The Best French Cycling Holidays

Cycling through France is the perfect way to spend a holiday. French cycling holidays are fun and romantic.

If you go on your own, you can travel in a small group of friends or family, or just a couple on your own. Cycling is the perfect group activity, as individuals can isolate themselves when need a little time alone by riding a bit slower or faster than the rest of the group, then rejoin the group when they're ready for companionship again.

Time slows down when you're on the seat of a bicycle. You get the feeling of satisfaction that comes from knowing you are generating your own energy instead of consuming fossil fuel, and that you are burning calories and fat and building muscle as you cycle. On a French cycling holiday, you can have just about all the fabulous French food and wine you can eat, without gaining weight.

Where To Begin

One of the hardest decisions to make about your French cycling holiday is deciding which city to start from. One of the best cities in which to take a French cycling holiday is Provence. Provence is known for its fabulous weather – the sun shines more than 3,000 hours a year -- so wear plenty of sunscreen while you travel. Even if you have seen Provence by auto, you haven't lived until you have seen Provence from the seat of a bike on a French cycling holiday.

You'll get to work those legs in the hills of Mont Ventous, the Vaucluse, and Cote du Rhone. Get to know the locals in charming villages and prepare to be blown away by the amazing cultural landscape that inspired great artists like Matisse, Chagall, Picasso, Gauguin, and van Gogh.

Nothing is more picturesque than a body of water, and a French cycling holiday in Provence can include the sea and the Rhone River and its thousands of channels.

If you want to bypass Provence, a French cycling holiday in Pyrenees of Southern France may interest you. Ingeniously planned routes make it possible for you to enjoy the Pyrenees alps while cycling at sea level, so riders of all ages and experience levels can enjoy the ride.

Bike and Boat?

With all the rivers, canals, and other waterways in France, French cycling holidays that combine bikes with boats or barges are increasing in popularity.

One of the most popular French cycling holidays is a Burgundy Bike And Barge tour, from Dijon to Tournus. Taste fabulous Burgundy vines in the vineyards where they are grown; sail the Steile Bank on the Saone River, and visit castles, museums or abbeys.

The hospitality of the local French people will blow you away; the people of Burgundy go far out of their way to make guests feel at home during their French cycling holidays.