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Rhone Valley

4-day cycling tour on ViaRhôna from Vienne to Valence

This cycling tour starts in the Gallo-Roman city of Vienne and keeps on along the Rhona cycle route, the ViaRhôna, through the world-famous wine region of Côtes-du-Rhôna till Valence. A great family cycling holiday or gourmet cycling holiday!

Reviews (10) :
4.80 / 5
Reference VR0402
  • Itinerant trip
  • 4 days
  • Very easy
  • From april to november
  • Minimum age 1 year old
GPSGPS-app available
499€ / pers.
  • Itinerary
  • The ViaRhôna is a 815 km long cycling path connecting Geneva Lake, from the North, to the Mediterranean Sea, to the South. In between, you will cycle alongside the Rhône River from the amazing Alpine mountains to the marvelous Mediterranean Sea beaches. A dream for everyone!
    From Vienne, the old roman capital, this trip offers a great variety of landscapes. You will cross a lot of typical French villages and have a magnificent view of the steeply terraced vineyards, the first major orchards along the Rhône Valley. You will follow the greenways for most of the path, riding your bike at an ideal speed, which will give you a chance to enjoy history, nature and gastronomy all at the same time!

     
     

    Arrival in Vienne

    Vienne boasts many Gallo-Roman vestiges. The best way to visit it is to walk from one site to the other, as the majority of the built heritage is located in the town center. Among them, the most famous are the antique theater, remarquable for its size, and the temple d’Auguste et de Livie, which nicely stands out in the middle of a town square.

    Day 2

     
     

    Vienne - Serrières

    Bike
    34km
    You cycle quietly along the Rhône River on the bike path before crossing the river to get to the “Ile au Beurre”. Have a break on this peaceful island known for the diversity of its fauna! Take the time to have a look around since you are in the heart of the major vineyards of the Rhône Valley including the famous Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, Côte-Rôtie. From this point on, you will get your first glimpse of the typical Provence villages and houses.

    Day 3

     
     

    Serrières - Tain l’Hermitage

    Bike
    37km
    Just before crossing the river once again, have a break in the Village of Saint-Vallier. As strange as it may seems, the railway connecting Paris to Marseilles split the Saint-Vallier historical center in two. Enter the Saint-Vallery Church, and the Poitiers family’s burial chapel (parents of Diane de Poitiers)
    As you arrive in Tournon-sur-Rhône you cross the Rhône River on the oldest French hanging bridge that is still in use today. This “Passerelle Seguin” bridge allows you to reach the village of Tain-l’Hermitage, home of the famous wine and ValRhôna chocolate. Be sure to taste both of these delicious regional specialities.

    Day 4

     
     

    Tain l’Hermitage - Valence

    Bike
    22km
    The cycle path now offers a gentle introduction to the South of France, with its pretty villages in typical southern style. Vineyards and fruits orchards are now the main part of the landscape.
    Discover the surprising blind channel around “La-Roche-de-Glun” village. Make sure you have a close look at the Diane de Poitiers Tower.
    Your trip ends in Valence, a classified Town of Art and History. With its colorful markets, shaded gardens and historic quarters, this living city makes you feel like being in Provence already.
       

    Cité du Chocolat Valrhona 2h

    Discover all the chocolate making secrets and know-how of Valrhona through an interactive and multi-sensory journey.
    Included
  • Accommodation
  • Category B

    You are accommodated in **/*** hotels selected for their ideal situation on the itinerary. You will be comfortable and warmly welcomed. Breakfast is included.
    * Example of the type of accommodation
  • Bikes, luggage and documents
  • Bikes

    On your arrival day, we provide you with:

    • a touring bike adjusted to your size or a tandem
    • equipped : front rack pack with an integrated file compartment, saddlebag, helmet (on demand), reflective vest, repairing toolkit with patches etc.

    We also provide you with the appropriate equipment for your children : baby seat, bike trailer or trailer bike depending on their age and size.

    Electric bikes are also available for adults (+1m55).

    You can of course also bring your own bikes, in this case a reduction will be applied (see the Tarif tab)


    Luggage


    For this trip, bikes are equipped with 2 waterproof saddle bags with a capacity of 10 to 20L each to transport your luggage. Do not forget to put your items in a soft travel bag to be able that you can roll it up in your saddle bags.

    For more comfort, you can choose to add luggage transport in your booking:
    (see rate in "Prices")

    • We transport your luggage from one accommodation to the next using a private vehicle.
    • Your luggage is directly delivered in your accommodation before you arrive.
    • We provide a saddlebag for the things you shall need during the day.(included in your bike rental).
    • We advise to take an extra set of clothes with you if you expect to arrive before 5p.m. at your accommodation.

    Our word of advice : as we know from experience, we strongly recommend you to avoid wearing a backpack during your cycling trip.


    Travel documents

    A cycling holiday is the best way to explore a region and discover its culture, landscapes and local traditions.

    Your tour is self-guided to give you the freedom to ride at your own pace. You will be provided all the information you need to enjoy the itinerary and its points of interests.

    Our documentation contains a very detailed description of the itinerary. No matter how you usually navigate, you will find your way thanks to our comprehensive guidance material including:
    • a roadbook with maps that we drew at the easiest scale to follow on a bike
    • a roadbook with step-by-step description giving the direction to follow at each intersection and highlighting the points of interest

    Example of a map and of a step-by-step description


    For this short trip your travel documents will be sent electronically.


    Our GPS App

    For this trip, you can also use our smartphone app featuring GPS guidance (without extra fee).

    You will find in the app all the information given in the map and step-by-step roadbooks. You will be located on the itinerary with the GPS device of your phone. The route and directions to follow will be both viewable on the screen of your phone and announced aloud. As you ride along the itinerary, you will be given information about visits, restaurants, services and useful alerts on the way.

    -> You need to have a smartphone and download Le Velo Voyageur app on your Apple or Android store before the trip. All details concerning the downloading and the use of the application will be given after we have confirmed the booking and the balance is paid. Once the trip is downloaded, the GPS guidance can be used off-line.
  • Practical information
  • To get to departure point:

    • By plane: the nearest airport is Lyon Saint-Exupery. At the airport, there is a shuttle tramway Rhone Express taking you to the city center at Lyon Part-Dieu train station in 30 mn.
    • By train: many regional trains go to Vienne from Lyon, from either Lyon Part-Dieu or Lyon Perrache train stations (duration of the trip about 20min). High-speed trains don't stop in Vienne. To plan your trip, www.sncf-connect.com


    Parking

    If you come by car to Vienne, you can park in the secure car park of SNCF station (55€/4 days).


    To get back to starting point:

    Trains take you back to your starting point if you wish. Regular regional trains are riding between Valence and Vienne. Bikes are accepted for free. The duration of the trip is about 50mn. Full rate € 14.50/pers.

    You will find the timetable of the day in your travel documents.

    If you have taken the baggage transfer option, you can pick up your luggage from 4pm at the drop off point.


    Meeting time:

    The first day is an arrival day without cycling. You arrive whenever you want depending on from where you come. Please note that rooms are usually available in the middle of the afternoon depending on your accommodation. We advise you to plan half a day for visiting Vienne, which is worth it. We thank you to advise us if you plan to arrive late.

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  • Reviews
  •   Memory of the trip  

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    10 bike travelers reviews 4.80 / 5

    Super séjour

    On the 2023-08-29 by Alex
    Nous avons passé un superbe séjour le long de la Via Rhona. Merci au Vélo Voyageur pour l'organisation du séjour que ce soit les vélos, le parcours ainsi que les hôtels qui ont été d'une grande qualité. Le transport des bagages s'est très bien passé. L'application, qui a récemment été mise à jour, est également super pratique.

    We had a great trip along the Rhone

    On the 2023-08-27 by Oren G.
    We were a couple + 2 kids. Everything went smoothly - hotels, bikes, luggage transfer, app. We had a fun trip. Looking forward to our next one.

    First Time Cycle Holiday

    On the 2023-05-31 by Andrew
    This was our first time going on a 4-day cycle holiday. Thanks to the staff of Velo Voyager we had a great time; the arrangements were spot on and the baggage arrangements/hotels were exactly what we wanted. Everything worked well! Thanks team!!

    Perfect Family Bike Touring

    On the 2022-08-30 by Emma
    4 days on the ViaRhona was just perfect for our family. Easy to follow and ride mostly off road route with our 8 and 11 year old. Amazing hotels and restaurants along the way - we received a really warm welcome wherever we stopped. The towns we stayed in were beautiful and interesting, especially Vienne. Really well organised and can highly recommend the trip and Velo Voyager.

    Exceeding expectations!

    On the 2022-08-14 by Rosalind
    The perfect way to see rural France on a bike. Stress-free and well organised. Great bikes delivered to the first hotel as promised, good accommodation en route and all the back-up you could need. Even the bike supplier was available immediately on the phone to answer a query on a Sunday afternoon.

    A dream come true after the lockdown: outdoor, superb landscapes, & perfect with small children

    On the 2020-05-25 by Adélaïde
    The Vélo Voyageur made our dream of riding bikes with small children not only possible but also a truly happy experience! The partners along the route took special care of us, thanks to their great appreciation of the Vélo Voyageur. The practical details are really amazing: accomodation was always just along the biking route, near the railway station at the beginning & end of the trip, so everything went smooth and we could enjoy the trip fully. All this just after the lockdown in France, so doubly appreciated :) A great customer experience before & during the trip

    Parfait avec des enfants!

    On the 2018-08-23 by sophie
    Avons fait la via rhona de Vienne a Valence avec un couple d amis et 5 enfants de 5 a 11 ans. Le trajet est plat et ombrage, pas fatiguant pour les enfants et surtout sans le moindre danger. Le soir degustation de vins pour les parents! Un beau sejour que nous recommandons!

    Family bike trip

    On the 2018-07-19 by Iñigo
    This was our first multi-day bike trip with our 22 month baby. The experience was great and we will repeat again in the future. The trip (vienne-valence) is very well adapted and the hotels in which we stayed were so nice and charming. We recommend this experience to all families.

    Tour bien rythmé et facile

    On the 2018-04-21 by Christoph
    Voyage bien planifié et reposant bien que relativement cher.

    Bien

    On the 2016-08-12 by FRANCETTE
    Circuit très facile, un peu court.
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