WHAT A TYPICAL DAY LOOKS LIKE ON OUR PROVENCE BIKE TRIPS.

Here are examples of 2 days' Provence cycling tour for the 2 extremes of cyclists (those whose interests are more Leisure & Sight Seeing than cycling, and those whose focus is more on the Sporty cycling side and the miles). Remember, most of us are somewhere in between these two groups. Of course these bike tour itineraries are not written in stone, they are just an idea of what a couple of your days riding could look like - it's up to you. We will of course point you in the right direction with our local biking knowledge, so you can make the most of your Provence bike tour.

1 - A Provence cycling holiday with a small amount of bike time & with more of an accent on Tourism.

Day 1 example includes: The pool, a ride to Gordes village for lunch & then onto some wine tasting, dinner at the Farmhouse.

9am - Start the day with a nice French breakfast buffet under the vines.
9.45am - An hour in the sun lounging by the pool & lavender reading that book.
11am - On the bike for the breathtaking route to the hill village of Gordes. 45 mins on quiet back roads, through the vines. Take a stop at the ancient "Village des Bories" and visit the stone buildings that Provence is famous for.

12.30pm - 15 minutes on the bike to Gordes with its breathtaking views.
1pm - A leisurely lunch in one of the many village restaurants.
2.30pm - Time for a walk around the beautiful Provencal village of Gordes. A village with the entirety of its houses made from stone, take in the renaissance chateau & art galleries, the beautiful church, its many small and winding stone clad ruelles, and its restaurants and cafés by the stone fountain (as seen in the Ridley Scott film A Good Year!!).
4pm - Back on bike for 45 mins & down the hill & on the country lanes to one of the numerous Vineyards for some wine tasting.
6pm - Back to the farmhouse B&B for a freshen up and relax before dinner.
7pm - Join us for a drink and 3 course, home cooked dinner on the terrace under the vines.
Total bike time for the day (approx) : 1h 30 to 2 hours.

Day 2 example includes: The Lavender Museum, a ride to Fontaine de Vaucluse & Isle sur la Sorgue for lunch, car ride to Avignon & dinner.

9am - Start the day with a nice French breakfast buffet under the vines. Then a 5 min walk into Coustellet for a visit of the Lavender museum, see the whole process & then off to the shop.
11am - A 45 min scenic bike trip to Fontaine de Vaucluse - walk along the crystal clear Sorgue river, then up to the famous water source, have a drink at a cafe on the riversedge, by the old bridge and take in the atmosphere.
12.30pm - Bike 20 mins along the flat to the town of Isle Sur la Sorgue (known as "Venice of Provence"), take in its many water ways & its dozens of authentic antique shops. Then a relaxing lunch at one of the numerous, recommended riverside restaurants.
2pm - 40 mins on the bike on the flat through the orchards back to the Farmhouse for a swim.
3.30pm - In the car for the easy 30 min journey to Avignon. Visit the walled city with its Pope's Palace (UNESCO site), Pont d'Avignon and many interesting streets, museums & boutiques.
7pm - Drinks & dinner at one of Avignon's many excellent bars & restaurants.
Total bike time for the day (approx) : 1h 45 to 2h 30 hours.

2. Where the biking is more important.

Day 1 example includes: A 5 to 6hr ride in the beautiful hills beyond Gordes and into the Luberon Valley, back to the pool and Dinner at the farmhouse.

9am - Start the day with a nice French breakfast buffet under the vines.
10am - On the bike, and up the Tour de France way to the most famous Luberon village of all - Gordes. Take a breather, take in the view... Continue up into the quiet, beautiful hills, crossing the canyons and on to St Saturnin.
1pm - Lunch stop at the great little bistro in St Saturnin.
2.30pm - On to Villars, then through the beautiful ochre mined landscape countryside to Roussillon, classified as one of "France's most beautiful villages".
4pm - Quick drink on the village square, then off through the beautiful rolling hills.
5.30pm - Back to the B&B for a freshen up, pool and a relax before dinner.
7.00pm - Join us for a drink and a 3 course, home cooked dinner on the terrace under the vines. Then I'm guessing bed early after all that!
Total bike time for the day (approx) : 5 to 6 hours.

Day 2 example: Drive to and ride up Mont Ventoux, Lunch on the mountain, Visit Goult Village, Local Restaurant for Dinner.

9am - Start the day with a nice French breakfast buffet under the vines.
10am - In the car for the 50 minute drive to the foot of the cycling Mecca that is Mont Ventoux!!
11am - Get you time card punched at the Tourist Office and off you go.
12.30pm - You should be approaching the last and hardest section. 6kms @ 10% non stop + the wind = pretty tough.
1.15pm - You should be near the 1912m that is the summit of the "Giant of Provence", punch your time card, admire your time & take in the view. Buy your "I tamed Mont Ventoux" souvenir water bottle. 10 mins of quick descent down to the Chalet Reynard restaurant to replace a few calories...
Then the fun part, the 30 min descent back to your start point.
3.30pm - Back in the car and towards the farmhouse via the lavender fields.
4.15pm - Stop off at Goult, a pretty village off the tourist circuit topped by its Windmill and Chateau. A sign-posted walk takes you from the mill through the narrow village lanes taking in the various points important to the village's history. Finish the visit at the café on the vast square dominated by the church. Then it's a 5 mins car journey to the Farmhouse.
6pm - Back at the farmhouse for a swim and freshen up before dinner.
7pm - Choose one of the excellent local restaurants from our list and enjoy.
Total bike time for the day (approx) : 1h 45 to 3 hours of hard Tour de France cycling!