girolibero Cycling holidays
Self-guided Cycling
Web code FR013
France / Provence and Camargue
Roman sites and Van Gogh landscapes
- 2 Client reviews
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Day by Day
1. Arles
Individual arrival in Arles, the city of diabolical “ferias”, muse of artists and poets, known for its rich ancient and Romanesque heritage.
2. Arles – Aigues-Mortes (65 km)
Leave the city and go into the delta of the Rhône, better known as “Camargue”, where nature still prevails over civilization. You will cycle among cane fields, salt lakes, flamingos, horses and bulls. You will stop in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, and then continue towards the medieval fortress of Aigues-Mortes.
3. Aigues-Mortes – Nîmes (40 km)
Back to civilization. Following streets with low traffic you reach the populated centre of Nîmes; rich in art and history, it is also called the “Rome of France”, but it also reminds Spain with its arenas and bullfighting.
4. Nîmes – Uzès (45 km)
After a tour of the city, surrounded by its Roman past, you will cycle up to the best preserved Roman aqueduct in Europe: Pont du Gard, a truly spectacular work. Refresh yourself with a bath on the banks of the river Gard before reaching Uzès.
5. Uzès – Avignon (50 km)
Riding through gentle hills, today you will reach the capital of Provence, a real open air museum. Avignon was a papal city for nearly a century and here seven popes decided, in 1300, the destiny of the Christian Church. Before the arrival, stop at the beautiful ancient village of Villeneuve-lès-Avignon.
6. Avignon – Châteauneuf-du-Pape – Avignon (45 km)
You will cycle towards Châteauneuf-du-Pape, following low-traffic roads surrounded by vineyards. You cross the river Rhône at the height of Roquemaure and come back in Villeneuve along the Rhône banks.
7. Avignon – Arles (60 km)
After leaving the Palace of the Popes, you will cycle again to close the tour returning to Arles. Along the way, you cannot miss a stop at the famous Saint-Rémi-de-Provence and Les-Baux-de-Provence, well-known places throughout the world thanks to Van Gogh.
8. Arles
After breakfast, end of services.Due to organisational reasons, weather conditions or provisions issued by local authorities, the itinerary may be subject to some changes before and/or during your holiday. For example, along the way you may find temporary deviations caused by roadworks, which cannot be foreseen; in this case please follow the indications you will find on site.
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Route profile
- Total length: 305 km
- Total vertical up: 980 m
- Terrain: 91% tarmac, 9% unpaved
- Train connection among the overnight stays: day 3 and 7
- Possibility to shorten the itinerary by taking the train: day 3
Route mostly on low traffic roads in rural and city areas. Short stretches are on unpaved roads. A couple of days present some short uphill sections with the only relevant ascent to Les-Baux-de-Provence (4 km of gentle ascent).
Easy to Moderate: some days flat, others with some hills. Suitable for everyone with some cycling experience and a few physical condition.
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How to get there
Arles is connected with the following airports:
Avignon: 40 Km, Nimes: 40 Km, Montpellier: 80 Km, Marseille: 90 Km, Lyon: 280 Km.Trains
For further information on timetables and prices you can consult the following website: www.sncf.com. -
Accommodation and meals
We personally choose all the hotels mindful of your comfort as well as the proximity to cycling paths and any relevant local sites.
You will be accommodated in 3/4* hotels, with some 2* hotels.
All rooms have en suite facilities. Most of the hotels are equipped with air conditioning.
When you book the tour please specify the type of room requested:
- double room is a room with one double bed
- twin room is a room with two single beds
- triple room is usually a room with one double bed and a single bed or a rollaway. -
Bikes and accessories
Girolibero’s City bikes are available in various sizes in unisex/women’s or men’s models. At the moment of booking, you can choose from the following bikes:
- City bike Nuvinci N380
- E-bikeFeatures:
- aluminium frame
- mudguard
- rear rack
- comfort gel saddle
- anti-puncture Schwalbe tyres
- ergonomic bicycle grips
- Speed Lifter systemAccessories
All rented adult bikes are equipped with:
1 cycle computer
1 Ortlieb one-sided saddlebag
1 front bar bag or 1 map holder
1 water bottle (0.75 l)
1 repair kit per room: 1 spare inner tube, glue, patch, a pump, 2 allen keys and tyre levers
1 combination bike lockAt the moment of booking you can also rent helmets suitable for head circumferences from 54 to 61. All our helmets have a certification mark according to the DIN EN 1078 (CE) European norm.
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Accompanying material
The Information Pack (one per room) includes:
- final hotel list: due to overbooking or organizational needs your hotel list may be changed just before your arrival
- luggage labels to be fixed at each piece of baggage, which has to be carried
- hotel vouchers to be given to the reception of each hotel on your arrivalGirolibero Greens booklets:
1) Travel guide with valuable information about the history, artistic heritage, landscapes and natural treasures of the areas visited on the tour. Plus: local events, some great anecdotes, suggestions on how to make the best of an extended break along the route, and tips on local wining and dining.
2) Detailed Maps of the itinerary: in colour and scaled 1:75.000/50.000, an altitude profile chart and maps of any historic city centres you would visit.
3) Roadbook describing the cycling route, stage by stage. Great on its own or in conjunction with the maps. -
By your side
Welcome briefing
In Arles you will meet our representative who:
- will present you the tour
- will deliver you the bikes
- will be at your disposal (about 30 minutes) for any questions you may have.The exact time and place of the meeting will be specified in the Final Tour Details. We kindly ask you to advise if you cannot attend the meeting.
Staff support
For the whole duration of your bike tour, you can contact us:
- office +39 0444 1278430 from Monday to Friday 8:30-13:00 and 15:00-18:30
- emergency phone number every day 8:00-20:00. The number will be specified in the Final Tour Details. -
2 Client reviews
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Gabriella
Departure 11-18 August 2018
Online from 25 September 2018
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Karen, Calgary (Canada)
Departure 2016
Online from 01 June 2016
Hello Maddalena
We have recently completed our Provence cycle trip and wanted to make a few comments.
We were very pleased with the help and organization we had for the trip. Our bicycles were in good order and Marco was very helpful with last minute changes in the route and generally a very friendly guy.
We have completed now, 10 Hotel and bike cycle trips in Europe, 5 of them with Girolibero. We are most pleased with your company and would recommend it to anyone who asks.
We still think Girolibero is the best of the 4 cycling companies we have used in Austria, Germany, France and Italy.
All hotels were excellent and all in all this was a very nice trip for us.
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