Overview
This bike tour is a quick dip into Provence’s prettiest of perched villages, a speedy but leisurely immersion into its Mediterranean marvels, with a delicious hit of Alpes-Maritimes. It’s a five day, self-guided cycling in Provence short break that takes you alongside vineyards and traditional villages, to châteaux and chapels. As well as the wetland wonders of Camargue Regional Natural Park. Starting and ending in the two handsome and historic cities of Avignon and Arles, both easily accessible by train, you also get a creative hit while biking around Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, a place that inspired Van Gogh, and many more since.
- Avignon
- Les Alpilles
- Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
- Arles
- Camargue Regional Natural Park
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Avignon
Arrive in Avignon, and spend the day visiting this medieval city classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located on the banks of the Rhône, Avignon is home to sights such as Palais des Papes, the famous Saint Bénezet bridge, many churches, museums and secluded squares.
- Accommodation: Ibis Avignon Centre Pont de l’Europe or similar in Avignon
- Optional hotel upgrade: Hotel Central or similar
- Optional spa hotel upgrade: Hôtel Cloître Saint-Louis or similar
Day 2: Avignon – Saint-Rémy-de-Provence | 35/64km
Your bikes are delivered to your hotel at 09.30 where you receive a full explanation of the location, routes etc. Leave the historic city centre in the direction of Montagnette and cycle past olive, almond trees and pine forests. At Abbaye Saint-Michel de Frigolet, we recommend a picnic spot before descending to Graveson, which has traditional windy streets and a museum dedicated to the artist Auguste Chabaud who lived there. Continue through Maillane and on to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, a city of artists where Van Gogh spent the last year of his life.
There is an optional 29km loop in addition to today’s ride. Follow the base of the Alpilles Mountains to the east, first on minor roads and then on a track leading into the vineyards as far as the village of Eygalières, where the main square has restaurants and cafés. Continue on to Mollégès before returning to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
- Cycling for the day: 35km ↑250m ↓200m or 64km ↑250m ↓200m
- Accommodation: Hôtel le Chalet Fleuri or similar in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
- Optional hotel upgrade: Le Castelet des Alpilles or similar
- Optional spa hotel upgrade: Hôtel du Soleil or similar
Day 3: Saint-Rémy-de-Provence – Arles | 50km
Ride along the winding foothills of the Alpilles through landscapes of pines and wildflowers, stopping to take a look at the romanesque chapel of Saint-Gabriel, then on to Fontvieille. Enter the vineyards of Château d’Estoublon, where olive and wine tastings are available (payable locally). Continue on to Les Baux-de-Provence which, perched on top of a rock, is ranked among the official Plus Beaux Villages de France. Take time to explore the village before descending to the plain, passing through the ruins of a 2,000 years old aqueduct, until you get to Arles. Spend the evening exploring the town’s iconic architectural remains, such as the Roman theatre, impressive amphitheatre, the Musée départemental Arles antique and the Van Gogh Foundation (payable locally).
- Cycling for the day: 50km ↑250m ↓300m
- Accommodation: Hotel Régence or similar in Arles
- Optional hotel upgrade: Hotel du Forum or similar
- Optional spa hotel upgrade: Le Calendal or similar
Day 4: Arles loop | 46/56km
Today’s loop crosses part of Camargue Regional Natural Park, home to a wide array of wildlife from flamingos to white horses, and where you cycle across flat expanses between rice fields and salt marshes. There is an option to extend the route by 10km to visit La Capelière (payable locally), the starting point of the reserve, where there is a hiking trail and observation points overlooking the marshes. Loop back to Arles for your final night. The bikes will be collected from the hotel at 18.00.
- Cycling for the day: 46km or 56km
- Accommodation: Hotel Régence or similar in Arles
- Optional hotel upgrade: Hotel du Forum or similar
- Optional spa hotel upgrade: Le Calendal or similar
Day 5: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of mostly small, locally-owned hotels, B&Bs and traditional guesthouses. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms. Optional hotel upgrades are available.
Click to view default hotels
- Ibis Avignon Centre Pont de l’Europe (Avignon)
- Hötel le Chalet Fleuri (Saint-Rémy-de-Provence)
- Hotel Régence (Arles)
Accommodation is subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel or guesthouse being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Click to view upgrade hotels
- Hotel Central (Avignon)
- Le Castelet des Alpilles (Saint-Rémy-de-Provence)
- Hotel du Forum (Arles)
Accommodation is subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel or guesthouse being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Click to view spa hotel upgrades
- Hôtel Cloître Saint-Louis (Avignon)
- Hotel du Soleil (Saint-Rémy-de-Provence)
- Le Calendal (Arles)
Accommodation is subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel or guesthouse being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or packed lunch can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. You can have dinner at the guesthouse you are staying at or at one of the restaurants in the village.
Local markets
- Avignon: Les Halles indoor covered market every morning except Monday
- Saint-Rémy-de-Provence: weekly on Wednesday mornings and a small farmers’ market on Saturday mornings
- Arles: Wednesday and Saturday mornings
Difficulty and terrain
This tour is graded easy-moderate and is appropriate for cyclists with an average level of fitness used to regular exercise, who can handle cycling uphill on daily distances ranging from 35-50km. (read more about difficulty grades).
We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. Your holiday information pack will include more detailed information on route navigation.
When to go
This trip is available from March until mid-November. In January to February and mid-November to December, the tour is only available as an upgraded option in our wellness and spa hotels.
The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date in the season.
Provence is beautiful in the spring months of March, April and May when the blooming of the wildflowers is stunning. The summers of Provence are hot and dry, with temperatures that often exceed 30C and relatively cool nights with temperatures between 20C and 25C. For more information, please see our blog on the Best time to go to France.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended arrival airport for this holiday is Marseille Provence Airport (MRS) . Alternative airports are Montpellier-Méditerranée Airport (MPL) and Toulon Hyères Airport (TLN).
By train or bus
- If you are able to travel to France without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail with train stations in Avignon and Arles. For more details, see the national rail operator SNCF-Connect
- Arrival: from Marseille airport (1h 16mins) and Montpellier airport (2h) there are regular trains. For more information see SNCF connect or use the Omio planner above.
- Departure: from Arles there are regular trains to Marseille airport (1h) and Montpellier airport (1h). For more information see SNCF connect or use the Omio planner above.
Inclusions
Included
- 4 nights accommodation
- 4 breakfasts
- Luggage transfers on days two and three (one bag per person, max 20 kg)
- Digital travel kit with roadbook and maps
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers.
- Bike rental
- Additional nights
- Upgraded accommodation to charming or spa hotels
Bike rental
We offer both hybrid, gravel, road bikes and e-bikes on this tour, both come with anti-puncture tyres, repair kit including including an inner tube and pump, helmet, padlock, phone holder, handlebar bag and waterproof rear bag (no rear bag with road bikes, gravel bikes or luxury hybrid bikes).
Hybrid bikes: A lightweight, aerodynamic bike with slightly wider tyres than road bikes, designed to combine comfort and performance on both roads and trails.
- Weight:12 kg
- Disk – equipped with Shimano parts
- Light aluminum frames, and a double-plateau
- Gearing: 30/46 with 11/36 cluster > 18 speed
- Bike frames are UNISEX
E-bikes: Provence is hilly and most villages are on hilltops which means that e-bikes are very handy for getting up to the top.
- Weight: 23,9kg
- 90km of battery autonomy
- Low frame (easy to get on and off)
- Anti-puncture tires (reducing the risk of flats)
- Hydraulic brakes
Luxury hybrid bikes: A lightweight bike equipped with Shimano parts, extremely light aluminium frames and a double pleateau.
- Carbone frame only 9kg, with disc break,
- Shimano 105 Ultegra, Double plateau.
- Gearing : compact crank 2 rings 34×50 with 11×32 rear cogs > 22 speed.
Gravel bikes: Ideally designed for mixed terrain, including paved roads, dirt paths, and gravel trails. They feature wider tires, a more relaxed geometry, and additional gear mounts, making them ideal for long-distance rides and off-road adventures.
- Addict Gravel Disc HMF Carbon Frame 9.3kg 20.5lbs
- Addict Gravel Disc HMF Fork.
- Shimano GRX RX820/610 Disc 24 Speed
Road bikes: A light 9kg bike with carbone frame. (Cannondale 105 or similar)
- Carbone frame only 9kg, with disc break
- Shimano 105 Ultegra, Double plateau.
- Gearing : compact crank 2 rings 34×50 with 11×32 rear cogs > 22 speed
