Randy Pielsticker, who has cycled the Tour d’Afrique three times (twice as Tour Leader) is looking forward to leading this different but no less fantastic bicycle adventure. "Travelling Europe by bike is a spectacular way to experience the landscapes, festivals, architecture, food, music and history of the Old World" said Pielsticker

It was in 1883 that the first Orient Express rail lines connecting Paris to Istanbul revolutionized transport and brought adventure and delight to tens of thousands of passengers. Crossing the many frontiers of a still-divided Europe, the train journey of nearly 4,000 kilometers was a genuine adventure and the subject of legend and fantasy.

In the same spirit of adventure, the Orient Express Bicycle Tour sets off from Paris, the City of Lights, on June 3rd 2007 alongside the famous "Gare de l'Est", from where the legendary Orient Express trains departed on their eastward-bound odyssey. From there the tour travels through France, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and finishes two months later on July 29th in Istanbul, Turkey.

The tour is arranged into 42 days of cycling and 15 days of rest in cities such as Vienna, Bratislava, and Bucharest; along with lesser-known pearls such as the Bulgarian town of Veliko Tarnovo and is the perfect choice for the cyclist who wants an initiation into the world of transcontinental cycling journeys.

“I learned so much from the experience” said Orient Express veteran, Dianna O’Leary from Thunder Bay, “and now know what I’d do differently the next time round.” she enthused, already planning her next cross-continental bike adventure.

From the French vineyards to the spas of Budapest and the spices of Turkish bazaars, the Orient Express Bicycle Tour is a sensory and cultural adventure of a lifetime, as it moves steadily eastward through old gothic and medieval cathedral towns to remote and traditional farming villages.

Of the many highlights of the Tour, traveling along The Danube Cycleway is pure cycling heaven. Completely separated from the noise and distraction of cars and trucks, this magnificent stretch of almost 1400km from the French-German border to Budapest boasts an elaborate range of tourism facilities.

The full Adventure Tour offers camping and basic accommodations the entire way while the full Comfort Tour offers 3 to 4 star hotels on rest days and elegant accommodations in Paris and Istanbul.

Sectional participants can also choose either option and select the part of the route best suited to their abilities, interests, and busy schedules. Cyclist are free to start and end anywhere along the route.

The Orient Express Bicycle Tour will delight and challenge cyclists, physically, mentally and spiritually.

Due to the nature of the Tour, a limited number of places are available. To register, visit www.paristoistanbul.com or www.tourdafrique.com