FAQ

Our GravelUp trips combine sporting adventure, local immersion, and logistical comfort. Each day, you’ll ride between 40 and 80 km, with elevation gain tailored to your level (from 500 to 1,500 m of climbing on average), along carefully selected gravel routes mixing smooth tracks, forest trails, and quiet country roads.

The rides are led by experienced guides, with mechanical support and refreshments along the way. A support van will follow the group throughout the trip to transport your luggage — so you can travel light! Comfortable accommodation, local meals, wellness sessions (yoga, stretching, etc.), and friendly moments round out the experience.

You’ll find a simplified program on each trip page, with a brief day-by-day summary. 📓 For more details, we’ve created in-depth adventure sheets that give you all the key information about our gravel trips: distances, elevation gain, pace, off-bike activities, logistics, and more. 🌲

Each trip is then adapted to the group’s profile and the terrain conditions, which can vary depending on the season and weather — always keeping the perfect dose of adventure! ✌🏻

You can change the date of your trip free of charge up to 30 days before departure. You can also cancel at any time before the start of the trip subject to payment of a cancellation fee. If the cancellation occurs:

• More than 90 days prior to Departure => Receive a Refund of 75% of all payments already made (including deposits) OR a Trip Credit of 100%

• Between 61 and 90 days prior to Departure => Receive a Refund of 50% of all payments already made (including deposits) OR a Trip Credit of 75%

• Between 31 and 60 days prior to Departure => Receive a Refund of 25% of all payments already made (including deposits) OR a Trip Credit of 75%

• 30 days or less prior to Departure => No Refund OR Trip Credit of 50%

Please note that a Trip Credit cannot be converted to a refund at a later date.

To protect yourself against last minute cancellation, we advise you to subscribe to our cancellation insurance through our partner Chapka insurance, with a guarantee which also covers you in case of contracting the Covid-19. Please note that such insurance can only be subscribed within 48 hours following the order of your trip. Subscription link available here.

Important: the realisation of the trip is conditional on the registration of a minimum number of participants to guarantee the departure. We commit ourselves to confirm a trip at the latest 30 days before the departure date. In the event that the trip cannot take place because the minimum number of participants is not reached, you will be reimbursed for any sums paid but will not be entitled to any compensation. You will be informed by email whether or not a trip is confirmed. 

Yes, If you are coming from abroad make sure healthcare cover is included on top of the European health insurance card or equivalent.

We have small groups between 8 and 12 people so that you can ride at your own pace more easily and so that it remains intimate for everyone. It also reduces our footprint and impact on the environment and allows you to feel part of the landscape.

Yes GravelUp is a registered tour operator (n°IM075220009) as required by French law (article L. 141-2 of the Tourism Code).

Not at all! Our expeditions do not require previous gravel riding experience. Our itineraries are designed to be accessible to all, as long as you have a spirit of adventure. You may have to carry or push your bike on some short sections, but that's part of the Gravel Up adventure!

Please note: Our hire bikes are the latest spec models and are meticulously maintained for your comfort and safety. They are the ideal bikes in terms of comfort and safety for all our adventures

Our guides will be able to repair small problems straight away. Their tips and advice can sometimes be useful when you get home too :) In the event of a more serious mechanical problems, spare parts and even a spare bike will be available nearby in the support vehicle. Every problem has its solution!

Our guides are carefully chosen based on their experience and local knowledge of each region to guarantee you an unforgettable adventure. All our guides have French State validated bike qualifications. They are also French levels 1 and 2 first aid trained as you would expect.

Recharging your batteries is essential after a day on the bike. Post ride you can relax at our base camps or partner hotels and guest houses 3 stars. We have chosen them carefully for their comfort, tranquility, location and the quality of their food.

To our regret we do not control the weather :)

Rain or bad weather can be part of the adventure. The important thing is to ride with the right equipment. Our ideal "packing list" to face any kind of weather will be sent to you one month before the departure of your expedition.

In case of severe weather, no worries: we’ll adapt the picnic location, routes, schedules, or even the activity itself if necessary (as a last resort, of course!). 👉🏻 Check out our packing list HERE.

For the 2-day and 3-day trips, your luggage will stay at the base camp, where you’ll return to sleep each night. For the 5-day itinerant format, we’ll transfer your luggage between each accommodation for you. Travel light and worry-free!

On all our trips, we also provide you with Restrap bike bags, perfect for carrying a light windbreaker, a pair of gloves, and a few energy bars (but don’t worry — no risk of hypothermia with GravelUp!)

All included! During the expedition we guarantee delicious meals based as much as possible on locally sourced products and that have been carefully planned for a day in the saddle.

Our hosts are proud of and passionate about sharing their local specialities :

• Hearty breakfasts to fuel you for a days riding

• Delicious lunch stops with a mixture of picnics and local restaurants/refuges

• Snacks along the way

• A welcome evening meal, prepared by our host for the night, will allow you to try local dishes, relax, reflect on the highlights of the day and recover, ready for another days riding tomorrow.

We can't for 2 reasons:

• our expeditions include sections on private tracks for which we have obtained prior agreements with the local residents.

• Furthermore, our tracks are built through partnerships with local tourist offices and regional nature parks, which trust us to supervise our expeditions in a way that best preserves the natural areas.

No problem! Just let us know at the time of booking on the booking form and we will make sure you are catered for.

You can take a look here.

And if you want even more information, don't hesitate to contact us directly by email at bonjour@gravelup.earth so that we can help you choose the type of expedition that will suit you best.

We offer 3 expedition formats on our trips: 2-day, 3-day, and 5-day adventures. For the 2- and 3-day formats, we ride out each day from a single base camp. For the 5-day format, we go on a point-to-point journey, changing base camp each night.

The main differences between the formats are the number of days on the bike and, of course, the difficulty level of the destination you choose. With us, we start together and finish together — that’s the GravelUp speed.

To learn more about the difficulty level of each destination, click HERE.

If, however, you are still unsure, you can write to us at bonjour@gravelup.earth and we will contact you to help you assess your level. We can also help you prepare for your adventure, just ask us.

Our expeditions are adventures, not races. We start together and we finish together, it's the GravelUp speed.

It is difficult to give a precise average speed as the surfaces make a big difference, as well as admiring the views! Average speeds are normally between 15 and 18 km/h.

We commit ourselves to confirm a trip at the latest 30 days before the departure date. In the event that the trip cannot take place because the minimum number of participants is not reached, you will be reimbursed for any sums paid but will not be entitled to any compensation.

Please note that our trips are confirmed with a minimum of 4 participants! Feel free to spread the word — one of your friends or loved ones might be interested too! 🙂 👉🏻 Find all our dates HERE.

To protect yourself against last minute cancellation, we advise you to subscribe to our cancellation insurance through our partner Chapka insurance. More information here.

We recommend to book editable or cancelable train or flight tickets until your trip is confirmed.

We commit to confirm the departure of your expeditions no later than 30 days in advance.

You have the option to rent our premium Gravel and E-Gravel bikes from our partner, Origine.

Repeatedly awarded Gravel Bike of the Year, our carbon GRAXX GTO model (8.1kg) and the electric Help model (12kg) combine performance, versatility, and lightness — the perfect match for your expedition.

Learn more about our gravel bikes

Yes, our trips will go on paths and small roads where neither road bikes nor mountain bikes will be suitable.

You can bring your own gravel bike or hire one from ours. Our well specced bikes with tubeless tires means a much lower risk of punctures and mechanical problems during your trip.

would you like to test a bike before you buy ? Our partner Origine is offering you the first day's hire of your bike, fully refunded if you decide to buy a Graxx or Help afterwards.

Yes, we also organize private trips and corporate retreats. 👉🏻 To learn more about our GravelUp corporate seminars, click HERE.

Are you an outdoor gear brand looking to have your products tested during one of our trips? Get in touch with us!

Please feel free to email us at bonjour@gravelup.earth for more details.