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About Randonnée Tours

Since 1990, Randonnée Tours has been the leading tour operator of self-guided active vacations in Canada, the United States and Europe. As one of the very few companies that operates our own trips everywhere we offer trips, we have a distinct advantage over other re-sellers.

Robbin McKinney, owner of Randonnée Tours, guided trips for Butterfield & Robinson for 18 years (in North America, Europe and around the world) before starting Great Explorations in 1997, a boutique active travel company offering guided trips to over 22 countries. He acquired Randonnée Tours in 2005 (already a well-established brand), improving all aspects of the business. Since this time, Randonnée has enjoyed consistent growth and we continue to add trips each year to meet with the growing demand for this style of travel. Robbin is happy to talk to guests and answer questions from his vast knowledge of travel. He continues to take several tours each year ensuring the quality of each and every Randonnée trip.

“We love to be innovative – we want every trip to be one-of-a-kind and to create experiences that people couldn’t easily encounter on their own. Our optional unique events and activities allow travelers to explore at the pace and style that best suits them.”

– Robbin McKinney, President, Randonnée Tours

Compare our trips with others and you’ll note the Randonnée Tours differences:

Why Randonnée Tours?

We believe you should be free to explore the world at your own pace. Every Randonnée self-guided tour is designed for active, independent travelers who value authenticity, flexibility, and exceptional value. Our tours are meticulously planned and expertly operated by us. We hand-pick every hotel, inn, and B&B, and provide detailed route notes filled with tips, insights, and local gems—so you can focus on the journey, not the logistics.

The Randonnée Difference

Freedom with Support

Experience the best of both worlds—the freedom of independent travel with the support of a guided tour. Travel at your own pace; let us take care of the details. Randonnée offers choice and flexibility. Choose the number of days of trip length, and the number of miles. No other company delivers as much self-guided variety and quality

Guaranteed Departures

Start your tour on the exact date you choose—no fixed schedules, no minimum bookings. We confirm 100% of our trips, with over 99% departing on the guest’s preferred date. Want extra privacy? You can even block your departure date exclusively for your group.

Peace of Mind

Vacations should be stress-free from the start. Our flexible cancellation policy allows you to cancel up to 30 days before departure—no paperwork, no questions asked. And when you book online, no payment is required until your tour is confirmed.

Proven Expertise

With over 25 years of experience and a direct-to-traveler approach, we guarantee that the only surprises will be good ones.

What’s Included

Hand-Picked Accommodations

We know the right place when we see it. From charming B&Bs to luxurious inns and châteaux, our accommodations are carefully selected—often family-run—and always welcoming. Choose from Luxe, Classic, or Casual comfort levels. All accommodations are included and prepaid.

Meals

For your convenience all breakfasts are included as well as one to three dinners (depending on the length of your trip). Such configuration offers you more room for personal preferences, discoveries and immersive experiences. We provide restaurant or food packing suggestions for each day of the tour.

Personal Meet & Greet

Your trip begins with a warm welcome from our local area manager, who fits your bicycle, answers questions, and ensures you’re ready to roll.

Luggage Transfers

Carry less, enjoy more. We handle all inn-to-inn luggage transfers so you can travel light and focus on the adventure.

Detailed Orientation Materials

You’ll receive highlighted maps, route descriptions, and suggestions for side trips, dining, and local attractions. GPS data (GPX format) is available upon request for tech-savvy travelers.

Extensive On-Tour Support

While our tours are self-guided, our local teams are always close by. Need assistance or bike support? Help is just a phone call away—24/7.

Pre-Tour Materials

Save time preparing—our pre-tour information includes travel logistics, cultural notes, regional highlights, and packing tips, so you’re ready from day one.

Activities for Everyone

Self-guided travel is all about options. Our walking and cycling tours are designed for active adults and families looking for a great flexibility. We provide multiple daily route suggestions to ensure you have options for different abilities and ambitions. Tour difficulties range from easy to challenging. Ask us about the difficulty of each tour. Very fit cyclists and hikers can always add hills and distance! On layover days you can also decide to relax by the swimming pool all day, explore the surroundings, and do some shopping… Choose your own pace, and where and when to rest and eat.

Quality Bicycles

If you love your bike so much that you want to bring it for the tour, no problem, you will save on the cost of a bike rental. The vast majority of our bicycle fleet is composed of high quality Cannondale and custom made Randonnée Tours bicycles. You can choose between performance hybrid (flat handlebar) and road (dropped handlebar) style bikes. On some trips we also offer, and recommend, mountain bikes.

All bikes come with a seat bag and repair kit that includes, a hand pump, tire levers, spare inner tube, and multi-tool. They also come with water bottle holder(s) and cable lock. Most hybrid bikes also have a handlebar bag or rear rack. To keep weight at a minimum, road bikes do not have handlebar bags or rear racks. We tune each bike prior to your arrival so that it is ready to ride.

Savings & Incentives

We offer our valued guests several ways to save on their next vacation with Randonnée Tours — and earn trip credits along the way. Gather a group of eight or more and every member receives 10% off their trip. With our unlimited referral program, you can earn a $150 trip credit for each referred booking. Our annual Photo Contest gives you a chance to win $1,500 in trip credit. Travelling with kids? You may be eligible for our family pricing. And if you bring your own bicycle, we’ll deduct the cost of the bike rental from your total bill.

Our Testimonials

Canadian Rockies

I can honestly say this was by far the best vacation we have ever taken! As my husband puts it, this was the first time he has been on a trip where he didn’t want to go home by the end of it. The trip exceeded all our expectations and hopes and we will highly recommend you to as many people as we can think of. Your staff has been extremely helpful in putting together a custom trip for us and has cheerfully answered our plethora of questions along the way. The trip was well thought out and the information we were provided with was comprehensive and extremely helpful. I wouldn’t consider going on a trip like this without going through Randonnée. In fact, I fear that any other kind of vacation is now ruined for us, so I just hope you are going to be around for a long, long time.

By: Alissa L. – Lafayette, CA

California

The pre-tour material was excellent. The difficulty of the tour was exactly what we were looking for. The help by your office and the area manager was excellent, everything worked like clock-work. The area manager gave us good advice and the accommodations + breakfasts were top notch. We will definitely consider other trips with you.

By: George S. – Toronto, ON

Umbria

We have just returned from our tour of Umbria and cannot begin to tell you how wonderful it was! We were very satisfied and pleased with the routes chosen, the accommodations, all aspects of the tour… We would not hesitate to make another trip if able. This trip exceeded our expectations in all ways. Thank you so much.

By: George & Angela C. – Boston, MA

Burgundy

Burgundy exceeded by far over expectations. Food and wine out of this world and wonderfully welcoming people. Our best cycling tour in France from all over 6 times.

By: Ragni P. – Portola Valley, CA

Provence

We wanted to thank you personally for an absolutely perfect tour of Provence. We were able to absorb so much of the sights and sounds of this beautiful area and enjoy a completely relaxing vacation thanks to the efforts of you and your staff who arranged all the details so capably and thoroughly.

By: Paul & Jill S. – Athens, OH

Normandy

Thank you for such a wonderful experience and providing us for a memorable vacation. Normandy is a beautiful area and we couldn’t have planned the experience any better.

By: Deborah C. – Fayetteville, NY

Dordogne

The trails were a good mix of level of difficulty with breathtaking scenery! Service was excellent! The Randonnée staff in the home office was also excellent in answering all my questions, getting us set up with the tour, providing information and excellent service with a pleasant attitude. The trip was really great. I loved it. It was a wonderful experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat!

By: Leo D. – Roslindale, MA

Niagara

We returned on Sunday and wanted you to know that we had an amazing trip! The accommodations were fantastic, the scenery was breathtaking, our Area Manager was great, and the biking was superb. It was one of the best vacations ever. We can’t wait for our next trip!!!

By: Lori B. – Bozeman, MT

Gulf Islands

I wanted you to know that we had the absolutely best time on our trip to the Gulf Islands. Your planning was perfect, the hikes were varied and inspiring, the B&B were all great – the one in Victoria so beautiful and elegant. The islands are beyond gorgeous, and we cannot wait to come back and explore more. Each day got better and by the time we got to Saturna we never wanted to leave! We loved all the accommodations; especially Lyall Harbour. The service provided by Randonnée was excellent. We felt very well taken care of and very efficiently organized. And we knew we had someone available if we needed help at any point. Your Travel Advisor was wonderful. Thank you so much for all your help and support. It was an amazing introduction to a wonderful part of the world, and we will definitely visit again.