Provence Getaway: The Secrets of Southern France (4 nights)

Name: Provence Getaway: The Secrets of Southern France (4 nights)
Brand: BikeTours.com
SKU: bt48x1255
Rating: 4 (2 reviews)

“Excellent accommodations, lovely people, great food.”

★★★★★4/5 (2)

4 nights | 28 miles/day
Self guided from EUR € 1010
Bike tour in France

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Provence Getaway

Discover the secrets of Provence on this tour. From Nimes to Uzes, this cycling tour crosses the famous Pont du Gard. You will marvel at the beauty and engineering of this old Roman aqueduct.

Cycle along the Gardon river from one Provencal village to another, getting immersed in the enchanting atmosphere of the South of France. Spend some time in St Remy de Provence to learn more about Vincent Van Gogh and his life in Provence. The itinerary will also take you to the charming villages of Fontvieille, Collias and Les Baux de Provence.

This cycling tour is accessible to everyone so you can enjoy this active vacation in the Gard even if you are not used to cycling regularly!

Photos used by permission. ©Yann de Fareins / Noir d’Ivoire
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Highlights
- Nimes
- Uzes
- Cycling across the Pont du Gard
- Charming villages of St Rémy de Provence, Fontvieille, Collias, and Les Baux de Provence
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Learn more about self-guided tours.
Provence Getaway

Tour Description Daily Program
Daily program

Day 1: Arrival in Nimes and transfer to Collias
Your guide will meet you either at Nimes’ train station or at your hotel if you are already in Nimes. Make sure you take the time to visit the city. Highlights include Les Jardins de la Fontaine (gardens), the Maison Carree (Roman architecture) and the famous Arena, which give you some insight into the rich history of this Roman city.

Your guide will then drive you to your hotel in the village of Collias, a secret location along the beautiful Gardon River. You will have plenty of time to take a swim in the river or in the hotel pool.
Overnight in Collias

Day 2: Loop ride to Pont du Gard & Uzes (21 miles/33km, elevation gain 330 meters or 32 miles/52km, elevation gain 470 meters)
On your first day, the most beautiful places in northern Provence will reveal themselves to you. First, you will start with a visit to the impressive and majestic Pont du Gard. This ancient Roman aqueduct overlooks the Gardon River at a height of more than 165 feet!

Cycling on to the charming town of Uzes, you will enjoy lunch under the arcades of the famous spice markets where time seems to have stopped.
Overnight in Collias

Day 3: Ride to Gardon River and St Remy (29 miles/47 km, elevation gain 287 meters)
Leaving Collias, you will cross the Gardon River and its fabulous canyon to discover a magnificent panorama.
You will then reach the banks of the Rhone River where the medieval castle of Beaucaire stands, a fortress that still bears witness to its distant and glorious past.

Cycling through the medieval town of Tarascon, you will finally arrive to the beautiful village of St Remy de Provence.
Overnight in St Remy de Provence

Day 4: Loop ride to Les Baux de Provence (24 miles/39 km, elevation gain 383 meters)
Through the olive groves, your route will take you to the charming village of Fontvieille where Alphonse Daudet lived and wrote his finest writings such as Lettres de Mon Moulin and Le Tresor d'Arlatan.

After a short break under the trees, you will reach one of the most beautiful villages in France, Les Baux de Provence. This picturesque village and its medieval fortress overlook the Alpilles (a small mountain chain referred to as the little Alps) from the top of a rocky outcrop. The intoxicating perfume of Provencal villages is there: small squares, shaded terraces, narrow streets and charming boutiques!
Overnight in St Remy de Provence

Day 5: Departure
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Avignon TGV or Avignon center train stations (transfer included).

Surface and terrain

The terrain on this tour varies between flat and rolling countryside. You will face short climbs, but not significantly steep gradients. This trip is designed for casual or recreational cyclists.

Hotels

These are sample hotels and may vary by availability.

The accommodations on this tour are 3-star hotels.

Hotel Le Gardon, Collias
www.hotel-le-gardon.com

Le Mas des Carassins, St Remy de Provence
www.masdescarassins.com

Interested in visiting other areas before or after your tour? Visit our hotels page to learn more about lodging options.

How to get there

Tour start
Nearest airport: Paris
Nearest train station: Nimes

Tour end
Nearest airport: Paris
Nearest train station: Avignon

Nimes is accessible via train from Paris Gare de Lyon (3hrs ) or Paris CDG airport (3.5 hours). Avignon offers the same return travel time to Paris.

Provence Getaway

Tour Photos Dates & Prices
Dates
Daily: year-round, 2023

Prices

Tour package

Per person, double occupancy €1010
Single use room (1 person/1 room) €1255
Solo traveler (1 person in party with single use room) €1210
Bike Rentals

Electrically-assisted bike €150
Road bike €150
Included services
- 4 nights of accommodation in superior hotels of charm with private shower and/or bath
- Daily breakfast at each hotel, 2 dinners included
- All luggage transfers
- Detailed road book, including details maps, touristic information, step by step itinerary and cue sheets; comprehensive trip literature
- Technical and emergency support available at all times
- Hybrid bike rental included
- Orientation in person with our local guide
- GPS GARMIN OREGON (1 per 3 people)
Bike rentals

Bikes available and included in the tour cost (must be reserved in advance at time of booking):
- Hybrid touring bikes
Bikes available to rent (must be reserved in advance at time of booking):
- Road bikes
- Electrically assisted bike*
*More about electrically-assisted bikes >

Equipment included with hybrid and electric bikes:
- Helmet
- Garmin GPS
- Odometer
- Water bottle
- Lock
- Pannier and handlebar bag
- Repair kit (2 spare tube, tool kit, tire levers, patch kit, pump)
- Saddle bag (road bike only)
Pedals:
The bikes will have flat pedals. If you want to bring your own pedals, please bring your own shoes and also the necessary equipment to change the pedals.

Helmet:
A helmet is included with your bike rental, however, we recommend that you bring you own helmet for saftey and hygiene reasons.

Bike Protection:
Bike protection can be purchased at the time of booking. You can read more about that HERE.

Tour Company
Provence Getaway

Daily program Route Map
Route Map

Maps are for information purposes only and reflect typical routes between overnight locations. They may not reflect your actual route.

Provence Getaway

Dates & Prices Tour Reviews
Reviews

Write a review
- ★★★★★ klrea October 23, 2019
  
  Touring Provence
  
  This is an amazing and beautiful part of the country to visit, and our bike tour organizers set up a really great agenda. However, we don't feel that bicycling was the best way to see the area, and next time we will rent a car instead.
  We opted for the self-guided tour because we wanted to be in control of when and where we stopped. The tour organizers were super helpful and friendly and did everything possible to set us up and get us on our way. However, the bikes were extraordinarily heavy, much heavier than what we are used to riding at home, and, for the amount and type of riding that was on our schedule, made the touring harder than we expected it to be. Also, this was my husband's first bike tour, and the first self-guided tour for me. I found that having to watch the GPS and navigate detracted from being able to enjoy the countryside as we rode through. Finally, while, the little towns along the way were lovely and a delight to see, we were not accustomed to the provincial French practice of closing up shop in the afternoon until opening back up for dinner at 6pm, and so were often without food for the day. It was hard to time the riding to arrive in time for lunch when we didn't know how the riding would take.
  One more unexpected event was the arrival of the Mistral winds on the last day of our ride, which came blustering in at 30 mph. So, while the weather was nice otherwise, the strong and cold wind made riding heavy bikes uphill something we took a pass on. Fortunately, we were able to find transportation by car into the area that we wished to visit.
  For these reasons, although I think this is a great company, I think there are some places that are best visited by car, even though I am an avid and strong cyclist at home.
  
  What was the date of your tour?
  4 October 2019
  How many tours have you completed?
  6
  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
  Somewhat harder
  Who is this tour suitable for?
  Solo travelers
  Do you recommend this tour?
  No
  - 4/5 Value
  - 5/5 Included meals
  - 2/5 Bikes + equipment
  - 5/5 Hotels or boat
  - 5/5 Scenery
  - 2/5 Ease of navigation
  - 3/5 Tour documents
  - 5/5 Local tour company services
  - 5/5 Route selection
  - 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
- ★★★★★ lifejazz October 7, 2019
  
  Amazing Sights in Provence
  
  We enjoyed our bike tour through Provence. Our first time to use e-bikes, which given the winds and the hills, seemed like the thing to do. Really enjoyed the e-bikes for their ease of use and making the windy or hilly sections enjoyable. The orientation was very thorough and the combination of the gps and the paper charts made navigation very easy. The two hotels were, not to understate it, wonderful. Excellent accommodations, lovely people, great food. We even got attached to a French Bulldog, Cinquante, belonging the owners of the hotel in Collias. Quite the character! On the whole the ride was through vineyards and side roads. The only unpleasant bit was from Collias to Tarascon. We spend too much time on heavily trafficked shoulder-less roads with trucks and cars whizzing by at 50 miles an hour a couple of feet from us. We've been riding for several decades and as a practice, I would never ride on that kind of road. So that bit needs some adjustment (which is why this is a four star instead of a five star review). But other than that, the rest of the ride was a delight.
  
  What was the date of your tour?
  9/16-20
  How many tours have you completed?
  2
  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
  As expected
  Who is this tour suitable for?
  Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
  Do you recommend this tour?
  Yes
  - 5/5 Value
  - 5/5 Included meals
  - 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  - 5/5 Hotels or boat
  - 5/5 Scenery
  - 5/5 Ease of navigation
  - 5/5 Tour documents
  - 5/5 Local tour company services
  - 4/5 Route selection
Provence Getaway

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