TRIP DETAILS:
Trip Duration: 8 days, 7 nights
Average Daily Distance: 30km (20 miles) to 50km (30 miles) per day
Stays: 2 nights St Remy
3 nights Gordes
2 nights Vaison-la-Romaine
2008 Dates: Between April and October
Start: St Remy-de-Provence (transfer from Avignon TGV Station)
Finish: Vaison-la-Romaine (transfer to Avignon TGV Station)
Accommodation: 3 and 4 Star Quality Hotels in traditional Provençal villages
Group Size: Minimum 2 people
Cost: AUD$3250/person (riders), AUD $2955 (non-riders)
Deposit: USD* $892/person - Reserve now
Single supplementary fee: AUD $950

Inclusions

• Seven nights accommodation in luxury 3-4 star hotels in traditional Provencal villages, breakfasts daily (taxes included)
• Transfers between the train station (or airport) and hotels
• Daily luggage deliveries from hotel to hotel
• 3 gourmet dinners
• 1 day’s guided ride OR 1 day’s guided sightseeing excursion
• Bike hire (Seven days bicycle hire including free delivery and bike accessories such as helmets, computers, repair kits, water bottles, pumps and locks)
• Comprehensive information pack on arrival, containing day-to-day itineraries, guide book, route maps and directions, travelling information and tourist brochures
• 24-hour back up support and assistance if required including regular contact with tour guides and access to a cell phone for the duration of the trip
• Back-up technical/mechanical assistance with hire bikes

Extra options

Bicycle Hire/ Upgrade: Additional cost
Guided Bike rides: Additional cost
General tour guiding: Additional cost
Wine Tours: Additional cost

Day 1: St Remy-de-Provence

Getawaybybike staff will be at the train station (or airport) to meet you and transfer you to your four-star luxury hotel in St Remy-de-Provence. Your hire bikes will be delivered on arrival, as well as your cycling itinerary and information pack. There will be time to put your bike together and have a short shake-down ride if you wish; staff will be on hand to provide any technical assistance and support required. Depending on the time of your arrival, there should also be opportunities to do some sightseeing in St Remy itself. Tonight there will be a welcome dinner in St Remy at your hotel.

St Remy-de-Provence, immortalized by Van Gogh and other painters who fell in love with the region, is a charming medieval town, historically rich, prosperous and with a somewhat chic ambience. Tonight there will be a welcome dinner and an early night for your first ride tomorrow.

Day 2: St Remy-de-Provence

Today we have a few rides for you to choose from depending on what you would like to see and how far you would like to ride. Free night. Feel free to choose from one of the many tempting brasseries or restaurants in the town centre of St Remy.

Circuit 1: Abbaye-de-St Michel-de-Frigolet
Distance: 30km (19 miles)

Easy, flat riding; this circuit will suit beginner riders who can ride the distance; moderate incline up to Abbaye-de-St-Michel-de-Frigolet; moderate level of fitness required. Take a picnic lunch and picnic under the trees in the grounds of the Abbaye.

The beautiful 10th Century abbey, l’Abbaye de St. Michel-de-Frigolet is located in a tranquil setting and is famous for its unique thyme-flavoured liqueur produced by the monks.

Circuit 2: Alpilles
Distance: 48km (30 miles)

This route is generally flat apart from the climb up to Les Baux and around Les Alpilles hills; a moderate to good level of fitness is required. Stop in at the Roman site of Glanum and explore the roman antiquities on the route to Les Baux. From Les Baux you head north to Maillane and then onto the Abbaye-de-St-Michel-de-Frigolet. We recommend the old village of Les Baux-de-Provence or the Abbaye for lunch. Tonight feel free to dine at one of the many restaurants in St Remy.

Day 3: St Remy de Provence to Gordes
Distance: 38km (24 miles)

From St Remy-de-Provence, your trip takes you back north-east over to the pretty town of Gordes. You will travel along picturesque roads, through quiet villages and cross over the Rhone before arriving at Gordes. The jewel in the Provencal crown, Gordes is one of the “must-see” villages in this region. Listed as one of France’s “most beautiful villages” and popular as a summer retreat with film stars and artists alike, the village of Gordes will impress with its exceptional charm and unique stone architecture. Free night tonight – why not take a stroll around this beautiful town and take in the sights and magnificent views of the Luberon. Besides the restaurant in your hotel there are plenty of other tempting bistros and restaurants in and around the village of Gordes from which to choose.

Days 4 and 5: Gordes

Once again we have a few rides for you to choose from depending on what you would like to see and how far you would like to ride.

Circuit 1: Abbaye-de-Senanque/Venasque
Distance: 30km (19 miles)

This is not a long ride but the terrain is undulating and there are some steep climbs up into Venasque and on the return ride from the Abbaye-de-Senanque to Gordes. However, the views are spectacular and the villages are gorgeous. Make sure you stop into the Abbaye and take a guided tour. This pretty circuit requires a good level of fitness and some climbing experience.

Suggested stop for lunch in Venasque. Classified as “one of the most beautiful villages in France” Venasque sits majestically atop a rocky outcrop dominating the Nesque Valley and the Carpentras plains. Venasque is one of the oldest villages of the Comtat Venaissin and its interesting and dramatic past is reflected in the buildings and sites that make this village a worthwhile detour off the normal touristy path.

Circuit 2: Classic Petit Luberon
Distance: 43.5km (27 miles)

This delightful circuit consists of rolling countryside with significant climbing up into the famous Luberon villages of Roussillon, Menerbes and Oppede; whilst not long, riders will still need to have a good level of fitness to tackle the hills around the Luberon. We recommend that you stop for lunch in Bonnieux – along the terraces above the village are several good restaurants and cafes offering superb panoramic views of the Luberon countryside over to Lacoste.

Circuit 3: Fontaine-de-Vaucluse/ L’Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue Circuit
Distance: 38km (24 miles)

This is a nice, easy short ride with flat stretches all the way. Explore the mysterious spring at Fontaine as well as the Petrarch Museum before heading onto L’Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue for lunch and then returning to Gordes via Lagnes along quiet scenic roads. Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, famous for its mysterious underground springs and the emerald-green waters of the river that snakes its way through the town, is also home to one of France’s greatest 14th century poets - Petrarch.

L’Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue was once a settlement for fishermen in ancient times, and then expanded during the Middle Ages into a bustling commercial and manufacturing centre within the region. Today it is a thriving market town, renowned throughout France for its lively antique and second-hand markets held every Sunday. Your second dinner of the tour is reserved for night four. Details are provided in your day-to-day itinerary. Free night on night five. Why not take a stroll around Gordes and take in the sights of the magnificent Luberon valley. There are plenty of tempting bistros and restaurants in and around the village from which to choose.

Day 6: Gordes to Vaison-La-Romaine
Distance: 50km (31 miles)

From Gordes, you will head northwards, through beautiful sun-drenched country, across to Mazan, skirting around the mystical Giant of Provence, Mont Ventoux. Continue heading north past the classic Provencal villages of Malaucene and Crestet before finishing in the old Roman town of Vaison-La-Romaine, the jewel of Roman Provence. Steeped in Roman history and rich in architecture, Vaison is a delightful village; its many gorgeous tree-shaded outdoor restaurants and cafes, bustling markets, wine and gourmet festival, and wonderful Provencal boutiques will no doubt tempt you back for another visit! Your third dinner of the tour is reserved for night six. Details are provided in your day-to-day itinerary.

Day 7: Vaison-La-Romaine

Today is your last day of riding, so make the most of it! Once again we have a few rides for you to choose from depending on what you would like to see and how far you would like to ride.

Circuit 1: Wine Route
Distance: 47km (29 miles)

This one is for the wine lovers! This circuit is not a difficult one; the terrain is mostly flat or rolling and should suit most riders with a moderate to good level of fitness. There are plenty of opportunities for wine tastings at the many Domaines (wineries) scattered throughout this corner of Provence. Suggested stop for lunch - Gigondas. Over the centuries, Vacqueyras has largely been an agricultural centre, its principal crop being its wine production. With vineyards extending as far as the Dentelles de Montmirail ranges, it produces one of the three major vintages of Cotes du Rhone wines. Although this village has long been regarded as a producer of wines of renown, it was not until 1990 that local wine-growers obtained official recognition for the quality of their wines and were bestowed with the Cotes du Rhone AOC classification.

Known the world over for its famous Muscat (and equally distinguished Cote-du-Rhone village reds and whites), Beaumes-de-Venise actually derives its name from the famous prehistoric caves (or Baumes) to be found in the hill overlooking the town.

Circuit 2: Dentelles de Montmirail Mountain
Distance: 45km (28 miles)

This circuit offers a great mix of moderate to steep climbs through rolling Provencal countryside travelling through Malaucene and then onto some little known roads through the Dentelles. It’s an ideal circuit for the experienced rider who has a good level of fitness to tackle the climbs through the Dentelles. Lunch - a picnic would be perfect. The picturesque village of Malaucene lies at the foot of Mont Ventoux and is a popular starting point for the various cycling routes up the mountain slopes. During the 14th century Papal reign in Avignon, it was the summer residence of Pope Clement V. Pope Clement also frequently visited the Chapel Groseau, situated a few kilometers away on the D97 road to Mont Ventoux.

The Dentelles de Montmirail are short, steep mountains with distinctive rocky ridges, extending west geologically from the Ventoux mountains. The jagged, rocky top is named after the lace (dentelle) it’s thought to resemble. The mountains form a circle at the southwest end, between Gigondas, Beaumes-de-Venise and Lafare, and extend northeast past Malaucene, with an extension to the north to Vaison-la-Romaine. Tonight feel free to dine at one of the many restaurants in Vaison-la-Romaine. You will have probably discovered some hidden gems during your wanderings around this delightful Roman town. What better way to celebrate a memorable trip to Provence than with a glass or two of Cote du Rhone.

Day 8: Vaison-La-Romaine

All good things must come to an end and it’s time to say au revoir to beautiful Provence. We hope that your trip has been an enjoyable and memorable one and that we will see you again in the not too distant future! On your last day our Getawaybybike staff will collect you from your hotel in Vaison-la-Romaine, transfer you to the railway station in Avignon, and assist with your departure.

If you would like to reserve this trip go to our Reserve a Trip page.Or if you would like to be kept up to date with details of our trips please go to our Enquire About a Trip Page.