A Week in Provence
This moderate cycling introduces the Provence of Peter Mayle's novels. Discover the beautiful, diverse landscape of the Luberon with the cypress dotted plains of Saint Rémy and the brightly coloured village of Roussillon.
What's Included
Starting Days
You can choose to begin this holiday on any day of the week. This holiday is not available during July and August as some paths are closed due to the risk of fire.
Itinerary & Hotels
1
Arrive Avignon day 1
- Summary
Explore Avignon with its Place du Palais, next to the Place de l’Horloge and the ruined bridge of Pont Saint-Benezet over the River Rhône. You stay at Hôtel Boquier.
- Hotel
Hôtel Boquier
AvignonWithin easy reach of Avignon's main sights, this quaint guesthouse is run by Pascal and Sylvie, who will do their best to ensure all guests have a comfortable stay. The 12 individually decorated rooms have private bathrooms with showers, and cyclists can leave their bikes safely in the private courtyard.
Facilities
- En suite rooms
- Air conditioning
- Free WiFi
- TV
Board
- Cuisine
Breakfast is served in the dining room. Avignon has a range of restaurants for your evening meal.
2
Avignon to Saint Rémy day 2
- Summary
Cycle into the quaint town of Barbentane before climbing up on the Montagnette, with sweeping views of the plains. Pass through the charming villages of Graveson and Maillance before reaching Saint Rémy de Provence.
- Hotel
Bastide de Lourmarin
LourmarinSituated a short walk from Lourmarin's historic downtown, this four-star hotel is in a traditional Provencal farmhouse set in peaceful surroundings. The rooms are comfy and well equipped, and there's a garden and swimming pool for guests to enjoy.
Facilities
- En suite rooms
- Air-conditioning
- Free WiFi
- Satellite TV
- Heated swimming pool
- Sauna
- Spa/health centre
Board
- Cuisine
A buffet breakfast is available.
22 mi
(35 km)3
Circuit from Saint Rémy day 3
- Summary
Leaving Saint Rémy, visit Saint Paul de Mausole, the monastery converted into a rest home for the mentally ill, where Van Gogh spent the last year of his life. Continue along the winding paths of the Alpilles mountains through landscapes of pine trees and wild flowers until you reach Les Baux de Provence, listed among the most beautiful villages in France.
28 mi
(45 km)4
Saint Rémy to Oppéde day 4
- Summary
Continue eastwards to the lost village of Eygalières. Ride through farmland and orchards until you cross the Durance river to reach the lively town of Cavaillon. Bustling with restaurants and cafés, groceries and quaint boulangeries, it is the perfect place to pick up a picnic. Stay at Hôtel Belle de Nuit.
- Hotel
Hôtel Belle de Nuit
OppèdeThis pleasant, rustic hotel set in the traditional village of Oppède offers a warm welcome and a comfortable stay. Laura and Roger speak fluent English and go out of their way to make guests feel at home. The five rooms are simply decorated, but full of character and the quiet location makes for a peaceful stay.
Facilities
- En suite rooms
- Free WiFi
Board
- Cuisine
Breakfast includes fresh fruit, yoghurt, baked goods and coffee. Guests can have their evening meal at the hotel or choose a restaurant in the village.
25 mi
(40 km)5
Circuit from Oppéde day 5
- Summary
Cycle through hilltop villages and along roads lined with 500 year-old shepherd’s huts, cherry orchards and truffle oak plantations. Pause in the village of Bonnieux to explore its tiny squares and 12th century church. Then ride to the town of Ménerbes, with its massive stone homes sitting vertiginously above a ledge.
23 mi
(37 km)6
Oppéde to Isle-sur-la-Sorgue day 6
- Summary
Today, head to the town of Gordes, its noble grey stone homes winding up in dizzying circles to the Renaissance castle that crowns the village. Then ride to Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, a village completely encircled by the clear green waters of the Sorgue river. Stay at Hôtel Les Névons.
- Hotel
Hotel les Nevons
L'Isle-sur-la-SorgueSet on the banks of the River Sorgue, Hôtel Les Nevons is located at the heart of L'Isle-sur-La-Sorgue, an enchanting Provencal town. There is a roof top swimming pool and sun terrace, as well as elegant rooms decorated in a typically Provencal style, some with a balcony or terrace.
Facilities
- En suite rooms
- Air conditioning
- Satellite TV
- Swimming pool
- Solarium
- Convivial bar
Board
- Cuisine
Home-made jams are served with breakfast every morning. After your cycling, you can sample some excellent regional wines in the hotel bar. There are many excellent restaurants to tempt your palate within a short walk of the hotel.
35 mi
(56 km)7
Circuit from Isle-sur-la-Sorgue day 7
- Summary
Pass through the Pays des Sorgues to reach Pernes-les-Fontaines with its 40 fountains, Romanesque church and mansions. Cycle through peaceful landscapes and the village of Monts de Vaucluse, northern Luberon. Venasque, a medieval town, is labelled as one of the ‘most beautiful villages of France’.
24 mi
(39 km)
Route & Location
Customer Reviews
5 out of 5 rating based on 3 reviews
- Service (5/5): Staff were very responsive particularly given how late we booked. It was appreciated.Product (5/5): It was awesome. Suggested route was good. Directions were very clear. Accommodation ranged from 'no complaints' to 'beautiful'. Only issue was eating at Oppede le vieux as it was just off-season and midweek therefore nothing was open. The hosts offered to cook but as we are vegetarian we thought that we would spare them!
- Service (5/5): Office staff very friendly, helpful and efficient
8th July 2016
Belle France: I'm sorry to hear about the problems you experienced with the bikes, as our local agent, WalkInn pride themselves on providing quality hybrid bikes. We find this type of bike is the best choice for cycle-touring in this region and for tackling the distances involved. We find that the slightly wider tires, more upright position and flat handlebars provide a great deal of comfort. I understand that WalkInn came out to replace your saddle with a woman specific saddle as soon as you contacted them and I'm sure if you had made them aware at the time, they would have endeavoured to resolve your other issues too. We're very happy to hear that the hotel and travel arrangements went without a hitch and hope that you will book with us again soon.
Rob - Belle France General Manager
1st June 2017Product (4/5): The bikes supplied by WalkInn were disappointing - Saddles narrow and very hard for racing not touring, bars too straight and far away for VTT not touring, panniers inadequately secured, bottom gear on one bike not working without the aid of a stick !! Hotels and travel arrangements were good. - Service (5/5): I had excellent and delightful service from Catherine Bellanger.
However, the holiday guide sent to us by Belle France was missing 2 pages of maps, and when a new book was sent including the missing pages, a different map page was found to not be included.23rd June 2016
Belle France: Thank you for your comments regarding the route notes, I can only apologise of the missing pages. We will of course add some more specific details to the book regarding the entrance into Cavaillon. We have passed your feedback about the saddle to our local supplier who is looking at alternative saddle options for future clients. We're glad that overall you enjoyed your holiday and hope you will book with us again soon.
Rob - Belle France General Manager
1st June 2017Product (4/5): The holiday was delightful, but my bike had a hard saddle and despite the bike company changing it for me, it was still hard and rather uncomfortable. The bikes would also have been much easier to manage if they had had individual stands. The route instructions in the holiday guide were mostly very good, apart from the entry into Cavaillon. The instructions say 'Reach the roundabout. Do not engage in the roundabout: cross the street using the pedestrian crossing.....' At that point it would have been important to say whether to cross the road on the right or on the left; this was a busy roundabout with busy roads leading onto it, and pedestrian crossings to right and left. This was a problem. Also for this busy junction a very precise map would have been a great help. Your map of Cavaillon was very unclear and positively unhelpful. Otherwise the route guidance and notes were very good.
5 out of 5
28th October 2016
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