Cycle route from Avignon

[pjam]

Does anyone know a good circular cycle route from Avignon. We are hoping to cycle in the area for two weeks. The thing is alot of the routes we have found are too long. We onlty want to do between 30 and 40 miles per day with two rest days. If anyone can help that would be great or if anyone knows where to find information on such a route that would also be a great help. I look forward to reading your responses.
Thanks pjam

 

[rich p]

The way I do it is to get a map and plot say 30 miles as the crow flies to allow for wiggling and try to end up at somewhere likely to have accommodation or a campsite. Keep doing that for however many days you've got and end up back where you started.
Plan the route on all the minor roads you can and bngo, there's your route. Allow that you'll end up tweaking it when you're actually on the road and you'll get maximum sense of achievement out of doing it all yourself.
Are you camping or hotels? Make sure there is a room for you by pre-booking or ending up in a place likely to have sufficient choice.

Make full use of the tourist offices in France as I've always found them extremely helpful. They'll often ring round the hotels for you or the chambres d'hotes.

 

[Brains]

Get the Bikeline book of Avignon
Not sure if it's available in English. but does not matter, it's the maps you want

http://www.esterbauer.com/
click on 'bikeline radtourenbucher'
Frankreich
Radatlas Provence
Uberschict

That will give you your route, which coud be ridden as a series of large loops based from one or two central points

 

[john59]

Make sure you take a trip to 'Pont Du Gard'. A beautiful and historic place.

John

 

[rich p]

Make sure you take a trip to 'Pont Du Gard'. A beautiful and historic place.

John

Yes, but! When I first went there 20 years ago you could walk along the top and the next layer down but now it's sadly huge car parks, milking the coach loads of tourists and you can't risk your life on it anymore.

 

[john59]

Yes, but! When I first went there 20 years ago you could walk along the top and the next layer down but now it's sadly huge car parks, milking the coach loads of tourists and you can't risk your life on it anymore.

That's a shame. I was last there in 2001; we camped not far away, and found it a most beautiful place.

John

 

[will]

Page 473 of the Lonely Planet Cycling France guide has a 3 day 200 kilometre circular Tour that includes Avignon and the Pont du Gard.

 

[TheDoctor]

Try and go along the Gorges de Nesque. Fantastic scenery and a very quiet road. That'll drop you near Sault, and there's a hill nearby you could go up.

 

[ASC1951]

but now it's sadly huge car parks, milking the coach loads of tourists and you can't risk your life on it anymore.

It's still pretty good - imagine what a pig's ear we Brits would make of a site like that. It would be knee-deep in litter, wick with half drunk blokes kicking a ball about and there would be a rancid chip van parked each side.

Johnny Foreigner doesn't seem to mind walking a few hundred yards to see one of the wonders of Europe, either.