Provence Biking Adventure Itinerary
Day 1: We meet you just after noon in Avignon, in the heart of Provence. You can choose to arrive the night before and stay in our recommended Avignon hotel or take the TGV high-speed train down from Paris or Geneva that morning. After introductions and a quick explanation of the tour, we are off on our bikes! We'll ride on a flat road along the Rhône River and then through quaint villages to the town of Barbentane, site of an amazing chateau and quaint town center. We then continue to Graveson where those of you who are interested will engage in a very educational two-hour cooking class. Those not interested can continue on to the hotel but we'll all return to Graveson after the class is over to reap the rewards via a candlelight dinner set in an alley of the old town! Our hotel for the evening is in St. Rémy-de-Provence, home of Nostradamus and the site where Van Gogh painted Starry Night. Routes: 19 or 35 kilometers.
Day 2: Today you bike for your lunch. We have a fantastic loop ride set up with stops at an olive oil mill, a winery, a honey farm, a goat cheese farm, and a fig farm. You can purchase products en route and we'll supplement with meat, vegetables, and French bread that wil grill for lunch. An optional long route will head south through thickly forested lands up into the Alpilles Mountains, reaching the medeival, cobblestoned village of Les Baux-de-Provence, built right into the mountainside. If you have extra time in St. Rémy, you can visit the Saint Paul de Mausole psychiatric institution where Van Gogh was voluntarily held and the ancient Celtic (and then Roman) city of Glanum. Routes: 18, 31, or 49 kilometers.
Day 3: Today we start by visiting the incredible Wednesday morning market in St. Rémy-de-Provence, where we suggest you buy lunch for a picnic later. We bicycle northeast through the town of Noves and cross over the Durance river into Caumont-sur-Durance before heading into another agricultural area, full of fruit trees. We ride on these rural roads through agricultural lands and a forest of cedar trees before rising slightly to the towns of Lagnes and Cabrières d'Avignon, picturesque small villages with winding streets and comfortable cafes in their town centers. On the way you can stop at a rural cheese shop with over 100 varieties of cheese for sale and, right before the final kilometers, the Domaine Bastidonne winery in the Ventoux AOC wine region. Optionally, you can detour to ancient Fontaine de Vaucluse, a small village known for an amazing river that shoots out of the ground nearby. It is then on to our hotel in les Imberts for a dip in the pool, a relaxing shower, a glass of wine, dinner, and perhaps even a game of boules (bocci). Routes: 37, 48, or 57 kilometers.
Day 4: Our first stop in the morning is to tour an olive oil mill, where the proprietor shows us the art of making olive oil using traditional techniques. It is on to the fantastic town of Gordes, rated as "one of the most beautiful villages of France", which is saying a lot. Park your bike and walk through the old streets, up to the castle and the Abbey of Senanque. We then ride through the Domaniale de Venasque forest, rising on what is one of our hillier roads. But the effort is worth it, as we have great views of Mt. Ventoux and exit the forest into the town of Venasque, our second "most beautiful villages of France" town of the day. Perched on a hilltop with magnificent views of the plains below, Venasque is a great lunch stop. In the afternoon, we cycle through the towns of Saint-Didier, Carpentras, and Aubignan on our way to our next hotel in Vacqueyras. We are now in the heart of wine country and you can choose to stop at two local wineries to sample the local grape varieties. For the long route today, you will add an extra morning loop taking you to Pont Julien (a Roman bridge dating to 3 BC and named for Julius Cesar) and lovely Roussillon. Routes: 37, 54, or 79 kilometers.
Day 5: Today we cycle through acres and acres of vineyards. We pass through the incredible landscapes to reach Châteauneuf-du-Pape, one of the most famous wine towns in France. You'll have time for lunch on your own and perhaps a walk up to the fortress relic or a tasting in one of the many wine shops. In the afternoon, we cycle on to the towns of Lirac and Tavel, considered the number one rosé wine town in France. We finish our 360-loop of the area by ending in lovely Avignon with our hotel situated right in front of the Palais du Pape (palace of the pope). Routes: 27, 47, or 73 kilometers.
Day 6: You have several options on this, our final morning. You can choose a 15 KM bike ride on a flat island in the middle of the Rhone river near Avignon. Alternatively, you can put your bike aside and explore the town of Avignon on your own. Plus, you always have the option to sleep in late! Our tour ends at noon and you can choose to stay another night in the city, rent a car to explore other nearby areas, or jump on the train back to your departure city.