Located in southeastern France, the French Alps are the perfect destination for keen road cyclists looking for a challenge.
This mountainous region features some tough climbs, such as the famous Alpe d’Huez and it’s also the location of several cyclo-sportives for those who enjoy more competitive cycling.
While some are happy to plan their own trip to the Alps (perhaps using our overview of the Alps or our article on where to stay on Alps cycling holidays!), others are looking for an Alps cycle tour. They want the extra support of having someone on the ground to provide assistance if things go wrong, book accommodation and tailor routes.
In this article, we share some of the things to think about before booking a cycling tour in the French Alps. We’ve also picked a tour from the bike tour operators we’d be happy to travel with and shared the details.
Hopefully it gives you an idea of the kind of Alps tours that are out there.
We hope it’s useful; let us know in the comments below!
This article is based on the information on each operator’s website. We’ve done our best to ensure our summary is accurate, but please double-check everything with the operator since the information on their website could be out of date or could have changed since we wrote the article. It’s even conceivable (heaven forbid!) that we may have made a mistake.
The prices usually assume two people occupying a room. If you want single occupancy, expect to pay more. Also carefully check the trip inclusions – we’ve just summarised the situation below and the inclusions may well vary for each trip.
In the interests of transparency, just to let you know that we’ve worked with Alpine Cols, Geneva Cycling, Vélorizons, VeloGuide and Sports Tours International on creating other articles for this site. Want to know which other cycling tour operators we worked with in 2022? Read this.
DIY or self-guided versus guided Alps cycle tours
There are lots of reasons you might be looking for some support with your cycling holiday in the Alps. If you’re new to cycling in high mountains, you might want the comfort of knowing someone’s there if the weather gets nasty, your bike breaks or you’re not quite as fit as you thought! Alternatively, you might be time poor and want someone to take the hassle out of booking accommodation, picking the route and (especially if you want to complete a point to point journey), transferring your baggage.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that cycling in high mountains is a bit different to cycling elsewhere. There aren’t as many people around as there are in other parts of the world. Towns and villages are often few and far between, and those there are may not have a shop or restaurant open when you need it. If you’re cycling alone, a guided tour gives support to cover these kinds of issues, but also camaraderie.
For more information on the different kinds of cycling trips (guided, self-guided, fixed base etc), read this article.
For questions to ask before booking a tour, read our tips here.
Want more general info on cycling the French Alps? Don’t miss our overview of the Alps, as well as our guide to the Alpe d’Huez region and Col d’Iseran region.
What kind of Alps cycling tour do you want?
Before you delve into the detail of which tour operator to use, make sure you’re clear on the type of tour you’re looking for.
Yes, it’s a road cycling trip to the Alps, but are there particular climbs you want to conquer? Are you looking to base yourself in one area and tick off the classics or do you want to go to an area that’s a bit less famous? (You’ll find both options within our selection here). And when it comes to cycling holidays, Alps itineraries are rarely easy, but think about whether you want a moderate or a challenging route too.
Alternatively, are you looking for support to complete a particular event or have you got the urge to do a point to point cycle trip through the Alps?
How we picked these Alps bike tours
In deciding which tours to include, we’ve based our suggestions on companies that have been recommended to us over the years. We’ve tried to include a mix of companies, from large international outfits to smaller one-man band operations.
The things they’ve all got in common is that they’re all tours we ourselves would like to go on.
1. Alpe d’Huez cycling tours (and classic climbs of the Alps)
These cycling tours are aimed at those wanting to ride Alpe d’Huez and the classic Alpine climbs.
Bike Weekender
Bike Weekender is a small company made up of five expert cycling guides who offer guided and self-guided cycling tours from their base in the French Alps. With over 15 years’ experience in cycling in the Alps, they specialise in 4-day weekend cycling breaks.
The Northern Alps cycling tours include famous climbs such as the Col des Aravis, Col de la Colombiere and Col de Croix Fry. Then, it’s on to the shores of beautiful Lake Annecy with a climb up Semnoz to appreciate the stunning Alpine scenery.
We ran a Q&A with Bike Weekender – you can find out more about them and their favourite Alpine routes, here.
La Vie en Velo
La Vie en Velo is different to most cycling companies in that it is a one-man operation run by host Angus Parker. Angus has been organising group holidays to France for over 20 years and now specialises in french cycling tours, including cycling holidays in the French Alps. He’s a friendly guy who’s ready and able to transport cyclists and their bikes all the way from the UK and back in his mini-bus and custom-fitted box trailer.
La Vie en Velo offers a 4-day weekend Alps cycling holiday. Routes can be tailored to suit the group but typically include Alpe d’Huez and the iconic Col de Galiber.
Alpine Cols
Alpine Cols typically offer two cycling trips and three training camps per year. In 2023, the two cycling trips are in Corsica and the training camps are in Tenerife and the Alps.
The Alps cycle trips are designed to help you improve your mountain-cycling skills. Alpine Cols say that past clients have seen big gains in their performance at events like the Marmotte, the Etape du Tour and the Haute Route (check out the testimonials towards the bottom of this page).
Alpine Cols pride themselves on bringing together a community of friendly, like-minded, keen amateur cyclists, typically aged 45-65, who want to improve their performance, but also to live well. Expect high quality, personal service both on and off the road.
- Cost: €2,690 based on two people sharing
Go to Alpine Cols’ website, here.
Or read more about them in this article with them about their approach to coaching and training.
2. Sportive tours in the Alps
This kind of cycling tour focuses on completing a specific sportive. The packages tend to include entry into the relevant Alpine sportive, as well as everything you need around that, from accommodation to transfers.
Sports Tours International
Established for 50 years, Sport Tours International is one of the UK’s largest sports travel companies. They take participants and spectators to events all over the world including professional and amateur cycling events, sportives, marathons and triathlons.
One such event Sports Tours runs trips to is La Marmotte, an annual one-day cyclo-sportive event in France. The event is named after the ‘marmot’, a type of ground squirrel which inhabits the slopes of the final climb to the finish in Alpe d’Huez.
Sports Tours are also well known for their organised tours to the Tour de France, where they’re one of only a few Premium Operators. In this article you can find out what that means. They also run Spring Classics cycle tours.
Haute Route
Haute Route offers 3- and 7-day cycling events across the world. Aimed at amateur road cyclists, Haute Route events are organised to deliver the experience of a professional road race.
The Alps 2023 sportive is the flagship event of the Haute Route cycling series. The route features famous Tour de France climbs including six cols that top out at over 2,000 metres above sea level. The event starts in Megève and finishes in Nice – a reversal of the 2022 route.
You can find more of our favourite European sportives in our pick of the best 2023 sportive challenges, here.
3. Point-to-point cycling across the Alps
A point-to-point tour is a great way to spend your French Alps cycling holiday, as it allows you to cover a lot of ground and experience a range of destinations while cycling the French Alps.
Vélorizons
Vélorizons is a French-based cycling tour business, run by a small team of passionate cyclists that know France like the back of their hand. They offer everything from three day family cycling trips to multi week traverses of the Alps and Pyrenees. Their UK brand is called France Bike Trips but, to all intents and purposes, their trips are identical.
We worked with Vélorizons on an article about their Route des Grandes Alpes trip which feels like an excellent fit for this article.
Trek Travel
Trek Travel is a large US-based company offering all kinds of cycling holidays in iconic destinations across the globe.
Their ‘Tour Cycling Vacation’ follows the most famous climbs of the Tour de France on a 9-day adventure through the French Alps and Pyrenees. The French Alps cycling tours start in Lourdes, close to the border with Spain, and finishes with a climb up Alpe d’Huez. Along the route you’ll experience famous climbs such as Mont Ventoux, the Col du Lautaret and the scenic Col de Suzette loop.
DuVine
DuVine is an award-winning international cycling and adventure company with a focus on the local history, culture and gastronomy of destinations across the world.
The ‘Alps Journey Bike Tour’ promises an epic week of adventure as you ride through the heart of the French Alps from Geneva to Nice. You’ll conquer the toughest climbs in the region on this tour of the Alps, including Alpe d’Huez, Col du Galibier, Col de la Bonette and Col d’Izoard. Along the way, sampling Alpine fare such as fondues, raclette cheese and fresh Alpine lake fish, as well as local drinks like Pinot Noir from Savoie and French craft beers.
4. On demand guiding in the Alps
If you haven’t heard of on demand guiding before, it is simply the act of picking and choosing your own guide and/or routes for your destination. Rather than booking a full on “cycling trip” you can just book a ride or several rides over the space of your trip. It’s great for trips where maybe you’re in a new place and find some time for some cycling, but don’t want to commit to a full tour, or just want a quick guide around some of the best cycling areas.
If you want your Alps holidays to be a little more free-form, or the cycle vacations we’ve listed above don’t quite meet your requirements, these are a good option to explore.
VeloGuide
Since 2017, VeloGuide have been developing their business as a place where cyclists can go to get local knowledge and pay a guide for a ride without the extra costs tours can incur.
The company works by matching riders to local guides based on their destinations. You can then pay to go on tours organised by the guides, and each guide can be given a review so you can be sure you’ll enjoy the ride.
It’s turned out to be quite popular not just among amateurs, but there are plenty of former pro guides too, including Phil Gaimon, Bobby Julich, and George Hincapie to name a few.
The website is simple to use and you can even book bike hire, making it a one stop shop for all your cycling tour needs for your next trip. They have plenty of guides in different areas of the French Alps and the number of guides working with VeloGuide is growing all the time.
What next?!
We’d love to know what you think of our selection. Have you travelled with any of these operators? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments below!
Read on!
We’ve got loads of in-depth articles on riding in the Alps, from the in-depth guides to the Alpe d’Huez and Col d’Iseran regions that we mentioned above, to route guides in each of these areas and tips for cycling in the French Alps.
You might also like our guides to cycling events such as the Etape, Marmotte and Col de la Loze sportive.
As well as our articles on where to stay in Alpe d’Huez and France more generally.
Head over to our France cycling destinations page for more inspiration!
Please support Epic Road Rides
A huge amount of time and effort goes into the article you’ve just read, all with the aim of helping you!
If you found what you’ve read useful, I’d really appreciate it if you dropped something in the tip jar here.
It’s a way you can say thank you and help us carry on creating top quality content with no annoying ads and no pay wall.
Looking for an organised cycling trip?
If you want someone to help you plan and book your cycling holiday, fill out this form. We aren’t a tour operator/agent but we work with lots of people who are and will do our best to put you in touch with someone that can help (within 24 hours where possible)!The contents of this website are provided for general information purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on it. You should carry out your own due diligence and risk assessments and take professional advice. Views expressed by interviewees or other users of this website do not necessarily represent our views. We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content on our website is accurate, complete or up to date. If you use any information or content on this website, download from, or otherwise obtain content or services through our website, it is entirely at your own discretion and risk. Epic Road Rides Ltd disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the information and content on this website. Find out more here.
Comments