Biking Holiday in the Arles Countryside, France

Be prepared to cycle through ancient times and space with this tour. The Alpilles region with its cypresses and olive trees, may remind you of Greece while the well-preserved Pont-du-Gard and the Arles Theater will take you back to Roman times.
At your own pace, you’ll visit abbeys, castles, gardens, vineyards, and ride through many more extraordinary sights that will reveal to you the unique heritage and character of this region.

Day 1: Arrive in Avignon
Arrive in Avignon at the time of your choice. We can’t however recommend enough an early arrival so as to allow plenty of time to explore Avignon and its sites. To accommodate exploring, you'll lodge in a property conveniently located in the center of Avignon. Fabienne, our local representative will meet you in the afternoon and go meticulously over the next few days’ itinerary, give you all the necessary materials, outfit you with bikes and answer all your questions.

Day 2: Avignon - Graveson (66 km or 41 miles)
Leaving Avignon behind, you'll bike through the Gard vineyards and Provencal villages to reach the majestic Roman aqueduct "Pont du Gard," a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As a self-guided rider, you have total freedom to spend as much time (or as little) as you want touring this impressive 2,000-year-old wonder. You can also take advantage of the canoeing and bathing opportunities in the Gardon river that flows beneath the aqueduct...

Day 3: Graveson - Fontvieille (40 km or 24 miles)
You'll cycle through "La Montagnette," a scenic low-rise range of hills, to Tarascon where we suggest a stop to visit its magnificent 15th century, one of France's best kept medieval fortresses. Also of interest in Tarascon is a Provencal fabric making museum housed and operated by Souleiado, one of Provence’s manufacturers. On your way to Fontvieille, you'll find many restaurants and open air cafes chockfull with regional specialties. Or if you prefer you can picnic roadside and acquire a firsthand understanding as to how the French countryside has inspired so many artistic masterpieces.

Day 4: Fontvieille - Fontvieille (30 km or 19 miles)
Today being a “loop day,” you can choose to give your legs a rest from cycling and spend your day relaxing by the hotel pool. You may of course ride our highly-recommended loop. It will take you to Arles--a town listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site--where a walk through its lively streets and open-air monuments such as its Roman Theatre is a must. Riding back to Fontvieille at your own pace, feel free to stop by the remarkably restored windmill of Alphonse Daudet. The hero of this Provencal writer’s best-selling book (Letters from my Windmill) has been turned into a museum worth a short visit.

Day 5: Fontvieille - Avignon (43 km or 27 miles)
Today's route will take you through the Alpilles low-rise mountain range and you will discover one of Provence's jewels: Les Baux de Provence, a hilltop village so stunningly beautiful that it has been deemed one of France's most beautiful villages. On a clear day, a tour of its medieval fortress will allow you to enjoy unobstructed views over Provence all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. Further on, you’ll ride Saint-Rémy known for being Van Gogh’s home during some of his most productive years.

Day 6: Departure from Avignon
After breakfast, depart Avignon at the time of your choice.

Average daily mileage: 30 to 66 km (19 to 41 miles)

Level: 2/3 ( Easy/Moderate) (based on a 1- 5 difficulty scale)

These prices do not include:
-Lunches
-Drinks
-Expenses of personal nature
-Travel Insurance
-Rental bikes. Hybrid bikes are available at the rate of 80 euros/bike