Hi Guys,

Wife and I did a tour around Bordeaux last year and we are hooked. Planning Provence this year and wanted to know if Marseilles would be a better start point or Montpelier?

Any suggestions of routes and anything else would also be most welcome.

A friend and I left out of the Avignon TGV station in Sep 2009 and did a big lazy 300-mile figure-8 to the east through the Luberon region, including a wonderful climb of Mt. Ventoux out of Sault. Wonderful little villages every six-eight km, great food. We had no reservations except the first night in Menerbes. Just played it by ear after that. We'd get to a village, decide it was time to call it a night. Go to the Office de Tourisme and ask about accomodations. They'd hook us up with a family with a gites or chambre , and we'd wind up staying in a wonderful farmhouse or townhouse, eating amazing local produce for breakfast, and meeting great people who were eager to share our tour with us! Only problem was when we reached Gordes, near the end of our trip, and had trouble with the first 5 places we tried being full. But the one we wound up in was the best place we stayed the whole trip, at 2/3s the cost of our roach-infested 8x10 cell in Paris.

The area around Marseille is very crowded. Much nicer in the Camargue or the area near Aix en Provence. Tons of cyclists around and great infrastructure. Can't go wrong.

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/CyclingInFrance

Thanks guys.

Just wanted to know which airport would be a better start point. Currently thinking of landing in Marseille, and spending the first couple of nights in Aix en Provence [or outskirts], and starting from there.

some things to consider--august is teh month that all French go on vacation, so down along the coast is busier than hades, and speaking of hades, aug can be fricken hot down in Provence. In 2008 I camped there for 2 weeks, my family and our French friends from Normandie, and there were days of 42c, over 105f, really really damn hot--too much for biking.

I had always heard that down in that neck of the woods, sept and oct were nice, now I believe it, and I pitied the few tourers I saw. I recall a pair arrving in our campground after sunset (10pm prob) simply cuz they couldnt ride in the afternoon.

traffic is one thing, but you sure as heck want to avoid being there when it is stifling.

as noga says, its a very pretty region. I wouldnt hesitate touring there. I have biked aroiund Bordeaux as well, but really, France is a great biking destination. Lots of campgrounds, lots of tourism info as noga said.

Bump! I'm headed to Bordeaux in May with the wife who will be on business leaving me to tour the country. Any recommendations for routes in the Bordeaux area?

Ride to Lacanau lake and back is about 100km or so on a piste. Completely flat but nice traffic free ride. Are you looking for day rides or touring from Bordeaux?

My sig has a link to our tour from Bordeaux.

I have experience of Marseille Airport but none of Montpellier.

A couple of years ago in July myself and a friend flew from Dublin to Marseille then cycled across France to Bordeaux and flew back to Dublin.

Marseille Airport is to the Northwest of the city and we didn't have much difficulty getting to D543 which runs N to cross the Durance river and the town of Cadenet where we camped. Took about 2 hours to get to Cadenet through first suburbs and lightly populated countryside. The next day we ended up in the town Roussillon just E of Apt after I became ill. Slightly heat related in that the heat drove us into an airconditioned bar for a beer and I've always been prone to infections from heavy AC. By early afternoon I could barely cycle so we made for Roussillon and spent two nights in a Chambre D'hote. Nice town well worth a visit.

Was well enough to go on after the rest but we dropped Mt. Ventoux from the schedule.