Produced by Virtuoso with DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co.
Ride through Provence's lavender fields. Let Lewis Roberts be your guide through Provence. Recharge with a locally-sourced meal.
PatitucciPhoto Spag Gwen Kidera
Explore lavender fields, thriving vineyards, and Alpine passes on two wheels with DuVine.
Cycling is deeply embedded in French culture, lifestyle, and history – in fact, in the late 1860s, several French inventors, including Pierre Lallement, Pierre Michaux, and Ernest Michaux, created prototypes for the modern-day bicycle. The très French transportation is also one of the best ways to see and experience the country’s enchanting countryside villages, picturesque mountain hamlets, and world-class restaurants.
DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co.’s cycling tours let travelers fully immerse themselves in the scenery and ambience of many of the world’s most desirable destinations, from Maui’s beaches to Patagonia’s volcanoes. For the Francophile, DuVine hosts multiday cycling excursions that wind through France’s sought-after regions, with stops for Michelin-starred meals, cooking classes, and historical deep dives along the way. Local experts guide all tours, which are designed to cover both an area’s must-see attractions and its lesser-known sights.
“Cycling in France is a delight,” says Lewis Roberts, one of DuVine’s Provence-based guides. “Not only do you work up an outrageous appetite, but the bicycle is the best way to get up close and personal with the great vines of Burgundy.”
With groups limited to a maximum of 14 riders, guides provide an intimate, personalized experience for cyclists of all skill levels. DuVine rates its tours based on difficulty, factoring in daily elevation gained and miles pedaled: Level 1 is designed for recreational cyclists, while level 4 is intended for advanced ones. Travelers have the option to add more miles to their day for an extra challenge or hop in the support van (which trails riders on every route) to skip a leg when needed.
“I trust DuVine implicitly with my clients’ cycling travels – beginner, advanced, or a mixture of both,” says Virtuoso travel advisor Kimberly Gavin, who recently worked with DuVine to execute a dream vacation in Provence for one of her travelers. “The team planned, anticipated, and pivoted as needed, resulting in a celebratory trip that my client described as ‘the best week of his life.’”
From recreational routes through Bordeaux to blood-pumping climbs high into the Alps, here are four DuVine cycling tours designed to suit every kind of traveler.
Visit a classic French chateaux on DuVine’s Bordeaux tour.
Taylor Burk
For the One with a Bottle of Wine in Their Bike Basket: Bordeaux
This beginner-friendly, six-day tour traverses five idyllic towns and 140 meandering miles in southwestern France’s Bordeaux region – the country’s largest wine-producing area. The trip begins in Médoc with a winetasting and picnic in the gardens of the Château Lamothe-Bergeron estate, followed by a ride along some of Bordeaux’s renowned wineries. In addition to logging 15 to 30 miles daily, travelers roam through lush vineyards, medieval ruins, and tranquil riversides before landing at five-star hotels, such as the 62-room Les Sources de Caudalie, to rest tired legs. Along the way, they can browse quaint shops in Saint-Émilion, tour a seventeenth-century citadel in Blaye, and marvel at historic architecture in Graves. Perhaps more importantly, they’ll indulge in Bordeaux’s range of world-renowned wines – from bold and complex Médoc cabernet sauvignons to fruity merlot blends in Pomerol. There’s also enough foie gras, duck confit, and macarons to satiate the most refined palates.
FYI: Planning a trip to Paris to catch the 2024 Summer Olympics? This tour starts and ends at the Bordeaux train station – a six-hour ride from Paris – and is a great way to experience the countryside and unwind after visiting the bustling city.
Stop to capture the moment in Burgundy.
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For the Middle-of-the-Pack Rider: Burgundy
There’s a reason DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co. founder Andy Levine started his company in Burgundy: Just a three hours' drive from Paris, this east-central French region is home to innovative restaurants, charming canals, high-class hotels, and yes – world-famous vineyards. “Burgundy is crisscrossed with tiny pathways that are accessible to winemakers and cyclists alone,” Roberts says. “A bike is often the only way to really explore the landscape.”
For intermediate cyclists, this six-day tour, which starts in Dijon and ends in Saulieu, pairs long stretches of flat, scenic routes along the 37-mile Route des Grands Crus with more challenging climbs, stopping at the Hospices de Beaune, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and overnighting at the 34-room Hôtel de Crillion le Brave. Rewards come via sips of robust red wines known to be Napoleon’s favorites, intimate dinners and picnics with local winemakers and chefs, and beautiful views of Burgundy’s tiled rooftops.
FYI: “Each region of France – and often each tiny village – will have its very own, completely unique culinary delight,” Roberts says. For travelers in Dijon, Burgundy’s capital, he recommends trying the city’s namesake mustard (and buying some to take home) at the Maille gourmet grocery shop.
Cruise through Villars, one of Provence's quaint villages.
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For the One Excitedly Logging Each Mile: Provence
Avid cyclists – or recreational riders willing to put in some pre-trip training – will enjoy the more than 150 miles of narrow country roads and heart-pounding routes during this six-day Gargas-to-Avignon tour in southwestern France. Start with some of Provence’s iconic sights, from the Petit Luberon’s cedar-forested floor to the ochre-colored cliffs of Roussillon and the rolling lavender fields that bloom in summer. Along the way, riders imbibe fruity reds from Gigondas, dimensional whites from Sablet and Vacqueyras, or pastis, a traditional anise-flavored aperitif produced in the South of France. The tour’s culinary highlights include traditional Provençal ratatouille, slow-cooked lamb, and crisp picholine olives. “Eating in Provence is literally eating a landscape,” Roberts says. “The area’s hills and forests are thick with wild herbs found in the local cuisine: thyme, rosemary, sage, mint, sorrel, bay leaves, and fennel.”
FYI: For maxed-out riders who need a break or a boost, DuVine’s bicycle fleet includes top-of-the-line e-bikes for powering through demanding stretches.
Cyclists tackling switchbacks in the Alps.
Taylor Burke
For the Tour de France Hopeful: The Alps
On this seven-day Annecy-to-Nice tour, one of DuVine’s most challenging trips, the aspiring Lance Armstrongs and Jonas Vingegaards of the world will “ride roads that are steeped in more than 100 years of cycling glory and infamy,” Roberts says. Serious cyclists set out to conquer some of France’s most famous climbs – including Alpe d’Huez, Col du Galibier, and Col de la Bonette – and pedal more than 60 miles nearly every day. But with great effort comes great reward: The tour’s secluded roads offer serene, picturesque views, and stays at sumptuous hotels come with spa and massage services to soothe sore muscles. Calorie-dense Alpine lake fish, raclettes, and fondues pair well with pinot noirs and craft beers to fuel the journey, which culminates in a well-deserved, blissed-out afternoon on the Mediterranean beaches of Nice.
FYI: Don’t skip the tartiflette, a classic mountain dish of slow-baked potatoes, locally smoked bacon, and thick, creamy Reblochon cheese. “It fills the 6,000-calorie-shaped hole you’ve created after a day riding in the Alps,” Roberts says.
Your sip, savor, and cycling adventure across France awaits....
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