Good point on the van. I look for vacations where I ride from hotel to hotel -- it's much more fun that way.

Some companies, especially in Europe, also do self-guided tours. They provide bikes, maps, and a cue sheet and each morning you have breakfast in the hotel and then leave your luggage at the front desk. And you set off at your own pace, stopping to look at the sights, or to have lunch, coffee or cakes. Come evening, when you arrive by bike at your new destination, your luggage is in your room.