After making your way to your first night’s hotel, you will be provided with your bikes (should you be hiring) as well as your route notes and maps for the trip. You will be welcomed by a local representative who will brief you on the week to come, and go through your route notes. This gives you the opportunity to ask any last minute questions. Depending on flight times, you may have the opportunity to visit the Triumphal Arch and Roman theatre. Music and art festivals often take place here making for a great night out.

• Meals: Breakfast

Today, you will cycle through a lovely landscape of orchards and vineyards, from the area where the famous Côte du Rhône red wine is made, to St. Laurent. Your overnight stop will be in Uzes, an attractive old town with narrow streets and a wonderful market place which is located on a hill, overlooking the River Alzon.

• Meals: Breakfast

Small peaceful roads will take you to the spectacular site of Pont du Gard, considered one of the wonders of the ancient world. The Roman aqueduct was built to carry water across the River Gardon to the City of Nimes. On the way you will pass fields of lavender, synonymous with Provence’s landscape. Today’s final destination will be Avignon where you should try to visit the Pope’s Palace.

• Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast (if you didn’t have time yesterday) you should have time to visit Avignon’s Roman monuments and the Palace of the Popes. You’ll leave Avignon by small quiet roads and ride towards one of the most beautiful villages in the region: St Rémy, known for the aromas of wild herbs. This is where Van Gogh lived and where Nostradamus was born. The wines from Les Baux are also worthy of note, having been granted their own appellation status in the late eighties. You can enjoy the end of the day in the romantic small streets and squares of St Rémy.

Both options are gentle, just one longer in distance. The shorter one allows you to go out of Avignon along the Rhone river whereas the longer option takes you through lots of little villages. The shorter option is also for those who want to take their time and enjoy a morning in Avignon or spend the afternoon in the charming village of St Remy.

• Meals: Breakfast

Today’s loop ride will take you via Les Baux. This village is located on a ridge and offers scenic views of the surrounding countryside. In The Ville Morte, or upper town, you will see ruined houses which have been, in part, carved out of the rocky escarpment. Nearby, The Val d’Enfer (Valley of Hell) is also worth a visit.

• Meals: Breakfast

From St-Rèmy, you’ll head towards the Mediterranean Sea to the bustling town of Arles located in the north of the Camargue. Its Roman amphitheatre and theatre are still used for cultural events and bullfights. Perched on the side of the Rhone, it’s easy to see why Van Gogh painted here!

• Meals: Breakfast

Today, you’ll cross the River Rhone from Arles to the low-lying Camargue, the 780 sq/km delta of the mighty Rhone, where cream-coloured horses, black bulls, flamingos and other rare birds live. After exploring Ste-Marie-de-la-Mer, you will be transferred back to Arles to celebrate the end of a very enjoyable week.

• Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, you will return to Orange by train. For those of you who have brought your own bikes, you can easily pop them on the train, then sit back and enjoy the landscape. After arriving into Orange, it’s time to say au revoir to this charming region of France.