ViaRhôna- from Seyssel to Lyon
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ViaRhôna- from Seyssel to Lyon
ViaRhôna- from Seyssel to Lyon
hybrid :
e-bike :
Duration :
6 days
Comfort :
period:
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
Code:
FRSB870
Riverside Nature Gastronomy Culture
From € 685
ViaRhôna- from Seyssel to Lyon
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Bike Tour: ViaRhôna- from Seyssel to Lyon - 6 days

 

Take your bike and discover the Via Rhôna! From Lake Geneva in Switzerland to the Mediterranean Sea, follow a route that has been used by successive civilizations for over 2,000 years. Wonderful landscapes, towns, authentic villages, impressive nature, vineyards and delicious gastronomy await you along the way!

These 6 days will give you the opportunity to cycle quietly along the banks of the Rhone, between the Bugey Mountains and the Jura Massif, take a breath of fresh air enjoy the Alpine peaks around.

For this trip we've decided to start from Seyssel, to avoid the first part of the Via Rhôna from Geneve which is on busier roads. You can easy reach Seyssel by train from Geneva or Lyon. Gastronomes, lovers of good wines, wildlife and history,... this cycle trip between Seyssel and « the capital of the Gauls » will be a good choice for you !

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FRSB870
Route
Day 1: Arrival in Seyssel
Day 2: Seyssel - Champagneux
Day 3: Champagneux - Villebois
Day 4: Villebois - Pérouges
Day 5: Pérouges - Lyon
Day 6: Departure from Lyon

Day 1:    Arrival in Seyssel

Arrival in Seyssel and installation in your hotel. Discover this charming village separated in two by the Rhône, its peculiarity is to have two churches, two cemeteries, two Post Offices, ... Only one emblematic bridge separates the two city centers. Located at 250 meters above sea level, Seyssel is also the lowest village of Haute-Savoie. 

 

Day 2:    Seyssel - Champagneux
54 km

Leave Seyssel and cycle between ridges and plateau along the banks of the Rhone. Arrival in Chanaz, also called "La Petite Venise Savoyarde", enjoy a pleasant break in one of the charming restaurants along the canal of Savières. Continue on towards Culoz and Belley, peaceful small towns with a rich heritage that sit at the foot of the Bugey mountain. Continue your journey to arrive in the region of Champagneux. 

Challenge: 54.5km, 485m ascent, 478m descent

 

Day 3:    Champagneux - Villebois
66 km

Today you pass through Saint-Genix-sur-Guiers, for the greedy, we advise you to stop there to taste the famous brioche pralines! Further on, a little detour towards the village of Glandieu will allow you to refresh yourself with its majestic waterfall, a wonder of nature. Next you arrive in Morestel, the ‘Cité des Peintres’, stroll through the narrow streets of the old town and visit the art galleries. A lovely greenway links "La Vallée Bleue" to Villebois, this is where you’ll stay overnight. 

Challenge: 66.3km, 601m ascent, 630m descent

 

Day 4:    Villebois - Pérouges
55 km

This ViaRhôna stage takes you through the unspoilt countryside of Burgey above the Rhône. You pass lovely villages this morning : Saint-Sorlin-en-Bugey and Sault-Brénaz, and the more secretive La Balme-les-Grottes, with its great caves and picturesque centre. Your destination will soon be in sight as you approach the hilltop medieval village of Pérouges, labeled one of the most beautiful villages in France. 

Challenge: 55.4km, 411m ascent, 386m descent

 

Day 5:    Pérouges - Lyon
46 km

This last cycling day cleverly links the parks and lakes of Greater Lyon, including Le Grand Large and Miribel-Jonage. Then enjoy the magnificent cycle route through central Lyon, along the Rhône’s banks. At the Rhône’s confluence with the Saône, you come to a brand-new quarter marked by contemporary architecture, the most striking building being the Musée des Confluences. Your options for the rest of the day are endless but you can also reward your soul of cyclist with a delicious meal in a "petit bouchon", typical restaurant in the city. 

Challenge: 45.9km, 252m ascent, 354m descent

 

Day 6:    Departure from Lyon

End of your trip after breakfast. We advise you to extend your stay in order to take the time to visit the beautiful city of Lyon.

 

Accommodation

All accommodations are carefully selected for their location, atmosphere and/or unique services. 

We choose comfortable 2*/3* hotels or B&Bs where all rooms have private en-suite bathrooms and every morning breakfasts are included. 

For this trip you can choose between Comfort and Comfort +. The accommodations for a Comfort+ trip, will be in 3*/4 * hotels wherever possible (supplement applied).

Comfort
Hotel Beau Séjour ** (Seyssel)
Hotel Beau Séjour ** (Seyssel)
B&B Les Vieilles Portes (Champagneux)
B&B A Deux Pas du Rhéby (Villebois)
Hotel la Bérangère ** (Pérouges)
Hôtel Le Simplon **(Lyon)
Hôtel Le Simplon **(Lyon)
Comfort +
Hôtel du Rhône*** (Seyssel)
Hôtel du Rhône*** (Seyssel)
Hôtel les Bergeronnettes*** (Champagneux)
Hôtel les Bergeronnettes*** (Champagneux)
B&B A Deux Pas du Rhéby (Villebois)
B&B A Deux Pas du Rhéby (Villebois)
Hôtel Du Vieux Perouges (Pérouges) 
Hôtel Du Vieux Perouges (Pérouges) 
Hôtel le Roosevelt**** (Lyon)
Hôtel le Roosevelt**** (Lyon)
Bike rental

If you don’t bring your own, you can rent a bicycle (hybrid or ebike) from us. You will find your rental bikes waiting for you at your first hotel. The hotel reception staff will give you the keys for your bikes and direct you to the bicycle shed. All bikes are provided with chain locks.  The frame and saddle height are set to your height, although you might want to adjust your saddle to be in the most comfortable position. We also recommend doing a first small test drive of couple of hundred meters to be comfortable with gears, brakes etc. If you have an issue with your bike, you can contact the service provider (name of bike rental in your reservation) directly. Or you can always call us on our emergency phone number.  

Our hybrid touring bikes are at least 21-speed gear. You can find all the information regarding our rental bikes below.

Experience the advantages of an electric bike on your cycling holiday, particularly when there's a significant gap in ability and experience among cyclists. An e-bike provides a gentle boost up hills, allowing you to easily keep pace with your companions. With a small electric motor and battery, e-bikes make bike trips more achievable, and their batteries can be conveniently charged at hotels. While you still need to pedal, the e-bike significantly reduces the effort required. Familiarity with e-bikes is advised due to their quicker acceleration and heavier build compared to regular bikes, attributed to the electric motor.

Instruction video hybrid bike and e-bike

Please note: Depending on the trip, different models apply

 

Our hybrid bikes have at least 21-gears with hand brakes. 

The hybrid bikes are very good quality. Depending the trip, different model apply: Scott, Giant, Trek, Koga, ...

 

Whenever there is a big difference in level of ability, experience the many benefits of an electric bike on your cycling holiday. An e-bike will help you keep up with your fellow cyclists and give you a gentle boost up hills. An e-bike makes a bike trip more achievable. The e-bikes have a small electric motor and battery, which can be charged at the hotels. You still have to pedal: it just makes pedaling much easier. Some experience with e-bikes is recommended, as the bikes accelerate faster and are heavier than regular bikes because of the electric motor.

The E-bikes are very good quality. Depending on the trip, different models apply: Scott, Giant, Trek, Koga, ...

 

For some trips, we can give you the possibility to rent a Racing bike, more details on request.

For some trips, we can give you the possibility to rent a Tandem bike, suitable for two adults only. More details on request.

For children who are at least 125 cm, we can also arrange bikes (these are 24”or 26” for children that are bigger than 140 cm). The child bikes come with at least 7-gears and hand brakes. The maximum body height for a child’s bike is 155 cm. 

Please note: for some tours, different models apply.

A tag-along bike is a good option for children between approx. 100 cm and 125 cm, as they can pedal themselves and at their own pace but don’t have to worry about other traffic.

The tag-along bikes cannot be rented for all our tours

Please note: depending the trip, different models apply.

Child trailers can be rented for a maximum of two children who are up to 100 cm (max. 35 KG in total).

Please note: for some tours, different models apply.

 

 

Bell

All our rental bikes come with a bell.


Brakes

All our adult bikes come with hand brakes. 


Childseat

For children older than 30 months (max. 22 kg) it is possible to rent a rear child seat. This is also possible with e-bikes.


GPS

For some tours, it is possible to rent a GPS device, more details on request.


Helmet

Helmets are not mandatory in France (if the cyclist is over 12 years old) but strongly recommended. The helmet is mandatory for children under 12 years. If you rent a bike with us, helmets are included. Please advise us, if you bring along your own.


Lights

All our rental bikes come with lights.


Locks

All our rental bikes come with a lock.


Pannier

All our rental bikes come with at least a rear pannier and a front card holder to put the roadbook/maps.


Pedals

The rental bikes come with regular pedals, so no click-in/SPD pedals. On request we are able to supply these pedals on certain trips. 
If you wish to bring your own click-in/SPD pedals, please let us know prior to booking too.


Quickrelease

All our bikes come with a quick release system, which makes it very easy to adjust the height of the saddle and the handle bars. 


Repairkit

There is one small puncture kit included, which can be found in the pannier. If a rental bike has another problem, we always advise you to go to a bike repair shop.


Saddle

Saddles can be adjusted in height.
Our saddles don’t come with a gel cover. If you usually cycle with this, we recommend you bring them with you.


Water bottles

French Bike Tours does not provide water bottles. We can also not guarantee that there are bottle holders on the bikes. You will always receive at least 1x pannier, so you can always store your water bottle in your pannier.


Article 1 Bike Rental Price

The bike rental price is determined by the rates mentioned on the French Bike Tours website at the time of the booking; or as subsequently agreed.

Article 2 Payment

a. The rental price and any other due sums regarding the rental agreement must be paid before the bike is handed over to you.

b. If, for whatever reason, you cannot make use of the bike(s) you have rented, French Bike Tours will not be held responsible for any resulting expenses or damage.

c. In the case of the article 2b, the client remains obliged to pay the full rental price and any other amounts mentioned in the invoice, in accordance with our General Terms and Conditions of Booking, unless the client can prove that his not being able to use the bike was the consequence of a defect that was already present at the beginning of the rental period.

Article 3 Rental Period

a. The rental period runs from the morning of the first cycling day (day 2) to the end of the holiday (last cycling day), as stated in the booking confirmation.

b. Extension of the rental period is possible only after approval by us and according to the (extension) rates as mentioned in article 1.

c. No refunds are possible after the rental period begins. If you return the bike(s) to us before the end of your holiday, the rental agreement will automatically be terminated and you will not get any of your money back.

d. At the end of the last cycling day of your holiday, the bike(s) must be returned to the hotel from where it was/they were issued, no later than the time stated in the booking confirmation.
If you book a one way tour tour you can leave the bike at the last hotel of the trip. 

e. If the bike(s) is /are not returned by the return time stated in the booking confirmation, we will continue to charge you rent until such time as the bike(s) is/are returned to us or is/are received by us. In the event of late return, the rates as mentioned in article 1 will continue to apply, plus a fine of €25 per day. We also reserve the right to demand payment for any costs and/or damages suffered by us due to late return of our rental bike(s).

f. Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, in the event of late return of our rental bikes, we reserve the right to dissolve the rental agreement without judicial intervention and immediately claim back our bicycles where ever they may be and from whomever has them. French Bike Tours also holds this right in the event that the client does not comply with any of the other conditions stated in this rental agreement.

Article 4 Improper Use

a. The bicycle(s) may only be used for its/their intended purpose and only by the cyclists listed in the rental agreement.

b. The bike(s) must be returned to us in the same (clean!) state in which you received it/them.

c. You must take excellent care of the bicycle(s), as if it/they were your own. You must take every precaution against damage, loss or theft.

d. The bicycle may not be used on the beach; or on sandy paths in the dunes unless a paved path is unavailable.

Article 5 Damage, Loss and Theft

The renter will be held responsible for damages to or loss of the bicycle(s) or parts of it, as well as bicycle keys and chains and locks, for such an amount as is determined by us according to standard market prices. You must understand that you are not insured for damage to the bicycle(s) or for any damages to third parties.

Article 6 Costs During the Rental Period

Any charges and taxes regarding the rental bicycle(s), such as fines and ferry tickets, are to be paid by you. You will also be required to pay all costs ensuing from the use of the bicycle(s) such as parking fees, maintenance and repairs. 

Practical info

5 Nights included

2/3 Star Hotels or 3/4 Star Hotels (supplement applied)

Tourist tax included

All Breakfasts and 1 Dinner-tray on day 3 in Villebois (as no alternatives in the surroundings) included during the trip

Maps and tourist information on all the places of interest

24/7 Bilingual Emergency hotline

Luggage transport to your next accommodations. Luggage accepted per person: 1 suitcase or travel bag (20 kg maximum)

For time tables and further information check the website of SNCF or rome2rio for all French National trains (SNCF).

We strongly advise you to download the sncf mobile app prior to departure.

If you want to travel on a train with your bike, you can find more information via this link.

Parking informations on request

We will supply the directions of this trip with a personalized code which gives you access to our travel App.

Arrival info

The international Geneva Aéroport is served by a large number of scheduled and low cost airlines. Also, possibility of arrival in Lyon Airport. From Geneva or Lyon you can take a train to Seyssel, see below.

You can get to Seyssel by train (from Geneva or Lyon). On the end of your trip you can take a train from Lyon.

For timetables and further information check the website of SNCF or rome2rio for all French National trains (SNCF).

From Paris to Seyssel (approx. 5h05 - 525 km/326 mi). Acces to driving routes see the website ViaMichelin.

Comfort Comfort +
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