Inland Provence is a cycling paradise of tiny villages linked by quiet backroads, all calling your name! So grab your bike and pedal into French village life, breathe in the aromas and sample mouth-watering delights. Time-tested relics will guide the way, from prehistory to the Roman era, as you soak up the sun, sights and wine and savour the produce of Cotes du Rhone.
Glide along country lanes and Roman roads, climb up to remote hilltop passes. Cruise past vineyards, olive groves and sleepy hamlets, then indulge in frequent stops at ornate chapels and quaint castles. Linger in story-book villages and get lost in Provence.
Explore the typical Provencal villages of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, with its market renowned throughout the region; the magnificent hilltop village and castle of Les Baux-de-Provence; and the Roman city of Arles, famous for its Roman arena and theater.
Check out our video to discover the Lavender fields in Provence:
Your cycling trip takes off from Graveson or Barbentane, just 15 minutes by taxi from Avignon Station. Settle in, rinse off the dust of travel and blend into the surroundings that so inspired Van Gogh.
Strike out on a route to Tarascon, either through the Alpilles foothills or via St Michel’s Abbey in Frigolet. Whichever route you take, the superb scenery will swallow you whole! The well-preserved Castle of Tarascon, former residence of Count Rene d’Anjou King of Provence, guards an excellent display of tapestries and earthenware jars, while the Musee du Tissu Souleiado overwhelms with countless sorts of fabric. Tuesday is market day, a chance to check out local specialties. Take an evening stroll by the river for a closer look at stately 17th and 18th-century homes.
Challenge: 20km, 123m ascent, 128m descent
Head north into the rugged and rocky scenery around Fontvieille, where local windmills include Alphonse Daudet’s Mill, described in the author’s 1869 tales ‘Lettres de mon Moulin’. Continuing on, you encounter Arles, a major Gallo-Roman city founded in 7th century BC. Spend time at the Arena and Roman Theatre, cycle along the canal and stop off at the reconstructed Van Gogh Bridge, setting for the painter’s famous “Pont de Langlois” works.
Challenge: 25.2km, 166m ascent, 107m descent
A shorter ride leaves time to explore the area and Les-Baux-de-Provence, a picturesque village with royal history and towering fortified ruins. Peruse the artifacts at local museums and relish in an evening steeped in history and beauté provençale.
Challenge: 21.2km, 223m ascent, 88m descent
Circle back to Maussane on backroads enjoying gorgeous views of the Alpilles, then continue onward to Saint Rémy. Vincent van Gogh spent time here at the asylum in the year before his death, and his paintings from that era celebrate the local light and colours. Other well-known artists have portrayed the area as well, including Picasso, Gauguin, Matisse and Cézanne. Save ample time to explore delightful Saint Remy, whose hidden charms include the house where Nostradamus was born.
Challenge: 27.4km, 320m ascent, 449m descent
Free day today: you can spend time exploring the town further including the Van Gogh walking trail to discover where his great works were painted or the "Archeological site of Glanum", south of the town.
Pedal along dirt roads lined with orchards, where it’s all olive groves and fruit trees! Pause to peak into the village of Eyragues, with its splendid 18th-century clock tower and fortified Romanesque church of Saint Maxime dating back to the 11th century. Stretch your legs on ancient lanes lined with the remains of ramparts, then speed along through vegetable gardens and farmland around Châteaurenard. Your route finishes full circle as you ride back into Barbentane or Graveson.
Challenge: 24.8km, 164m ascent, 203m descent
Your cycling trip comes to an end today after breakfast. An optional transfer to Avignon train station can be arranged in advance, or on the spot at your accommodation.
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 and 3 dinners during the trip.
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
Tourist tax included
Breakfasts and 3 Dinners included during the trip
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 information on request
We will supply the directions of this trip with a personalized code which gives you access to our travel App.
The international Marseille Airport is served by a large number of scheduled and low cost airlines. There are easy train connections from Marseille-Provence Airport to Arles.
Avignon can easily be reached by train (TGV). Then it's just a short taxi ride to Barbentane or Graveson. At the end of your trip, it's just a short taxi ride from Barbentane or Graveson to Avignon train station (approx. 20 min).
For timetables and further information check the website of SNCF or rome2rio for all French National trains (SNCF).
From Paris to Barbentane / Graveson (approx. 7h10 - 745 km/463 mi). Check recommended driving itineraries at ViaMichelin.
I LOVED the accomodation in Baux de Provence and the dinner was perfectly amazing. In general, this was a special trip for me and one that I would gladly do again. It was truly a dream come true and I got to see things that some people only dream of. The locations, the accomodation, the map guides and directions, the suggestions of places to see and experience were really great. It was a transformational trip for me and has inspired me to more. The people working in the hotels were super kind and welcoming. It was wonderful. I felt the routes were too easy honestly. I liked the back roads and the way you tried to avoid major traffic routes but every day of my trip, I was on Strava planning an additional ride because the route to the next hotel was much too short. I was a bit disappointed with a few of the gravel roads - usually ones that followed rivers or creeks. Some small sections of the route had very rough terrain for a skinny tire road bike that at times was dangerous. This trip was designed more for mountain bike or hybrid bikes. The map guidance application was a little bit quirky to use but ultimately effective. I think it was relatively easy to use. No major issues. A bit rudimatary. Could be more asthetically well designed. Me, my bicycle and the eager anticipation of the beautiful back roads of Provence. I found myself over the course of several days discovering new places, decadent foods and some of the most beautiful sites on the planet. Each twist and turn in the road was an opportunity to explore and reveal a new treasure of an experience or to meet the characters of the local towns. A castle on the hill, an iridescent angel in a sunlit graveyard, a meal in front of a Roman amphitheater, a rowdy breakfast room full of students visiting Arles!!!, an excited puppy at the hotel in Tarascon licking my face, a warm coffee and pastry on a cool morning ride, the sweat of great memories crystallizing on my face as I reach another milestone. What a ride. Tiago R.
55, rue Saint Jacques
24540 Monpazier
France
info@french-biketours.com
+33 (0) 5 53 73 08 61
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