Geneva to Lyon self guided cycling holiday, France
Including breakfast, 2 dinners, luggage transfers, briefing, GPS, assistance if needed, tax & service fees.
Hybrid, e-bike, & road bike rentals available.
Description of Geneva to Lyon self guided cycling holiday, France
Pedal between the Rhône’s two big cities, from Geneva to Lyon, on this self guided cycling holiday in France. Winding its way down from the Swiss Alps all the way to southern France, the Rhône has long been an essential artery through this region, before roads and railways took over, and numerous pretty villages and handsome chateaux are dotted along its banks.
Following this beautiful river is the cycle path called the Via Rhôna. Once completed, this route will connect Lake Geneva with France’s Mediterranean beaches. The project is already a huge success, with 700km (435 miles) of cycle path completed, passing through 12 French counties.
It’s a fantastic route to follow, and this six-day itinerary reveals the wonderful highlights of the Rhone: scenic views, historic buildings and fortifications, Roman ruins and peaceful lakes. It’s also a tour perfectly suited to families and leisure riders, with even the dramatic mountain section following a painless route with plenty of downhill riding.
All the accommodation is booked for you along the way, and includes guesthouses and hotels, usually family run and always full of character. Your luggage is moved for you, so you’ll be cycling with just a daypack and, as the tour is self guided you’re free to cycle at your own speed, hopping out of the saddle to explore, rest and admire the views – a lovely, leisurely way to see the Rhône.
Starts any Sunday from April through October. Starting on another weekday possible for groups (except Fridays) - must be 4 or more at time of booking and departure.
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Reviews
1 Reviews of Geneva to Lyon self guided cycling holiday, France
Reviewed on 25 Jul 2015 by marieanna howard
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Probably the most memorable part was riding into St Emelion. The town is magnificent.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
This is a fabulous sightseeing trip go enjoy. Suitable for all levels of cyclists.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Probably all three.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Great, energetic, peaceful,l wonderful scenery. We covered a lot of miles but bikes were easy to ride. Hotels we stayed in were very good,comfortable and generally good food. Highly recommend this holiday.
Responsible Travel
Planet
Travelling by bike, you are no longer an observer — you are an active participant in the local environment and culture.We promise to use many quiet local roads for our routes and to support the national project to connect Geneva to the Mediterranean with bike paths. Travelling many small and quiet roads along the Rhone River, this tour will allow you to experience part of the rural countryside and ride through famous and authentic villages that beautifully illustrate the multi-faceted Alpine character.
We promise a variety of locally produced and grown products will be accessible on our tour. During this trip you may get to experience the best of fine local produce by tasting traditional cuisine of the Rhone-Alps and Lyon like Fondue, quenelles de brochet, coussins de Lyon or by directly buying authentic regional food and produce, like Reblochon cheese, cardons, bugne (strip of fried dough sprinkled with sugar), etc.
We promise to encourage environmentally-friendly travel alternatives. To further improve eco-friendly solutions we recommend train travel. To travel within Europe, we recommend taking trains over renting cars or air transports. Trains are more energy-efficient and will minimize CO2 emissions per capita.
We promise to strive for sustainable recycling and transportation options. In cities, we recommend clients use public transportation, bicycles, or walking. City bike rentals are more and more widely available in big and medium-sized cities across Europe. They are the best way to get around congested cities.
People
We promise to provide access to local Alpine arts and crafts and to give sponsors of the local economy the opportunity to display their goods to an international clientele.We promise to support local and family run hotels and restaurants. Forget the non-descript and indistinguishable big chain hotels; we use genuine places with local charm. We relying on local guides and family-owned hotels, and we hope to ensure a warm, personalized welcome. We expect these properties to be run by people who have a passion for the Rhone-Alps region, culture, gastronomy, and historical heritage. We use genuine places with local charm, blending harmoniously into the environment. Our hotels offer guests a pleasant, proper environment. Some of them have as few as two rooms, while others are small personal hotels.
We promise to team up with local bicycle renters throughout France. We value their expert work and most of our clients are renting bikes directly through them instead of bringing their own. This, of course, benefits the local economy.
We are based in France. This is where we live and work. Our office is located in the French Alps, just a stone’s throw from the Swiss border, and we ride the very same roads we recommend for our cycling vacations. As firm believers of sustainable development, we have established a friendly network of professionals, comprised mainly of local tour guides, small operators, and family-run agencies. Most of our people have created their own jobs/enterprises in order to live out their passion for the region and cultural heritage. All have extensive travel experience and have lived in various places before falling in love with the area they now call home. We promise that traveling with us guarantees you will be taken care of by dedicated professionals who chose to build their lives here.
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