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Alps riviera

From Geneva to Lyon – a cycling adventure on the ViaRhôna

A fantastic journey to discover a region between the mountains and the lakes following the ViaRhôna route!

Reviews (4) :
5.00 / 5
Reference VR0802
  • Itinerant trip
  • 8 days
  • Moderate
  • Deprting from mid-April to 8th October
  • Minimum age 16 years old
GPSGPS-app available
1069€ / pers.
  • Itinerary
  • Starting in Switzerland, from Geneva "the city at the edge of the lake" and finishing in Lyon "the capital of the Gauls", it makes you dream?

    Take part in this adventure and follow the well-equipped cycle path of the ViaRhôna. You will discover a wild nature and some authentic hamlets from Savoy and Isère regions. Cycle along the Rhône and relax on the beaches of Léman and Bourget lakes, stroll into the lively streets of Belley or Crémieu, enjoy the brioches of Saint-Genix or take great pleasure in trying the "bouchons", the traditional Lyon restaurants.

    Far from being monotonous, riding along the majestic river is a pleasure of every moment and challenging you with some Swiss reliefs or with a tunnel specially adapted to cyclists will give you the goosebumps! Are you ready for this formidable cycle adventure between the Rhône and the mountains?

    Day 1

     
     

    Arrival in Genève

    At the crossroads of 3 countries which are Switzerland, France and Italy, Geneva is the perfect place to begin your cycling trip! Enjoy its remarkable localisation to discover the Léman Lake or the famous water jets and go for a stroll around the streets, stopping by Saint-Pierre Cathedral with its inspiring architecture.

    Day 2

     
     

    Genève - Seyssel

    Altitude
    ±530m
    Bike
    60km
    Ohhhh my beautiful Switzerland! You leave Geneva and its lively streets to cycle on small roads passing through a bucolic countryside. In La Plaine, enjoy a panoramic view over the vineyards. Woods, cows and peaceful villages give rythm to your route until you arrive at a small customs post which marks the border with France.

    You then reach Seyssel on the cycle path of the ViaRhôna.

    Day 3

     
     

    Seyssel – Aix-les-Bains

    Altitude
    ±270m
    Bike
    46km
    Ride on small countryside roads that lead you to the picturesque town of Chanaz. There, discover the stalls of the craftmen and women of this old harbor along the Canal de Savière.

    Then, you have the choice to reach the spa town of Aix-les-Bains by boat (in July and August only) or to keep cycling with a view over the lake of Bourget, the largest natural lake of France.

    Day 4

     
     

    Aix-les-Bains - Belley

    Altitude
    ±372m
    Bike
    42km
    Ride on the cycling path along the lake of Bourget: you will not resist a jump in the water! After Le Bourget-du-Lac, you have to ride uphill in the Savoy region to reach the famous "Tunnel du chat" which is specially suited to cyclists. The view is worth the effort!

    Then, ride through countryside roads and have a taste of the regional wine around Yenne. You arrive in Belley, the capital of Bugey region.

    Day 5

     
     

    Belley - Morestel

    Altitude
    ±100m
    Bike
    51/62km
    Today you will meet two Rhône rivers, the channeled and the wild one. At their junction, raise your head to admire the Chartreuse of Pierre Châtel, a former monastery from the 16th century. Then, you reach Guiers region and have the opportunity to continue your way to Saint-Genix-sur-Guiers, nicknamed the "city of the cake". Food lovers will enjoy this town famous for its brioche topped with pralines, yummy!

    Then you follow the river and reach the artificial lake of Cuchet for a refreshing moment. Cross the Rhône to reach Glandieu, a small village located at the bottom of the moutain range. Admire the amazing 60m-high waterfall in the heart of the hamlet. Morestel is two steps ahead.

    Day 6

     
     

    Morestel - Crémieu

    Altitude
    ±100m
    Bike
    26/60km
    With le Vélo Voyageur, we like to give you the choice! Today, you can choose between 2 routes:

    - The short option: You need a little break in your adventure? Or you want to enjoy the surroundings of your accomodation a little longer? The short option is almost only on a dirt path for soft modes of transport. You soon arrive in Crémieu and have plenty of time to discover the medieval city, one of the most beautiful villages of France.

    - The long option: You want to cycle more? Get onto your bike following the ViaRhôna. You will pass the outdoor activities center of "Vallée Bleue" before arriving at the caves of La Balme. Cycle on small countryside roads up to Crémieu.

    Day 7

     
     

    Crémieu - Lyon

    Altitude
    ±130m
    Bike
    58km
    After a last walk on the ramparts, get onto your bike to reach your final destination! Cycle through the countryside before noticing the evolving landscape is becoming more and more urban.

    You will then enjoy a fabulous bike ride on the banks of the Rhône. You have plenty of choices to relax and swim into the Miribel park, one of the largest park of Europe. After a few kilometers, you arrive in the capital of the Gauls!

    Day 8

     
     

    Departure from Lyon

    Stroll around the medieval quarter of the Old Lyon with its back laneways, known as "traboules". Experience the "bouchon lyonnais" to taste the famous local gastronomy.

    You can leave the city after breakfast, unless you wish to explore it a bit longer !
  • Accommodation
  • Category A

    You stay in hotels with **/*** standards or bed & breakfast. These family hotels welcome you warmly. Breakfast is included.
    * Example of the type of accommodation

    Category B

    You will enjoy a higher level of service in these superior **/*** hotels or B&B. 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
    • equipped : front rack pack, 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

    Our services include luggage transport in order to let you enjoy your trip comfortably and without stress :
    • 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.

    Our word of advice : as we know from experience, we strongly recommend you to avoid wearing a backpack during your cycling trip.
    If you expect to arrive at the next accommodation before 5 p.m., we recommend that you take an extra set of clothes with you in your bicycle bag.


    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.

    We can provide you with travel documents in paper format (for a supplement of €15 for printing and postage), which include:
    • 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


    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: flight for Geneva and then shuttle to the city center.
    • By train: Regional train or TGV to Geneva-Cornavin. The train station is well connected to the neighbouring countries. For instance from Paris: duration 3h15; from Lausanne: duration 45min; from Milan: duration 4h. To plan your trip: https://www.thetrainline.com/

    Parking:
    • Parking in Geneva is quite difficult and expensive. We advise you to park in Lyon, the end of your trip and reach Geneva back by train. We will inform you about the car-parks in Lyon as well as the schedule for the trains between Lyon and Geneva in your travel documents.

    To reach back the starting point:
    • There is a train between Lyon and Geneva (1 direct train every 2 hours, duration: around 2h). All practical information will be in your travel documents.


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  • Reviews
  •   Memory of the trip  

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    4 bike travelers reviews 5.00 / 5

    On the Rhone again

    On the 2023-08-11 by Pat
    This trip exceeded all our expectations, from the spectacular scenery in the shadow of the Jura mountains, and more distant Alps, the turquoise blue waters of the Rhone, passing through idyllic French countryside along farm tracks and dirt roads, visiting charming villages for cooling beers, never being on roads busy with traffic for more than a km or two, cycling without any bags but then every afternoon finding our luggage sitting waiting for us at our next hotel, and each hotel having it's unique appeal and character. Do yourself a favour and and book this trip!

    On the Rhone again

    On the 2023-08-09 by Pat
    This 6 day cycle from Geneva to Lyon, mostly following La Via Rhona, is a fantastic trip along side the torquoise blue waters of the Rhone, under the shadow of the Jura mountains and more distant higher Alpine peaks. (We enjoyed looking up at the mountains, but the route is perfectly planned to avoid any strenuous climbing) You cycle back roads through rural farmland and most of the route is practically traffic free. There are some very short sections on busier roads for a km or 2, but if you are a regular cyclist you probably wouldn't even give these sections a second thought. It is worth planning where you might want to have a lunch break the following day, and ensure any restaurant is open, many places seemed to close at 12noon, then open later in the day again. Of course packing a little cheese, bread and wine picnic is always a good back-up plan. The suggested timings for each route section on the app seem very accurate and allow for many photo opportunity stops and a very leisurely cycling pace, afterall you are on holidays!

    Geneva to Lyon Trip

    On the 2023-05-08 by House Family
    Our group was extremely satisfied with the trip. This is the first time our group has taken such a trip. Everything went amazing well. The app worked great to guide us. This is such a great way to experience another country.

    Geneva-Lyon

    On the 2022-10-10 by Janice
    This was our first European Bike Trip. It exceeded our expectations. The choice of hotels, food suggestions and overall support from Velo Voyageur were excellent. I look forward to another trip with Velo Voyageur.
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