Mediterranean diet, the gentleness of the climate and the timelessness of the towns and their Roman relics, still very much a part of city fabric...
Arles, Avignon, the melons of Cavaillon, parasol pines of the Alpilles and lavender fields of the Luberon: a feast of soft colors and softer smells make the appeal of Provence easy to understand.
Tour Details
Duration
7 Days/6 Nights
Location
Provence
Season
May - June; September - October
Tour Type
Road Touring
Nearest City
Nimes, Nice, Marseilles (Paris)
Physical Condition Required
Good
Destination(s)
Provence, France
Distance Traveled
Varies Day to Day
Fully Guided
Yes
Guest Capacity
19
Support Vehicles
Local Rail Lines - No Sag Wagon
Bike Rentals Available
Yes
Bike Brands
Bikes are custom-built, 21-speed road tourers, designed for the biking that is done.
Accommodations
All hotels (and sleeping berths on overnight trains) are included in the cost of the trip. Blue Marble bypasses chain hotels in favor of family-run inns: pretty in the country, central in the towns. A 17th century courtyard is preferred to an in-room TV.
Transportation to Start Site
Please Contact Blue Marble for details.
Dining
Breakfast (continental) is included, except on overnight trains. It is generally taken at the hotel. Snore.
Most dinners are also included. You are on your own for dinner (and its expense) two nights per “trip week”. Included dinners may be taken in a group, or you may dine on your own, or in smaller “sub-groups”, with suggestions offered by the coordinator. On nights when you prefer one of these latter options, funds will be distributed sufficient to permit a wide selection of restaurants.
Meals are special events, and a focus of the trips, especially in the Latin countries. Choice is never lacking. But Blue Marble pride themselves on their ability to show local cuisines, often different from anglo-American tradition. “Picky” eaters, or those with special diets which exclude food types or groups, may find this focus tiresome. And since special diets are rare in Latin Europe, hosts are surprised by them. Complex dishes may contain some food you wish to avoid, hidden as a seasoning. Chefs who take pride in their creations are not only unwilling (or unable) to remove the offending ingredient, but can be unwilling to even discuss the recipe! Fortunately, the flexibility of the meal program allows you to retreat to a pizza place if the cultural experience becomes oppressive.
About Liquor
Guides showcase regional wines and beers. Guests pay for their own drinks.
Rates
$1,850.00per personCurrency Converter (Rates shown are in US Dollars. Rates and terms are subject to change.)
Additional Rate Info
Optional Private Single Room Supplement: $280 See Blue Marble's website for Canadian and Euro prices.
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Tour Itinerary
Days 1-2: Road Biking: Nimes and Arles Meet in one Roman city, Nimes, and cycle to another, Arles. The ampitheatres are extraordinary, more so since each is still its city’s sports stadium! Seattle could learn something here. Pedestrian centers charm with their old stones woven into city fabric.
The ride takes in viticultural Provence, producer of “gray” rosé wines (dry), and of the sweet Muscat de Lunel, ideal for a sunny café terrace and a game of bocci.
Days 3-4: Road Biking: The Alpilles, Melons Les Baux, St.-Rémy… to many, the Alpilles are Provence. Almond and olive trees frame timeless villages. White limestone hills crowned with lines of cypress evoke ancient Rome. A lovely ride brings you to Cavaillon, your home for two nights.
France’s largest fruit market is perfumed by its glorious melons. Out-and-back rides take you to the Fontaine de Vaucluse, where an underground river surges out of rock. Or to the old olive oil mill town of Ile-sur-la-Sorgue, or perhaps to Avignon, with its Papal Palace. Or simply relax on the banks of the Durance in the shade of a parasol pine.
Days 5-7: Road Biking: The Luberon To Blue Marble Travel, Provence IS the Luberon, a national park since 1977. Three days of beautiful biking amongst her treasures. Visit the perched villages of Oppède-le-Vieux, Lacôste, Bonnieux.... Cycle the car-free “Route des Crêtes” along the spine of the hill with views over fields of lavender to the Mediterranean. The ambitious can take on the climb to Gordes and its dramatic château, or to the Sénanque Abbey.
Cycle out of the Luberon via the Provençal market at Loumarin, and arrive in Cézanne’s Aix-en-Provence. A happy evening on the Cours Mirabeau, in an oft-painted decor.
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