French Alps Road Cycling Holiday Grand Tour

Overview Destination Accommodation Program Essentials

Check dates

Check Availability

Overview

ROAD CYCLING DOESN'T GET BETTER THAN THIS

Flying in:

Geneva

Start point:

Thonon-les-Bains

Flying out:

Geneva/Nice

End point:

Menton

Getting there

This guided French Alps cycling holiday takes you from the heights of the Northern Alps to the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Discover and pedal all of the mythical cols and legendary routes in between.

With this fantastic 8 day tour, you’ll have an experience of a lifetime and be provided with challenging rides along the way. Most routes follow the all-famous Le Tour des Grandes Alpes – the ultimate historical route through the heart of the Alps.

With diverse terrain and an alpine climate, push your fitness and skill with moderate to high altitude climbs and demanding daily distances on this French Alps cycling holiday guided tour. After all, these roads are included on the Tour de France!

Breathtaking and legendary

Highlights of your trip

Tour de France Rides

Legendary Tour de France cols and rides are all part of the incredible itinerary. Now that is something to tick off the bucketlist! You'll receive full support throughout the trip, including luggage transport so you can focus on pedalling.

Diverse Terrain

This tour takes in a huge variety of landscapes, from alpine vistas right down to the glistening coast. Fantastic panoramic views span across the entire Alps range. Each day offers two routes with varying distances and profiles.

Comfortable Hotels

Across the 7 nights, you'll enjoy comfortable accommodations ideal for resting after long days in the saddle. There will be opportunities to meet non-riders and have a catch-up in the evening at the end of the day.

Destination

French Alps

Thundering gorges, rolling valleys, and cloud-topped peaks of mountains - the French Alps are a raw paradise for cyclists and explorers. The terrain is incredibly diverse and offers some challenging routes for the more technical riders who want to push their climbing skills on legendary mountain roads. The French charm oozes into the rich blue skies and continues through to the jaw-dropping backdrops of the Alps and coastal ranges. The region has culture and history beating through the roads and buildings. It doesn't get much better than the French Alps.

Discover More

Weather

Pick your season and prepare well. Spring to Autumn has the best weather conditions for mild riding through mountains with the warm sun on your back. Coastal regions can get blustery as winds come off the ocean. Winter is challenging with snow higher up.

Terrain

France offers an incredibly diverse range of terrain suitable for any level of rider. However, this tour through the Alps is challenging with some intense climbs through the alpine mountains. Be prepared for tackling up to 3000m altitude gains in one day and covering on average 100km daily.

Culture

The French cycling culture is highlighted in the Alps with the superb roads and Tour de France influence. Bicycle touring is a popular way to explore the country and welcomed in all of the rural areas. Drivers are courteous and locals are friendly towards tourists.

45.9044° N, 6.4234° E

There's even more to discover on your trip.

Accommodation

Comfortable 2-3* Hotels

All the hotels and guesthouses along the route are in a comfortable 2-3* range.

They are all well-positioned for the start and end of day riding, complete with secure bike storage.

A support vehicle will be assisting you for the entire trip, moving your bags between the locations and ensuring you can fully relax after reaching the next stop.

Accommodation

Meals Included

This guided tour includes all meals.

Breakfasts, picnic lunches, and dinners from a 3 to 4 course menu are included over the 7 nights. All you need to worry about is what you want to drink with each meal.

We also recommend you bring your favourite energy gels and bars to carry with you for a mid-ride energy boost.

Program

Day 1

Thonon-les-Bains to La Clusaz

Distance

90 km

Altitude gain

2200 m

Distance

90 km

Altitude gain

2200 m

Meet the team and the rest of the group at 9am at Thonon less Baines SNCF railway station. We will jump straight on the bikes and warm up on the quiet mountain roads of the Col de Jambaz.

Highlights:

Ride the beautiful Vallée du Giffre and Val d’Abondance (level 3)
Cycle the “Portes du Soleil” area of Morzine, Les Gets, Avoriaz (level 3)
Discover the Diable gorges and bridge (level 3)
Views of the Mont Blanc range
Col de la Colombiere: the first difficulty of the week, and the first real mountain pass of the Alps
Le Grand Bornand, a reputable ski resort

Passes of the day:

Col de Jambaz, 1027 m (level 2)
Col de Joux Plane, 1712m (level 3)
Col de la Colombière, 1613 m

Day 2

La Clusaz - Bourg Saint Maurice

Distance

90 km

Altitude gain

2600 m

Distance

90 km

Altitude gain

2600 m

Day 3

Bourg Saint Maurice - Aussois

Distance

95 km

Altitude gain

2500 m

Distance

95 km

Altitude gain

2500 m

Day 4

Aussois - Briançon

Distance

100 km

Altitude gain

2200 m

Distance

100 km

Altitude gain

2200 m

Day 5

Briançon - Jausiers

Distance

90 km

Altitude gain

1800 m

Distance

90 km

Altitude gain

1800 m

Day 6

Jausiers - Beuil

Distance

90 km

Altitude gain

2200 m

Distance

90 km

Altitude gain

2200 m

Day 7

Beuil - Roquebillière

Distance

85 km

Altitude gain

1700 m

Distance

85 km

Altitude gain

1700 m

Day 8

Roquebillière - Menton

Distance

70 km

Altitude gain

1450 m

Distance

70 km

Altitude gain

1450 m

Essentials

Getting there

Information to help you book your flights and get around.

Any questions about flights and transfers? The Epico team is here for you. Ping us via the chatbot in the corner of your page or send an email to [email protected]

Flying in

Fly in airport options: Geneva.

When best to arrive: in the evening the day before the tour starts.

Where the tour starts: we meet at 9:00 at the central railway station of the French town Thonon les Bains.

Transfers: we highly recommend you book optional airport transfers that we offer, this way we can guarantee a seamless and hassle-free travel experience.

Extra nights: we recommend you book an optional extra night in Geneva that we offer; the tour starts in the morning and you’ll want to be fresh!

Flying out

Fly out airport options: Geneva, Nice.

When best to depart: in the morning the day after the tour ends.

Where the tour ends: in the afternoon in the town of Menton.

Transfers: we highly recommend you book optional airport transfers that we offer, this way we can guarantee a seamless and hassle-free travel experience.

Extra nights: we recommend you book an optional extra night near the airport that we offer; the tour ends in the afternoon, packing up and transfer takes time.

What’s included in your trip

Guide and Support

Trip leader in support vehicle, luggage transfers, tech support

7 Nights Accommodation

7 nights in 2-3* hotels, double room with en-suite facilities (single room available as a supplement)

All Meals

7 breakfasts, 7 picnic lunches, 7 dinners (3 to 4 course menu)

Extra

Bike rental

Only €260 for the entire trip

High quality carbon bikes are available for rental from €260 for the tour duration as not always is getting your own gear to another country suitable for you. To make sure you get the maximum from your tour, we’ve partnered with some of the best brands in cycling to give you the latest choice of kit.

Tailored to your body size and in perfect technical condition. You can select this option when you proceed to checkout. Price includes comprehensive insurance, mechanical service and components.

Carbon Road Bike

Made fit for you and in perfect condition

More things to maximise your trip

EXTRA

Airport transfers

Just €140 both ways

Transportation for you and your bike from Milan / Bergamo / Verona Airport to the start point and back. We meet you and we drive you back, so you can have full peace of mind. You can select this option when you proceed to checkout.

EXTRA

Extra nights before and after the tour

€190 for 2 nights

The tour starts in the morning and ends in the evening, plus the transfers take time. We recommend that you fly in the day before and fly out the day after. Together with our transfers, this ensures seamless travel experience for you.

EXTRA

Single accommodation

€240 per person for entire trip

If you’d like a whole room to yourself, that’s no problem. For an an extra €240 for the trip duration you can enjoy the comfort of your own room. Just select this option when you proceed to book your tour.

What's not included.

Flights

Flights are not included in the tour package. Please follow our advice about which flights will be best suited for this tour. Reach out to us if you have any questions about flights.

Health insurance

We strongly recommend that you obtain a dedicated health insurance that covers your sport activities. Reach out to us if you have questions about the insurance.

Choose when you want to travel

After selecting the date of travel, you will be able to enter the detail of who is traveling and see further options for accomidation and cycle hire, subject to the operator.

Don't see the travel dates you want or have a special request, such as adding a non-rider, please contact us.

Guarantee a spot during busy periods
Only 25% down payment to secure your place
Money back if you can't travel due to COVID

Saturday

21 Aug 2021