Provence Bike Tour Reviews page 4
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★★★★★ Helen Stowe
Mostly Marvelous, Somewhat Scary
South of France: UNESCO World Heritage Sites
For the most part, the trip was wonderful -- accommodations were varied, but all just fine for a shower after a long day on the road, comfortable beds, good breakfasts, and pleasant hosts. Countryside was beautiful, and we were blessed with perfect weather. However, we occasionally felt that we had too many miles to travel so we weren't able to take advantage of visiting the UNESCO sites mentioned in the guide book. Electric bikes were fun (a first for most of us) and essential for making it up the long hills. On the downside, the last 3km into Carcassonne was hair raising....so much traffic, trucks that weren't about to slow down or give us any leeway as we approached narrow bridges. We managed to find a pleasant bike path along the canal that took us right into the city, with only a few streets to navigate; and we wondered why your tour didn't direct us onto that bike path instead of along the dangerous and busy road...and if anyone in the company had actually ridden that route into Carcassonne. I was so unnerved that I chose to skip the last day's ride and walked around the city instead (and loved every minute of that!).
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Ron Walker
Highly Recommended Itinerary
Provence by Bike and Boat
This was a great trip and I'm giving it 4 stars rather than 5 only because I wasn't crazy about our boat, the Caprice. The dining area is just way too cramped when the boat is fully booked. From what I saw of the L'Estello, which does the same route, it might be a better choice. Otherwise, it was great. We did a ride out of Amsterdam earlier this year, and riding around Provence is about 100x more interesting than riding Friesland. I'd highly recommend that area to everyone. Specific to the local operator, the e-bikes were excellent, loved our guide, food was terrific and the team was very focused on providing a great experience for the guests.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Matthew Mink
A reasonable option for early November
South of France: UNESCO World Heritage Sites
We lucked out with the weather with temperatures in up to 20 degrees C. Only a spot of rain which we were prepared for. Enjoyed the kindness of the people in this part of France. The food and wine were great. Highlight was staying at a converted lemonade factory in Olonzac and Minerve. Gravel canal route was a bit monotonous on the on day into Carcassonne and probably put us at risk of a puncture but the bikes did well.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Nov 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- Lots
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ lifejazz
Amazing Sights in Provence
Provence Getaway: The Secrets of Southern France (4 nights)
We enjoyed our bike tour through Provence. Our first time to use e-bikes, which given the winds and the hills, seemed like the thing to do. Really enjoyed the e-bikes for their ease of use and making the windy or hilly sections enjoyable. The orientation was very thorough and the combination of the gps and the paper charts made navigation very easy. The two hotels were, not to understate it, wonderful. Excellent accommodations, lovely people, great food. We even got attached to a French Bulldog, Cinquante, belonging the owners of the hotel in Collias. Quite the character! On the whole the ride was through vineyards and side roads. The only unpleasant bit was from Collias to Tarascon. We spend too much time on heavily trafficked shoulder-less roads with trucks and cars whizzing by at 50 miles an hour a couple of feet from us. We've been riding for several decades and as a practice, I would never ride on that kind of road. So that bit needs some adjustment (which is why this is a four star instead of a five star review). But other than that, the rest of the ride was a delight.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 9/16-20
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ klrea
Touring Provence
Provence Getaway: The Secrets of Southern France (4 nights)
This is an amazing and beautiful part of the country to visit, and our bike tour organizers set up a really great agenda. However, we don't feel that bicycling was the best way to see the area, and next time we will rent a car instead.
We opted for the self-guided tour because we wanted to be in control of when and where we stopped. The tour organizers were super helpful and friendly and did everything possible to set us up and get us on our way. However, the bikes were extraordinarily heavy, much heavier than what we are used to riding at home, and, for the amount and type of riding that was on our schedule, made the touring harder than we expected it to be. Also, this was my husband's first bike tour, and the first self-guided tour for me. I found that having to watch the GPS and navigate detracted from being able to enjoy the countryside as we rode through. Finally, while, the little towns along the way were lovely and a delight to see, we were not accustomed to the provincial French practice of closing up shop in the afternoon until opening back up for dinner at 6pm, and so were often without food for the day. It was hard to time the riding to arrive in time for lunch when we didn't know how the riding would take.
One more unexpected event was the arrival of the Mistral winds on the last day of our ride, which came blustering in at 30 mph. So, while the weather was nice otherwise, the strong and cold wind made riding heavy bikes uphill something we took a pass on. Fortunately, we were able to find transportation by car into the area that we wished to visit.
For these reasons, although I think this is a great company, I think there are some places that are best visited by car, even though I am an avid and strong cyclist at home.- What was the date of your tour?
- 4 October 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Shannon McDougall
Great Trip
Cycling Paradise of Provence - to and from Avignon
This was a great trip with well organized logistics and routes. We downloaded a GPX file reader and found the daily routes were easy to follow. The files need to be updated for day 4 and day 6 as routes had a couple of deadends but we managed. Overall all a great trip, not too difficult!
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Rob T
Provence
Cycling Paradise of Provence - to and from Avignon
Best of Provence - Brilliant accommodation in St Remy. Cantosorge hotel not the best.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 4 May
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Robert Sterndale
A beautiful ride through mostly rural, agricultural France
Garonne Canal: From Bordeaux to Toulouse
Bordeaux and Toulouse are interesting cities alright but most of our time was riding through an expansive agricultural area. Finding our way out of Bordeaux was not difficult. Once we reached the canal we "sailed" along the paved towpath all day, every day. The bike trail was mostly well maintained paved surface with a few stretches that were bumpy. We saw active pavement maintenance so it is being improved where needed.
The Roadbook navigating program served well as a way finder except on the last day when it took us to the wrong place in Toulouse a couple kilometers or more across the city from our hotel. That was a hassle.
Being of a certain age, we opted for e-bikes on this trip. These were pedal-assist type bikes which we all mastered quickly. The terrain was mostly very canal-flat but the e-boost was welcome for the occasional rise and toward the end of the day the boost was welcome. The hotels along the way were not right on the canal and some hill climbing was involved there.
Bikes were well maintained and thoughtfully configured for our various heights but no orientation or training was provided for the bikes, they were just left at the starting hotel.
We enjoyed the hotel/B&B stays. B&B hosts were gracious and accommodating. Rooms were clean and comfortable.
We did this in late September which is the end of their tourist season. Weather was fine. Bike traffic was light.
The canal trail provided a very scenic but repetitious view. We saw an interesting variety of agricultural activity along the way.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Sam Warren
Tour September 21-27 2025
Garonne Canal: From Bordeaux to Toulouse
Overall a very pleasant week. Ride was beautiful, weather was great, and accommodations were good. Although a couple were difficult to reach since they were a distance away from the canal. One disappointment was the misleading information that I would receive some detail instructions from the agency if I paid 35 euros each ( total of 70 for 2) for the “SaddleUp” option. No one from the agency showed up and the gentleman at the bike shop adjusted my seat and told me to cross the bridge and turn right and I would find the trail. Hardly worth 70 euros. Appears to be a way to jack the profit while providing no additional service.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2025
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ David Coleman
Trip of my dreams
Provence’s History, Landscapes, and Luberon National Park
Still looking for my refund from Bernard for an overpayment.
Can get anyone to respond to my emails.Hope someone will respond to this inquiry. The trip was very enjoyable, great group of people. Sam was a wonderful guide- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Michelle2019
Provence’s History, Landscapes, and Luberon National Park
I would not recommend ChainGang as a tour operator for this area. Far better and more savvy operators with better maps and navigation are out there. At the end of the trip no one from the company checked in with us. A bit strange having all their equipment. Their printed material in a folder was ridiculous. We asked for map holders and ended up using clothes pegs and a plastic bag. Why the maps?
- What was the date of your tour?
- 17 Sept - 3 Oct
- How many tours have you completed?
- Several
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe
Hi Michelle, and thanks kindly for the review. We appreciate you letting us know that the maps and navigation left something to be desired. On many self-guided tours, the operator will not meet with you at the end of the tour. They will simply pick up the equipment from the final hotel. However, each operator handles this differently. Based on the rest of your review values, it seems like you enjoyed the other aspects of the tour. We certainly hope so!
-
★★★★★ Wignh
Met my expectations
Provence by Bike and Boat
Excellent barge, with welcoming A/C in southern France in mid-summer. Dinners were varied and tasty - but desserts were magnifique! Make-your-own lunch to go on the bike - which is standard bike/barge arrangement - becomes boring after a few days. But what I will remember is this once-in-a-lifetime highlight: watching France win World Cup at a jammed packed outside bar in a small town!
- What was the date of your tour?
- mid-july
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Margaret
Beautiful arrangements, somewhat difficult cycling
Canal du Midi: Carcassonne to Sete, the South of France and the Sea
Carcassone is stunning. All of the hotels were good to excellent. The terrain is quite varied. The cycling was more difficult than I expected -- there are some serious climbs on the first two days, and most of the route is on public roads so you have to deal with cars. The tour company did their best to avoid traffic but they can't create a bike path where there is none. Fortunately, French drivers are used to bicyclists. I would recommend this trip to experienced cyclists but not to newbies.
The preparatory material was good. We were given printed maps and also an app for our phones. Both were good but the app was great because you could use it while you were on the bike, and it gave you an audible warning if you got twenty meters off the trail. The app also kept track of the percentage of the daily ride you had covered, and had a few more features. This was the first time I'd had an app and I really appreciated it.- How many tours have you completed?
- 4 counting this one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Alanran
Beautiful Provence by Bike and Barge
Provence by Bike and Boat
The boat was really nice and the crew was great -- from captain to chef to on-board host. They did an exceptional job making our time on the boat pleasant.
The biking was also nice in spite of the 98 degree temperatures, full on sun and mistral winds in our face -- even had to peddle going down hill sometimes. That said, we saw beautiful villages, olive orchards, vineyards, sun flower fields and lavender fields -- beautiful terrain -- even some of the areas covered in the Tour de France -- Pont du Gard. The visit to Le Beaux de Provence was special going into the cave with Van Gogh paintings put to motion and sound.
All in all it was a fun tour with a great group of riders.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 13-20
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ BikerPT
Bike ride in the wind
Provence’s History, Landscapes, and Luberon National Park
There were a number of good things about this trip. The two guides were very attentive and knowledgeable of the region, helping the group to experience some amazing sites. The scenery was fantastic; the vineyards and wineries were a site to see/experience. It was a real sense of accomplishment to ride up a 3K class 2 hill that has been a part of the Tour de France. We did ride with head winds blowing constantly at up to 40 mph for three of the six days on the trip; the one day with a tailwind, we biked at 33 kmh with ease.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Jeff
Enjoying the Towns of Provence
Cycling Paradise of Provence - to and from Avignon
We truly enjoyed our trip, particularly visiting the historical towns where we stayed. Sites were interesting and scenery was beautiful. Food was excellent wherever we ate.
The GPS route was easy to follow. It was mostly back roads and bike paths, but also included expressways, gravel or dirt paths, as well as asphalt roads in major disrepair which were all problematic. We had a flat tire which I changed myself with call support from the local operator, Walk Inn. They also personally provided good upfront information and support.
The hotels were fine and well located, and the towns were friendy and welcoming, except Arles which was a major disappointment. Arles was run down and shabby, and the hotel room was incredibly small and unfit for 2 people. We were quite happy with our stays in Avignon, L'Isle sur la Sorgue and St Remy, which were beautiful towns with good accommodations.
We are looking forward to our next bike trip with Biketours.com- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2026
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Rosann
Provence’s History, Landscapes, and Luberon National Park
Absolutely fabulous trip. Weather was gorgeous, setting was amazing, hosts also wonderful but if doing the self guided tour be prepared for some lost an found adventures. The route sheets sometimes required interpretation especially in villages where instructions like cross railway turn left so that track is on your right doesn’t make sense, others included take the gravel track up a steep hill - there were 4 tracks only one paved. This one also interesting as we went through on a Sunday - hunters had just shot a wild boar :0| Also suggest taking an extended tool kit- we had a flat on aMonday - local bike shop closed - the tyre was stuck to the rim on one side- had to prize the tyre off the rim with screw driver. Phone call to organizers were not returned- hotel owner very helpful but not a mechanic. We still had a great trip though and will definitely do another with this crew again.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 20-27 September 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- This is our first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Gennie
Southern France in the Summer
Provence’s History, Landscapes, and Luberon National Park
The tour of Provence was absolutely beautiful! I suggest anyone considering a trip to France to do this tour, however, not in late summer. Temps exceeded 100 degrees most every afternoon. Tour cue sheets need some tweeking. We had to backtrack on several occasions. The written packet should also include a description of what to expect on that day of tour. Relying on what is written on this website is not always accurate and needs more information. We would have missed some very interesting places if not directed by locals and hotel concierges.
- What was the date of your tour?
- late July/early August 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- several
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Jan Barbeau
First Bike Trip
Cycling Paradise of Provence - to and from Avignon
Overall, the e-bikes and service provided by Phillip were exceptional! Claire was also very helpful with check-in and the initial overview — much appreciated.
We did encounter a few challenges with navigation. We didn’t receive all of the correct maps in advance, and the maps provided were a bit tricky to follow, though we managed in the end.
The hotel in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue was disappointing. The bed consisted of two twin mattresses pushed together with a sheet, and the frame legs weren’t secured. Additionally, the hotel’s location on the edge of town made it inconvenient to walk to restaurants after a day of biking. Breakfast was quite minimal — one slice of ham, one slice of cheese, one roll, and a single cup of coffee.
The first and third hotels were good overall.
It would be great to have more suggested points of interest along the routes — for example, recommended stops at local wineries or scenic spots.
Just FYI - I am a travel agent and will now be able to advise clients on bike tours experiences.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- First one!
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Joanne Z
Bike tour of Southern Fran e
South of France: UNESCO World Heritage Sites
We loved our bike tour through the rolling hills and quaint villages of France. We especially enjoyed visiting the UNESCO Heritage Sites and wished we’d had a little bit more information on this history of the region.
Would it be possible to include some not so famous sites that are worth visiting on your map interface such as chapels, wineries or cafes worth visiting ?- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct 1,2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- First time road bike tourist. We usually mountain bike
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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