VIARHÔNA BIKE TOUR
the
VIARHÔNA BIKE TOUR
BUT WE ALSO CAN ORGANIZE IT ON PART OF THE ROUTE, THE ONE YOU CHOOSE, ON THE DATES YOU CHOOSE.
The ViaRhôna Bike Tour is therefore on a variable scale, organized according to your desires, your vacation availability and your physical condition.
Avoid the winter period November-March (risk of ice on the cycle path), and the summer period July-August south of Valence (very hot weather, risk of wind sometimes violent and annoying when cycling).
Check on the Road maps where you can join the group during the different stages of the ViaRhôna Tour.
Check meeting & leaving points,
and how to get there.
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ITINERARY DAY BY DAY
CYCLING LEVEL - COMPETE THE VIARHONA
Cycling level required
Difficulty level
Average distance per day
Average cyclist to
Good cyclist
No particular technical difficulties
62.5 km / day
(not including biking city tours)
Average Speed
≈ 12 km/h to 20 km/h
ViaRhôna is mainly on paved roads : cycle paths, shared lanes and some secondary roads.
The few passages on dirt roads or paths, usually in forest or on towpaths along the river, are very practicable in VTC, and make the journey even more exciting.
Only the stage between Geneva and Seyssel has some climbs and descents, but nothing insurmountable.
Because of the daily frequence of the steps, a minimum of physical condition & resistance is needed. When booking two weeks for the ViaRhôna, you'll enjoy a resting day in Valence in the middle of the trip.
Check here the
altimetry and distance
day by day!
MEETING & LEAVING POINTS
WHEN WE REALIZE THE FULL BIKE TOUR OF VIARHÔNA, WE HAVE WEEKLY MEETING AND LEAVING POINTS IN GENEVA, VALENCE AND SÈTE, AS FOLLOWS...
WEEK 2
WEEK 3
WEEK 1
WEEK 4
GENEVA
MEETING POINT
VALENCE
LEAVING POINT
VALENCE
MEETING POINT
SÈTE
LEAVING POINT
VALENCE
LEAVING POINT
SÈTE
MEETING POINT
VALENCE
MEETING POINT
GENEVA
LEAVING POINT
Day 0 (Sunday)
Day 7 (Sunday)
Day 7 (Sunday)
Day 14 (Sunday)
Day 21 (Sunday)
Day 14 (Sunday)
Day 21 (Sunday)
Day 28 (Sunday)
Our hotel in
Geneva
Our hotel in
Sète
Our hotel in
Sète
Our hotel in
Geneva
From 3 PM
Click here to check the transfer options to/from Geneva, Valence and Sète
Your guide is...
Leading the organization, your first interlocutor for any purpose.
Permanently in contact with the SLV for any customer need (itinerary monitoring, small repairs, recovery of tired cyclist, supply point management...) if you have chosen the SLV option.
Always with the group, he regulates cadence so that everyone can ride at his own pace.
Guide of the group during the city bike tours to see what is most interesting without loss of time.
OPTION : Support Logistic Vehicle (SLV) + Driver
LUGGAGE TRANSPORT
FOOD & BEVERAGE
SUPPLY
SECURED LOCKERS
24/7
REPAIR & MAINTENANCE
-
The SLV follows the group on secondary roads, parallel to ViaRhôna paths, to provide all the necessary support to the group, for any case of emergency.
-
It has 2 front seats for tired bikers giving up during a stage, the so-called voiture-balai (tail car) as it exists on the Tour de France.
-
Last but not least… It will carry the wine you could purchase during tastings or visits in cellars along the ViaRhôna.
Support Logistic Vehicle Driver
The SLV driver is in charge of :
-
TAM (Transport - Assistance - Maintenance)
-
Logistic (Hotel Check-in & Check-out - Lunch, Food & Beverage supply)
-
Monitoring the itinerary (permanent contact with the bike guide)
-
Repair & Maintenance
IF YOU DO NOT CHOOSE THE SLV OPTION :
We will assume all the functions (or almost ...) of the SLV and its driver : each biker will carry his own travel bag on the luggage rack of the bicycle, we will buy our picnic in the morning, we will call directly the SAMU in case of emergency, we will repair our bikes (if necessary) by ourselves or in nearby repair shops.
And we won't have a tail car, so we'll have to cycle through all the stages.
This is what most cyclists do on the ViaRhôna routes, so we can do it as well !
EQUIPMENT- LUGGAGE CHECKLIST
Checklist -essential items
-
2 cycling outfits : short (preferably padded on the buttocks) + jersey
-
1 or 2 additional jerseys (preferably for cycling)
-
1 or 2 sweat-absorbing sweat-shirts
-
2 pairs of sneakers (preferably for cycling, but without tie-down clicks)
-
1 or 2 pairs of gloves
-
Sunglasses and solar cream
-
Casual after-sport clothes
Personnal
baggage
With the SLV option, each biker is allowed to have :
-
1 suitcase or travel bag (preferably with handle and wheels) + 1 small backpack.
-
We do NOT recommend that you take another bag or backpack on the bike itself.
-
If necessary, there is a laundry service (with washing and drying machines) provided by our hotel or nearby.
DOCUMENTS & INSURANCE
During your journey, you must be in possession of :
Your valid Passport
Your usual insurance card (issued by your health insurance in your country of residence)
Your Shengen Space
insurance contract
(provided by us with your travel file)*
*The Shengen Space insurance policy :
Our package includes an individual Shengen Space insurance policy which is a complement to your health insurance in your country of residence.
Before your ViaRhôna journey, you must request an extension, for the duration of your stay, of the benefits of your health insurance to Shengen Space (or at least France + Switzerland if you start or finish in Geneva), if it is not already covered.
*The other services are normally included in the Shengen Space insurance policy :
-
Emergency medical insurance (for medical visit and consultation, pharmacy, nursing, medical and surgical hospitalization costs)
-
Sending a medical doctor to you
-
Medical repatriation
-
Repatriation in the event of death
-
Additional stay expenses
-
Visit of a familiar
-
Early return (in the event of death or prolonged hospitalization of a family member or serious damage to your principal residence or business premises)
-
Criminal bail
-
Attorney fees
-
24h information and medical advice
-
Transmission of urgent messages to/from your family or close friends
-
Assistance in case of loss or theft of ID or passport
ACCOMODATION
Premium quality accommodation in selected, nice and authentic hotels is part of our core value.
-
What about sleeping in rooms overlooking the river, literally by the water, giving the impression that you could almost dive into the water from your window ?
-
What about sleeping in spacious and comfortable rooms, furnished in the old-fashioned way, as did the dignitaries of the regime in the Middle Ages ?
-
Etc...
The accommodation is included in our All Inclusive packages, and corresponds to a standard of 3 star hotel in France.
We choose charming, lovely decorated hotels, which serve breakfast (and sometimes dinner), and whose rooms have good bedding and private bathroom and toilets.
CULTURAL VISITS
Get the information in detail about the cultural visits all along the trip… Let's Start !
GASTRONOMY & WINE TASTINGS
4 to 6 hours of cycling per day will burn calories and also open your appetite...
Take a look at some regional culinary specialties and fine local wines that you can taste along the ViaRhôna...
Pre-Alps Valley
Cheeses (Comté, tomme de Savoie), charcuteries (Savoie smoked ham) and specialities made from them (fondue, raclette), lake fish (perch fillets), Saint-Genis cake...
Geneva hinterland white wines, Bugey & Pays de Savoie wines (Roussette, Mondeuse).
PRICES & CONDITIONS
Prices 2020 per person
3 DAYS
ONE WEEK PACKAGE
TWO WEEKS PACKAGE
THREE WEEKS PACKAGE
FOUR WEEKS PACKAGE
All Inclusive
Not Included
CANCELLATION POLICY
ViaRhôna is on flat ground (except some short climbs near Geneva), and low altitude, on exclusive cycle lanes or shared lanes.
All along the adventure, you will enjoy the comfort and security of a structured organization led by an experienced cycling guide, possibly assisted by an SLV and its driver if you choose this option.
THE PRESENTATION BELOW FOCUSES ON THE FULL BIKE TOUR OF VIARHÔNA (750 km between Geneva and Sète, or vice versa), spread over 13 days including 1 day of rest in Valence, an average of 62.5 km/day.
BUT WE ALSO CAN ORGANIZE IT ON PART OF THE ROUTE, THE ONE YOU CHOOSE, ON THE DATES YOU CHOOSE.
The ViaRhôna Bike Tour is therefore on a variable scale, organized according to your desires, your vacation availability and your physical condition.
Avoid the winter period November-March (risk of ice on the cycle path), and the summer period July-August south of Valence (very hot weather, risk of wind sometimes violent and annoying when cycling).
ROAD MAP
Check on the Road maps where you can join the group during the different stages of the ViaRhôna Tour.
Check meeting & leaving points,
and how to get there.
.png)
ITINERARY DAY BY DAY
CYCLING LEVEL - COMPETE THE VIARHONA
Cycling level required
Average cyclist to
Good cyclist
Difficulty level
No particular technical difficulties
Average distance per day
62.5 km / day
(not including biking city tours)
Average Speed
≈ 12 km/h to 20 km/h
ViaRhôna is mainly on paved roads : cycle paths, shared lanes and some secondary roads.
The few passages on dirt roads or paths, usually in forest or on towpaths along the river, are very practicable in VTC, and make the journey even more exciting.
Only the stage between Geneva and Seyssel has some climbs and descents, but nothing insurmountable.
Because of the daily frequence of the steps, a minimum of physical condition & resistance is needed. When booking two weeks for the ViaRhôna, you'll enjoy a resting day in Valence in the middle of the trip.
Check here the altimetry and distance day by day !
MEETING & LEAVING POINTS
WHEN WE REALIZE THE FULL BIKE TOUR OF VIARHÔNA, WE HAVE WEEKLY MEETING AND LEAVING POINTS IN GENEVA, VALENCE AND SÈTE, AS FOLLOWS...
WEEK 2
WEEK 3
WEEK 1
WEEK 4
VALENCE
MEETING POINT
SÈTE
LEAVING POINT
Day 7 (Sunday)
Day 14 (Sunday)
Our hotel in
Sète
From 3 PM
Until 12 AM
VALENCE
LEAVING POINT
SÈTE
MEETING POINT
Day 21 (Sunday)
Day 14 (Sunday)
Our hotel in
Sète
Until 12 AM
From 3 PM
VALENCE
MEETING POINT
GENEVA
LEAVING POINT
Day 21 (Sunday)
Day 28 (Sunday)
Our hotel in
Geneva
From 3 PM
Until 12 AM
GENEVA
MEETING POINT
VALENCE
LEAVING POINT
Day 0 (Sunday)
Day 7 (Sunday)
Our hotel in
Geneva
From 3 PM
Until 12 AM
Click here to check the transfer options to/from Geneva, Valence and Sète
... BUT YOU CAN ALSO JOIN A GROUP OR START YOUR VIARHÔNA BIKE TOUR AT ANY OTHER STAGE CITY, ASSUMING THE COST OF ROUTING YOUR MATERIAL (BIKE, ACCESSORIES, TRAVEL BAG) TO THE STAGE CITY.
BIKE & CULTURAL GUIDE
The bike guide is responsible for leading and managing the group throughout the different stages of the ViaRhôna Tour. He will take you on city tours, cultural tours and wine tastings in a typical and authentic French atmosphere. For years, he has been cycling on ViaRhôna, which will prove very useful on sections where ViaRhôna signage is almost non-existent. Born in the region, he speaks several languages, including of course French and English.
Your guide is...
Leading the organization, your first interlocutor for any purpose.
Permanently in contact with the SLV for any customer need (itinerary monitoring, small repairs, recovery of tired cyclist, supply point management...) if you have chosen the SLV option.
Always with the group, he regulates cadence so that everyone can ride at his own pace.
Guide of the group during the city bike tours to see what is most interesting without loss of time.
OPTION : Support Logistic Vehicle (SLV) + Driver
-
The SLV follows the group on secondary roads, parallel to ViaRhôna paths, to provide all the necessary support to the group, for any case of emergency.
-
It has 2 front seats for tired bikers giving up during a stage, the so-called voiture-balai (tail car) as it exists on the Tour de France.
-
Last but not least… It will carry the wine you could purchase during tastings or visits in cellars along the ViaRhôna.
Support Logistic Vehicle Driver
The SLV driver is in charge of :
-
TAM (Transport - Assistance - Maintenance)
-
Logistic (Hotel Check-in & Check-out - Lunch, Food & Beverage supply)
-
Monitoring the itinerary (permanent contact with the bike guide)
-
Repair & Maintenance
IF YOU DO NOT CHOOSE THE SLV OPTION :
We will assume all the functions (or almost ...) of the SLV and its driver : each biker will carry his own travel bag on the luggage rack of the bicycle, we will buy our picnic in the morning, we will call directly the SAMU in case of emergency, we will repair our bikes (if necessary) by ourselves or in nearby repair shops.
And we won't have a tail car, so we'll have to cycle through all the stages.
This is what most cyclists do on the ViaRhôna routes, so we can do it as well !
EQUIPMENT- LUGGAGE CHECKLIST
Provided equipment
Checklist -essential items
Bike Helmet
Rented VTC Bike
Goodies Kit
(waterproof windbreaker jacket, front handlebar bag, bicycle water bottles)
-
2 cycling outfits : short (preferably padded on the buttocks) + jersey
-
1 or 2 additional jerseys (preferably for cycling)
-
1 or 2 sweat-absorbing sweat-shirts
-
2 pairs of sneakers (preferably for cycling, but without tie-down clicks)
-
1 or 2 pairs of gloves
-
Sunglasses and solar cream
-
Casual after-sport clothes
Personal
baggage
With the SLV option, each biker is allowed to have :
-
1 suitcase or travel bag (preferably with handle and wheels) + 1 small backpack.
-
We do NOT recommend that you take another bag or backpack on the bike itself.
-
If necessary, there is a laundry service (with washing and drying machines) provided by our hotel or nearby.
Without the SLV option, each biker should bring just what is absolutely necessary, and it must fit in a sports bag that will be carried on the bike rack for the entire bike ride.
DOCUMENTS & INSURANCE
During your journey, you must be in possession of :
Your usual insurance card (issued by your health insurance in your country of residence)
Your Shengen Space
insurance contract
(provided by us with your travel file)*
Your valid Passport
*The Shengen Space insurance policy :
Our package includes an individual Shengen Space insurance policy which is a complement to your health insurance in your country of residence.
Before your ViaRhôna journey, you must request an extension, for the duration of your stay, of the benefits of your health insurance to Shengen Space (or at least France + Switzerland if you start or finish in Geneva), if it is not already covered.
*The other services are normally included in the Shengen Space insurance policy :
-
Emergency medical insurance (for medical visit and consultation, pharmacy, nursing, medical and surgical hospitalization costs)
-
Sending a medical doctor to you
-
Medical repatriation
-
Repatriation in the event of death
-
Additional stay expenses
-
Visit of a familiar
-
Early return (in the event of death or prolonged hospitalization of a family member or serious damage to your principal residence or business premises)
-
Criminal bail
-
Attorney fees
-
24h information and medical advice
-
Transmission of urgent messages to/from your family or close friends
-
Assistance in case of loss or theft of ID or passport
ACCOMODATION
Premium quality accommodation in selected, nice and authentic hotels is part of our core value.
-
What about sleeping in rooms overlooking the river, literally by the water, giving the impression that you could almost dive into the water from your window ?
-
What about sleeping in spacious and comfortable rooms, furnished in the old-fashioned way, as did the dignitaries of the regime in the Middle Ages ?
-
Etc...
The accommodation is included in our All Inclusive packages, and corresponds to a standard of 3 star hotel in France.
We choose charming, lovely decorated hotels, which serve breakfast (and sometimes dinner), and whose rooms have good bedding and private bathroom and toilets.