FRANCE CYCLING HOLIDAYS
2010 Escorted Cycling Tours in France
Provence
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Cycling
Tours in France
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Provence
a timeless land of olives and vines
drenched in sunshine think of Jean de Florette
and Manon des Sources; fields of Lavender and
rugged hills where the herbs grow wild.
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2010
Tour Dates
9 May 2010 (Luberon)
16 May 2010 (Roman
Heritage)
23 May 2010 (Luberon)
6 June 2010 (Roman
Heritage)
13
june 2010(Luberon)
5 Sept 2010 (RomanHeritage)
12 Sept 2010 (Luberon)
19 Sept 2010 (Roman
Heritage)
26 Sept 2010 (Luberon)
3 Oct 2010 (Roman
Heritage)
Booking
enquiries
Downloads
Provence
Luberon Cycling Tour (PDF 3.7MB)
Roman
Heritage Cycling Tour (PDF 3.7MB)
Entire
french Cycling Holidays brochure (PDF 13.2MB)
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7
days / 6 nights from Sunday to
Saturday.
Includes transfers from Nîmes Airport / Avignon TGV station,
accommodation, breakfast and dinner. Lunch is at your discretion.
Provence, deriving is name from the Roman Provincia Gallia, is the
region between the Côte dAzur and the Rhone delta, stretching
inland to the foothills of the Alps in the East and to the plateau
of the Ardèche in the West.It has been said that Provence
is more a state of mind than a distinct geographical area
the olive trees, fields of lavender and sunflowers, and the sunshine
give a mediterranean feeling. The landscape is wonderfully varied,
from the rugged hinterland with terraced vineyards, to the mini-mountain
range of the Alpilles near Arles, to the flat marshes of the Camargue
where the Rhone flows to the sea. And everywhere there is the evidence
of the areas Roman past, with some of the best preserved examples
of Roman building anywhere.
The unique quality of the light in Provence has attracted artists
for the last two centuries, notably Van Gogh and Gauguin who lived
in Arles and Cézanne who immortalised the area with his many
studies of Mont Ste-Victoire. The cuisine of the region is as distinctive
as the light, with emphasis on fresh fruit and vegetables, olive
oil, seafood and the herbs de provence rosemary, thyme, lavender
which grow wild on the hillsides. Wines there are too, for
example roses from Bandol and Mont Ventoux, and reds from Nimes
in the west, but above all, grands crus like Châteauneuf-du-Pape
and Gigondas in the Rhone Valley above Avignon.
The
Roman Heritage tour follows in the traces of the civilisation
that gave the region its name. You will discover hidden treasures
in Arles, Orange, Nîmes, Uzès, at the Pont du Gard
and in Avignon, and taste liquid treasure in the vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
The landscapes shift from the green fruit-growing pastures of the
Rhone valley to the dry garrigue of the inland hills to the pan-flat
expanses of marshland that make up the Camargue National Park.
The
Villages of the Luberon tour takes in the Provence made famous
in Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence , with its lavender farms and
olive groves, visiting charming villages with bustling markets overlooked
by apricot-coloured houses with pastel blue shutters. Menerbes,
Gordes, Roussillon with its ochre cliffs, Vaison-la-Romaine dominated
by the Roman bridge - each of these will entrance you, as will the
earthly delights of the wineries of Gigondas and Beaumes-de-Venise.
The terrain
here can be challenging for cyclists because of the topography,
although none of the hills are too daunting, and anybody of reasonable
fitness will be able to manage the routes comfortably.
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Cycling
holidays in France
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Price:
1650 euros
/ R. Heritage
Price: 1760 euros /
Luberon
Single
supplement: 400 / 445 euros
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Fitness
Levels
Luberon: Moderate to challenging
Roman Heritage : relaxed to moderate
Villages
of Luberon Cycling Tour Highlights
The spectacular hilltop village of Gordes
Ochre cliffs at Roussillon
The lunar landscape of Mont Ventoux
Wine tasting in Gigondas and Beaumes
Roman
Heritage Cycling Tour Highlights
The
stunning Roman Theatre at Orange
Pont du
Gard . a World Heritage Site
Winetasting
at Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Flamingos
in the Camargue
Follow
in the footsteps of Vincent Van Gogh at
Arles and St.Remy
Transfers
(included in the price)
TGV/train to Avignon
Ryanair to Nimes
Terms
& Conditions
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