We start at the rooftop bar in the Spanish coastal seaport of Bilbao overlooking the city skyline at twilight. You may make some time on your arrival to visit the 2nd of the famous Guggenheim Museums. From Bilbao, we begin our journey to France along the rugged Basque coastline through small fishing villages to arrive at the iconic seaside town of San Sebastian for Tapas and Sangria in the old town. Our green route inland toward the Pyrenees is carefully chosen for smooth quiet roads all the way with the option to bag the trophy climb of Col d’Aubisque on arrival to Lourdes.
This route was chosen to offer exceptional landscape and cultural experiences on a route that is not too challenging.
Highlights
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Guggenheim Museum
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San Sebastian Old Town
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Basque Culture
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Col d’Aubisque, Col du Soulour
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Coastal Roads and views
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Basque Hinterland
Arrival Details
5th June 2020
Fly into Madrid or Barcelona then fly or fast train to Bilbao. We suggest arriving a day early to recover and to visit the Museum.
Departure Details
11th June 2020
if not continuing: Fly from Pau or Tarbes or train from Lourdes to Toulouse or Paris airport.
The Provence tour is all about summer. The south of France is all about relaxation and dining using local produce and wine to match. Riding with Cicadas blasting through lavender fields in the dry heat passing historic natural stone buildings along every road, there will be no mistaking where you are. The historic monuments, fascinating wonders and mountains that will create memories for ever.
This tour has been designed to offer the right balance between rest and adventure. We have luxurious accommodation always offering option off the bike to explore local markets, visit historic sites or just rest by the pool with an Aperol.
*There is an option to stay an additional day for the Dantilles and Mont Ventoux from the Malucene side as a tour exta.
Highlights
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Avignon walled City
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Pont du Gard
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Gordes Ville Flurie
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St Remy / Van Gough
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Carrier des Images
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Fontaine du Vaucluse
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Mont Ventoux Race Route
Our tours include
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Small groups maximum of 12 guests travelling as a boutique tour
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Qualified guide with you on the road
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On-route vehicle support van
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Ride options for beginners and advanced riders
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Rider tracking, we know where you are on the road
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Our mechanics maintain and make any repairs to your bike
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bikeNOW bikes available (see below)
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Airport / Rail station pick-up included * conditions apply
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GPS maps and mapping plus device management included
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Non-rider activities, we have a fun program if you are not riding
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Adapting the program to suit the conditions and group
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Assembling and repacking your bike if you bring your own
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A Flight bag is provided to borrow free and includes us preparing your bike for travel
The Tour Price Excludes
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Airfares and extra accommodation
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Travel Insurance – you must travel with insurance
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Any Meals, or alcohol not indicated in the itinerary
Accommodation
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Carefully chosen 3-4* quality hotels
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Twin-share or room to yourself *POA
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See below day descriptions for hotels lis
Meals and snacks
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Breakfast Included
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Some Dinners included on some trips *TBA
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We provide during the day electrolytes, drinks, fresh fruit, muesli bars
Bike Hire
Specialized Tarmac disk low gear ration Carbon Road Bike / Ultegra; $65 AUD per day
Specialized Roubaix disk low gear ration Carbon Road Bike / Ultegra; $65 AUD per day
Specialized e-bike SL (superlight); $120 AUD per day
Payment details.
The initial deposit is $1000 120 days before travel, with free cancellation and a full refund. Full payment is required 60 days prior to departure.
*We suggest that you have comprehensive travel insurance in place before your payment to protect your trip
Arrival Details
10am 30 June 2023
Fly into Paris (CDG) or Nice (NCE, then train to Avignon by TGV
Departure Details
10am 7 July 2023
If not continuing, Train from Avignon TGV to either Paris (CDG) or Nice (NCE) Airports
Day 1 - 30/06/2023
Hotel: Mercure Avignon Gare TGV , Avignon.
4 Star accommodation
Swimming Pool (2 nights)
Avignon Discovery tour
22km 98m LEVEL 0 – EASY
*interactive route map below
Today is a greeting day, After we collect you from the TGV train station, you can relax at the hotel pool or bar or take a nap. We will set your bike up before the ride activity. We suggest arriving early to recover from a long journey.
Our afternoon offers a little warm-up bike test and an opportunity to explore the old walled city of Avignon. Avignon is a college bohemian town, very busy with shopping, food, and history with lots of fun at night, it “goes off”. Throughout the day we visit the city by bike and later that night we will revisit the city for dinner and a promenade to Le Pont du Avignon and the old Papal Palace.
Day 2 - 01/07/2023
Hotel: Mercure Avignon Gare TGV , Avignon.
4 Star accommodation
Swimming Pool ( 2 nights)
Activity-Pont du Gard loop
70km 639m LEVEL 4 - INTERMEDIATE
96km 947m LEVEL 6 – INTERMEDIATE
*interactive route maps below
Many don’t know it by name but you would recognise pictures of the famous Pont du Gard, a 2000-year-old Roman Aqueduct and man-made wonder. The Pont du Gard crosses the crystal clear warm waters of the Gard River, a swim (complete with the good old Aussie bomb off the rocks) you’ll never forget. 2 ride options for today.
If you are interested in Roman engineering, we will discover the parameters but more importantly, the lesser-known history for some of the purposes it served Nimes.
Day 3 - 02/07/2023
Hotel: Hôtel de l'Image, Saint Remy.
4 Star accommodation
Swimming Pool (2 nights)
Activity-Le Beaux and Carriers des Images
85km 587m LEVEL 5 – INTERMEDIATE
*interactive route maps below
Venturing south to Saint Remy which was the hometown of Van Gough, we make our way through Tarascon, Arles and Carriers des Images. I know, words that don’t mean anything yet, but you are in for a treat. Emotionally moving experiences, historic moments, and quiet winding little roads through the countryside. This day is a hidden treasure.
Day 4 - 03/07/2023
Hotel: Domaine de la Petite Isle, Isle Sur la Sourge.
4 Star accommodation
Swimming Pool (2 nights)
Activity-Fontaine du Vaucluse
69km 716m LEVEL 4 - INTERMEDIATE
*interactive route maps below
Heading north toward Le Petit Luberon, we begin our ride into remote country circumnavigating small roads to a highlight of the Provence, Fontaine de Vaucluse. The dry heat of Provence heightens the value of water and more importantly, the source. Fontaine-de-Vaucluse is a natural spring bursting with cold fresh water high in minerals from the mountain. After taking time for lunch, we often take a plunge on hot days. The most amazing aspect is the bright green underwater vegetation and the clarity of the water.
Day 5 - 04/07/2023
Hotel: Domaine de la Petite Isle, Isle Sur la Sourge.
4 Star accommodation
Swimming Pool (2 nights)
Activity-Gordes - Le Luberon Gorges
83km 1448m LEVEL 7 - CHALLENGE
46km 793m LEVEL 3 – EASY
*interactive route maps below
Moving into slightly hillier terrain, we are riding a couple of the gorges of the Luberon to visit the famous 4-star Ville Flurie, Gordes. This beautiful little hillside town is a postcard from history and one of the locations you see in movies. The village stands overlooking the valley where you can sit for a while and just take it all in. Occasionally we will see a few fighter jets wizz over from the nearby airbase.
Day 6 - 05/07/2023
Hotel: Hôtel L'Hermitage, Pernes les Fontain.
3 Star accommodation
Swimming Pool (2 nights)
Activity-MONT VENTOUX
103km 2192m LEVEL 9 - CHALLENGE
55km 1773m LEVEL 6 - INTERMEDIATE
*interactive route maps below
Today is the day for the trophy cabinet, the monster of Provence, Mont Ventoux. On top of this mountain at nearly 2km high, you can see ground level. The photos just don’t do it justice but you will be moved today. And for this who likes descending… it is, without a doubt, one of the most epic downhill rides. We have listed only 2 rides for today but we will offer more choices on the day including a non-ride option, Ideally, all have to be on top together to share this momentous achievement.
Day 7 - 06/07/2023
Hotel: Hôtel L'Hermitage, Pernes les Fontain.
3 Star accommodation
Swimming Pool (2 nights)
Activity-MONTMONT VENTOUX - REST
105km 2435m LEVEL 9 - CHALLENGE
55km 278m LEVEL 3 - EASY
*interactive route maps below
The Luberon and Avignon are home to the 'Mistrale' winds. The northerly and westerly valley winds sometimes collide giving us the perfect summer wind storm resulting in Ventoux closures.
We have 2 days planned for Ventoux to give you double the chance of a great day on the mountain
Today we offer the reverse side of Ventoux. The northern side from Malucene is not used for the race route but with a bigger open road for Tour de France logistics access it makes for a great descent but it is also considered by many to be the better experience.
This plan presents you with a few options. You can ride Ventoux either day in either direction offering you a free day to relax by the pool off the bike, a shorter ride day or if you are here to ride! DO BOTH days on Ventoux to finish off your Provence holiday with a challenge.
Below is your complete interactive guide to each ride day by day.
You can change the type of map in the top right-hand corner.
You can zoom in or out with the +/- button bottom right,
Drag the little yellow man to see the street view (depending type on the map selected)
Navigate the selection along the bottom to find the day you want to review.
You can open or download the interactive map to view all info including climbs.
*You may need to wait for the interactive map to load depending on the speed of your connection or device.
*If the interactive map below does not load, please try a different browser or visit bikenoweurope.com on desktop, we suggest for best compatibility use Chrome, Safari, Edge ect.