Famous Villages of Provence Road Bike Tour
France Bike Tours
Cycling Provence!
- Tour Type
- Skill Level
- Length8 days
- Prices from€1320 Rates
Overview
This Provence bike tour starts in Avignon with afternoon sightseeing possible with an early arrival and a welcome meeting in the evening. From Avignon, you’ll cycle through the vineyards of the Gard (Châteauneuf du Pape, Lirac, etc.) and see the Pont du Gard (Roman aqueduct).
This tour is slightly different from the usual Famous Villages of Provence tour in that it covers longer distances.
Highlights
- Vineyards of côtes du Rhône (Vacqueyras, Beaumes de Venise, etc.),
- The Dentelles de Montmirail, the foothills of the highest peak in Provence, Mont Ventoux
- Cycling through villages such as Lacoste and Cavaillon.
- The Provencal village of Arles
- Castle ruins in Les Baux de Provence
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Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Avignon
Day 2: Avignon - Orange, 68 mi./110 km (option to Uzès, 54 mi./87 km) 1136 meters
Day 3: Orange - Bedoin, 27 mi. /41 km, 421 meters (option to Mont Ventoux, 35 mi./57 km), 1900 meters
Day 4: Bedoin - Fontain de Vaucluse - Gordes - Roussillon, 49 mi./78 km, 1200 meters or Bedoin - Murs - Roussillon, 34 mi./55 km, 873 meters
Day 5: Roussillon - Fontvieille, 53 mi./85 km, 933 meters
Day 6: Fontvieille - Arles - Baux de Provence, 22 mi./33 km, 314 meters or option loop in Camargue +26 mi./41 km, 113 meters
Day 7: Baux de Provence - Avignon, 38 mi./61 km, 404meters
Day 8: Departure from AvignonDistances are approximate.
DAY 1: Arrival in Avignon
Individual arrival in Avignon and a free afternoon to explore this great city - followed by a welcome meeting in the evening. The tour and equipment will be explained. The meeting will take place every day from 3 - 5:30 pm (except on Sunday.) In case of late arrival or in case of a Sunday arrival, the meeting will take place the next day at Provence Bike Shop at 9 am sharp. If you arrive on Saturday, you must be on time as the store is closed on Sunday. When you check in to hotel, you will receive a tour packet, luggage tags, with a map indicating how to reach the Provence Bike shop. Reception at the hotel will inform the shop that you have arrived. At this time, you can then decide the fixed time of your welcome briefing.DAY 2: Avignon - Orange, 68 mi./110 km (option to Uzès, 54 mi./87 km) 1136 meters
This day is about the vineyards of "côtes du Rhône, Lirac....Other highlights, the Pont du Gard, and the city of Orange itself with its majestic Roman monuments.DAY 3: Orange - Bedoin, 27 mi. /41 km, 430 meters (+ option to Mont Ventoux, + 35 mi./57 km), 1900 meters
Today, you will ride past the vineyards of Côtes du Rhône. You'll be amazed at the small villages at the foot of the small mountain chain "Dentelles de Montmirail". Here, you have the option of Mont Ventoux cycling, a mountain known as the "Giant of Provence" (1910 m).DAY 4: Bedoin - Fontaine de Vaucluse - Gordes - Roussillon, 49 mi./78 km, 1200 meters or Bedoin - Murs - Roussillon, 34 mi./55 km, 873 meters
At the foot of a golden cliff flows one of the most important springs in Europe: the Fontaine de Vaucluse, one of the many incredible places you will visit today. This site is famous for its breathtaking natural atmosphere. Further on, two villages are worth a visit: Gordes and Roussillon. Gordes has attractive stone houses and nicely paved, arched streets. Surrounding the villages are numerous “bories” (huts made out of dry stone) that will amaze you with their various shapes. Roussillon, a unique little village, sits on a small hill colored with red ocher. The house walls are stained with ocher, from red to yellow, contrasting nicely with the dark green of the pine trees. At the top of the village, a viewpoint offers a spectacular view over the plains, Gordes, and the small villages around.DAY 5: Roussillon - Fontvieille, 53 mi./85 km, 933 meters
The delightful villages in the north of the Luberon chain such as Lacoste, Ménerbes, and Bonnieux will all await your acquaintance. Eventually, you will reach the heart of the Natural Regional Park of the Luberon. The nice road of Destet will take you to the small villages at the foot of the Alpilles chain, including Maussane les Alpilles and Fontvieille.DAY 6: Fontvieille - Arles - Baux de Provence, 22 mi./33 km, 314 meters + option: loop in Camargue +26 mi./41 km, 113 meters
Today, you will travel to Arles, an ancient Roman capital that was a large religious center during the Middle Ages. The city has brilliant houses surrounding its arenas, which are perhaps the city's most captivating feature. Every Saturday morning, the city streets transform into a bustling open market. In the heart of the old center, you may relax at numerous refreshing outdoor cafés. Onward to the village of Les Baux de Provence, with its charming houses all strung together. Les Baux de Provence sits cozily on a rock where the vistas are magnificent: groves of olive trees flow across the plains, cypress trees stretch toward the sky, fields overflowing with beautiful flowers, small villages pepper the landscape, and of course, there are the endless blue waters of the sea to marvel at. There is an optional biking loop in Camarque that runs to Vaccarès pond.DAY 7: Baux de Provence - Avignon, 38 mi./61 km, 404 meters
Biking in Provence heading north, you will reach St. Rémy de Provence. But first, you should not forget to stop to enjoy “l’elixir du Révérand Pére Gaucher” (a liquor) in the Abbey of St Michel de Frigolet. It is situated on the “Montagnette”, a small mountain (highest point 170 m). In St. Rémy de Provence, you will come across 2 well-preserved Roman monuments: the Mausoleum and Municipal Arch. St. Rémy de Provence was once a rich Glanum city, abandoned at the end of the 3rd century and now only ruins remain. As you cycle back to Avignon, you will ride into the foothills of the Alpilles Mountain range. The landscape is made up of small hills with chalky ridges that love to soak under the sun, and where you can easily see why painters such as Vincent van Gogh found their inspiration. Today you will return the rental bicycle, tour material, and accessories.DAY 8: Departure from Avignon
Your Provence bike tour will end with individual departure following breakfast.Looking for more? View all our featured bicycle tours, specials, and news or look at our full list of bike tours in Europe.
Accommodation
Option A
5 nights in 3 star hotel with dinners included
2 nights in 3 star hotel with only breakfast included
All dinners are included except for the 2 nights at the B&B in Avignon.
Option B:
5 nights in 3 star hotel with dinner included
2 nights in 4 star hotel with breakfast only
All dinners are included except for the 2 nights at the B&B in Avignon. Some hotels/B&B’s have a pool so don’t forget to pack your bathing suit!Inclusions
What’s Included
- Hotel accommodations for 7 nights
- 7 breakfasts
- 5 dinners
- Sport Aluminum road bike (bikes are not equipped with rear rack)
- Welcome beverage
- Luggage transfer (Please note: it is not possible to guarantee luggage delivery to next hotel before 5 pm. If you need luggage at specific, earlier time in Avignon at end of tour, please request at time of booking. Supplement will apply.)
- Preloaded GPS rental, route descriptions & maps (one set per booking up to 4 ppl)
- Tourist tax
What’s Not Included
- Individual arrival to Avignon
- Upgrade to Carbon Road bike rental (please see pricing for options)
- 3 dinners (days 1, 7, and 8)
- Bicycle protection
- Travel Insurance
Dates & Pricing
Dates
April 1 to October 25, 2022
Arrivals after 6 pm on Saturdays are not possible. If you arrive on Sunday, the bike distribution and welcome meeting will take place on Monday.
Please Note
- Rates are per person, based on double occupancy
- Tour prices are based on the fuel costs at time prices are set, often months or years in advance. In rare cases, additional fees may apply for fuel cost increases.
- Information to read before you book
- We recommend purchasing trip insurance
- Please see our FAQ
Pricing
Option A, comfort Option B, superior April and October $ 2192 £ 1150 $ 1,992 € 1320 Ft 519695 kr 202375 ₪ 5399 ¥ 228699 Mex$ 24209 NZ$ 2394 NOK 15645 zł 5727 S$ 1970 kr 15616 $ 1,462 $ 2320 £ 1218 $ 2,108 € 1397 Ft 550011 kr 214180 ₪ 5714 ¥ 242040 Mex$ 25621 NZ$ 2534 NOK 16557 zł 6061 S$ 2085 kr 16527 $ 1,548 Single supplement: $ 398 £ 209 $ 362 € 240 Ft 94490 kr 36795 ₪ 982 ¥ 41582 Mex$ 4402 NZ$ 435 NOK 2844 zł 1041 S$ 358 kr 2839 $ 266 $ 515 £ 270 $ 468 € 310 Ft 122050 kr 47527 ₪ 1268 ¥ 53710 Mex$ 5685 NZ$ 562 NOK 3674 zł 1345 S$ 463 kr 3667 $ 343 Supplement, single traveler: $ 812 £ 426 $ 738 € 489 Ft 192524 kr 74971 ₪ 2000 ¥ 84723 Mex$ 8968 NZ$ 887 NOK 5796 zł 2121 S$ 730 kr 5785 $ 542 $ 940 £ 493 $ 854 € 566 Ft 222839 kr 86776 ₪ 2315 ¥ 98063 Mex$ 10380 NZ$ 1027 NOK 6708 zł 2455 S$ 845 kr 6696 $ 627 May, June, August, and Sept. $ 2256 £ 1184 $ 2,051 € 1359 Ft 535050 kr 208354 ₪ 5559 ¥ 235456 Mex$ 24924 NZ$ 2465 NOK 16107 zł 5896 S$ 2029 kr 16077 $ 1,505 $ 2462 £ 1293 $ 2,238 € 1483 Ft 583870 kr 227365 ₪ 6066 ¥ 256940 Mex$ 27198 NZ$ 2690 NOK 17576 zł 6434 S$ 2214 kr 17544 $ 1,643 Single supplement $ 435 £ 228 $ 395 € 262 Ft 103152 kr 40168 ₪ 1072 ¥ 45393 Mex$ 4805 NZ$ 475 NOK 3105 zł 1137 S$ 391 kr 3100 $ 290 $ 636 £ 334 $ 578 € 383 Ft 150790 kr 58719 ₪ 1567 ¥ 66357 Mex$ 7024 NZ$ 695 NOK 4539 zł 1662 S$ 572 kr 4531 $ 424 Supplement, single traveler $ 860 £ 451 $ 782 € 518 Ft 203941 kr 79417 ₪ 2119 ¥ 89747 Mex$ 9500 NZ$ 940 NOK 6139 zł 2247 S$ 773 kr 6128 $ 574 $ 1059 £ 556 $ 963 € 638 Ft 251186 kr 97815 ₪ 2610 ¥ 110538 Mex$ 11701 NZ$ 1157 NOK 7562 zł 2768 S$ 952 kr 7548 $ 707 July 1 to July 25 (Festival d' Avignon) $ 2321 £ 1218 $ 2,110 € 1398 Ft 550405 kr 214334 ₪ 5718 ¥ 242213 Mex$ 25639 NZ$ 2536 NOK 16569 zł 6065 S$ 2087 kr 16539 $ 1,549 $ 2681 £ 1408 $ 2,437 € 1615 Ft 635839 kr 247603 ₪ 6606 ¥ 279810 Mex$ 29619 NZ$ 2929 NOK 19141 zł 7006 S$ 2411 kr 19106 $ 1,789 Single supplement: $ 545 £ 286 $ 495 € 328 Ft 129136 kr 50287 ₪ 1342 ¥ 56828 Mex$ 6015 NZ$ 595 NOK 3887 zł 1423 S$ 490 kr 3880 $ 363 $ 900 £ 472 $ 818 € 542 Ft 213390 kr 83096 ₪ 2217 ¥ 93905 Mex$ 9940 NZ$ 983 NOK 6424 zł 2351 S$ 809 kr 6412 $ 600 Supplement, single traveler: $ 968 £ 508 $ 880 € 583 Ft 229532 kr 89382 ₪ 2385 ¥ 101009 Mex$ 10692 NZ$ 1058 NOK 6910 zł 2529 S$ 870 kr 6897 $ 646 $ 1323 £ 695 $ 1,203 € 797 Ft 313786 kr 122192 ₪ 3260 ¥ 138086 Mex$ 14617 NZ$ 1446 NOK 9446 zł 3458 S$ 1190 kr 9429 $ 883 July 26 to July 31 $ 2321 £ 1218 $ 2,110 € 1398 Ft 550405 kr 214334 ₪ 5718 ¥ 242213 Mex$ 25639 NZ$ 2536 NOK 16569 zł 6065 S$ 2087 kr 16539 $ 1,549 $ 2462 £ 1293 $ 2,238 € 1483 Ft 583870 kr 227365 ₪ 6066 ¥ 256940 Mex$ 27198 NZ$ 2690 NOK 17576 zł 6434 S$ 2214 kr 17544 $ 1,643 Single supplement: $ 545 £ 286 $ 495 € 328 Ft 129136 kr 50287 ₪ 1342 ¥ 56828 Mex$ 6015 NZ$ 595 NOK 3887 zł 1423 S$ 490 kr 3880 $ 363 $ 677 £ 356 $ 616 € 408 Ft 160633 kr 62552 ₪ 1669 ¥ 70689 Mex$ 7483 NZ$ 740 NOK 4836 zł 1770 S$ 609 kr 4827 $ 452 Supplement, single traveler: $ 968 £ 508 $ 880 € 583 Ft 229532 kr 89382 ₪ 2385 ¥ 101009 Mex$ 10692 NZ$ 1058 NOK 6910 zł 2529 S$ 870 kr 6897 $ 646 $ 1101 £ 578 $ 1,001 € 663 Ft 261029 kr 101648 ₪ 2712 ¥ 114869 Mex$ 12159 NZ$ 1203 NOK 7858 zł 2876 S$ 990 kr 7843 $ 734 Extra Options
Road bike rental options:
Upgrade to Sport Carbon Road Bike (no rack): $ 58 £ 31 $ 53 € 35 Ft 13780 kr 5366 ₪ 143 ¥ 6064 Mex$ 642 NZ$ 63 NOK 415 zł 152 S$ 52 kr 414 $ 39
Extra Info
Skill Level — Moderate–Difficult
This Provence bike tour is classified as a moderate to somewhat difficult self-guided hotel tour, designed for road-bikers. Some days will get hilly, and there are a few short but steep climbs - except Mount Ventoux which is a long steep climb! However, remember you can always walk your bike if need be. Daily distances range from 22 to 65 miles. Please see the day to day for elevation information.
Airport Info
Fly to Paris, Marseilles, or Avignon.
Local Travel
From Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport, take the TGV to Avignon, 3-4 hours depending on connections.
From Paris city, you can take the TGV from Paris Lyon station to Avignon.
Please be aware there are two train stations in Avignon. One is the Centre train station which is 5 minutes walking distance from tour hotel and the TGV train station (about 15 minutes from the center of by taxi or you can take a local train from TGV station to the center
Centre train station in Avignon (5 minutes on foot from the hotels).
TGV train station (about 15 minutes from the town center by taxi). There are 35 trains between the Avignon TGV station and the city train station from 5:58 am to 11:00 pm (5 minutes transfer only).Climate
Average high temp in °F for Avignon is 59 for Mar, 67 Apr, 74 May, 82 Jun, 87 Jul, 87 Aug, 78 Sep, 68 Oct & 56 Nov.
Remarks
Road bike rental is available.
Tour Operator
This tour is run by Transhumance.
We value the strong relationship we have with our local partners and the services we provide.
We are not a broker.
We do not inflate tour prices.
We are simply travelers helping travelers.Would you like to learn more About Us? How about What Makes Us Different than other companies?
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