A Day in the Life on a French Cycling Holiday

To help future clients understand what to expect when they join us for a French Cycling Holiday, we wanted to put together a "Day in the Life" guide which explains the daily routine on our bike trips around France's most beautiful regions.

When you browse through our cycle tours, you will see that some trips are aimed at leisurely riders, and some offer more of a challenge for experienced riders (and some are in between!) It is important to know that if you are not sure which would be best suited to your fitness and cycling level, all you need to do, is ask us!

As a small company, it is absolutely essential to us that our guests feel comfortable and confident, and enjoy their holiday to the max. So if you have questions, worries, concerns, dietary requirements or anything else we need to be aware of, then do please just get in touch, we are extremely happy to help.

Here's how to contact us:

Anyway, onto the main topic: 

A typical day in the life of a rider on our French Cycling tours

We won't go into the first and last days here, but instead we will choose a standard midweek day...

Cycle guide and van

Mornings at the hotel

Because some people are good in the morning, and others... less so... we make sure that our guests have a bit of space to eat breakfast, pack and prepare for the day ahead in their own time and organisational style!

Therefore, you can set your alarm accordingly and eat breakfast in the hotel solo or with whoever you choose (we don't all eat together). If we are moving on to another hotel, then you will also need to pack up your bag and bring it down to the reception to be loaded into the van, which will deliver it to the next stop.

If it is your first day's riding, then your guides will have briefed the group about what you need to bring with you on the ride, ie. helmet, water bottle, phone, an extra layer, sunscreen etc. 

The previous evening, our guides will also have arranged the time that you will need to be ready in your cycling gear to set off for the day's ride.

The morning's riding

Setting off, you will ride together as a group, taking in the scenery and enjoying pedalling through glorious French countryside. If you need to make a stop for any reason, just say. Your guide will ask whether the group wants to stop for a coffee during the ride and will find an appropriate place to sit and refuel and/or rehydrate! 

When we reach a point of interest - it could be a picturesque village, a bustling market, a pretty church etc. - your guide will point out the main sights and you can take photos and maybe also enjoy the opportunity for a little wander, absorbing the local ambience.

The picturesque Provencal hilltop village of Gordes
The picturesque hilltop village of Gordes in the Luberon area of Provence

Lunchtimes

When the weather is good, we generally opt for a picnic lunch. In fact, we're famous for it!

Whilst you have been cycling, your driver guide will have shopped for delicious French goodies - local cheeses, crusty baguettes, fresh salads, delicious quiche, ripe seasonal fruit, cake or biscuits, maybe a beer or suitably refreshing drinks - and spread them in a lovely spot for you to tuck in when you arrive. What could be better?

Sometimes we might stop at a restaurant, café or boulangerie for lunch instead, for instance if we know of a particularly lovely place or the group prefers to eat inside. Most French bistros offer a set lunch with two or three courses, sometimes also a glass of wine or a coffee.

A picnic, French style with seasonal fruit, salad, baguette, cheese, meats
A typical French Cycling Holidays picnic!

Afternoon and evening

After a lovely lunch, we are ready to roll onwards. Our usual plan is to finish at the hotel by about 4pm so that our guests are free to relax, unpack, maybe have a stroll around the village or a dip in the pool. If we are close to somewhere that offers a wine tasting, we will organise this either as part of the afternoon ride or for pre-dinner drinks. 

We aim to dine at 7.30pm ish, and evening meals are included within the price of your holiday. We carefully select the restaurants for cuisine and ambience, and favour those that offer regional specialities and a friendly welcome. 

Evening meals include a starter, main course and dessert, some will have an additional cheese course. Fine wine (or soft drink alternative) is included with evening meals, with coffees to follow. We are happy to arrange for our restaurants to cater for specific dietary requirements and allergies etc. and we may have set meals provided (due to group bookings), so do get in touch before your holiday if you have any major dislikes or allergies. 

Then it's bedtime and a good night's sleep so you are ready for the next day!

Do I need to be able to speak French?

You might be wondering whether you need to speak French to join one of our trips. The short answer is: no! Our wonderful guides who speak English and French are able to help you if your French is rusty or non-existent! They are also on hand to help sort any issues, take care of your bike and equipment etc. (Click to read more about the role of our guides).

But if you would like to speak French (even just Bonjour and S'il vous plait and Merci) then your efforts are always appreciated in restaurants, markets, bars and hotels.

Fine dining in a French restaurant

Tailoring a cycle tour to suit your needs

You should also know that as a small operator, we can be pretty flexible so if you wish to opt out of a day's ride and hop in the van with the driver, that's fine!

We can also add (or remove!) any gallery/museum/wine-tasting/sightseeing visits (as long as it doesn't have a significant impact on arriving at the next hotel/destination). 

Good to know: we also run Private Cycle Tours so if you have a group of cyclists and would like to tailor your own tour to include particular visits, tastings or destinations, then don't hesitate to get in touch with your idea. Those contact details again:

  •  fch@frenchcyclingholidays.com
  •  +44(0) 1923 894305 or +44(0)20 8357 8934

 We hope this gives an insight into what to expect during one of our French Cycling Holidays! You could also see our regular photos and videos on Facebook or Instagram to see what our riders and guides get up to when exploring France on two wheels.