Cycling Destinations in France
You may have been watching the Tour de France for years and now it’s time to go and tackle some of the big climbs yourself. But where are they all? This page outlines the major climbs by area and also includes some other great cycling destinations in France which you may not have heard of. Our destination pages will include all the detail on a particular area.
Where to cycle in France?
Like many people, we grew up watching the Tour de France and always wanted to experience the climbs we had watched for so many years ourselves. Fast forward a number of years and we have ticked many of the famous climbs off our list and discovered the not so famous as well. This page outlines some of the main cycling areas and lists which climbs are in which mountain ranges to help you plan where to go. Also included are some other riding destinations within easy reach of the Pyrenees and Alps as other options for your cycling holiday.
This page is not just for the road cyclist and will also assist those interested in cycle touring. Our last trip saw us cover 1,800km by bike across two different regions in France.
The Pyrenees
Located in the southwest of the country, the Pyrenees form a natural border with Spain between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Oceans. By car, Paris is 8 hours, Bordeaux 2.5 hours, and Toulouse 2hrs from the Pyrenees (Lourdes). Towns you may have heard of include Pau, Lourdes, Bagnères-de-Luchon, Ax-Les-Thermes and Foix. Listed below are some of the more recognizable climbs in the Pyrenees. This is by no means an exhaustive list of every climb on offer and our Pyrenees destination page provides detailed information on these climbs and more.
Col du Tourmalet
Hautacam
Col d’ Aubisque
Luz Ardiden
Ax 3 Domaines
Col de Portet d’Aspet
Col du Soulor
Col de Marie-Blanque
Col d’Aspin
La Hourquette d’Ancizan
Plateau de Beille
Col de Menté
Col du Perysourde
Pla a’Adet
Col de Val Louron-Azet
Port de Balès
Ax-Les-Thermes
Port de Pailhéres
The French Alps
Located in the east of the country the Alps border Italy and Switzerland in places. By car, Paris is 6 hours, Lyon 2.5 hours and Grenoble 56 minutes. Larger towns in the area include Grenoble, Le Borg-d’Oisans, Briançon and Chambéry. Some of the more notable climbs in this area are listed below. To discover even more rides and see what is on offer check out our dedicated French Alps destination page.
Col du Galibier
Col de la Madeleine
Col de la Colombiere
Col de Télégraphe
Col d’Izoard
L’Alpe d’Huez
Col d’Ornon
Cormet de Roseland
Col du Lauteret
Les Deux-Alpes
Col du Glandon
La Plagne
Col des Saisies
Mont du Chat
Col de la Croix Fer
Nice and the Côte d’Azur
Located in the southeast of the country Nice sits next to the Mediterranean sea. It is 9 hours by car from Paris, 26 minutes from Monaco, and just under 2 hours from Aix en Provence. Many of the pro cyclists base themselves in this area and you never know who you might see on your rides.
Notable climbs in this include:
Col de Turini
Col de Vence
Col d’Eze
Col de Braus
Col de la Madone
The Vosges
A mountain range in the east of France, the Vosges sit near the German border. From Paris, the Vosges are about a 5-hour drive. Towns in the area include Mulhouse, Briançon, Belfort and Montbéliard. The Vosges featured early in the 2019 Tour de France and will feature at the end of the 2020 edition with a time trial.
Climbs in the area inlcude:
La Planche des Belle Filles
Grand Ballon
Col des Chevrères
Col des Croix
Ballon d’Alsace
Other climbs
The infamous Mont Ventoux sits alone in the Provence region in the east of the country. It is located between the Alps and the Mediterranean. Bédoin, at the base of the climb, is about a 7-hour drive from Paris, 1.3 hours from Aix en Provence, and 3.5 hours from Briançon in the Alps.
South East France
There are a few other areas worth looking into that could both be linked to time in the Alps and time on the Côte d Azur. The first of these is the Vercors Region National Park which sits close to the city of Grenoble. This area offers stunning roads and scenery ranging from deep gorges to alpine mountain tops. The national park covers an area of 1,350 square kilometers and you could easily spend a number of days here exploring the network of roads.
Secondly, the Gorges du Verdon are also worth a look. The Gorge itself is said to be the second-largest in the world after the Grand Canyon in the USA and stretches for 25km to a depth of 700m in places. The area is a popular summer destination and there are various riding options.
Lastly, the Mediterranean coast itself offers hundreds of kilometers of riding with the sea sparkling beside you. There are dedicated bike paths or lanes in places or roads.
South West France
The South West of France has some great options for riding as well and could be linked before or after some time in the Pyrenees.
The Dordogne and Lott Rivers offer many cycling options whether it be basing yourself in one spot or cycle touring. The area is famous for its food, especially fois grais, walnuts, and truffles. Villages such as Sarlat la Canéda are like stepping back in time and definitely worth spending some time in.
You can ride from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean coast via the Canal des 2 Mers bike route. The total route stretches nearly 800km passing through Bordeaux and Toulouse before arriving in Montpellier. There are many options to undertake small sections of this or tackle the whole distance over a number of days. Follow this link to the official website for more information.
Euro Velo routes
Euro Velo is a network of 16 cycling routes across Europe, Ireland, and the UK covering a staggering 80,000km. The longest route is the Iron Curtain trail which is 10,400km and traces the border of what was once the Iron Curtain dividing east and west. Nine of the routes traverse France and you can discover them on the Euro Velo website which has all the information you need to find your way. While you may not want to tackle the entire length of a route, they are handy for shorter day rides as they are well marked and on roads and paths suited for cycling.
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