Provence vs Loire Valley: Which Bike Tour is Right for You?

Choosing between Provence and the Loire Valley is like being handed two glasses of world class win and told to pick one. Both are breathtaking, brimming with charm, and made for riding. But the question is, what kind of cyclist are you?.

Which Area Is Best For Sightseeing

This really depends on what you want to see.

In the Loire:

1. Chateau Chambord is a must visit. Built in the 16th century, this château is a wild mix of Renaissance elegance and medieval fantasy.
2. Explore the world famous gardens of Château de Villandry and the ornamental kitchen garden, where vegetables are planted in geometric harmony.
3. Marvel at the Pont de Pierre at Blois, probably the most famous and beautiful bridge that cross the Loire.
4. Explore Château de Chenonceau which gracefully arches over the Cher River, with manicured gardens and rooms once walked by queens.
5. The city of Amboise has a buzzing riverside market, lively cafés and a hilltop panorama, providing one of the Valley's most charming stops.

In Provence:

1. You can get your fill of architecture and history by visiting Avignon. Skirt the city walls and explore the City of Popes.
2. Head into the Luberon and explore Roussillon & The Ochre Trail where rust-red cliffs and orange stone houses dot the landscape.
3. Explore the Abbaye de Sénanque, the famous 12th-century abbey near Gordes framed by lavender fields.
4. Ride to Pont du Garde, the ancient Roman aqueduct, built in the 1st century AD.
5. Cycle to Arles and marvel at the Roman Amphitheatre, built in 90 AD and still today hosting concerts and plays.

Which Area Has Less Traffic & Safer Cycling

A Loire cycling tour wins this one as the Loire a Velo is a 900km cycle path that stretches from the centre of France, all the way to the Atlantic West Coast. Riverside towpaths guide you downstream and it's possible to ride the entire length of the path without ever coming off gravel or asphalt tracks. The only traffic you'll encounter is when you deviate from the path into the main towns. It's important to note that the Loire in the height of summer is very busy, so when you do venture into towns, you should treat them and ride into them as you would any other major town and exercise care and attention at all times.

Provence has few cycle paths similar to the Loire and so you will spend most of your time on quiet B roads and backroads, passing between towns. However, Provence does have several charming voie vertes (greenways) which trace the routes of old railway lines so you can enjoy sooth, traffic-free cycling between some towns.

Which Area Has The Best Weather

The Loire has a cooler climate as it's much more northerly than Provence. We'd suggest that as the cycling season begins and ends, Provence offers better riding as you will have warmer temperatures and sunnier days. However, as you move into the summer months, Provence can get extremely hot and so the Loire Valley with it's breeze coming off the river is better for says in the saddle.

Which Destination Offers More of a Cycling Challenge

A Provence cycling tour is undoubtedly tougher. The Alpilles provide for gentle rolling hills but the further you get into the Luberon, the tougher the riding becomes. The Gorge de la Nesque is a spectacular ascent if you have the legs and fitness but even the hilltop of villages of Gordes and Rousillon require some climbing if you want the views.

Then of course is the Giant of Provence, Mont Ventoux. This is an iconic cycling climb, with 3 ascents from the plains to moonlike scenery at the top. A staple of the Tour de France, this is a climb that is revered, mythologised and can only be tackled if you've trained for it.

Unlike Provence, there's virtually no climbing or tough riding in the Loire. You'll follow the river downstream and so this is undoubtedly the easier of the two destinations in which to ride.

Which Area to Choose For The Best Wines

While not technically part of “Provence” by wine law, Châteauneuf-du-Pape sits right on the edge and for any cyclist riding in the region, it’s an absolute must-visit. This is where power meets finesse in the glass. Think full-bodied reds brimming with ripe fruit, spice, and earthy depth. The vineyards that dot the hills here are legendary and some were planted all the way back to Roman times.

Provence has also seen an incredible surge of Rose wines, partly down to Château d’Esclans, the home of Whispering Angel. Expect beautifully manicured grounds, grand cellar tours, and a tasting that ends in a glass of their globally adored Whispering Angel.

Wines in the Loire, such as those that come from Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé, tend to be crisper, fresher and have a lower alcohol content. This is driven by cooler temperatures in the Loire Valley then Provence.

If you're chasing sunshine, bold rosé, and those glorious vineyard views, Provence has the weather and wine to match. If you prefer cooler rides, elegant whites, and a glass that changes with every sip, the Loire Valley delivers in spades. For a more in depth look at the best wine regions in France, check out our blog.

Getting there

To get to the Loire, we highly recommend getting the train from Paris. Paris is of course very well served by airlines so the journey is pretty simple from Paris city centre. If you're elsewhere in Europe, there are plenty of other train networks to get you to Paris and you can also hop on the Eurostar straight to Paris from London and then change trains, for a 1 hour journey into Orleans, in the heart of the Loire Valley.

Provence is more southerly than the Loire and so we'd recommend either flying into Marseille or getting to Paris with an onward TGV train to Avignon which takes about 3 hours.

Types of Accommodation

Don't expect any 5 star resorts or large hotels. Most hotels along the route are family run, although in the larger towns, there are the usual chains. The accommodation in the Loire is very traditional and boutique and if this is what you're looking for, it's a fantastically authentic French experience. Think grand chandeliers, fairytale castles and turrets, along with magnificent ballrooms and grounds. Check out one of our favorites, Chateau du Pray below in the first image

In Provence, the accommodation tends to be less grand although there are a huge number of boutique hotels dotted through the countryside. Chateau de Mazan is a favorite of ours which you can see on the second image.