Five great French cycling routes to enjoy

France is one of the best cycling destinations in the world, boasting more than 21,000km of signposted cycle routes. Whether you are looking for a leisurely ride with your family through vineyards or take pleasure in a gruelling climb to a mountain pass, there will be a route to suit you. 

A total of 11 of the 19 internationally recognised EuroVélo routes are entirely or partially in France. 

If you want to shorten your rides or avoid returning along the same route, you can combine cycling with rail travel. Most regional trains (TER) allow you to take your bike for free without a reservation, making it easy to do one-way trips.

Here are five classic routes to inspire you.

1. Down the Loire 

For a different perspective on the Valley of the Kings, take the family-friendly La Loire à Vélo route which is mostly flat.

On the way, you can stop off at iconic Renaissance chateaux such as Chambord and Chenonceau. There are also vineyards and cave dwellings to visit. 

2. The Atlantic Coast on La Vélodyssée 

This route (also known as EuroVélo 1) starts in Roscoff and crosses Brittany, but from St-Brevin-les-Pins it hugs the coast all the way to Hendaye on the Spanish border passing through the fringes of the pine forests in Les Landes.

You can also go the other way: the northern Atlantic coast is classed as EuroVélo 4. 

3. Coast to coast, Canal des Deux Mers 

Two canals connect the Atlantic and the Mediterranean across southern France and their towpaths now serve as flat cycle tracks. For more than 190km you can pedal by the waterside, stopping to visit medieval walled towns (bastides) and abbeys, and to watch boating folk operate the locks.

The first part, from south of Bordeaux, is the Canal de la Garonne.

From Toulouse the route continues along the Canal du Midi via Carcassonne.

Finally, you reach the Thau Lagoon and the beaches of the Mediterranean. 

4. Over the Alps 

Not for the faint-hearted, or the stiff of knee, La Route des Grandes Alpes is a legendary journey.

It crosses the Alps from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean, conquering mythical mountain passes such as the Col du Galibier and Col de l’Iseran.

Adjust your dérailleurs before setting off because you will need your low gears. 

5. Wine tasting and winding lanes 

Alsace has a five-stage cycling route from Marlenheim (reachable by train from Strasbourg) to Thann.

The route visits half-timbered villages and passes through Colmar (the “Little Venice”).

There is also a circular touring route through the Burgundy vineyards.

For information about it and many more cycle routes in France see ma-voie-verte.fr.