France is one of the most popular countries in the world for taking bike tours. There are a seemingly endless number of regions one can visit and spend about a week or more seeing fascinating sites. The history in France goes back hundreds or even thousands of years. And needless to say the food and the wine are also main attractions.
There are several ways one can go about touring around France on a bicycle. One way is to go with a group tour. On group tours you have the advantage of being accompanied by a guide or two, and generally the guides will have a support vehicle, and at least one of the guides will most likely be able to speak French at least moderately well. Some people like the security of being in a group, and they like the fact that they are told when and where to go.
Another option that is gaining popularity for bike tours in France are self-guided tours. These tours take a bit more of an adventurous spirit, as the guests are giving maps and tourist information with a suggested program for each day, but instead of being in a group they follow the maps and navigate on their own. There is some risk of taking wrong turns and perhaps getting lost more often than one would on a group tour, but the fact of the matter is that people on group tours can get lost as well.
There are self-guided bike tours available for most of the tourist regions in France. The Loire Valley is a popular cycling venue. The terrain is not too hilly, and there are magnificent chateaux to visit every day. Some of the more famous Chateaux of the Loire are Chenenceau, Chinon, Chambord, Azay le Rideau, Amboise, and Cheverny to name a few. Some of the most beautiful gardens in the world can also be seen at Villandry. At Amboise one can also visit the home of the famous Italian Leonardo da Vinci, who lived there for about the last three or four years of his life as a guest of the king of France. His home is called the Clos-Luce and should not be missed.
Provence is another popular destination. Hilltop villages there are full of charm, and some of the most popular are Gordes, Roussillon with its ochre colored buildings and rock formations, and Les Baux de Provence. Some of the most spectacular Roman structures in the world can be seen at the Pont du Gard, St. Remy de Provence, and at Arles.
The Dordogne region in the southwest of France is also a popular spot for bike tours. There are many medieval hillside villages like the spectacular Rocamadour. Sarlat. Beynac. Domme, La Roque Gageac and Castelnaud are all in close proximity and are easy to access on a bike. World famous sites like Lascaux are also nearby, and there is a model of the famous cave paintings to be seen at Lascaux II which is on the grounds of the original cave.
The biggest advantage of self-guided bike tours in France is that they cost about half the price of a guided tour. This makes this alternative very attractive, because one can stay in the same hotels, savor the same great meals, and see the same sites as those on group tours, but it is essentially two for the price of one.
