If B&R were a Michelin-star restaurant, Bistro trips would be our spin-off bistro next door. Same brilliant kitchen, same renowned chefs—just a little more casual and pared down.

From your bike, you can see the peaks of the Pyrénées looming on the horizon. Volcanic flats stretch out ahead, leading to unbelievably pastoral fields. Along the way stand villages shaped by the hands of Roman architects, medieval craftsmen and surrealist artists. The local dialect and traces of the thriving culture—a dizzying mix of French and Spanish—poke through everywhere after years of dictatorial oppression. Dinner is tapas or a barbecue paired with a perfect vintage before settling in to a unique auberge. A mustachioed Spaniard makes clocks melt. This is no dream. It just feels like one. Welcome to Catalonia, where the unexpected happens every day.

Bistro trips offer more independence (more meals on your own), and the hotels tend to be 3 or 4-stars instead of off-the-chart. But the heart of every one is exactly the same as our marquee trips—same incredible routes, events, insider access and, of course, B&R guides.

Day 1 Cycle the craggy beauty of the Garrotxa National Park, a vast field of extinct volcanoes
Day 2 Loop through the Alt Empordà, then get a sense of the mad genius of Salvador Dalí
Day 3 Meander rolling hills south into the Baix Empordà, with a memorable lunch in ancient Ullastret
Day 4 Explore the shops and cafes of Pals and Palafrugell, or pick up ceramics in La Bisbal
Day 5 Pedal directly into medieval Girona for a finale in the shadow of its magnificent cathedral
Day 6 Breakfast and adéu in Girona