and again!
Nancy H., VIP Pyrenees 2008
Just wanted to thank all of you for an amazing experience @ the tour de France. Everything was perfect. John and I can not stop singing your praises. In a way, it kind of feels like the best dream I ever had... and then I realize it was for real! I would recommend this trip to anyone who loves to have fun. Keep up the good work
Perry B., Etape du Tour 2008
Just wanted to tell you that this year’s Etape trip was the best I’ve been on yet. The hotel was very nice and had a great location. Having meals at the nearby restaurant worked really well. The food and atmosphere were excellent. And it was a real treat to meet Saul Raisin who was super nice and offered good advice. Even with the unfortunate weather (which I only hold you partly accountable for), it was a great trip!
Bill M., Signature Series 2008
Our trip (which Chris personally guided for us) this year was phenomenal.
Ivan W., Etape du Tour 2008
Just a quick word to say I had a great time and will definitely do it again next year.
Joe S., Etape du Tour 2008
Thanks so much for a great time and support. I had a fantastic time and will happily recommend your travel group to anyone going to Europe for a ride/tour.
Marc P., VIP 2008
I wanted to let you know how much I thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Eric and Will were especially helpful and insightful during the trip, they always knew the right place to be at the right time. The experience was not what I was expecting (with regards to the Tour De France) but it was very enjoyable (none the less) and the difference between expectation and reality was really cool. I was able to meet many of my favorite riders and several celebrities.
Rod B., Cycling 2008
We had a great time on the trip. Thank you for all your organizational help.
Stuart S., Etape du Tour 2008
Just wanted to thank you for your help with this year’s L’Etape. The hotel was perfect – close to the start, excellent food, very well run, convenient parking, etc. It really couldn’t have been a better situation which, as you know, makes everything so much easier.
Gavin B., Etape du Tour 2008
A big thank you to you and your team for the Etape this year; the service was excellent and much appreciated. Also I liked the hotel and the arrangement with the local Brasserie for evening meals.
Robert R., Cycling 2008
Thanks again we had a wonderful experience.
Brian I., Etape du Tour 2007
I had a great time on my trip. I'd like to pass on special thanks to the staff, especially George, Will, James and Ricky for their outstanding service.
Vicki R., Self Guided Trip 2007
Back in Australia after a wonderful Tour experience.
Thank you so very much for you superb organisation. Everything went so smoothly. The Hotel Catala was a delightful experience with "Madam" bending over backwards to make our stay just perfect. The Spa and Angouleme experiences were 5 star. Catherine is one lovely lady. Customs Getaways is so well thought of and we are very proud to have been part of it and to have met so many wonderful people.
Ron H., VIP Trip 2007
We had the best time on our trip. What a festival. Not having to hassle with our own bikes was nice.
Sandra B., Non-Cycling Trip 2007
Hello from Australia, we have just returned from our holiday which followed on from the Tour de France and wanted to thank you for organising such a great 10 days. We enjoyed every minute , cycling, the people, the food and wine and especially our tour guide, Catherine. We will recommend to anyone who asks us.
Donna G., Paris Marathon 2007
A short note to let you know that we had a fantastic time in Paris! The Paris Marathon is a tour of the city and we had a great run! The Hotel location was perfect. It is a 5 minute walk to the start area for the Marathon. No stress at all. We are very pleased with what you did on our behalf to make sure everything was in place and to provide us with an information package that was most useful. We would not hesitate to book though you again and will recommend (you) and Custom Getaways Inc. to anyone who asks.
Wendy M., Self Guided Trip 2007
Thanks so much for all of your help organizing such a wonderful trip. We had a terrific time and enjoyed seeing the Tour as well as so many beautiful areas in France.
Charles C., Belgium and Etape du Tour 2004.
“John and I did exhaustive searches on the internet last year trying to locate a tour company offering a tour de France experience that we thought would offer riding at a level appropriate for us. we chose well. the length of the rides and the intensity levels were just what we hoped for and we were impressed with the range of abilities you were able to accomodate. your support staff were friendly and helpful and we feel having frenchmen only add to the overall experience. the accomodations and food were excellent. the rides and the whole tour experience were awesome but the icing on the cake for me was the etape ride. please keep us posted on your offerings for next year. we are already debating whether to try etape, pyrennes or alps or some combination next year or whether to look at the giro in italy. in any event, we thoroughly enjoyed our experience and have recommended you highly to our friends.”
Darla L., Self Guided trip 2004.
Please send us your mailing address and we will send you a CD of our pictures. We have some really incredible shots. Thanks for the fantastic time.
Liz H., Travel agent. Customized package 2004.
Just wanted to let you know that my clients, David P. and Cameron H., had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed the Tour. They had planned to watch 4 stages but ended up watching 7. The hotels were good and in great locations. They met other travelers along the way who also had booked thru Custom Getaways and enjoyed sharing information.
Thanks for a great job. I will certainly recommend you to other travel agents.
Colin S. – Etape du Tour 2004
I'd like to thank you and your staff for a very well organized trip this year.
Eric and Francine G. – Etape du Tour 2004
Thanks for a great time and for putting up with Francine (her words not mine). It was great... I have had confirmation from friends who want to attempt the Etape 2005. It is likely there will be four of us possibly all with our wives. Francine is definitely coming and she says because you are such a nice guy she will offer her services if you want any work done for free !! I have never received such an offer from her. You must tell me how you do it !! So book us in please for l'Etape 2005. Regards
Scott S., Customized package 2004
Wanted to thank you for the great trip you arranged for Paul, Jack, Kevin and myself. Loved everything about it: the hotels and towns, the race, the riding(!) May contact you again for another trip!
Chris C., Pyrenees 2003, Customized package 2004
Our trip was fantastic, once again.
Jerry A., Alps customized package 2003, Etape du tour and customized package 2004
Thanks again for all of your help on our trip to France this year. All of the accommodations, the van, and everything was great! I plan on returning again for the Tour and hopefully for the 2005 Etape and will of course use Custom Getaways. I'll be in touch in a few short months.
Jon H, Custom trip 2004
I just wanted to say thank you again….for making such an amazing trip possible! My Dad and I had an incredible time. We got to ride AND view the Tour every day. The Hotels you provided for us were perfect….(even though we didn’t get a chance to indulge in the cuisine….maybe next time). We saw it all….with no regrets….and no major problems, except for a couple flat tires….(one on the car we rented, which was an experience in itself finding a new tire, etc.) Overall, we had a great adventure that went beyond any of our expectations. I trust that you had a great Tour as well. Thanks again….and we look forward to a ‘next time’!!!
Ryan C., Self guided 2004
Thanks for the best vacation ever!
Jeff T., Alps 2004
Just a note to say thanks. I've told many people since my return that our trip was truly the trip of a lifetime. It truly was and thanks again for your hard work and dedication to making it live up to all of our expectations.
Judy C. Travel agent. Customized package 2003.
My clients had a wonderful time. I’ve tried to talk to them, but we seem to keep missing each other. Comments left on phone messages just don’t satisfy. I’ll give you feedback as soon as I can. Look forward to hearing from you. Judy C., Leisure Specialist
Milt and Debbie V. Custom trip in 2003 and 2004
Now that the Tour is drawing to a close and it looks as though Lance has secured his fifth title, I wanted to extend a very gracious merci beaucoup to you as we look forward to 2004. I wanted to let you both know how impressed I was with your planning of our brief, but incredibly, wonderful trip to the Tour stages and beyond to Beaune. Your advice and instructions were invaluable and the perfect setup for what was, truly, indescribable. The traffic, the delays, the road closures were hardly a blip on the radar screen since we could anticipate them. The directions clear and precise. The hotels comfortable. The Beaune detour and our biking arrangements through Florent were equally memorable. Milt and I are only arguing now on how long to go next July. We need more days ON THE TOUR and in BEAUNE. Or will it be the Pyrenees and Bordeaux? I believe we have some time to decide?!?! We are active adventure travel veterans and have worked with many outfitters. At the same time, we enjoy traveling on our own as I micromanage every detail. I have led groups and managed them. When I committed our trip to you, I crossed my fingers and held my breath entrusting strangers with arrangements that I would in the normal course of events be scrutinizing. I couldn't have been happier with the results. It is hard enough to manage a group of travelers but often it is the independent traveler who gets lost in the shuffle. Clearly, you have the requisite attention to detail to secure a long and successful future in the highly competitive and difficult adventure travel business. Barring the most unforeseen circumstances, I look forward to working with you again for next year's trip. Thanks again for everything. Milt and Debbie V.
Art S., Pyrenees 2003
Had a fantastic time last year - still find myself thinking about various special moments. Thanks, Art S.
Dean B., Pyrenees 2003
This summer I took the Custom Getaway trip to France to watch the Tour de France. The trip was to view the second half of the Tour; it lasted ten days and twelve nights. We started in the Pyrenees and finished in Paris. It was well organized and geared toward the serious cyclist. Chris made sure we were very strategically located to view the race. Chris speaks French fluently, as a result, he was able to get us in close for viewing and help establish excellent dining and comfortable accommodations. I was very impressed with our beautiful hotel suite overlooking the Champs-Elysees. From this vantage point, we were able to watch the finish of the race. It was spectacular. Other tour groups were forced to watch from the crowded streets below. Every day we were able to ride our bikes and see the French country side. Be in good shape. The people on my tour were strong riders. It was very memorable and a good value for the dollar.
Jane W., Pyrenees 2003
I did the 2003 tour with Custom Getaways starting from Stage 11 to Paris. Custom Getaways did a great job for such a very challenging task. The logistics of the tour for anyone wanting to view it takes a lot of planning and time. My goals for the 2003 tour was to see the race each day and cycle each day including the mountain climbs. Custom Getaways came through for me and we generally had very good race viewing spots on the route. The cycling can be as challenging (or not) as you like. We had an RV on the route each day after riding that provided food and a comfortable place to congregate during the race in the afternoon. The accommodations along the way ranged from pretty good at Cauterets in the Pyrenees to excellent at Carcassone, Bazas and Paris. Meals were hearty and well prepared. There were no surprises or dissappointments for me throughout the trip. The highlight was the finish at Paris where we had race viewing from balconies on the Champs Elysees. It was awesome. We finished our evening and the trip with a very nice dinner cruise on the Seine. The cycling highlight was climbing the Tourmalet during a tour rest day. The trip was an experience of a lifetime for me as a cyclist and a Tour de France fanatic and I recommend Custom Getawys for anyone wanting to be "in the tour" as much as possible without being a pro cyclist, media, etc.