Provence self guided cycling tours, Avignon to Camargue
Highlights
Avignon | Pont du Gard UNESCO site | river swimming | Graveson | Tarascon | Arles | cycle through the Camargue to Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer | free day | option to go horse riding, canoeing or hiking | Alpilles area | pretty Provencal villages | great restaurants and cafes | hybrid bikes available to rentDescription of Provence self guided cycling tours, Avignon to Camargue
Explore the diverse landscapes of Provence on this self guided week long cycling tour, which begins and ends in Avignon. Each small region within Provence has a unique feel and character, with the Camargue itself an ever changing landscape within the Rhône River delta. A variety of wildlife and plants flourish in its saltwater lagoons and stretches of marshland – look out for the iconic horses and flamingos. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the wild beauty of this area is protected as a natural park!Cycling is a great way to explore this peaceful, rural region. You’ll ride to beautiful old towns, including Arles and Tarascon, with time out of the saddle to explore, visit museums or swim in the river. Cycling back to Avignon from the Camargue, you’ll pass through enormously varied scenery, villages and landscapes, which have all inspired artists for centuries.
You will be cycling between 40km and 73km each day, with a rest day included in the Camargue. This tour comes in two options, depending on the standard of hotels you wish to use. Luggage is transferred for you and a briefing, directions and info all included, with assistance once you are out cycling if needed.
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
01273 823 700 Calling from outside the UK? rosy@responsibletravel.comDeparture information
Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your holiday will help support conservation and local people.
Travelling by bike, you are no longer an observer — you are an active participant in the local environment and culture. Travelling on small and quiet roads, this tour will allow you to experience part of the rural countryside and ride through famous and not-so-famous small and authentic villages quintessential to the world's image of Provence.
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.
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.
The Impacts of this Trip
Travelling by bike, you are no longer an observer you are a peaceful and friendly actor of local people, environment and culture.
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 buy from the outlet?
You will also be travelling through the Camargue Natural Park and its nature reserve which includes some of the wildest and most protected lands in Europe. In this major world heritage wetland you will have plenty of time to observe and enjoy its exceptional biological diversity with its swamps, lagoons, and rice fields inhabited by more than 400 species of birds including pink flamingos, unique breeds of wild horses and bulls.
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.
Travelling by bike, you are no longer an observer — you are an active participant in the local environment and culture. Travelling on small and quiet roads, this tour will allow you to experience part of the rural countryside and ride through famous and not-so-famous small and authentic villages quintessential to the world's image of Provence.
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.
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.
The Impacts of this Trip
Travelling by bike, you are no longer an observer you are a peaceful and friendly actor of local people, environment and culture.
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 buy from the outlet?
You will also be travelling through the Camargue Natural Park and its nature reserve which includes some of the wildest and most protected lands in Europe. In this major world heritage wetland you will have plenty of time to observe and enjoy its exceptional biological diversity with its swamps, lagoons, and rice fields inhabited by more than 400 species of birds including pink flamingos, unique breeds of wild horses and bulls.
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.
2 Reviews of Provence self guided cycling tours, Avignon to Camargue
Reviewed on 29 Oct 2012 by Trish Price
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing the Pont du Gard. This was amazing!
The scenery was beautiful, except in the Camargue, and all the villages were very French and full of atmosphere. Cycling through the Montagnettes and Alpilles was lovely. The variety of fruit and vegetables growing in the fields was fascinating as they changed from one area to another.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Cover up very well when in the Camargue as we got bitten to death by mosquitos. The wildlfie in the Camargue was very disappointing. The ponies were mostly shut in small fields with not much to eat waiting for somebody to ride them and the flamingos werre all in the Bird Park. Opt for the Cadran Solaire B&B instead of the Moulin d'Aure in Graveson. The Olivier restaurant in Graveson gave us a fantastic meal vcery reasonably.Go for a B&B basis rather than dinner included if you have specific dietary requirements.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes because all the hotels were locally owned.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very well organised and very enjoyable. The extra day in the Camargue was not needed especially as there was nothing to do other than the Bird Park and walk around Saintes Maries de la Mer which was very commercialised - a typical seaside town.
Reviewed on 31 Jan 2012 by Jennifer Wright
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Successfully navigating our way in and out of beautiful little towns being enthusiastically helped with directions and suggestions for great things to see and do by locals even with our absolute lack of French.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Ask all the questions you have up front. They were answered quickly and openly by email and individual adjustments were able to be made.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Locals were very accepting of us cyclists on their roads, (much more so than Sydneysiders were we live). I don't know if this was partly recognising that we do little damage to the environment on bikes.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent. Bikes were better than ours at home. Accommodation was great. People friendly. Maps for directions could be improved.
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