French Alps Bike Tours
Dates: Your pick! We offer tours in the French Alps as early as March and as late as October and into November.
Length: 5 nights, 6 nights, or customize your own adventure.
Service: Supported, Private, “Self Guided” tour. For more about how our Self Guided tours work CLICK HERE.
Type of riding: Mountainous
Bikes suggested: Road bikes
Average daily riding: 45km
Start city: St. Jean de Maurienne
Finish city: St. Jean de Maurienne
Suggested transport: Train/TGV from anywhere.
- Itinerary
- Accommodations
- Bikes
- Inclusions
- Guide/Concierge Info
- Pricing
- Registration Information
- GPS Availability
Day 1
St. Jean de Maurienne
Arrive in St. Jean de Maurienne via train early enough to assemble your bike and get in a warm up ride on Les Lacets de Montvernier.
Day 2
Col de la Madeleine
Ride the Col de la Madeleine, the scene of many Tour de France battles in years past. You will tackle the “harder” side of the Col.
Day 3
Col de la Croix de Fer & Glandon
This famous duo of climbs is one of the routes used by world-class tours to climb over the mountain toward Alpe d’Huez. They have been used in many editions of the Dauphine Libere and Tour de France.
Day 4
Col du Telegraph & Galibier
Ready for 40km of climbing? This is a BIG day! After 14km of the Telegraph you will have a brief reprieve through Valloire before the long drag up the valley towards Galibier. The switchbacks start a few kilometers from the top of Galibier. Don’t forget to save some energy to get back over the “short” 5km side of the Telegraph on the way back.
Day 5
Col du Mollard & Toussuire
After a huge day on Telegraph and Galibier, you have a chance to do some more relaxed climbs right out the back door of the hotel. Enjoy your last day in the Alps!
Day 6
St Jean de Maurienne – Departure
Catch a TGV heading either towards Italy or Paris.
6 Night Option (2 hotels)
Day 1
St. Jean de Maurienne
Arrive in St. Jean de Maurienne via train early enough to assemble your bike and get in a warm up ride on Montvernier Lacets.
Day 2
Col de la Madeleine
Ride the Col de la Madeleine, the scene of many Tour de France battles in years past. You will tackle the “harder” side of the Col.
Day 3
Col de la Croix de Fer & Glandon
This famous duo of climbs is one of the routes use by world-class tours to climb over the mountain toward Alpe d’Huez. They have been used in many editions of the Dauphine Libere and Tour de France.
Day 4
Col du Telegraph and Col du Galibier to La Grave
This is the scene of many great racing battles. Our hotel is in between the Galibier and Alpe d’Huez, in the lovely village of La Grave. Rest up for a big day tomorrow.
Day 5
Conquer Alpe d’Huez from La Grave
Today is the biggest day of the tour. Conquer both monsters in the same ride! Your hotel is at the top of Alpe d’Huez.
Day 6
La Grave to St. Jean de Maurienne via Col du Glandon
This is another big ride, and very scenic. This is the “easier” side of the mountain, so enjoy your last day in the Alps on the Glandon!
Day 7
St Jean de Maurienne departure
Catch a TGV heading either towards Italy or Paris.
Location: La Grave
Hotel: Hotel Edelweiss
Location: St. Jean de Maurienne
Hotel: Hotel St. Georges
Road Bikes
Giant Defy or TCR Composite
Sizes: XS, S, M, ML, L,and XL
Mixture of Shimano 105 and Ultegra with either triple or compact double cranksets. Many have road-disc brakes.
eBikes
Giant Explore and others including eRoad
Sizes: S, M, L
Mixture of Shimano Acera and Deore.
WHAT IS INCLUDED:
- All hotel accommodations – mostly 3 and 4 star but ask for custom accommodation requests.
- An OBT cycling jersey!
- Detailed route notes, maps, and tourist information. This includes standard cue sheet, and RideWithGPS routes to upload to your own GPS device or use the RideWithGPS app.
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel.
- Meals as explained in the tour itinerary pages. Usually this means all breakfasts, no lunches, and some dinners.
- Access to your personal guide/concierge (See Guides/Concierge tab).
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED:
- Transportation to start location and from finish location.
- Bikes, but we have rental bikes available.
- Travel and Health Insurance.
- Admission to sightseeing venues, unless explicitly mentioned as included.
Tour Cost Per Person:
Double Occupancy
US$1,595.00
Single Occupancy
US$1,995.00 (from single room occupancy on multiple person tours)
Solo Tour
Solo Tour
Bike Rental Per Person:
Road Bike
US$350.00
What’s Next? Registering for your tour!
Questions: First, please feel free to ask us any questions about the tour. Click the “Contact Us With Questions” button above. We are happy to help clarify any details.
Registration: Once you are ready to register, please click on the “Book Now” above and complete the registration form. EACH tour participant will need to be included in the registration. At the end of the registration for you will be asked for a US$1,000 deposit. Once we have all registrations, we will secure all of the details of your tour – hotels, bikes, etc.
Final Payment: All payments are due 60 days prior to your tour.
Tour Packet Delivery: Once the balance is paid and approximately 30 days before your tour, we will send you a complete tour packet containing all details of your tour – accommodation information, detailed routing, a suggested packing list, maps, tourist guide, and much more! For more information on our Terms & Conditions, please CLICK HERE.
We rely on RideWithGPS for all our route planning—it’s simply the best tool we’ve found. You can choose from three easy options: use the RideWithGPS app on your phone, sync the routes we provide with your GPS device, or download cue sheets for a classic navigation experience.
With your OBT tour you will be provided with a library of routes to be used throughout your day to day rides. Some days may have multiple ride options!
No matter your preference, we’ve got your GPS routing covered during your tour!
Are you ready to conquer all of the famous climbs of the Alps? Our high Alps bike tours offer two options for tackling many of the climbs you have seen your cycling heroes race up in past Tours de France. The first option bases you out of St. Jean de Maurienne for 5 nights. The second starts and ends in St. Jean de Maurienne, but also allows you to take on Alpe d’Huez and stay in two separate towns. We will arrange your luggage transport and support.
Your hotels are perfectly located near the epic climbs of the French Alps. We prefer hotels La Grave, Valloire, and St. Jean de Maurienne because of their central location, and ease of getting to and from your tour.
