About Txango Tours
“Txango” Explained
The Origin Story
Txango (pronounced chang-go) is a Basque word meaning excursion/leisurely outing/unconventional travel/etc. and serves as homage to the origin story of this sidecar tour business!
During the pandemic related collapse of the European tourism industry, our founder, Simon, was at his father’s home in the Basque Country.
It was there that a sidecar tour business plan was drafted, but it was ultimately Paris that won the starting point.
A few years later, Txango turned its attention south to Madrid. While Simon was a high-school student in Paris, he worked every summer break in Madrid.
Meet the Team
Stephen (left) is a formally trained engineer and avid motorcyclist and traveller. After meeting Simon through a mutual friend he became a tour guide. He also keeps our sidecars well oiled and maintained!
Praveen (center) hails from the bustling city of Bangalore! A musician by trade, he moved to Paris to study in the hometown of the great gypsy-jazz guitarist, Django Reinhardt.
His affable nature and cheeky humour make fans of his guests after every tour!
Raphaël (right) originally from the Paris area, he fell in love with Spain and is our man on the ground in Madrid! If you are taking a tour with us there you’ll be sure to meet him!
Baptiste (left) Is our locally born and raised Parisian. He is a trained stage actor and has the coolest vintage motorcycles of the whole team.
Enzo (second from left) Is a Frenchman whose partner is Welsh. The resulting accent is hilarious and charming!
Kiran (third from left) is a professional photo journalist who now chooses to spend daylight hours touring with his Txango buddies!
Gilmar “JJ” (second from right) is a former Brazilian Olympic Kayaker. He moved to France for love and has since traded in his oars for handlebars.
Praveen (right) He’s so nice you gotta see him twice!
A passion passed down from generation to generation
A sense of fun and adventure runs in Simon’s family. His paternal grandmother was a tour guide, and she would regale him with stories of riding through her native Alsace in the sidecar of her father’s motorcycle.
Meanwhile in neighboring Lorraine, Simon’s maternal great grandfather also rode a motorcycle and sidecar. His son, Simon’s mischievous great uncle, forged his father’s signature in order to purchase, underage, his first motorcycle.
