Cotes Du Ventoux cycling holiday in France

Planet

Activity:
Cycling has minimal impact on the environment as you provide most of the energy yourself and. Also, by travelling independently, and not having to worry about keeping up with a group, you set the pace so you can soak up the sights, sounds and scents of your surrounds and really get under the skin of the place you’re visiting.

We proactively encourage our clients to think about travelling responsibly too: packing light, saving water, buying locally, re-cycling all maps and route notes at the end of their trip as well as to be mindful of not leaving any rubbish behind.

UK Office:
We are well aware of the impact tourism has at home and abroad, and we make every effort to balance the environmental impact of travelling with the immense benefits sustainable tourism can bring to destinations and the people who live there. So we start in the office: we turn off all electrical equipment every night; we use energy-efficient bulbs; we measure print and paper consumption, and re-cycle wherever possible; we print our brochures on paper from sustainable sources, and send them out in bio-degradable packaging.

People

Leaders & local suppliers:
Your route takes you along quiet country lanes across plains and gentle foothills, with breath-taking views of Mt Ventoux acting as your backdrop for the week. Highlights include 12th century Vacqueyras, and Beaumes-de-Venise, famous for its Muscat wine! From Mazan, birthplace of the Festival de Provence, you have the option to visit the perched village of Venasque before returning to Pernes-les-Fontaines with its delightful old town and over 40 ancient stone fountains.

When you’re cycling from village to village, you can enjoy a relationship with locals in a way motorists passing through never can. You get off the beaten track, and you’ll find that people treat you as a visitor rather than a tourist.We've hand-picked a great mix of hotels for you, each with a swimming pool and each offering fine Provencal cuisine and cellars full of local wine.

In Pernes-les-Fontaines you stay in a 19th century stately manor house surrounded by landscaped gardens; in Montmirail your hotel is a 17th century villa tucked between vineyards and olive groves; then in Mazan you stay in a 18th century chateau, the former home of the Marquis de Sade. As with all our holidays, we encourage visitors to buy from independently-run shops & establishments where possible, supporting the local people and their families.