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7 days (6 nights)
Spring
Couple
France
Slow tourism · Outdoor Activities · Food & Wine · Culture & Architecture
Magnificent ochres of Rustel, Lubéron, France

A couple in their thirties would like to explore the Alpilles and the Luberon by bike. Velstana built a tailor-made 6-day trip to include vineyards, historical monuments and perched villages. 

The call

In accordance with our online request for an appointment, Stanislas called us and we built our trip together in a little over half an hour. The communication proved to be well-balanced between the right questions asked and the expression of our desires and technical capacities.

We decided to leave at the end of May for a period of 6 days, with stages of around 50 km/day depending on the type of terrain: more or less hilly.

We asked Velstana to focus our tour on two themes, historical monuments and gastronomy.

Stanislas advised a loop tour to allow us to explore the Alpilles and Luberon at our own pace.

For the accommodation, we wanted guesthouses or charming hotels with a good level of comfort.

For dinner, as we appreciate local products, we favoured the quality and atmosphere of guesthouse food while also wishing to be able to dine outside following the recommendations of Velstana, just to vary the taste experience. As a bonus, we opted for a gourmet dinner at the end of the tour.

The reservation

The following week, we received the description and the price by e-mail. This fitted our conversation exchange and after having got clarification on the gourmet restaurant, we validated the estimate and paid the deposit… and that was it!

The preparations

Two weeks before departure, we received a comprehensive Travel Book via e-mail with the complete itinerary and many other things, such as information on the route, travel advice and suggestions on typical restaurants and local cuisine.

A link received by e-mail enabled us to have the route on our smartphone, very easy and convenient to follow.

The Roman Amphitheatre in Arles, Provence, France
The Arles Amphitheatre, Provence, France

Trip details

Day
1

Cycling distance: 45 km; elevation gain: 160 m +

We arrived in Avignon in the late morning and went directly to the rental company located a stone's throw away to pick up our bikes and leave our luggage. After a quick meal, we reached Barbentane, a pretty medieval village with its splendid Renaissance castle, then Saint-Michel de Frigolet Abbey, nestled in the heart of the Montagnette forest. After admiring the Saint-Gabriel tower, we arrived in Arles by small quiet roads. We spent the night in a charming hotel with a spa and discovered a great restaurant address given by Velstana. Before that, we visited the city in an original way, by taco bike (this time we were not pedaling!)
Day
2

42 km 500 m +

We enjoyed Arles throughout the early morning then moved on to see the mill of Daudet, the castle of Montauban and the small village of Le Paradou. We then reached the unmissable and extraordinary villages of Baux-de-Provence and Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. We stayed in Maussane in a charming hotel with a beautiful swimming pool and had dinner on site. In the village, we also discovered several producers of local products and did not resist making some purchases from them, which we stowed in a taxi with our luggage (!).
Day
3

46 km 550 m +

We had a lovely trip to Eygalières then crossed the Durance to discover the Luberon, Taillades, Robion, Maubec and the 1st of its high-perched villages, Oppède le Vieux. We dined and overnighted in Oppède in a guesthouse with a swimming pool and a high quality table d'hôtes.
Day
4

39 km 880 m +

We explored Ménerbes, Lacoste and Bonnieux, well worth it by bike! By a very beautiful small road, we reached Saigon then went up to Caseneuve. The landscape was very wild: it was dazzling! We stayed in the village in a beautiful guesthouse equipped with a swimming pool and a gourmet-standard table d'hôtes.
Day
5

51 km 510 m +

We crossed Viens, a pretty high-perched village, then Gignac and its castle, and soon after, the extraordinary ochre cliffs of Colorado Provençal de Rustrel. After Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt, more ochre cliffs (you can't get enough of them!) in Roussillon. We slept in a cosy guesthouse with a swimming pool and had dinner at the village bistro.
Day
6

49 km 830 m +

The last day of cycling but not the least! The route was sumptuous with Gordes as a starter and then the very beautiful abbey of Sénanque, nestled in the forest. We then went up to Venasque, a very beautiful high- perched village, then we crossed Saumane-de-Vaucluse by pretty little roads and finally came to the charming Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. At the end of our trip, at Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, we relaxed in the swimming pool of our guesthouse before going to the Michelin-starred restaurant reserved by Velstana.
Day
7

The last day of our holiday

After a morning stroll in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue we went to Avignon station by taxi, which also took care of leaving the bicycles back at the rental company.

Pricing and services for this cycling journey in France: €1,050 per person

Included:

  • Accommodation 6 nights in a double room: superior 3* hotel or very comfortable guesthouse (breakfast included)
  • Dinners on days 2 (excluding drinks), 3 and 4
  • The visit of Arles by Taco bike
  • Baggage transfer
  • High-quality bikes
  • Accessories (bags, helmet, repair equipment, pump)
  • Travel Book accessible anywhere, anytime, including a one-of-a-kind cycling itinerary available on an app

Excluded:

  • Meals other than those listed above
  • Personal expenses
  • Travel insurance 

The abovementioned sample prices are for guidance only and are not binding. The total cost of your holiday will depend on a number of factors, including time of year of travel and choice of accommodation and transport. The actual cost of your holiday is as set out in the Booking Confirmation.

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