Back in September 2024, my husband and I booked a self-guided cycling vacation in France. We had already completed a 5-day cycling trip in western Ireland the year prior and fell in love with this slower way of traveling through small villages, so we were excited to replicate that experience.
But where in France to bike? I decided on Provence, as I've always wanted to see the French countryside, and it was likely to still be quite warm in late September. We selected a local French biking company, Abicyclette Voyages, and asked them to create a custom route for us that included the Gorges de la Nesque, an incredible cycling trail I stumbled upon online and could not get out of my head, and the Pont du Gard, which also haunted my imagination. As you'll soon see, they really delivered.
The final route we were sent was more challenging than we had anticipated, so I spent the next couple of months training on our local rural Vermont hills and indoors on my bike trainer. My husband Andrew was able to set the bike trainer up for me so that I could simulate some of the challenging climbs that were planned out for us. I was determined to prove that I could do it on a regular road bike. Satisfied with where I was at, we charged forward with our trip.
Day 1: Getting Started in Avignon
We flew into Paris-Charles de Gaulle on a red-eye with plans to catch a train to Avignon, the starting point of our trip. As often happens to us right after arriving in a foreign country, things didn't go according to plan, and we soon found that the train I had planned for us to take was completely sold out. We then had the choice of booking an expensive train that left a couple of hours later or a cheaper train that left much much later. Exhausted, hungry, and jet-lagged, we gritted our teeth and bought the expensive train tickets.
When we finally arrived in Avignon several hours later, I was dead tired but relieved to have finally made it. Avignon was sunny, hot, and surprisingly quiet on a Saturday afternoon.
We stopped by a little eatery called L'Epicerie de Ginette, which was the only restaurant on my list that had not closed between lunch and dinner service. They specialize in simple tartines, soups, and salads, which was perfect since it was the late afternoon, and we would be having dinner again a little later. I got a tartine with three cheeses and pear, with the three cheeses being mozzarella, chevre, and fourme (a blue cheese). Andrew opted for the house specialty "gourmet assortment" of tartines, which included 3 half-tartines--smoked salmon, duck rillette, and chicken salad--all over a salad.
We made our way through Avignon to a bus stop, which was just outside the old city walls. Avignon is a charming city, and I was impressed with the beautiful winding trees lining some of the streets.
After struggling to figure out the bus system, we finally caught the correct bus to Villaneuve-lรจs-Avignon, a small town across the river from Avignon. Finally, we walked from the bus stop to our hotel. It had only taken a plane, a train, a bus, and a walk to make it, but we were finally here!
We were totally charmed by the Hotel de L'Atelier and didn't mind at all that it was not actually in Avignon. It was everything I wanted a little Provenรงal hotel to be, from our cute room with a view of the square to the picturesque garden terrace. The staff were also friendly and spoke good English. Bonus: See if you can spot Andrew in our room!
After checking in and finally getting the chance to freshen up, we wandered around Villaneuve-lรจs-Avignon.
We stopped by a little patisserie and selected a small tart somewhat at random. All I knew was that I wanted something chocolate. It ended up tasting like the inside of a ferrero rocher perched on a buttery shortcrust pastry. Delicious!
Further along the main road, we stumbled upon La Chartreuse de Villaneuve, a 14th-century monastery. We didn't elect to pay the admission fee to see the entire monastery since it was so late in the day, but we still found plenty of serene spots within that were free (with more of my favorite trees!).
Then it was back to our hotel for the bike delivery, which is when things started to go wrong. We had paid extra for premium road bikes after we were told that they would be Trek Emonda SLR 7 bikes, which (to my admittedly limited understanding) are top-of-the-line road bikes. I was extremely excited to ride what would be a $9k bike all over Provence. What was delivered instead were regular Scott road bikes. We felt duped.
Worse yet, my bike was too tall for me, even with the seat adjusted as low as it could go. We realized Abicyclette had only asked for our heights, but not any other measurements. While my bike may have suited someone my height with longer legs, my proportions made it a no-go.
Unfortunately, the man delivering the bikes explained that there was nothing they could do to swap out the bikes, as Abicyclette had not requested Trek Emonda SLR 7s from them, and it was also the end of the day. He walked us through our itinerary and gave us all the other equipment we needed (bike locks, luggage tags, helmets, water bottles, etc.), but I was only half-listening, too worried about how I was going to do this already-difficult bike route with a bike that didn't fit me.
We then spent the next hour attempting to contact a support person at Abicyclette who could help us figure out an alternative as soon as possible, as we were scheduled to set out the following morning. Our wonderful hotel concierge allowed us free use of their phone while my husband was shunted from person to person through the bike tour company, as it was now late on a Saturday. I emailed my contact that had helped me book and plan the trip but got no response.
We didn't manage to resolve it, but we did need to eat dinner eventually, so after we had done all we could, we walked down the street to a restaurant our tour company and hotel had recommended, La Salamandre (the Salamander). With that unusual of a name, how could we pass it up?
We ate outside in what was a small town square even though it was getting quite dark. Our waiter was very nice and walked us through their small menu in English. We split a goat cheese salad starter, followed by a brown butter cod with butternut squash risotto (Andrew) and steak frites (me).
It was nearly 10PM by the time we finished our dinner, and we were eating in near-darkness. Happily full, we stumbled back to our hotel to get some rest for our first day of biking.
The views just kept coming, and this kept me going despite the pain.
After a beautiful descent, we hit the town of Bรฉdoin, which had a bustling market in the center. We got off our bikes and spent a good hour strolling through the market, which seemed to go on and on.
All the food was light with subtle flavors, even the bacon sauce that did indeed taste like bacon without all the grease. I really loved the cook on my duck, though the honey sauce was surprisingly restrained. The ile de flottante was the perfect dessert to end on without feeling overly full. We took our time resting up, knowing that the biggest climb was ahead of us.
Day 2: Olive Groves and Hilly Climbs
Our bike drama unresolved, we woke up determined to try one last time to get in touch with Abicyclette and see if we could save the bike situation before setting out on our ride. Spoiler alert: we couldn't. After giving up, we sat down for our first French hotel breakfast.
Most of the biking after that was local roads through fields of olive groves. It was pleasant weather, but we were feeling some time pressure due to the forecast calling for rain in the afternoon.
We booked it through Chateauneuf du Pape, a little town with a serious reputation for their wine. Our itinerary recommended stopping at a winery here for a tasting, but we preferred to press on. Here's where I have to admit that neither of us are big wine drinkers. Oops.
Despite not stopping for wine, I will always remember this town as having the most insane hill in the middle of the city right after a stop. I struggled to climb up, quite embarrassingly in front of a number of cars that had to wait for me. Here is where we also discovered that my bike did not have the biggest gear range, so my bike training at home did not prepare me for just how steep this would feel. Bruised ego aside, it was a pleasant ride afterwards through vineyards and olive groves to the next city, Orange.
It doesn't look like much, but this was the best quiche Lorraine I've ever had. I make my own version at home once in a while (and my mother-in-law makes an excellent one), but this one tasted different. Wonderfully savory with a super flavorful mystery cheese inside--it really hit the spot.
The pool was actually located in a different building so of course we had to explore that too, even if we hadn't brought swimsuits.
The pool had a really stunning view, as did our room.
We walked to a local bike shop in search of chamois cream for my burgeoning saddle sores, but they didn't have any, and it was too late to go elsewhere.
The food was simple but homey and authentic. It was also our first time trying guinea fowl and red mullet. We found ourselves really enjoying the distinctive shellfish flavor of the red mullet. During dinner, it finally started pouring rain. We marveled at our luck and were glad we decided to have dinner at the hotel, where it was off to bed as soon as we were done.
The pastries were sadly not great, even the pain au chocolat, but we were delighted to see an automatic orange juice machine. We fed it several oranges and savored the results. The only time we get to see freshly squeezed orange juice machines is in Europe (and once in Japan), so it feels like one of those quiet luxuries that only comes with a European vacation.
We packed up, checked out of our hotel, and left our luggage at the front desk. The concierge, who had been witness to this entire bike switch-up saga, had some kind words of support for us and wished us well on our trip. I can't say enough good things about the staff here.
We said our goodbyes to Avignon and set off on our bikes, navigating our way out of the city with the GPS system we were given by Abicyclette. City biking always terrifies me, and this was especially the case that day with a bike that was too tall for me. Every time we had to stop and start, it was a struggle for me to climb on and off the bike. For such a quiet town, there was a surprising amount of traffic leaving the city on a Sunday morning! We tried our best to follow all the rules of the road and not look too clueless.
Once we got outside the immediate city, we sighed with relief and followed some nice bike trails out of the area.
Orange was so cute and colorful, even on an overcast day. Besides looking like a postcard, it is also known for its ancient Roman theater.
We locked our bikes next to the theater and walked around looking for a bathroom and some lunch. I had some places bookmarked, but we didn't have the most faith in our bike locks so we didn't want to stray too far (this is the downside of self-guided bike tours). Luckily we found a little bakery/cafe named Mienzo nearby with clean bathrooms and a nice display case of baked goods.
We weren't terribly hungry so we decided to split a slice of quiche Lorraine with some drinks.
Afterwards, we briefly contemplated staying a little longer to see the Roman theater, but both agreed that our enjoyment was unlikely to be worth the cost of admission, and we'd rather keep moving towards our destination in case it started raining. For now, we were satisfied with what we could see from the outside.
The next stretch of biking was the most scenic of the day, taking us through little-traveled country roads with some nice sweeping views.
I was amazed by this city off in the distance built into the side of the hill and was convinced this was Vaison-la-Romaine, our destination, but our route steered us in a different direction. I guess we'll never know what mysteries this town holds.
The last little bit of this ride was punishing, climbing straight up to the town of Sรฉguret, and then up a steep and gravelly hill in the forest. Andrew thought I was going to have to get off the bike and walk it, but I stuck it out, pedaling bit by bit as I inched up the hill. By the time we finally made it to Vaison-la-Romaine, I was exhausted, but relieved that the rain had held off through the afternoon.
It was another steep climb through old cobblestones to get to our hotel in town. Here I did get off and walk my bike to avoid slipping as we moved around pedestrians on these narrow roads.
Our hotel for the night was Hostellerie le Beffroi. We didn't get quite the same warm reception here as we had received at Hotel de l'Atelier, however we were glad that they allowed us to check in early. Our luggage was also waiting for us already, so we were able to change in the comfort and privacy of our room. Here was where I started to notice the beginnings of saddle sores, but I was also glad to get into fresh clothes and eager to walk around the town.
We had fun exploring the hotel first, as it was located in a historic building with all sorts of windy staircases. The decor was very Old World opulence, which I loved.
We walked across the bridge to the other side of town and admired the views. This whole town was beautiful.
We were famished but didn't want to eat too big of a meal before dinner, which we had reserved at the hotel. We first tried a crepe place, however it was closed, so we turned the corner and found this ice cream restaurant, Leone Artisan Glacier. Little did we know we were in for the best ice cream sundae of our lives.
Behold! It was a thing of beauty. Pistachio, hazelnut, and chocolate ice creams with candied pecans, speculoos, and salted caramel. Andrew also got a lemon sorbet, which was also great. Just like everything else we had in France, the presentation was top-notch. And of course, it was delicious! Two of us could barely finish the generous portion. I was shocked to see that every table next to us had locals ordering one of these sundaes for each person.
We needed to walk off all that ice cream afterwards, so we wandered through the town, finding lots of little vistas and even what looked like an old deserted castle at the top of a big hill. The rain continued to take its time arriving, which kept our spirits high despite our tired legs.
We walked to a local bike shop in search of chamois cream for my burgeoning saddle sores, but they didn't have any, and it was too late to go elsewhere.
We finally headed back to the hotel for dinner at their restaurant. We made a reservation at check-in somewhat on a lark, not knowing if the food was any good, but we had a pleasant meal, even if the small prix fixe menu didn't excite us initially. We shared a smoked duck breast salad as a starter. For mains, I had guinea fowl with prunes and almonds, while Andrew had a simple preparation of red mullet, both of us opting for caponata for our sides.
Route Stats: 42.2 miles, 2,387 feet elevation gain
Day 3: Saddle Sore-ing My Way to Sault
We woke up the next day refreshed and optimistic. Miraculously, the rain that was projected for the day had disappeared from the forecast, and we were looking forward to beautiful weather as we headed into our biggest and most anticipated biking day. We were going to be biking the Gorges de la Nesque, which had been the biggest factor in me choosing our trip to Provence.
Down at the hotel breakfast, there was the usual selection of pastries, fruit, and toast. We appreciated that there were also some cold cuts and cheeses.
While I finished breakfast, Andrew decided to bike out on his own to a more distant bike shop in search of chamois cream, but came up short. Out of desperation, he bought some Vaseline from a local pharmacy just in case I needed it.
When he got back, we checked out, hopped on our bikes, and immediately I realized something was wrong. My crotch felt like it was both bruised and on fire as soon as I got on the bike, and pedaling just made it worse. This was my first experience with saddle sores, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. We figured it had to be from the combination of exertion the day before and the bike seat that was too high.
We stopped, and I discreetly applied a nice layer of Vaseline. This seemed to help a little bit, though we had to keep reapplying since it kept soaking into my bike shorts.
Shortly after leaving Vaison-la-Romaine, we crossed a bridge and got this pretty view.
The views just kept coming, and this kept me going despite the pain.
After a beautiful descent, we hit the town of Bรฉdoin, which had a bustling market in the center. We got off our bikes and spent a good hour strolling through the market, which seemed to go on and on.
Andrew was intrigued by the bread vendor, who was selling breads we had never seen before that somewhat resembled focaccia. I was fascinated by the rotisserie chickens that were spinning on their spits and dripping chicken fat onto sizzling onions underneath. I had never before considered that the word rotisserie was French, but here was the evidence that they had invented my favorite Costco staple! Unfortunately we weren't really hungry enough to purchase any food besides a piece of bread that Andrew bought.
We hit a nice gradual descent afterwards and rolled into Malaucene, which was chock full of cycling shops and cyclists looking to ride up the famous Mont Ventoux. Here we decided to split up. I went into a pharmacy to find some baby lotion for my saddle sores, while my husband popped into multiple cycling shops in search of chamois cream. He finally found some at a store named Ventoux Velos Vintage, to which I will forever be grateful for saving our trip!
Biking with chamois cream on the bum and crotch is a sensation I had never experienced before. It is what I imagine sitting in a vat of cold pudding would feel like. I was experiencing all sorts of new things on this trip.
Afterwards, we rode to Villes-sur-Auzon, where we stopped for lunch. The only restaurant recommended to us that was open on a Monday was Les P'tits Bonheurs. We instantly took a liking to their outdoor patio which had just the right amount of shade.
Andrew opted for the prix-fixe of the day, which was a vegetable quiche starter, a white fish with bacon sauce, and a dessert, all for about 21 euros. I got the honey duck with a side of fries. For dessert, we chose the ile de flottante, which I've seen on the Great British Baking Show and had always wanted to try.
All the food was light with subtle flavors, even the bacon sauce that did indeed taste like bacon without all the grease. I really loved the cook on my duck, though the honey sauce was surprisingly restrained. The ile de flottante was the perfect dessert to end on without feeling overly full. We took our time resting up, knowing that the biggest climb was ahead of us.
The rest of the ride to the Gorges de la Nesque was a steady and gradual ascent. Andrew was surprised at how well I was handling it, but I was so excited to get to the views that nothing could stop me--not saddle sores, not fatigue nor leg cramps--I was going to get to those gorges.
As soon as the hills started to open up, we were rewarded with the most stunning sights.
The descent down the gorges was one of the most breathtaking sights I've ever seen. We found ourselves braking often just to take it all in for longer. It was very easy to pull over and take pictures, since there were very few cars, just the occasional cyclist or motorcyclist passing through.
Once we were done, it was so tempting to turn around and do it all over again, but we didn't want to overdo it, knowing we still had to make it to Sault.
Most of the ride afterwards was rolling hills until we got to Sault. Sault, as it turns out, is perched at the top of a very steep vertical climb that my tired legs just could not manage at this point in the day. Andrew powered his way up, but I hopped off and walked the rest of the short distance to our hotel, which actually gave me a chance to snap a few pictures of the view.
The thing about bike touring is that you will never appreciate the sight of a hotel more. At the top of the hill, Hotel Le Nesk appeared like an oasis in the desert.
Our room was small but had everything we needed, including the most incredible view I've ever had from a hotel room.
The hotel itself is bicycle-themed and seems to cater to avid cyclists, many of whom are in the area to bike the famous route up Mont Ventoux. This was my most-anticipated hotel, and the views from the patio, as well as the vintage bikes in the cool little bike museum did not let me down.
We walked around Sault, which felt eerily quiet. "Where are all the people?" we kept saying to each other. I suppose outside of lavender season, this town is much less visited.
We stumbled upon a little shop that seemed to be the only thing open in town and bought some lavender soap for my mother-in-law as a gift and some interesting snacks (prickly pear juice, chocolate five spice cookies) for ourselves. A short walk away was a little park with some big views and enjoyed our snacks on a park bench during golden hour.
We made our way back to the hotel and decided we wanted to watch the sunset from the hotel terrace, which had a tiny bar.
After the sun set, we wandered over to the hotel restaurant, where we had a prix fixe dinner already paid for through our bike tour package. We loved all the Tour de France memorabilia on the walls.
Unfortunately the only main course option was steak frites. The cut of beef they used was unfortunately quite tough and overcooked, and the sauce couldn't save it. The frites were only okay as well. Dessert was a choice of strawberry panna cotta or creme brulee, so of course we got one of each. The creme brulee was excellent and the highlight of the meal for me.
I chose the beef carpaccio starter, which was topped with a pesto drizzle and ricotta salata. It was my first beef carpaccio. The beef tasted fresh, but needed more seasoning. Andrew's pea veloute with foie gras, however, was absolutely delicious--sweet, creamy, and brightly seasoned. I kept stealing spoonful after spoonful.
Unfortunately the only main course option was steak frites. The cut of beef they used was unfortunately quite tough and overcooked, and the sauce couldn't save it. The frites were only okay as well. Dessert was a choice of strawberry panna cotta or creme brulee, so of course we got one of each. The creme brulee was excellent and the highlight of the meal for me.
We slept soundly that night after all of that food and riding!
Route Stats: 40.9 miles, 4,040 feet elevation gain
The ride out of Sault started out as a gradual descent before turning into rolling hills until finally it became a steep and exhilarating descent with hairpin turns. It seemed to go on and on and really put into perspective how high up we climbed yesterday. It was hard to stop for pictures along the descent due to how fast we were going, but as you can see, we were all smiles afterwards.
We explored the town a little bit more before saying goodbye.
We biked out of the city past an olive grove and hit a surprisingly rocky stretch through what felt like forest.
Day 4: Amazing Views, Amazing Food
The next morning, we woke up to a very nice breakfast spread. The star of the spread were the extremely flaky croissants that rained crumbs all over our table. I had what was starting to become a new routine for me--a croissant and some excellent meats and cheeses with some yogurt or fruit to end the meal.
We continued biking until we hit the town of Saint-Saturnin-les-Apt, which stole my heart. I loved the little market, the picture-perfect buildings, and the views.
It didn't hurt that the unassuming little boulangerie/patisserie we stopped into served us the most perfect tarte framboise and tarte tropรฉzienne. They were the best pastries we had on our trip.
We explored the town a little bit more before saying goodbye.
We biked out of the city past an olive grove and hit a surprisingly rocky stretch through what felt like forest.
Finally, our route took us through local bike paths towards the large town of Apt, which felt like a big city compared to all of the tiny villages we had been biking through. It felt odd and a little nerve-wracking to be near so many cars again. Apt was a pretty town, but we struggled to find a lunch spot with a place to secure our bikes nearby. This first square looked promising, but the only cafe nearby didn't serve any substantial food until dinner.
We finally settled on locking our bikes near a big parking lot just outside of town and getting lunch at a crepe restaurant on the main street. With our bikes a 7-minute walk away, we still felt very antsy about someone stealing them and popped out a few times during lunch just to check in on them.
The crepes at Le Chant de l'Heure unfortunately sounded better than they tasted. I was expecting more of a Brittany-style savory crepe, but instead they came wrapped as parcels. My crepe had two types of cheese inside--one gooey and one very funky. I was surprised and honestly a little overwhelmed by how much cheese was inside this, even as a cheese lover.
We were honestly a little relieved to leave Apt and move on towards Roussillon. I was excited to see the famous ochre-colored cliffs. The sight of them in the distance buoyed us up the gradual climb.
The last little bit of climb to Roussillon was--you guessed it--extremely steep! Take a look at these gorgeous cliffs and you'll see why.
We found Roussillon to be a bit of a tourist trap and struggled to find a reasonably priced bottle of water here to refill our bike bottles. We realized that this was the first time we had encountered large crowds of tourists on this trip. While it was jarring and made us immediately want to leave, it also made us appreciate how peaceful and quiet the rest of our trip had been. I won't lie though--the views were indeed worth stopping for.
We took some quiet gravelly roads to our hotel, which was just outside of the town of Gordes. Hotel et Spa Carcarille has its own olive groves and an impressive entrance.
As upscale as the main building was, our room ended up being in a separate part of the hotel entirely, which felt more like a nice motel than a four star hotel. The room was large but needed a little repair and TLC.
The pool was the star of the resort, and we enjoyed a short soak for our weary feet even if we didn't have swimsuits.
Dinner that night at the hotel restaurant, Restaurant Le C, was included in the cost of our bike tour and was a real highlight of our trip. We tend towards more casual restaurants or street food while on vacation, so this fine dining experience felt really special.
Our complimentary tapenade and olives made us really feel like we were in Provence! The amuse bouche was a cold chickpea soup.
Everything we had was truly so delicious that we ate every last bite even though we were stuffed. Our room may have been a little disappointing, but this meal more than made up for it. With very satisfied bellies, we strolled back to our room to rest up for a big climb the next morning.
Route Stats: 34.8 miles, 2,275 feet elevation gain
Day 5: Minas Tirith and Van Gogh
The next morning, we had a decadent breakfast in the same restaurant from the night before. As soon as I saw the large platter of cured meats at the front, I knew it was on!
With our bellies full of meat, cheese, and bread, we got back in the saddle and headed out. With liberal applications of baby lotion when I wasn't biking, and chamois cream when I was, my saddle sores were gradually getting better each day despite the miles we were putting in. The weather was once again perfect. It was going to be a good day.
That said, the climb up to Gordes is not for the faint of heart. My tired legs were screaming in protest by the time we got to the top, though I was glad we got the hardest part of the day out of the way early. We were quickly rewarded with sweeping views.
Gordes itself was full of hills throughout the city, which combined with the traffic and throngs of tourists, was quickly putting me in a cranky mood. I was less interested in biking up another big hill within the town to search for more views, so Andrew went off on his own to take some pictures while I hung back and walked around town a bit, admiring the cat theme on many of its walls.
We followed some signs to a nice lookout point, where we finally got a good photo together in our full UConn biking regalia.
Unlike the other villages we had been biking through, there was a Laduree in the center of town, and it was absolutely mobbed with tourists. We were not interested in trying to bike our way through the pedestrian-filled streets, so we walked to a more isolated part of town and re-routed our way out. We hit a very steep descent out of town that was curiously full of tourists, and when I turned around to look, I realized why.
Gordes is a real-life Minas Tirith! It was certainly the most photogenic town we visited. Despite starting the day off on a bad foot, I found my grumpy mood evaporating.
The rest of the ride was very pleasant and mostly flat. We mostly traveled down cute local bike paths past lavender fields. It was unfortunately no longer lavender season, but they were still impressive nonetheless.
Off in the distance, we could see the Pre-Alps, which made for a lovely backdrop ahead of us.
Lunch called for a stop in the small town of Eygaliรจres, which was quiet but pretty.
There were not a lot of lunch options, but we took a liking to this little cafe on the main road with a very cute patio where we could sit with good visibility of our locked bikes. We had no idea what they served when we sat down, but they seemed to specialize mostly in simple charcuterie plates. No one here spoke English, and we didn't recognize the names of the charcuterie on offer, so we pointed at the menu somewhat at random. We ended up receiving slices of a mild cheese with olive oil and some kind of pate de fruit, some kind of salami-adjacent French cured meat, and some kind of prosciutto, both with cornichons, butter, and tomatoes. They gave us unlimited baskets of a very nice baguette.
Despite eating
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Route Stats: 39.4 miles, 1,259 feet elevation gain
Route Stats: 50 miles, 1,357 feet elevation gain
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