Cycling tours in France offer an extraordinary breadth of experience, from high mountain epics in the Pyrenees to leisurely riverside routes through vineyard country. Few destinations combine such a mix of terrain with a strong cultural identity: legendary Tour de France cols, storybook châteaux, world-class gastronomy, and a deep-rooted cycling heritage all sit within a day’s ride of one another.
Whether you are chasing big elevation, exploring quiet rural backroads or cruising between medieval towns and market squares, France delivers depth as well as diversity.
At Epic Road Rides, our connection with France runs deep. I lived in France for two years and have ridden in many of its wonderful regions, including the Loire, Burgundy, the Alps and Pyrenees. Within the wider team, we have ridden many of the regions mentioned below and spent time speaking in detail with the operators featured here to understand how their routes are designed, what kind of rider they suit and what makes each trip special.
This is not an exhaustive list of bike tours in France. Instead, it is a carefully curated selection of trips, chosen for the quality of the riding, the character of the routes and how well they showcase different sides of the country on two wheels.
Clare Dewey is a cyclist with a passion for travel. She set up epicroadrides.com in 2018 to help make it easy for cyclists to explore the world by bike. Today her mission is still inspiring cyclists to discover new places on two wheels - and doing what she can to make sure they have the best possible time while they're there. Clare has visited 50+ destinations around the world, many of them by bike.
Want to connect with Clare? Find her over on LinkedIn.
We’ve worked with all of the bike tour operators featured in this article over the years (there are links to our interviews with them in the relevant section). We have chosen to include them in this article because the French cycling experiences they offer are ones we’d suggest to a friend, or book ourselves, if we were heading to France.
1. Trans Pyrenees with Saddle Skedaddle
Climbing the Col d’Aspin (photo credit: Lighttrapper Photography via Saddle Skedaddle)
The riding
One of the most iconic cycling tours France has to offer, this is a true coast to coast mountain crossing, taking you from the Atlantic at St Jean de Luz to the Mediterranean at Port-Vendres. Over eight demanding riding days, you tackle legendary Tour de France climbs such as the Col du Tourmalet, Col d’Aspin and Col d’Aubisque, alongside quieter passes like the Port de Pailhères.
Expect long, sustained climbs, dramatic switchbacks and thrilling descents through lush western valleys that become increasingly rugged as you head east. With over 16,000 metres of climbing, this is a serious road cycling challenge, designed for riders who relish big mountains and back-to-back climbing days.
What we love
The beauty of this trip lies in its narrative arc. You are not just collecting famous cols, you are traversing an entire mountain range under your own steam.
The blend of Tour history, peaceful, lesser-known roads and characterful Pyrenean towns gives the ride real depth. Finishing at the Mediterranean after days in the high mountains feels properly earned, and that sense of journey is hard to beat.
Saddle Skedaddle is a longstanding, well regarded tour operator. While their HQ is in the UK, they have sub-bases in various countries including France. This means they have real strength and knowledge in the French bike tours they design and run and can add the local touch.
What else they offer
Saddle Skedaddle runs small group cycling holidays worldwide, spanning road, gravel, leisure, mountain bike, family and adventure trips across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. They also create tailor-made cycling holidays for private groups. Founded over 25 years ago, they combine global reach with rider-led expertise and graded trip options.
More information
- Trans Pyrenees route, featuring tips from Saddle Skedaddle on planning a trip.
- Saddle Skedaddle’s website, with information on booking this cycling trip, along with the others they offer.
2. Orleans to Angers (Loire Valley) with French Bike Tours
On tour in the Loire Valley, France
The riding
The Loire à Vélo is one of France’s most celebrated cycle routes. Over eight easy-paced stages, you follow quiet backroads, vineyard lanes and well-signposted riverside paths from Orléans to Angers.
Around 40% of the route is traffic-free, with the remainder on low-traffic local roads, making it ideal for recreational cyclists. Daily distances are manageable, with gentle undulations rather than sustained climbs. The riding flows past sandbanks, oxbow lakes and classic Loire villages, with regular opportunities to stop for coffee, château visits or wine tastings along the way.
What we love
This is leisure cycling at its best. The combination of grand châteaux such as Blois, Amboise and Villandry, medieval towns and vineyard landscapes gives the journey a strong cultural thread.
We love how easy it is to balance riding with sightseeing, whether that means visiting Chambord, exploring Leonardo da Vinci’s Clos Lucé or lingering over lunch in Saumur. It is perfect for riders who want beauty, history and excellent food alongside gentle miles.
French Bike Tours are based in France and have been running tours here since 2018. They specialise in easygoing itineraries and their team has in-depth knowledge of how to design cycling holidays their guests love.
What else they offer
French Bike Tours specialises in self-guided cycling holidays across France, with more than 50 itineraries covering rivers, mountains, coastlines and classic cultural regions. Trips range from family-friendly routes to centre-based and tailor-made options. They organise accommodation, bike hire, luggage transfers and routes, with a strong focus on slow travel and local connections.
More information
- 5 best cycling routes in France (for an easy cycling holiday), which includes more details on this Loire Valley option.
- French Bike Tours’ website, for information on booking and the other tours they offer.
3. Northern Burgundy with Boat Bike Tour
Burgundy vineyards and rolling hills (photo credit: Boat Bike Tours)
The riding
Cycling in Northern Burgundy is relaxed, combining gentle canal towpaths with rolling vineyard landscapes and quiet rural roads. Daily distances are manageable, making this a good option for a wide range of riders. Much of the route follows scenic river valleys, with occasional undulations as you weave between wine villages and forested hills.
The bike and barge format means you ride light each day, returning to your floating hotel in the afternoon. It is unhurried cycling, designed to let you absorb the countryside, historic towns and vineyard scenery rather than chase elevation.
What we love
This trip mixes cycling, culture and gastronomy in a way that feels distinctly French. We love the contrast between peaceful riverside riding and stops in characterful towns such as Auxerre, Joigny and Sens.
Wine tastings in St Bris and Irancy, visits to traditional markets and even a cider museum add real local flavour. Ending in Moret-sur-Loing rounds off a journey that feels immersive without being physically demanding.
While I haven’t been on this trip, I went on their island hopping trip in Greece in 2025 and loved it; you can read more about my experience here. I think their Northern Burgundy itinerary sounds wonderful!
What else they offer
Boat Bike Tours has been running bike and barge holidays for over 40 years. They now offer more than 70 itineraries across 15 European countries, and beyond. Trips combine guided cycling with comfortable onboard accommodation, small group sizes and dedicated crews, blending relaxed exploration with cultural depth and sustainability.
More information
- Tips for bike barge tours France, including details of more tour options that combine riding with barge cruising.
- Boat Bike Tours’ website, with details of the other tours they offer.
4. Champagne with GravelUp
Riding through vineyards in Champagne (photo credit: Stefano Borghi via GravelUp)
The riding
Champagne offers rolling vineyard terrain stitched together by chalky white farm tracks, forest fire roads and quiet lane connectors. Over two days, GravelUp’s route covers around 105 kilometres with roughly 1,600 metres of climbing, enough to feel rewarding without being extreme.
Expect fast, grippy chalk surfaces through the Montagne de Reims Natural Park, linking valleys such as the Marne and Côte des Blancs. Climbs are steady rather than savage, and descents flow through vines and woodland. It is varied, confidence-building gravel that combines scenic cruising with punchy efforts and big views across Grand Cru slopes.
What we love
This is gravel with a refined twist. You ride through world-famous vineyards yet spend hours away from traffic, immersed in quiet countryside. The proximity to Paris makes it easy to reach, but once on the trails, it feels calm and spacious. We love the balance of steady riding, panoramic vineyard views and social evenings that include local dinners and Champagne tastings. It is adventurous, but civilised.
GravelUp brings a rare combination of ambition and authenticity. We admire their disciplined approach, their uncompromising standards, and their ability to curate off-road group journeys that feel as much about connection as they are about the ride.
What else they offer
As well as gravel cycling tours of France, GravelUp runs all-inclusive gravel bike adventures in small groups across Europe, including Andalusia, Norway and the Swiss Alps. Trips range from two to five days, either hub-based or point-to-point, with expert local guides, welcoming accommodation, seamless logistics and high-spec gravel bike hire included.
More information
- Gravel cycling in France, includes more information on the routes available throughout the country.
- GravelUp’s website, with details on other gravel tours they offer and how to book.
What’s next?
- Long distance cycling routes in France, for anyone planning a challenging tour through this iconic cycling destination.
- Iconic Tour de France climbs, including tips on riding them yourself.
- France cycling holidays, the ultimate guide to cycling holidays in the country.
- Cycling France: best regions, including options such as Normandy, the Côte d’Azur and the Alps.
- Bike hotels in France, with our picks for some of the best hotels for anyone planning their own cycling tour in the country.
- Cycling tours in the French Alps, for cyclists who want to explore the best alpine routes.
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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)!Clare Dewey is a cyclist with a passion for travel. She set up epicroadrides.com in 2018 to help make it easy for cyclists to explore the world by bike. Today her mission is still inspiring cyclists to discover new places on two wheels - and doing what she can to make sure they have the best possible time while they're there. Clare has visited 50+ destinations around the world, many of them by bike.
Want to connect with Clare? Find her over on LinkedIn.
All metrics in this article are approximate.
Last Reviewed: 04 January 2024
First Published: 02 February 2023
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Thanks Clare. The reviews are quite helpful. I’ve done a one week tour in Brittany and a one month tour in the same region. The second tour on a tandem. I really want to ride in other regions and I feel fit enough for the canal paths and the Pyrenees as well. Hoping 2023 will be the year to return there from Canada.
Hi Joe, great to hear you’re getting the chance to explore some wonderful riding. Enjoy your next trip!