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navrig2navrig2 Posts: 1,810
edited February 2019 in Tour & expedition
I am helping plan a 4 or 5 day cycling trip for September. WE normally stay in one place and either cycle from the accommodation or drive to a suitable starting point. We will have a van and a car or a couple of cars - Berlingo style.

North of Nice is on the list for consideration however I am struggling to match up good accommodation and a suitable place to be based. From a bit of time spent on AirBnB there doesn't seem to be a lot of reasonably priced accommodation which has 6 or 7 individual beds.

It might be easier if I had some specific places as a hub from where 4 or 5 day routes can easily be reached. I can then search for accommodation with a focus.

Any suggestions for a good cycling base within 90 mins drive of Nice?

Posts

  • inbikeinbike Posts: 264
    It depends how fit you are. Valbonne or Vence are nice and has plenty of AirBNB options, but you have to haul yourself up 3,000 feet into the Alps each day, often on the same road each time, before you start on the cols.

    Unless my group were all a known quantity I would look for a base on the Caille plain, somewhere along this loop - http://www.cotedazur-nature.com/CYCLING ... _2310.html

    That gives a huge variety of options at different levels of difficulty in all directions, so you won't need to repeat yourself much.

    Some favorites are:

    - Spectacular Georges (only one col away from the plain) : http://www.cotedazur-nature.com/CYCLING ... the-gorges)-06_2314.html

    - The 80kph descent through Le Bar Sur Loup (climbing back through Gourdon, then Caussols.)

    An easier alternative for accommodation might be Châteauneuf-Grasse which is least a third of the way up.
  • navrig2navrig2 Posts: 1,810
    inbike wrote:
    It depends how fit you are. Valbonne or Vence are nice and has plenty of AirBNB options, but you have to haul yourself up 3,000 feet into the Alps each day, often on the same road each time, before you start on the cols.

    .

    We part did that when we stayed at La Rosiere. On some occasions we dumped the van at the bottom of the Petit St Bernard at Bourg and some hitched a lift up. Others rode to La Ros. I did both depending on how tired/fit I was. Obviously not an issue when we went east into Italy although on those occasions we did deal with Selle San Carlo as well as the PSB.

    Thanks for your suggestions. I'll have a look. :D
  • navrig2navrig2 Posts: 1,810
    inbike wrote:

    - Spectacular Georges (only one col away from the plain) : http://www.cotedazur-nature.com/CYCLING ... the-gorges)-06_2314.html

    - The 80kph descent through Le Bar Sur Loup (climbing back through Gourdon, then Caussols.)

    An easier alternative for accommodation might be Châteauneuf-Grasse which is least a third of the way up.

    That link isn't working. Could you post again please?
  • navrig2navrig2 Posts: 1,810
    Navrig2 wrote:
    inbike wrote:

    - Spectacular Georges (only one col away from the plain) : http://www.cotedazur-nature.com/CYCLING ... the-gorges)-06_2314.html

    - The 80kph descent through Le Bar Sur Loup (climbing back through Gourdon, then Caussols.)

    An easier alternative for accommodation might be Châteauneuf-Grasse which is least a third of the way up.

    That link isn't working. Could you post again please?

    Sorted.
  • ronnierocketronnierocket Posts: 172
    Not 90 mins but what about Barcelonette with a couple of hours of extra drive. It's a lovely town and you have the Col de Bonette on your doorstep. Also from the town, there is a great 60 loop with 3 great hills. Col D'Allos, Col de Champe, Col de Cayoll circuit which is good as you get for a day. You are in cycling distance of the Col de vars and all the hill near Briancon, e.g I'zoard and the Col de Angel. We were staying in Briancon when we went to Barcelonette specifically to do the circuit. Loved it.

    https://www.strava.com/activities/363705513

    https://www.cycling-challenge.com/barce ... -paradise/
  • navrig2navrig2 Posts: 1,810
    Brilliant. I'll have a closer look.

    Thanks guys.
  • briantrumpetbriantrumpet Posts: 16,550
    ronnierocket wrote:
    Not 90 mins but what about Barcelonette with a couple of hours of extra drive. It's a lovely town and you have the Col de Bonette on your doorstep. Also from the town, there is a great 60 loop with 3 great hills. Col D'Allos, Col de Champe, Col de Cayoll circuit which is good as you get for a day. You are in cycling distance of the Col de vars and all the hill near Briancon, e.g I'zoard and the Col de Angel. We were staying in Briancon when we went to Barcelonette specifically to do the circuit. Loved it.

    https://www.strava.com/activities/363705513

    https://www.cycling-challenge.com/barce ... -paradise/
    Barcelonette and col de la Bonette are lovely. If you want a challenge you can even do a long loop in and out of Italy from there. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/15161991
    https://www.facebook.com/unanglaisendiois
  • navrig2navrig2 Posts: 1,810
    briantrumpet wrote:
    ronnierocket wrote:
    Not 90 mins but what about Barcelonette with a couple of hours of extra drive. It's a lovely town and you have the Col de Bonette on your doorstep. Also from the town, there is a great 60 loop with 3 great hills. Col D'Allos, Col de Champe, Col de Cayoll circuit which is good as you get for a day. You are in cycling distance of the Col de vars and all the hill near Briancon, e.g I'zoard and the Col de Angel. We were staying in Briancon when we went to Barcelonette specifically to do the circuit. Loved it.

    https://www.strava.com/activities/363705513

    https://www.cycling-challenge.com/barce ... -paradise/
    Barcelonette and col de la Bonette are lovely. If you want a challenge you can even do a long loop in and out of Italy from there. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/15161991

    Cheers. It's on the agenda.
  • briantrumpetbriantrumpet Posts: 16,550
    Navrig2 wrote:
    briantrumpet wrote:
    ronnierocket wrote:
    Not 90 mins but what about Barcelonette with a couple of hours of extra drive. It's a lovely town and you have the Col de Bonette on your doorstep. Also from the town, there is a great 60 loop with 3 great hills. Col D'Allos, Col de Champe, Col de Cayoll circuit which is good as you get for a day. You are in cycling distance of the Col de vars and all the hill near Briancon, e.g I'zoard and the Col de Angel. We were staying in Briancon when we went to Barcelonette specifically to do the circuit. Loved it.

    https://www.strava.com/activities/363705513

    https://www.cycling-challenge.com/barce ... -paradise/
    Barcelonette and col de la Bonette are lovely. If you want a challenge you can even do a long loop in and out of Italy from there. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/15161991

    Cheers. It's on the agenda.
    Just to note I haven't done the col de Larche & Italy bit - I plotted that route, but ended up doing Barcelonette to St Etienne de Tinee & back (75 miles and 11,000 ft of climbing) as we were a bit short of time. You can shorten the route by starting at Jausiers, of course, but Barcelonette has much more choice of cafes and hotels. My day out there: https://unanglaisendiois.wordpress.com/ ... a-bonette/
    https://www.facebook.com/unanglaisendiois
  • navrig2navrig2 Posts: 1,810
    Thanks everyone. I'v had this hotel suggested and for half board it's not much more than self catering via AirBnB

    https://www.chevalblancbarcelonnette.com/
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