VENTOUX - stay in Malaucene or Bedoin?

Hi...we are doing Ventoux in July as we make our way down south on a road trip. Question is... should we stay in Malaucene or Bedoin... not so much for the route (we're doing classic way up from Bedoin) but wondering which is the nicest town for a few post-ride refreshments and a decent meal. Only there 2 nights. Cheers.

Comments

  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,108
    Bedouin is a small town, quite a nice place should be fine for a couple of nights. That's where I stayed (also stayed on the outskirts of Avignon). It's been a few years but there was a small supermarket, a place that did good takeaway pizza (your traditional style) and a few places to eat. We stayed at the camp site - possibly a municipal one.

    Sault looks nice but I've only stopped off there for lunch. I'd suggest you ride the gorge road from Sault to Bedoin while there.

    Never been to Malaucene.


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  • gethinceri
    gethinceri Posts: 1,677
    I’m planning on Malaucene in May, taking the good lady so Booking.com will be her assistant in choosing our accom.
  • bobinski
    bobinski Posts: 570
    Bedoin is smaller and a little quieter but has everything you wiill need, good bike shop for spares and any repairs, excellent little supermarket and good places to eat including a fantastic pizzeria run by an Algerian guy.
  • thanks so far everyone...that is helpful
  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,127
    I would stay in Avignon center.
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  • davidof said:

    I would stay in Avignon center.

    Why??
  • Both towns have their plus points, so you won't go wrong.

    Personally I'd stay near Malaucene out of the two as it has a few more eateries (the area's very busy in July) and you have the great warm-up ride round to Bedoin over the Col de Madeleine (no, not that one), and descend off the Ventoux a different way to the one you went up.
  • epr
    epr Posts: 26
    I stayed in Carpentras and that worked well. A bit bigger than Bedioin or Malaucene, but near enough to get to Ventoux easily and also handily placed for Gorges de la Nesque, Col de Murs and the Luberon which is a fabulous area to explore.
  • crescent
    crescent Posts: 1,201
    edited June 2022
    I spent a week in Bedoin (Hotel des Pins) in 2016. It is a beautiful little town. The hotel was lovely too but quite pricey - my non-cycling wife was with me and it was a holiday as well as a cycling break, so the hotel was a bit "posher" than I would normally look for in a cycling base but very nice nonetheless. Malaucene seemed a nice town too but I preferred Bedoin. Avignon is a good place to visit, so is Orange but I wasn't too impressed with Carpentras. Definitely try and fit in a ride up Gorges de La Nesques, it is stunning. The balcony road starts in Villes sur Auzon which is only a few miles from Bedoin.

    Edit: Just for clarity, I don't have a cycling wife and a non-cycling wife. I have one wife, who doesn't cycle.
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