| country: | France |
| location: | Provence |
| trip type: | Self guided, moderate cycling holidays |
| departures: | This trip can depart any day March - November |
| price: | From €515 (6 days) excluding flights and bike hire. Price based on double occupancy. Price includes accommodation in 2- and 3-star properties, breakfasts and 3 dinners, route notes, luggage transfers and assistance if necessary |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
You'll cycle through ancient times and space with this tour.
The Alpilles with its cypresses and olive trees, may remind you of Greece while the well-preserved Pont-du-Gard and the Arles theater will to Roman times. All the space in between these extraordinary sights will reveal to you, at the pace of your choosing, the unique heritage and character that is Provence - abbeys, castes, gardens, herbs markets, vineyards, museums, and much, much more...
Highlights include:
The Alpilles with its cypresses and olive trees, may remind you of Greece while the well-preserved Pont-du-Gard and the Arles theater will to Roman times. All the space in between these extraordinary sights will reveal to you, at the pace of your choosing, the unique heritage and character that is Provence - abbeys, castes, gardens, herbs markets, vineyards, museums, and much, much more...
Highlights include:
- Cycling through the scenic Alpilles mountain range
- The Pont du Gard, a famous, well-preserved aqueduct (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- The city of Arles a UNESCO World Heritage Site and its Roman theater
- Les Baux-de-Provence and its towering fortress that offers unobstructed views over the Alpilles
- Tarascon and its beautiful medieval castle
- Saint-Remy-de- Provence, where Van Gogh painted some of his best-known works.
- Provencal fabric maker Souleidado (its museum can be visited).
- Canoeing and bathing opportunities in the Gardon river that flows beneath the Pont du Gard aqueduct.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrival in Avignon. Arrive in Avignon at the time of your choice. Visit Avignon at your leisure. Meeting with our local correspondent to go over itinerary. Distribution of all necessary materials and rental equipment. |
| Day 2: | Avignon - Graveson (66 km or 41 miles). Leaving Avignon, you'll bike through the Gard vineyards and Provencal villages to reach the majestic Roman aqueduct "Pont du Gard," a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Besides touring this impressive 2,000-year-old wonder, you can also take advantage of the canoeing and bathing opportunities in the Gardon river that flows beneath the aqueduct. Overnight in Graveson. |
| Day 3: | Graveson - Fontvieille (40 km or 24 miles). You'll cycle through "La Montagnette," a scenic low-rise range of hills, home to the Frigolet Abbey, on your way to Tarascon, where one of France's best-kept medieval fortress can be visited. This is also where the Provencal fabric maker Souleidado is located (its museum can be visited). Overnight in Fontvieille. |
| Day 4: | Fontvieille - Fontvieille (30 km or 19 miles). A very enjoyable and short ride will take you to Arles. This is where you'll spend most of your day. Arles is known for its busy street life and its Roman monuments listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. On your way back to Fontvieille, you may stop and visit Daudet's windmill or the Abbey of Montmajour. |
| Day 5: | Fontvieille - Avignon (43 km or 27 miles). Today's route takes you through the Alpilles from south to north and you will discover one of Provence's jewels: Les Baux de Provence and its towering fortress that offers unobstructed views over the Alpilles. You will then ride on to the small city of Saint Remy, once home to Van Gogh. Overnight in Avignon. |
| Day 6: | Departure from Avignon. After breakfast, depart Avignon at the time of your choice. |
how this holiday makes a difference
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We offer you a unique way to offset your carbon by using pollution-free bicycles. Travelling by bike, you are no longer an observer you are a peaceful and friendly actor in the local environment.
This trip will lead you through Provencal local arts and crafts, giving the actors of the local economy the opportunity to display their goods to an international clientele. Among other local producers, we advise you to stop at the Provencal fabric maker Souleidado in Tarascon to visit its museum and why not directly buying from its outlet? Relying on local guides and family-owned hotels, you will be ensured a warm, personalized welcome. All properties are run by people who have a passion for their region and its cultural, gastronomic, and historical heritage. We use genuine places with local charm, blending harmoniously into the environment. Our hotels offer guests a pleasant, nice-sized environment. Some of them have as few as two rooms, while others are small human-sized hotels. We have teamed up with some local renters throughout France. We value their expert work and most of our clients are renting bikes directly through them instead of bringing their own. This, of course, also benefits the local economy. We are based in France. This is where we live and work. Our office is located in the French Alps, just a stones throw from the Swiss border, and we ride the very same roads we recommend to you for your cycling vacations. As firm believers of sustainable development, we have established a friendly network of professionals, comprised mainly of local tour guides, small operators, and family-run agencies. Most of our people have created their own jobs/enterprises in order to live their passion for the region and cultural heritage. All have extensive travel experience and have lived in various places before falling in love with the area they now call home. Traveling with us guarantees that you will be taken care of by caring professionals who chose to build their lives here. Forget the non-descript and indistinguishable big chain hotels; we use genuine places with local charm. All the properties we use are run by people who have a passion for their region and its cultural, gastronomic, and historical heritage.' We recommend travel by train, a much more eco-friendly solution. To travel within Europe, we recommend taking trains over renting cars, or air transports. Trains are more energy-efficient and will minimize the CO2 emission by capita. When flying is required, prefer an airline that contributes to funds aimed at offsetting carbon emissions. In cities, we recommend clients to use public transportations, or to walk or bike. City bike rentals are more and more widely available in big and medium-sized cities across Europe they are the best way to get around congested cities. Our travel tips include a list of renters. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |








