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France Cycling Tours

Discover the real France on an authentic cycling holiday

With its grand estates and châteaux, endless vineyards producing some of the best wine in the world, magnificent cathedrals, historic battlefields, postcard-perfect villages and rugged mountains, France is one of the best places in the world for a cycling holiday. 

Choose to explore France at handlebar level on an unforgettable guided or self guided cycling trip with UTracks. Be your own captain as you navigate the country’s network of quiet country lanes and greenways at your own pace, armed with detailed route descriptions and maps, on a self guided French cycling trip.  

Or join an iconic tour of France’s intricate network of canals and mighty rivers with a group of like-minded travellers and an experienced local guide on a guided Bike & Boat holiday. 

From the historic landmarks and varied landscapes of Northern France to the untamed French Pyrenees range and the deserts, forests and mountains of the island of Corsica, our leading range of cycling tours allow active travellers of all levels of experience to appreciate the real France. 

You don’t have to be a keen cyclist to enjoy a cycling holiday in France, you just need a reasonable level of fitness and a passion for active travel. And, with electric bikes now being offered on over 85% of our cycling tours in France, more people can explore the French countryside on two wheels or choose from a broader range of itineraries than ever before.

Popular destinations for France cycling trips

LOIRE VALLEY

Majestic chateaux, magnificent gardens, endless vineyards and the graceful sweep of France’s longest river—you’d be hard-pressed to find a more romantic embodiment of French culture, cuisine and landscape than the Loire Valley.

A sprawling UNESCO World Heritage Listed treasure, this is a region of rich history, sumptuous architecture and vibrant culture, and one that’s superbly suited to a cycling adventure.

Explore the lavish architecture of the French Renaissance as you cycle past opulent riverfront castles; ramble through royal gardens, historic vineyards and postcard-perfect villages; and indulge in incredible local food and wine.



Cycling at Chambord chateaux in the Loire Valley
burgundy

Famous for its world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the Burgundy (Bourgogne) region is also packed with delicious food, handsome architecture and some of rural France’s prettiest scenery.

Discover Burgundy’s rich winemaking legacy as you cycle quiet backroads and canal ways, stopping to visit historic chateaux and sample the gourmet offerings of prestigious vineyards, picturesque villages and lively provincial towns.

Cycle through rolling green farmlands and dense broadleaf forests, wander the cobbled streets of Beune, Burgundy’s wine tasting capital, and explore the delightful town of Dijon, with its elegant mansions and bustling central market.



Visit the highlights of Burgundy by bicycle |  <i>Jaclyn Lofts</i>
Paris region

Paris is hardly in need of introduction: here you can admire some of the world’s most significant art and architecture, taste-test endless patisseries, boulangeries, bars and bistros, and tick the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe and Notre-Dame off your list.

The Ile-de-France region covers Paris and her outskirts, including the royal palace of Versailles and the magnificent Château de Fontainebleau. 

With its bounty of cultural riches and natural beauty, this is a small pocket of France that begs to be explored further – so cycle out of town along scenic towpaths to the Seine valley or tack on a trip out into the Champagne region.



Cycling on the Paris to London cycle path
ALSACE

With a gently rolling terrain and network of dedicated bike paths, Alsace is one of France’s most cycle-friendly regions, famous for its outstanding wines, picturesque landscapes and distinctive identity.

Explore the beautiful cities of Strasbourg and Colmar, with their narrow cobbled lanes and train your camera lens on canal-front cafés, candy coloured half-timbered houses and window boxes spilling over with vibrant blooms.

As you cycle down scenic canal ways, bike paths and country back roads along the Rhine and Alsace’s famous Wine Route, discover a landscape dotted with churches, castles and villages that seem plucked from the pages of a fairytale.



Cycling through a small village in Alsace
Bordeaux & the dordogne

Few regions of the world are as synonymous with their industry as France’s Bordeaux. A rolling verdant landscape dotted with ancient vineyards, the sun-drenched region is a delight to discover by bike – from the city’s car-free boulevards  and redeveloped riverfront to the historic vineyards of Sauternes, the waterways of the Garonne Valley and the famous Medoc Route des Vins,.

The region of Dordogne, with its ancient architecture, languid pace and lush river valley fringed with cliffs, caves and castles, is a fairytale slice of rural France. Set around the sweeping curves of the Dordogne River, this spectacular region is home to a web of scenic trails and backroads, dramatic limestone cliffs and prehistoric cave galleries, majestic hilltop castles and remarkably well-preserved medieval towns.


A grand chateaux in the Bordeaux region |  <i>Jaclyn Lofts</i>
provence

With its rich history, relaxed pace and sublime landscapes painted in a brilliant palette, Provence and the Côte d’Azur has been seducing artists, authors and travellers for centuries. 

Postcard-perfect scenes abound here – sloping vineyards, sunny olive groves and lavender-strewn meadows, ruined Roman cities, medieval castles and busy market towns, the foothills of the Alpilles, hilltop villages of the Luberon, and glitzy beaches of the French Riviera.

Cycle down quiet country lanes, ancient Roman roads and over deserted hilltop passes, stopping to visit intriguing relics and sample the beautiful wines and cuisine of the Côtes du Rhône and greater Provence.



The Roman aqueduct Ponte du Gard, one of the many historical legacies found in the Languedoc-Roussillion region
normandy

Discover the idyllic landscapes and rich history of northern France as you cycle through Normandy, following scenic back roads and stopping to sample local seafood, cider, calvados and camembert.

You can ride your bicycle along the beautiful  coast to Brittany towards the magnificent island monastery of Mont Saint Michel, one of France’s most iconic sights – but the options are virtually endless: visit the medieval city of Bayeux, with its impressive cathedral and historic tapestry; explore the picturesque harbour of Honfleur, the charming fishing port that inspired Monet and his Impressionist contemporaries; or cycle through the quintessentially French countryside of Lower Normandy’s Pays d'Auge, brimming with lush orchards and rolling pastures.

Alternatively, why not complete the cycle journey from Paris to London along the epic Avenue Verte?!



Cycle group in front of Mont St Michel |  <i>Kate Baker</i>
A self guided cycling holiday is one of the best ways to experience the real essence of France. Join us on this episode with Tim Charody as he explores the chateaux's of the Loire Valley and the world famous wines of Burgundy. Find out more at utracks.com Discover the rolling hills of France's premier wine growing region by bike and from the comfort of your barge hotel. Home to appellations such as Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, Sauternes, Médoc and Margaux, enjoy visits to many of the wine houses to sample their finest products as you cycle through the delightful vineyards and villages of Bordeaux. Discover Paris, the Marne River Valley and the stunning region of Champagne by bike and barge. Experience the beauty of the Marne River Valley, the lights of Paris and the famous Champagne houses of Epernay from the comfort of a well appointed barge. In the Champagne region, visit small producers, who will be proud to let you taste their best Champagne wines. Learn more at http://bit.ly/champagnebikebarge Just 2 hours by train from Paris, the World Heritage listed Loire Valley is one of the best regions in France to explore by bike. Watch this video, made by the Loire Valley local tourism board, to get an idea of how there is something for everyone in this most picturesque region of France. View UTracks tours in the Loire Valley: http://bit.ly/P4ryTa
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