Favorite rides near Avignon (Provence)?
#1
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Favorite rides near Avignon (Provence)?
Hi all,
I'll be in Avignon, France for two weeks and will be cycling around the area as much as possible. Besides the Luberon and Mt. Ventoux (already on the list!), are there any nearby destinations (villages, cities, national parks, scenic spots, etc.) that people would recommend in particular? I'm planning to do day trips from Avignon and back most of the time because I have a free place to stay there, but I hope to do at least a two-day ride at some point. I've got a lot of good general resources for planning routes, but it would be great to hear from anyone who has suggestions based on personal experience.
Thanks!
Griffin
I'll be in Avignon, France for two weeks and will be cycling around the area as much as possible. Besides the Luberon and Mt. Ventoux (already on the list!), are there any nearby destinations (villages, cities, national parks, scenic spots, etc.) that people would recommend in particular? I'm planning to do day trips from Avignon and back most of the time because I have a free place to stay there, but I hope to do at least a two-day ride at some point. I've got a lot of good general resources for planning routes, but it would be great to hear from anyone who has suggestions based on personal experience.
Thanks!
Griffin
#2
Bike touring webrarian
While it isn't a day ride from Avignon, I'd highly recommend riding down the Gorge du Tarn. For that matter, check out any of the other gorges in the area.
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Gorges L'Ardeche is a wonderful ride. Also visiting Saint-Remy-de-Provence and the forested hills to the south (with old ruins) is a nice ride.
#4
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It's an easy, flat ride to the impressive Pont du Gard west of Avignon.
St. Remy-de-Provence south of Avignon would also be an easy daytrip.
Arles is a nice town SSW of Avignon.
St. Remy-de-Provence south of Avignon would also be an easy daytrip.
Arles is a nice town SSW of Avignon.
#5
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Venasque is a pretty hilltop town ENE of Avignon. It's not as touristed as the hilltop towns in the Luberon (but cycling in the Luberon is wonderful). From Venasque, I biked along the Gorges de la Nesque to Sault. That was a pretty route and had very little traffic. The next day, I biked up Mont Ventoux from Sault, the easiest of the 3 approaches to Ventoux (I had full panniers). I descended to Malaucene which definitely would have been a more difficult ride up.
You may be aware of the following site with suggested bike routes:
Cycle touring in Provence - bike tours and mountain bike trails for everyone
I biked the route "Autour du Luberon", and it's a really nice 236 km route. (Cavaillon, the westernmost town on the route, is not the most inspiring place, however.) I occasionally varied from the route in order to visit some villages off the route.
I forgot to mention Les Baux-de-Provence, just south of St-Remy-de-Provence.
You may be aware of the following site with suggested bike routes:
Cycle touring in Provence - bike tours and mountain bike trails for everyone
I biked the route "Autour du Luberon", and it's a really nice 236 km route. (Cavaillon, the westernmost town on the route, is not the most inspiring place, however.) I occasionally varied from the route in order to visit some villages off the route.
I forgot to mention Les Baux-de-Provence, just south of St-Remy-de-Provence.