Rhône Cycle Route: Lyon to Arles via Avignon

Since 1998, Lyon’s old part of town has been part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. Mighty churches, about 30 museums and an excellent food-serving industry guarantee a delightful stay.

Already after just a few kilometres, the futuristic museum ‚des Confluences’ appears with its spectacular location on an island at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône. There is a lot of traffic in the cities, as well as in Lyon. We recommend catching the train to Givor.

You follow the course of your ‚companion’, the river Rhône, and soon you reach Vienne, where you will stay tonight with its many remains of an ancient Roman colony. You will be impressed by the temple of Augustus and Livia and by the biggest Roman theatre in Gaul.

The beautifully designed cycle path takes you South again, directly along the Rhone riverbank. World-renowned grapes are grown in the surroundings of Tournon-sur-Rhône. We recommend you have your lunch break in one of the charming villages with their medieval village centres and sample at least one glass of the famous Hermitage.

After that, you will soon reach the main town of the Dome region, called Valence. Also called the Northern Gate to Provence, it will amaze you with its vibrant town centre full of cafes and restaurants.

Effortlessly, you cycle through the fertile Rhone Valley. The temptation for pretty larceny of food is especially high today since there are peaches, apples and kiwis growing directly along the route.

Nevertheless, make sure you also look up and do not miss high up a once proud castle which has sadly crumbled and turned into a ruin, but still keeps a watchful eye over the valley. In today’s itinerary, Montelimar is all about nougat, which is produced here in a special quality. Temptations from dawn to dusk.

You cross the banks of the Rhône several times over impressive suspension bridges. The cycle route then continues to the former episcopal town of Viviers. Behind the cathedral, which dates back to the 12th century, you can enjoy a magnificent view over the Rhône valley. In the alluvial forests that follow, it becomes quiet and nothing can be heard except the whirring of the wheel spokes. In Bourg St. Andéol, picturesque houses from the 16th to 18th centuries characterise the old town directly on the Rhône. Along the way is the small town of Pont St Esprit, where a 600-year-old bridge with 25 arches impressively spans the Rhône. The destination, however, is the city of Orange with the famous Roman theatre and the city foundation arch, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Today’s stage is very short and hence leaves you with lots of time to just enjoy! Several times, you switch from one side of the Rhône River to the other side via impressive suspension bridges.

Then onwards along the cycle path to the former diocesan town of Viviers. Behind the cathedral, dating back to the 12th century, you have an amazing view across the Rhône valley. Then it becomes very quiet in the alluvial forests except for the buzzing noise of your spokes. Vibrancy is back after that in Bourg St. Andéol.

The old part of town is characterised by picturesque houses dating back to the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, situated directly on the river Rhône.

The route continues zigzagging through vineyards and orchards to the cycle path of the Pont du Gard bridge, which takes you traffic-free to the lively town of Beaucaire, at the crossroads between Languedoc and Provence. Past vegetable fields and orchards in this landscape are crisscrossed by access roads leading to the old farmhouse, Le Vieux Mas, and irrigation canals. Roman culture and Romanesque heritage characterise the townscape and history of Arles. Arles was the second most important city in the Roman Empire, and it is also the city associated with Vincent van Gogh.

Departure from Arles or spend extra nights in the city or the surrounding region.

Arrival: Lyon

Departure: Arles

Nearest arrival airport(s): Lyon St Exupery

Nearest departure airport(s): Marseille

We also recommend travelling by train to all of our cycling holiday starting and departure points. We can help you plan your journey to Lyon by rail. Car parking is available on all tours at the first hotel or a nearby public parking location. Full details are available on request.

Please do not book travel until an official invoice confirms the cycling holiday.