Pyrenees Extreme

Sea to sea and back across the Pyrenees in nine days, on the smallest roads the operator could string together. The Mediterranean to the Atlantic, then home along the main ridge, crossing the French and Spanish border repeatedly.

Os de Balaguer comes first, then a rest day at Pamplona. The bull run through the streets there every July is the thing Pamplona is known for, and the optional ride out to San Sebastian on the Atlantic is the better use of the day for most riders. After that the tour crosses into France for Luz-Saint-Sauveur over the Col du Tourmalet and the Col du Pourtalet.

The Tourmalet is the reason this itinerary exists. At 2,115 metres it is the most used high pass in Tour de France history and the climb is long, exposed and relentless, which makes it as satisfying on a motorcycle as it is punishing on a bicycle. Tarascon-sur-Ariege follows as the route works back east along the ridge, with Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park and the whitewashed coastal town of Cadaques also on the way.

This is one of the operator’s RIDE4FUN Extreme tours, so the emphasis is on riding rather than on hotel polish, though the accommodation here is described as having regional character. Edelweiss include a choice of BMW motorcycle, the eight nights, a guide and a tour book. Flights are separate and the inclusions are not itemised in full on the operator’s page. Prices are per person for 2026. At 4,000 euros for nine days of genuinely remote mountain roads, this is good value by the standards of the range.