Mount Ventoux - getting there

sagefly

Good evening,

I've a hankering to ride up Mt Ventoux this year, so have a limited amount of time.

My plan is to go over Saturday from London, ride up over about 3.5 hrs and come back on the Sunday.

If anyone can help I'm looking advice on getting there, plane or train and also where to base myself for the obvious Saturday evening reflections.

All suggestions greatly appreciated.

sloppyschleckonds

Know anyone who can lend you a camper van?

briantrumpet

Get yourself to or from Avignon this way from London: http://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/train/france/avignon

I'm not sure of the timetable, but I don't think it's more than once a week, so the other way you could train to Lille from Avignon, and then Eurostar from there (or the other way round). There is an airport in Avignon, but I''ve no idea where near London flies to there. There are bike hire places at Ventoux, so I'd not bother taking a bike for the one day.

If you drive, it's one hell of a drive from Calais - about 11 hours each way, with road tolls of about 200 euros total for the round trip... 10 cents per km once on the toll autoroutes.

There are buses from Avignon to Bédouin; I think, or somewhere near, but the probably don't run very late. https://www.rome2rio.com/fr/s/Avignon/B%C3%A9doin

briantrumpet

The only thing I'd warn you is that the weather will be getting increasingly fickle from now, and if you only allow half of one day to be there, and the weather comes in (wind, particularly, or rain/snow from October onwards), it'll be a long and expensive trip to sit in a café. It's been weird weather this year too.

dhungerf

Yep:

The quickest way would be to take the train into Avignon then rent a car. Plenty of places to stay. I did the classic route from Bedoin. It took a total of 2.5 hours up and down for me.

You can rent from these guys if you need, http://www.francebikerentals.com/rentals. They are who I used.

Have fun

sagefly

Briantrumpet and dhungerf thanks very much for your detailed replies, really helpful and I'll post pics n my return.

remedy_7

Good rental bikes available and good prices.
Have a back-up plan because Ventoux has a lot of bad weather days. Gorge du Nesque. Montagne du Lure. Pub. Brothel etc.

briantrumpet

The only thing I'd add is if you're going that far, if there's any way you could add just one more day there, you'll double your chance of getting a day suitable for riding Ventoux.

markhewitt1978

briantrumpet wrote:

The only thing I'd add is if you're going that far, if there's any way you could add just one more day there, you'll double your chance of getting a day suitable for riding Ventoux.

I certainly wouldn't want to travel and ride on the same day - I guess if starting from London it's not as bad as it would be for me flying from Newcastle.

I wish I had the money to do something crazy like that from time to time. e.g. Fly into Mallorca, ride straight from the airport, over the hills and back in time to get the evening flight home!

on-yer-bike

I flew to Marseille and drove.

jdee84

I went over the summer flew to Marseilles and stayed at Veloventoux in Faucon they do a pick and drop from various airports around it for about 70 quid and have bike guides if needed

crescent

Just back yesterday and weather is definitely changeable. It was beautiful for most of the week, the mountain was rideable every day except Saturday (late afternoon onwards) due to a thunderstorm. One day is not leaving much margin for error/delays/weather etc. There is some beautiful cycling to be had but if you're set on Ventoux then you are in the laps of the weather gods unfortunately. A lovely part of the world to be stranded in though. Gorge de la Nesque is a spectacular fall back plan - simply stunning.
Oh, I drove from Marseilles as well, a good two hours drive to Bedoin.

Jerry185

Ryanair will fly Luton to Nimes (20K from Avignon)

rpherts

briantrumpet wrote:

Get yourself to or from Avignon this way from London: http://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/train/france/avignon

I'm not sure of the timetable, but I don't think it's more than once a week, so the other way you could train to Lille from Avignon, and then Eurostar from there (or the other way round). There is an airport in Avignon, but I''ve no idea where near London flies to there. There are bike hire places at Ventoux, so I'd not bother taking a bike for the one day.

If you drive, it's one hell of a drive from Calais - about 11 hours each way, with road tolls of about 200 euros total for the round trip... 10 cents per km once on the toll autoroutes.

There are buses from Avignon to Bédouin; I think, or somewhere near, but the probably don't run very late. https://www.rome2rio.com/fr/s/Avignon/B%C3%A9doin

Eurostar don't accept unfolding bikes at all on their direct route to Avignon.

They do accept them on any service which terminates at Paris or Brussels. You have to book them on separetely and pay a fee (25-30 quid). You pick the (boxed) bike up at the other end and continue to Avignon via TGV from Gare de Lyon.

As far as I am aware you cannot take a bike on the Eurostar to Lille.

rpherts

Even if it is windy at the top you should still be able to get up to Chalet Reynard at 1400m.

drlodge

I would recommend staying at this place http://www.lafermedesbelugues.com Its a cyclist's paradise.

fenix

rpherts wrote:

briantrumpet wrote:

Get yourself to or from Avignon this way from London: http://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/train/france/avignon

I'm not sure of the timetable, but I don't think it's more than once a week, so the other way you could train to Lille from Avignon, and then Eurostar from there (or the other way round). There is an airport in Avignon, but I''ve no idea where near London flies to there. There are bike hire places at Ventoux, so I'd not bother taking a bike for the one day.

If you drive, it's one hell of a drive from Calais - about 11 hours each way, with road tolls of about 200 euros total for the round trip... 10 cents per km once on the toll autoroutes.

There are buses from Avignon to Bédouin; I think, or somewhere near, but the probably don't run very late. https://www.rome2rio.com/fr/s/Avignon/B%C3%A9doin

Eurostar don't accept unfolding bikes at all on their direct route to Avignon.

They do accept them on any service which terminates at Paris or Brussels. You have to book them on separetely and pay a fee (25-30 quid). You pick the (boxed) bike up at the other end and continue to Avignon via TGV from Gare de Lyon.

As far as I am aware you cannot take a bike on the Eurostar to Lille.

What about a bike packed away in a bike box ?

rpherts

Fenix wrote:

rpherts wrote:

briantrumpet wrote:

Get yourself to or from Avignon this way from London: http://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/train/france/avignon

I'm not sure of the timetable, but I don't think it's more than once a week, so the other way you could train to Lille from Avignon, and then Eurostar from there (or the other way round). There is an airport in Avignon, but I''ve no idea where near London flies to there. There are bike hire places at Ventoux, so I'd not bother taking a bike for the one day.

If you drive, it's one hell of a drive from Calais - about 11 hours each way, with road tolls of about 200 euros total for the round trip... 10 cents per km once on the toll autoroutes.

There are buses from Avignon to Bédouin; I think, or somewhere near, but the probably don't run very late. https://www.rome2rio.com/fr/s/Avignon/B%C3%A9doin

Eurostar don't accept unfolding bikes at all on their direct route to Avignon.

They do accept them on any service which terminates at Paris or Brussels. You have to book them on separetely and pay a fee (25-30 quid). You pick the (boxed) bike up at the other end and continue to Avignon via TGV from Gare de Lyon.

As far as I am aware you cannot take a bike on the Eurostar to Lille.

What about a bike packed away in a bike box ?

Sorry, the above does apply to bikes (over 85cm in length) in a bike box. Not accepted at all on the direct service to Avignon, and only accepted on services which end in Paris or Brussels. You will have to book and check in your bike box separately.

http://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/travel-planning/luggage/bikes

In short, Eurostar don't particularly want your business and are being a pain in the arse.