Biking in france
 

Considering a biking trip next year in France. We are considering visiting both Burgundy and Provence.Originally thought we would bike, canoe etc in the Provence area and then travel be car in burgundy. Now I am wondering if that is the best option. Feedback please.

A basically good plan. Look at the Tarn for instance for canoe. Which month would interest you?

Neither option is better than the other. It just depends on what you prefer. Why not bike in both regions?

Here are a couple of websites about biking in Burgundy:

http://www.burgundy-by-bike.com/

http://www.burgundyeye.com/activitie...nd-veloroutes/

Google searches will yield similar results for Provence.

You can have a look at the thread below for tips on cycling on your own in France:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntre...96466#20796466

this gives some other ideas www.mybikeguide.co.uk

when you are going - Provence can be boiling hot in mid summer - I have biked all around the Hexagon as they call France because of its shape and you can't go wrong no matter where you go. Provence would be great in say late spring or early autumn, when the weather is nicer and the tourist mobs of summer have dissipated.

But Burgundy would be a nice choice, especially if into wine tours - ride along the Route of Burgundy Wines and pop into wineries along the way (but drunk biking is a crime!)

My favorite French biking venues:

Normandy, Loire Valley, Burgundy, Provence (Avignon area) - in no real order.

One thing I learned by biking all over France is that France is hilly - rarely flat except in a few places like the Beauce - so have proper gearing for those long grades - are you bringing your own bikes or renting?

Originally thought we would bike, canoe etc in the Provence area and then travel be car in burgundy>

depends on what you want to see in Burgundy - the Burgundy Wine Road is rather short - a couple of days on a bike and you can do it all. But Burgundy's other super sights - like Vezelay and uxerre (not sure they are technically in Burgudny but) are a long way from that road and there are hills in between.

The Provence area around Avignon has so much in a compact area that are a short bike ride from an Arles or Avignon or similarly situated base - leave your bags in your hotel and bike free of luggage.

Auxerre and Vézelay are in Burgundy. ;)

I just posted a trip report about biking in Provence:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...eport-long.cfm

(sorry didn't work as a link)

One comment about Provence being boiling hot in midsummer. We had no choice but to go the first week of July, and actually the mornings were cool and we wound up purchasing sweatshirts/sweaters because we had not brought any. It was quite warm in the afternoon, but not unbearable, but the mornings were very pleasant and we needed jackets on the one day it rained.

We had a lovely time and would happily do it again.

Thank you for all of your help. We would travel in either late spring or early fall.

Bilbo uglier, what is the Tarn...an area???

tidy, it is a river. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarn_%28department%29

Famous for its twisting path between high steep hills, with lots of canoing opportunities. It goes from north west of Avignon to Millau and is pretty busy with french holiday makers all summer long. One of the most pleasant country based holiday regions in France away from the sea.

Also a site for those who want to "travel with a donkey" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travels..._C%C3%A9vennes