Last minute France holiday with some cycling?

Holmesy321

Hello!

Looking to go to France (or elsewhere in Europe - but somewhere with a chance of sun) where we can take the bikes on the car and go for some rides. As late notice as next week...

Not a 'cycling holiday' as such (girlfriend is relatively new to cycling, so the alps is off the menu), but just somewhere nice with some nice places to ride on a sunny afternoon.

Any recommendations appreciated!

Thanks,

Chris

cougie

You could do Nice. Still warm there and they do mini bike tours of the city. Or ride up and down'the prom.

andcp

No idea what the weather would be like but we've been to Saumur a few times (sans bikes) - lovely town on the Loire with lots of stuff to do nearby. Famous for the National School of Horsemanship, wine and mushrooms.

Holmesy321

The Loire was somewhere I'd thought of having been there on camping holidays with parents as a kid.

Will have a look at Nice also.

Ta

big_harv

Champagne Ardenne region worth a look. Lovely quiet rural roads, rolling hills but nothing monstrous. Beautiful villages, cafes etc. Only 4 hours or so from Calais.

davidof

Weather is wintry at the moment, you've got to go to the south coast for a chance of sun. Check the weather websites.

TonyJams

Nice, very much so, Stay out of town in Antibes or even at Stephen Roche's place at Bay des Anges, quick spin in the mornings up into the Alpe Maritime and then out with the missus to Monaco, Cannes and Ventimiglia by train for the rest of the day. Magic down there.

dangardner27

Try the Charente Region. Will be ideal for you both. Beautiful countryside / no cars and fantastic food and wine. You can find some fabulous gites to base yourselves from. The area around Villefagnan and Ruffec are highlights!!

matudavey

http://redrocktrails.co.uk/ in the Spanish Pyrenees has loads of stuff to do besides cycling.
Rafting, walking, a swimming lake, vineyards and even dinosaur footprints!

micaab

not sure about getting some sun but I went to Belgium with the girlfriend and cycled round Ypres and Gent earlier this year. Drove there with bikes in the back of the car and Ypres only a couple of hours from Calais.

Good cycling routes (obviously mainly flat) and the WW1 war memorials are fascinating and very sobering in that part of the world. And I've finally got an appreciation of just how "cobbly" some of those Belgian cobbles are.

svetty

Carpentras and area around the Ventoux

crescent

Svetty wrote:

Carpentras and area around the Ventoux

+1
Was there exactly a year ago. The weather was superb (sunny and mid 20s the whole week). Plenty of cycling (including the obvious, Ventoux) but not necessarily mountainous, some lovely rolling routes through beautiful countryside. Orange, Avignon, Chateauneuf de Pape are all worth a visit, although I have to say I was not impressed with Carpentras so much. Lovely part of the world, can't wait to go back.