France is renowned for its wine, and there are few better ways to enjoy it than on a bike tour through the country’s picturesque wine regions. Here are some of the best wine country bike tours in France:
1. The Loire Valley is home to some of France’s finest wines and cycling through it allows you to take in the stunning scenery and enjoy plenty of opportunities to taste the local vintages.
Trip Essence:
A classic French experience
The Loire Valley is called “the playground of the kings” and the “Breadbasket of France”
Renaissance, medieval and classical chateaux and ornamental gardens
Historic and lively towns
Ride along the Loire river and through sunflower or wheat fields
Taste local wines
Terrain:
Quiet open roads
Road quality is good
Agricultural landscapes (poppies, sunflower fields, vineyards)
Fairly flat terrain with some rolling hills
Steep hills when going from the river valley to the plateau
It is not flat even though it is one of our easier trips
Narrow roads in towns with more traffic
Most Suitable For:
History buffs
People interested in fine French cuisine
People interested in the Renaissance period
People who love chateaux
People looking for no too intense cycling
Least Suitable For:
People looking for avid cycling even though with have longer options
People looking for low-fat meals
People who want shorter meals
Food & Drinks:
Wonderful local goat cheese (Sainte Maure, Pouligny-St-Pierre, Selles-sur-Cher, Crottin de Chavignol)
Lots of meat (pheasant, dusk, quail, pigeon, rabbit, venison, wild boar, wild deer, etc…)
The Rillettes, a traditional dish from the Tours area very similar to pâté
Lots of good regional wines (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, etc…)
2. Cycling through the Bordeaux wine country is a great way to see beautiful scenery, learn about the wine-making process and to sample some of the world’s most celebrated wines.
Trip essence:
Outstanding cycling through varied terrain in and out of river valleys, vineyards, forests, medieval villages, natural caves, etc…
Great wines and great food and lots of history
Cycling around Saint-Emilion and through world-renowned vineyards on the first two days
Cycling through the Dordogne Valley and the Périgord on the last 3 days
Terrain:
On day 1 & 2, pretty flat landscape through the surrounding vineyards of Saint-Emilion
On day 3, 4 & 5, rolling hills through the Dordogne valley with some challenging climbs
It is rarely flat the last 3 days of the trip as we weave up and down the Dordogne Valley
Road quality is good with gravel on some of the smaller roads
Elevation gain goes up to 3,000 ft on this trip
Most Suitable For:
People looking for amazing hotels
People interested in French history, wine and cuisine
People that don’t mind lengthy meals
People interested in anthropology and engravings from 14,000 BC
People that love food (Southwest France has one of the best cuisines in France
People that don’t mind rolling terrain or shuttling in the support vehicle for the hills
People interested in variety (pre-history, castles, medieval villages, wine, etc…)
Least Suitable For:
Beginners that don’t like hills
People not willing to shuttle in the support vehicle
People that don’t like hot riding conditions, especially in July and
August as the afternoons are often hot and humid
People that like shorter meals
People on low fat or low-calorie diets
People that don’t like wine, French history & culture, heavy cuisine
People that want to spend time in larger cities
Meals, Food & Drinks:
A region famous for its wines
Food is heavy and centered around foie gras (duck), a local delicacy
Meals are long
3. Burgundy another region of France that is really famous for its wine but also its gastronomy. On this bike tour you get to cycle through vineyards, cross world famous villages such as Pommard, Meursault and will have plenty of opportunities to taste the local wines at authentic wineries.
Trip Essence:
Cycling through a bucolic region and world-famous vineyards
A famous culinary destination with great food and amazing wines
Cycling along the Burgundy Canal, through the Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits
Exploring the Golden Slopes of Burgundy
Tasting Premier and Grand Cru wines
Meals, Food & Drinks:
A region famous for its wonderful red and white wines (Pinot Noir & Chardonnay)
Famous dishes are beef Bourguigon, escargots (snails), Epoisses cheese, etc…
Terrain:
Day 1, along the Canal de Bourgogne
Day 2, through the countryside
On day 3, 4 & 5, through the vineyards
Quiet country roads with some challenging hills and very nice downhills
Road quality is correct but a few potholes or rough roads through the vineyards
Most Suitable For:
People who appreciate wine
People looking to taste some of the most renowned wines
People that don’t mind a few hills
People that enjoy longer meals and great cuisine
People who want to tour wine cellars with the locals
People who love to taste wine (mostly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay)
Least Suitable For:
People who want shorter meals
People that don’t like wine
People that don’t drink Pinot Noir or Chardonnay
Food & Drinks:
A great mix of amazing red and white wines
Coq au vin, escargots (snails), Bœuf Bourguigon, gougères (cheesy choux pastry ball), Œufs en Meurette and Dijon mustard are local delicacies
4. The Champagne region is home to some of the world’s most famous sparkling wines, and a bike ride through the vineyards and villages is a great way to see it all. Pedaling your way through all of this beautiful scenery, you will get plenty of chances to taste the local bubbly.
Trip Essence:
Home to some of the best wineries in France
Tasting famous Champagne
Terrain:
First, the terrain is made of gentle rolling hills, but you’ll need to be prepared for some uphill riding. Secondly, the roads can be quite narrow and windy, so take care when cycling around blind corners.
Least Suitable For:
People who do not like hills
People that don’t like Champagne,
People who do not like cheese
Food & Drinks:
Sparkling wine in Champagne
French Brie de Meaux Cheese.
Authentic Biscuits Roses de Reims.
L’andouillette
5. There’s something special about exploring a new place by bicycle and when that new place is the Alsace wine country, with its fairytale villages and beautiful vineyards, it makes for an unforgettable experience. Over there the riesling and gewürztraminer are the most famous wines.
Trip Essence:
A great wine destination
Colorful medieval villages (only found in this part France)
Rolling countryside through vineyards (both France & Germany)
Cross the Rhine by bike from France into Germany
Half-timbered villages, Alsatian architecture
Storks make their nests on top of many of the Alsatian chimneys, especially along the “Route des Vins”
Eat at wonderful Michelin star restaurants
Terrain:
Can be very hilly
Rhine Valley is flat, however around the Vosges you have to climb some hills
Road surface is generally good, but some smaller roads have very rough pavement
Car traffic on the “Alsace Wine Route” can be heavy
Most Suitable For:
People who are comfortable with traffic (particularly on the Alsace Wine Route)
Can be very windy in the flats, crossing the Rhine Valley
People who want to see another side of France: it’s very Germanic here, both in the architecture, villages and the cuisine
People who like tastings
People that like Riesling or Gewurztraminer
Least Suitable For:
People who do not like hills
People that do not like wine
People who do not like heavy food and meat not low fat
Meals, Food & Drinks:
A region mostly known for its white wines (Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Sylvaner, etc…) and beer
Strong Influence of Germany culinary traditions
Mostly white wines
Meat: sausage, pork roasted, veal and more
No matter which wine country bike tour you choose, you’re sure to have a memorable experience – and maybe even discover your new favorite wine!
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.