Experiences with Discover France bike tours?

[Roger-36]

Hi all,


I’m looking at options for a cycling holiday in France next season and came across Discover France, which offers a range of guided and self-guided tours — from the Loire Valley to Provence, the ViaRhôna, and even some mixed-surface (road + gravel) routes.


Has anyone here booked a trip with them before?
I’d love to know more about:

• The quality and variety of the routes
• How bike-friendly the accommodations are
• Whether the rental bikes are decent for regular riders, or if it’s worth bringing your own
• If the tours work well for someone who enjoys both road riding and light gravel/off-road sections

Any first-hand feedback or tips for making the most of riding in France would be much appreciated!

 

[bluenotebob]

@DCLane did a guided tour of Brittany recently - I don't know which company he used - but he may be able to provide some feedback.

As a general comment ... unless you really like hot weather, avoid June, July and August.

Cycling infrastructure in most of France is pretty good - lots of Voies Vertes and Véloroutes Départementales to choose from.

 

[DCLane]

Thanks @bluenotebob - I used Glaudax Cycle Tours doing their Tour de Bretagne @Roger-36 mainly because their daily mileage was more than the usual 30-50 miles each day, usually 50-80 miles per day. The other tours, including the Discover France tours, appeared to have very short mileage distances for a whole day's riding.

In 2026 they're running tours in Flanders and Normandy. It's a small group approach with a route each day plus one guide on a bike, one in the support van. It worked well, allowing riders to then ride at their own pace almost audax-style with identified stops and places to see en route. I enjoyed it and would book one again.