Bicycling the Best of Provence

Flat Terrain

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Rolling Hills

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Very Hilly

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Mountains

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Difficulty 101

Perfect for people looking for mostly flat terrain, or those newer to cycling. Also great for families traveling with younger children (8 – 14). Average daily mileage: 50 – 57km (30 to 35 miles). Be sure to check the day by day itinerary description for the tour you are considering for specific mileages. Terrain: 101 tours offer flat to gently rolling terrain. You'll find specific information on the "Tour Facts" page of each itinerary where you see the tour rating.

Difficulty 201

For riders who prefer a combination of flat and rolling terrain with moderate climbs on one or two days. An excellent compromise for friends who have diverse riding abilities.
Average daily mileage: 50 – 57km (30 to 35 miles). Be sure to check the day by day itinerary description for the tour you are considering for specific mileages.
Terrain: 201 tours feature mostly flat and rolling terrain with moderate climbs on one or two days where you might gain up to 2,000 feet. Some 201 tours may have some longer mileage days of up to 50 miles over fairly flat terrain. While others may have days of 20 – 25 miles with steeper climbs. You'll find specific information on the "Tour Facts" page of each itinerary where you see the tour rating.

Difficulty 301

For riders who enjoy some climbing every day. These tours are best suited to intermediate level recreational riders. Fit beginners will likely do well but may want to shuttle on days with steeper climbs.
Average daily mileage: 50 to 75 km (35 – 45 miles). Be sure to check the day by day itinerary description for the tour you are considering for specific mileages.
Terrain: For 301 tours expect cumulative daily climbs of 1,500 – 2,000 feet and several days of climbing in excess of 3,000 feet. You might encounter some longer mileage 80 – 90 km (50 -60 miles) days with rolling terrain. You'll find specific information on the "Tour Facts" page of each itinerary where you see the tour rating.

Difficulty 401

For cyclists who love to climb (and descend)! If you haven’t trained or are an inexperienced rider you will find these trips very challenging and will very likely need to shuttle regularly.
Average daily mileage: 50 to 75 km (35 – 45 miles). Be sure to check the day by day itinerary description for the tour you are considering for specific mileages.
Terrain: 401 tours are challenging. Expect the possibility of longer mileage days of 50 to 70 miles with rolling terrain, or some sustained hills for considerable distances - think mountain passes, or steeper (+5%) climbs that come with regularity and could be as long as 10 km (6+ miles). You will have gains of 1000 meters (3000 feet) on a third of the days. You'll find specific information on the "Tour Facts" page of each itinerary where you see the tour rating.

Difficulty 501

These bike tours are for strong cyclists seeking a challenge. There will be less van support than on our 101-401 rated tours either because of long daily mileage, or on mountainous routes it may not be possible for the van to take the same route as cyclists. We don't recommend these tours for casual cyclists. Bicycle tours are rated 501 for one of the following reasons:
More and longer days - an average of 75 miles daily for 14-16 days
Routes frequenting very difficult climbs in mountainous regions

Terrain Definitions

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Rating Definitions

Bike Tours 101

Perfect for people looking for mostly flat terrain, or those newer to cycling. Also great for families traveling with younger children (8 – 14).

• Average daily mileage: 50 – 57km (30 to 35 miles). Be sure to check the day by day itinerary description for the tour you are considering for specific mileages.
• Terrain: 101 tours offer flat to gently rolling terrain. You might also encounter one or two steep short climbs (less than a mile). You’ll find specific information on the “Tour Facts” page of each itinerary where you see the tour rating.

Bike Tours 201

For riders who prefer a combination of flat and rolling terrain with moderate climbs on one or two days. An excellent compromise for friends who have diverse riding abilities.

• Average daily mileage: 50 – 57km (30 to 35 miles). Be sure to check the day by day itinerary description for the tour you are considering for specific mileages.
• Terrain: 201 tours feature mostly flat and rolling terrain with moderate climbs on one or two days where you might gain up to 2,000 feet. Some 201 tours may have some longer mileage days of up to 50 miles over fairly flat terrain. While others may have days of 30 - 40 km (20 – 25 miles) with steeper climbs. You’ll find specific information on the “Tour Facts” page of each itinerary where you see the tour rating.

Bike Tours 301

For riders who enjoy some climbing every day. These tours are best suited to intermediate level recreational riders. Fit beginners will likely do well but may want to shuttle on days with steeper climbs.

• Average daily mileage: 50 to 75 km (35 – 45 miles). Be sure to check the day by day itinerary description for the tour you are considering for specific mileages.
• Terrain: For 301 tours expect cumulative daily climbs of 1,500 – 2,000 feet and several days of climbing in excess of 3,000 feet. You might encounter some longer mileage 80 – 90 km (50 -60 miles) days with rolling terrain. You’ll find specific information on the “Tour Facts” page of each itinerary where you see the tour rating.

Bike Tours 401

For cyclists who love to climb (and descend)! If you haven’t trained or are an inexperienced rider you will find these trips very challenging and will likely need to shuttle regularly.

• Average daily mileage: 50 to 75 km (35 – 45 miles). Be sure to check the day by day itinerary description for the tour you are considering for specific mileages.
• Terrain: 401 tours are challenging. Expect the possibility of longer mileage days of 80 to 100+ km (50 to 70 miles) with rolling terrain, or some sustained hills for considerable distances - think mountain passes, or steeper (+5%) climbs that come with regularity and could be as long as 10 km (6+ miles) . You will have gains of 1000 meters (3000 feet) on a third of the days. You’ll find specific information on the “Tour Facts” page of each itinerary where you see the tour rating.