Take your bike and discover the Via Rhôna! From Lyon, follow a route that has been used by successive civilizations for over 2,000 years. Wonderful landscapes, towns, authentic villages, impressive nature, vineyards and delicious gastronomy await you along the way!
After visiting Lyon, a gastronomic capital, this week shows you why the Rhône has long been renowned as the route of successive civilizations. Many spots recall the importance of river navigation and trade in times past. Several towns here have Roman roots, while famous vineyards line up along the steep, sunny slopes. Valence classed as city of Art and History for its rich cultural legacy, and finally Orange, the gateway to Provence. A bicycle trip to the sound of cicadas !
You have the option to blend various stages we provide along the ViaRhona!
Arrival in the beautiful city of Lyon. Your options for the rest of the day are endless. Walk to the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière for a great view in town, shop, visit a museum, or see the typical Halles de Lyon Market, you can also reward your soul of cyclist with a delicious meal in a "petit bouchon", authentic restaurant in the "French capital of gastronomy"!
After buzzing Lyon, the itinerary leads through the towns of Grigny and Givors, on to St-Romain-enGal. The historic importance of navigation is clearer here than anywhere else along the Rhône. Museums at St-Romain-en-Gal and Vienne give a good picture of the river’s rich history, from classical to contemporary times.
You also have the possibility to take the train until Vienne and start your bike trip the day after if you want to avoid this first stage with busy roads and urban environment!
Challenge: 32.8km, 322 ascent, 336m descent
This remarkable cycling day offers a great variety of landscapes. From Vienne, once an ancient capital of Roman Gaul, to the nature reserve of L’île au Beurre, bearing witness to the Rhône’s wild side, via steeply terraced vineyards, including the prestigious Côte-Rôtie, and the first major orchards along the Rhône Valley, this stage will delight those interested in history, nature and gastronomy.
Challenge: 33.1km, 255m ascent, 270m descent
Your itinerary today runs between steep vineyards and dense orchards. Heading south from Lyon, this is the first ViaRhôna stage to enter the rugged Ardèche, a beautiful département (or French county) on the mighty Rhône’s west flank. Here, the tamed river supports orchards, market gardens and vines producing top-class Saint-Joseph wines. Arriving in Tournon-sur-Rhone enjoy a pleasant break laden with Gallo-Roman history.
Challenge: 61.3km, 438m ascent, 448m descent
After a halt at Valence’s southern river port of L'Epervière, your route leads you back onto the western, Ardèche bank of the Rhône. The Ardèche is known for its exceptional caves, archaeological sites, characterful villages, châteaux and nature reserves. Continuing south along ViaRhôna and cycle on the recent Himalayan-style footbridge at Rochemaure is a great experience, built using the pillars of the Vieux Pont, it is an historic bridge over the Rhône. Here you are at the gates of Provence: "Montélimar" where a human presence has existed for more than 50,000 years. Renowned for its nougat, Montélimar is a pleasant town where it is good to stroll in the old city center.
Challenge: 70.9km, 460m ascent, 503m descent
Leaving the beautiful city of Montélimar, cycle beside branches of the Rhône and pass through historic towns: Viviers, with its medieval spirit; Bourg-Saint-Andéol, its treasures including a rare sculpture of a Mithraic deity. Today your short itinerary is packed with heritage treasures, especially religious ones, including cathedrals, chapels and grand clerical residences. Those who love history as well as nature can enjoy their fill.
Challenge: 28.50km, 205m ascent, 236m descent
Today is your last cycling day, and not just an ordinary day. The program of the day : Pedaling through a impressive nature with the scents of Provence and across the charming village of Pont-Saint-Esprit. In the afternoon you reach the beautiful city of Orange. Of the numerous Roman buildings and monuments originally built, you still can see parts of the City Wall, the Arc de Triumph and the Theatre (UNESCO heritage), the stage wall of which the Sun King, Louis XIV, described as the most beautiful wall in his country.
Challenge: 50.6km, 304m ascent, 308m descent
End of your trip after breakfast. We advise you to extend your stay in order to take the time to visit the history city of Orange.
All accommodations are carefully selected because of their location, atmosphere and/or unique services.
We choose comfortable 2*/3* hotels or B&Bs where all rooms have private en-suite bathroom and every morning breakfast are included.
For this trip you can choose between Comfort and Comfort +. The accommodations for a Comfort+ trip, will be in 3*/4 * hotels wherever possible (supplement applied).
If you don’t bring your own, you can rent a bicycle from us. Our touring bikes are at least 21-speed gear. You can find all the information regarding our rental bikes below.
You will find your rental bikes waiting for you at your first hotel. The hotel reception staff will give you the keys for your bikes and direct you to the bicycle shed. All bikes are provided with chain locks.
The frame and saddle height are set to your length, although you might want to adjust your saddle to be in the most comfortable position. We also recommend doing a first small test drive of couple of hundred meters to be comfortable with gears, breaks etc. If you have an issue with your bike, you can contact the service provider (name of bike rental in your reservation) directly. And you can always call us on our emergency phone number.
Please note: depending the trip, different models apply.
Our hybrid bikes have at least 21-gears with hand brakes.
The hybrid bikes are very good quality. Depending the trip, different model apply: Scott, Giant, Trek, Koga, ...
Whenever there is a big difference in level of ability, experience the many benefits of an electric bike on your cycling holiday. An e-bike will help you keep up with your fellow cyclists and give you a gentle boost up hills. An e-bike makes a bike trip more achievable. The e-bikes have a small electric engine and battery, which can be charged at the hotels. You still have to pedal: it just makes pedaling much easier. Some experience with e-bikes is recommended, as the bikes accelerate faster and are heavier than regular bikes because of the electric engine.
The E-bikes are very good quality. Depending the trip, different model apply: Scott, Giant, Trek, Koga, ...
For some trips, we can give you the possibility to rent a Racing bike, more details on request.
For some trips, we can give you the possibility to rent a Tandem bike, suitable for two adults only. More details on request.
For children who are at least 125 cm, we can also arrange bikes (these are 24”or 26” for children that are bigger than 140 cm). The child bikes come with at least 7-gears and hand brakes. The maximum body height for a child’s bike is 155 cm.
Please note: for some tours, different models apply.
A tag-along bike is a good option for children between approx. 100 cm and 125 cm, as they can pedal themselves and on their own pace but don’t have to worry about other traffic.
The tag-along bikes cannot be rented for all our tours
Please note: depending the trip, different models apply.
Child trailers can be rented for a maximum of two children who are up to 100 cm (max. 35 KG in total).
Please note: for some tours, different models apply.
All our rental bikes come with a bell.
All our adult bikes come with hand brakes.
For children older than 30 months (max. 22 kg) it is possible to rent a rear child seat. This is also possible with e-bikes.
For some tours, it is possible to rent a GPS device, more details on request.
Helmets are not mandatory in France (if the cyclist is over 12 years old) but strongly recommended. The helmet is mandatory for children under 12 years. If you rent a bike with us, helmets are included. Please advise us, if you bring along your own.
All our rental bikes come with lights.
All our rental bikes come with a lock.
All our rental bikes come with at least a rear pannier and a front card holder to put the roadbook/maps.
The rental bikes come with regular pedals, so no click-in/SPD pedals. On request we are able to supply these pedals on certain trips.
If you wish to bring your own click-in/SPD pedals, please let us knowprior to booking too.
All our bikes come with a quick release system, which makes it very easy to adjust the height of the saddle and the handle bars.
There is one small puncture kit included, which can be found in the pannier. In case a rental bike has another problem, we always advise you to go to a bike repair shop.
Saddles can be adjusted in height.
Our saddles don’t come with a gel cover. If you usually cycle with this, we recommend you carry them with you.
French Bike Tours does not provide water bottles. We can also not guarantee that there are bottle holders on the bikes. You will always receive at least 1x pannier, so you can always store your water bottle in your pannier.
Article 1 Bike Rental Price
The bike rental price is determined by the rates mentioned on the French Bike Tours website at the time of the booking; or as subsequently agreed.
Article 2 Payment
a. The rental price and any other due sums regarding the rental agreement must be paid before the bike is handed over to you.
b. If, for whatever reason, you cannot make use of the bike(s) you have rented, French Bike Tours will not be held responsible for any resulting expenses or damage.
c. In the case of the article 2b, the client remains obliged to pay the full rental price and any other amounts mentioned in the invoice, in accordance with our General Terms and Conditions of Booking, unless the client can prove that his not being able to use the bike was the consequence of a defect that was already present at the beginning of the rental period.
Article 3 Rental Period
a. The rental period runs from the morning of the first cycling day (day 2) to the end of the holiday (last cycling day), as stated in the booking confirmation.
b. Extension of the rental period is possible only after approval by us and according to the (extension) rates as mentioned in article 1.
c. No refunds are possible after the rental period begins. If you return the bike(s) to us before the end of your holiday, the rental agreement will automatically be terminated and you will not get any of your money back.
d. At the end of the last cycling day of your holiday, the bike(s) must be returned to the hotel from where it was/they were issued, no later than the time stated in the booking confirmation.
If you book a one way tour tour you can leave the bike at the last hotel of the trip.
e. If the bike(s) is /are not returned by the return time stated in the booking confirmation, we will continue to charge you rent until such time as the bike(s) is/are returned to us or is/are received by us. In the event of late return, the rates as mentioned in article 1 will continue to apply, plus a fine of €25 per day. We also reserve the right to demand payment for any costs and/or damages suffered by us due to late return of our rental bike(s).
f. Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, in the event of late return of our rental bikes, we reserve the right to dissolve the rental agreement without judicial intervention and immediately claim back our bicycles where ever they may be and from whomever has them. French Bike Tours also holds this right in the event that the client does not comply with any of the other conditions stated in this rental agreement.
Article 4 Improper Use
a. The bicycle(s) may only be used for its/their intended purpose and only by the cyclists listed in the rental agreement.
b. The bike(s) must be returned to us in the same (clean!) state in which you received it/them.
c. You must take excellent care of the bicycle(s), as if it/they were your own. You must take every precaution against damage, loss or theft.
d. The bicycle may not be used on the beach; or on sandy paths in the dunes unless a paved path is unavailable.
Article 5 Damage, Loss and Theft
The renter will be held responsible for damages to or loss of the bicycle(s) or parts of it, as well as bicycle keys and chains and locks, for such an amount as is determined by us according to standard market prices. You must understand that you are not insured for damage to the bicycle(s) or for any damages to third parties.
Article 6 Costs During the Rental Period
Any charges and taxes regarding the rental bicycle(s), such as fines and ferry tickets, are to be paid by you. You will also be required to pay all costs ensuing from the use of the bicycle(s) such as parking fees, maintenance and repairs.
7 Nights included
2/3 Star Hotels or 3/4 Star Hotels (supplement applied)
Tourist tax included
Breakfast included, Halfboard optional on request
Maps and tourist information on all the places of interest
24/7 Bilingual Emergency hotline
Luggage transport to your next accommodations. Luggage accepted per person: 1 suitcase or travel bag (20 kg maximum)
For time tables and further information check the website of SNCF or rome2rio for all French National trains (SNCF).
We strongly advise you to download the sncf mobile app prior to departure.
If you want to travel on a train with your bike, you can find more information via this link.
Parking informations on request
We will supply the directions of this trip with a personalized code which gives you access to our travel App.
The international Lyon Airport is served by a large number of scheduled and low cost airlines.
From Paris, you can take the TGV (high speed train) to Lyon (approx. 2h). On the end of your trip you can take a train from Orange.
For timetables and further information check the website of SNCF or rome2rio for all French National trains (SNCF).
From Paris to Lyon (approx. 4h30 - 470 km/292 mi). Acces to driving routes see the website ViaMichelin.
Each town and village visited offered something diffferent and interesting.
Hotel domaine des oliviers was especially good .
55, rue Saint Jacques
24540 Monpazier
France
info@french-biketours.com
+33 (0) 5 53 73 08 61
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