Cycling Holidays - Lyon to Orange

Lyon to Orange

France

From £800 P/P

Cycle from Lyon to Orange on this self-guided tour through France. Explore the churches, museums and architecture of the UNSECO world heritage site of Lyon before setting off through picturesque countryside, vineyards and nature reserves to the town of Tournon with its historic old city and palace.

Visit Valence, the northern gate of Provence, and explore the Cathedral St. Apollinaris. Your tour ends in Orange, with its well-known Roman theatre and city founding arch, the perfect place to relax after an unforgettable journey.

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Itinerary
Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Lyon

Since 1998 Lyon’s old part of town of Lyon is part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. Mighty churches, about 30 museums and an excellent food serving industry guarantee a delightful stay.

Day 2: Lyon – Vienne approx. 35 km

Already after just a few kilometres the futuristic museum ‚des Confluences’ appears with its spectacular location on an island at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône. There is a lot of traffic in the cities as well as Lyon. We recommend catching the train to Givor.

You follow the course of your ‚companion’, the river Rhône, and soon you reach Vienne where you will stay tonight with its many remains of an ancient Roman colony. You will be impressed by the temple of Augustus and Livia and by the biggest Roman theatre in Gaul.

Day 3: Serrières – Valence approx. 60 km

The beautifully designed cycle path takes you South again, directly along the Rhone riverbank. World renowned grapes are grown in the surroundings of Tournon sur Rhone. We recommend you have your lunch break in one of the charming villages with their medieval village centres and sample at least one glass of the famous Hermitage.

After that, you will soon reach the main town of the Dome-region called Valence. Also called the Northern Gate to Provence, it will amaze you with it’s vibrant town centre full of cafes and restaurants.

Day 4: Valence – Montelimar approx. 65 km

Effortlessly you cycle through the fertile Rhone-Valley. The temptation for pretty larceny of food is especially high today, since there are peaches, apples and kiwis growing directly along the route.

Nevertheless, make sure you also look up and do not miss high up a once proud castle which has sadly crumbled and turned into a ruin, but still keeps a watchful eye over the valley. In todays Day Finish Montelimar it is all about nougat which is produced here in as special quality. Temptations from dawn to dusk.

Day 5: Roundtrip Montelimar approx. 30 km

Today you explore the region Drome Provencal. Enjoy small romantic towns called Villages perches and old romanic churches with the background of the mountains Drome and often you cycle along the wonderful lavender fields.

Day 6: Montélimar – Bourg St. Andéol approx. 30 km

Today’s stage is very short and hence leaves you with lots of time to just enjoy! Several times you switch from one side of the river Rhône to the other side via impressive suspension bridges.

Then onwards along the cycle path to the former diocesan town of Viviers. Behind the cathedral dating back to the 12th century you have an amazing view across the Rhône valley. Then it becomes very quiet in the alluvial forests except for the buzzing noise of your spokes. Vibrancy is back after that in Bourg St. Andéol.

The old part of town is characterised by picturesque houses dating back to the 16th, 17th and 18th century, situated directly on the river Rhône.

Day 7: Bourg St. Andéol – Orange approx. 50 km

On your final stage you casually cycle through glowing yellow sunflower fields, apple orchards and peach plantations, past tomato- and basil fields.

En route, you come across the little town of Pont St. Esprit, known for its 600-year old bridge, whose 25 arches stretch impressively across the river Rhône.

You will be staying in the town of Orange with its well-known Roman theatre and the city founding arch, both part of the UNESCO-World Cultural Heritage.

Day 8: Departure or extension

Lyon to Orange
Route Overview

Route Overview

Easy tour, also for beginners with only some slightly grades. You cycle on small roads and asphalted paths with less traffic.

Route Map (For guidance only):

Routes maybe subject to change or alteration. All route notes, maps and day-by-day information will be given to you upon arrival at the first hotel or at the welcome meeting. GPS/GPX Files are available for most our the cycling holidays we offer. Please ask us for details.

Total distance cycled: 270 km

Starting point for the cycling holiday : Lyon
Getting There

Getting There

We recommend flying to Lyon airport to reach the starting point of this cycling holiday.

Arrival by train:

The train station in Orange is situated at the edge of the historic town. A taxi costs approx. 15,- Euros. As there are not always taxis waiting at the train station you can call a Taxis: Grand Orange: +33 490 51 00 00 Manu Orange: +33 660 87 22 58 Ricou Orange: +33 679 53 34 50

Arrival by plane: The main airport of the Provence is Marseille. The easiest way to Orange is to take the shuttle bus (Navette) from Marseille Airport to the train station Gare “Vitrolles Aeroport”. From here you can take a regional train to Orange via Avignon (journey approx. 1.5 - 2 hours). From Avignon airport you can take a taxi to Orange for approx. 60,- Euros.

Flights are available with a number of airlines to your required airport or you can travel to the start using alternative methods such as rail or road.

We recommend using Skyscanner to find the best flight prices by date or Rail Europe for European rail travel. There is customer car parking available at most hotels for a supplement. Please contact us for more details.

Please use local transport to arrive at the starting point or call us on 0161 703 8161 for more specific travel advice.

You do not need to go back to the starting point of the cycling holiday as all hire bikes are left at the final hotel.

Important: Please book your flights only after the cycling holiday has been confirmed by invoice or email. Flights and transfers are not included in the advertised holiday price.
What’s Included?
What’s Included?

The Lyon to Orange cycling holiday includes the daily transfer of luggage to the next hotel and local support if required.

Included Services (Subject to confirmation)
- Accommodation as already mentioned
- Breakfast buffet or extensive breakfast
- Welcome briefing
- Luggage transfer between the hotels
- Detailed travel documents (route maps, route description, local attractions, important telephone numbers)
- GPS-data is available
- Rental bike insurance
  
  Not Included
- Flights to/from the start and finish
- Evening meals (unless stated)
- Local daily taxes (Payable at the hotel)
- Helmets
- Water Bottles
- Travel Insurance
- Bike Insurance (unless stated)
- Welcome Meetings (unless stated)
- Transfers (unless included)
Bike Hire

Bike Hire

About the Rental Bikes

This cycling holiday uses quality crossbar and unisex hybrid bikes based on KTM frame technology, Selle Royal saddles, Shimano components and puncture-proof tyres to ensure that you have an enjoyable cycle tour. The bikes feature modern V-brakes, aluminium frames with mudguards, comfortable saddles and a rack for a supplied waterproof pannier.

You will also receive a handlebar bag and map holder for easy navigation when riding your daily itinerary. Prices advertised on the website include standard bike hire (unless stated). Colour and specification may vary from the image shown.

Unisex Bike (Colour may vary)

Men's Bike (Colour may vary)

Electric Bike (Colour may vary)

Rental Bike PLUS

For 2020, there is an additional bike rental option available for a supplement. The PLUS hybrid bike now available on most cycling holidays is sportier with higher quality brakes (Magura HS 11) and better specification gears (Shimano Deore XT). The riding position is designed to have a slightly sportier sitting posture and a high quality Suntour suspension fork gives smooth riding on most surfaces. All accessories are compatible with the new PLUS bike rental option.

Accessories

If you would like GPX files for a suitable device, please request them at the time of booking. Devices are not provided and please make sure that you bring along with you any fittings required to attach the Garmin (or similar) to the handlebars. You might want to download maps onto your phone to avoid data charges when roaming.

All bikes are provided with standard flat pedals. You can bring your own cycling pedals, but ensure that you have the correct tools to remove the pedals if the tour does not have a welcome meeting. You may also not be able to travel through airports with the tools if you are carrying hand luggage only.

You can rent a men's bike with a crossbar, unisex/female bike with a sloping tube or an electric bike for a supplement.

Gears

7 speed bikes are equipped with a Shimano Nexus gear hub and 21 speed bikes have a Shimano Alivio derailleur. We request 21 speed bikes for all cycling holidays (when available).

Frame Sizing

When you make a booking with us, we take your height(s) and the appropriate bike size is matched up accordingly. Unisex frame 21-gears with freewheel. Sizes: 56 / 51 / 46 / 43 cm. Unisex 7-gears-bikes with back pedalling brake. Sizes: 56 / 51 / 46 cm. Men’s speed bikes 21-gears with free wheel and crossbar. Sizes: 64 / 60 / 56 "sloping" cm. Helmets are not provided and you will need to bring your own to use.

We always recommend wearing a helmet when on your cycling holiday!

Bike Hire Insurance

This cycle tour benefits from bike insurance against rental bike theft and damage in the holiday price. Please make sure you lock up the bike, leave it where told by the hotel and treat your hire bicycle as if the bike was your own. Any negligent treatment of the bike will exempt you from cover. We advise you to ensure that you have adequate travel insurance for your cycling holiday prior to arrival.

Electric Bike Hire

Why not upgrade your cycling experience to an E-Bike (Electric Bike)? Using a power assisted bike is a great way to go on a cycling holiday and will help you smooth out inclines or longer days in the saddle. Each E-Bike features an LCD display, removable batteries for easy charging and assistance up to 25 km/h with a range of around 120 km for each full charge depending on usage.

E-Bike upgrade prices vary per tour, but if you require any more information about bike hire and electric bikes, please get in-touch with us on 0161 703 8161.

Hotels

This cycling holiday stays in good quality hotels with private facilities carefully selected for their proximity to your cycle route and comfort. If you wish to know specific information about the hotel facilities, Wi-Fi and upgrades used on the holidays, please contact us on 0161 703 8161 for more information.

The hotel list below is subject to change and should be used as a guide. We will confirm the exact hotels prior to arrival.
Lyon to Orange	Sample Hotel List
Lyon	Hotel Axotel Lyon Perrache
Vienne	Hotel Ibis Vienne Saint Louis
Serrieres	Monhotel
Valence	Hotel Atrium
Montelimar	Hotel Kyriad Montelimar
Bourg Saint Andeol	Hotel Restaurant Le Prieure
Orange	Hotel Le Louvre

You will receive your final hotel list approximately 4 weeks prior to your arrival date detailing the hotels used on your cycling holiday. If you wish to know more about the hotels prior to completing a booking form, please contact our Customer Services team via email or by phone.

Date & Prices

You can find out more about this cycling holiday by completing a Contact Form or call 0161 703 8161 to speak to one of the team.

2021 Cycling Holiday Prices:

Season	Dates	Arrival Day
Season 1:	17th April – 7th May 2021 \|1st October - 16th October 2021	Thursday/Saturday
Season 2:	8th May - 18th June 2021\|12th September - 30th September 2021	Thursday/Saturday
Season 3:	19th June - 11th September 2021	Thursday/Saturday

Tour Price Information:

Season	Room	Prices per person
Season 1	Double	£800
Season 1	Single	£1090
Season 1	Double with extra bed	£800
Season 2	Double	£860
Season 2	Single	£1150
Season 2	Double with extra bed	£860
Season 3	Double	£915
Season 3	Single	£1205
Season 3	Double with extra bed	£915

Extras:

Extras	Prices per person
7/21 Gear Rental Bike:	£75
30 Gear Rental Bike:	£125
Electric Bike Upgrade:	£180
Transfer Orange-Lyon:	£90

Additional Nights:

Location	Room	Prices per person
Lyon (3*)	Double	£60
Lyon (3*)	Single	£105
Orange (3*)	Double	£60
Orange (3*)	Single	£100

Date From	Date To
17 April 2021	16 October 2021

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