Backroad cycling France

A magnificent backroad cycling tour of the Auvergne Volcanoes Natural ParkRef CN30

Would you like another Volcano*? Backroad cycling in the Auvergne serves up a succession of impressive volcanoes. Beginning with the Chaîne des Puys, the "youngsters", with their many smooth tracks that snake their way between the volcanoes. Then comes the more mountainous atmosphere of the Puy du Sancy, older and larger, with their tapered ridges covered with soft green grass. The tour then heads south to the huge Cantal Volcano. Wide open spaces, spectacular views and rolling hills are the order of the day on this Auvergne volcano tour. * Volcano: an aperitif drink made from gentian and chestnuts, served in the south of the Cantal.

Self-guided tour: from 845€ - Details Duration : 6 days | Level : Customer satisfaction :
- 0 reviews
+33 458 140 435 A dedicated team of travel specialists is available to offer you expert advice Monday to Friday from 9 to 12:30 AM and 13:30 to 6 PM (French time) on the phone, or by email.
Book this tour
Physical level :  
This tour is E-bike compatible

Highlights

  • A beautiful itinerant trip between the volcanic cones of the Auvergne Volcanic Regional Park
  • Easy tracks and quiet country lanes
  • The plateau of Cézallier: there are more cows here than there are humans!
  • Numerous beautiful traditional stone villages
  • Evening meals included

Description

Comments

  • This trip exists in 3 versions : V2=2 wheels, V3=3 wheels.
  • Special offers for private groups. Please ask us for a quotation.
  • Guided tours available on request.

Day by day

Day 1: Volvic - Laschamps 

Itinerary start: France Bike Trips services begin on day 1 at 1pm at the SNCF railway station in Volvic.

On request we can book the previous night's accommodation for you in Volvic.

After a short transfer by train from Clermont Ferrand to Volvic we start our journey. The first volcanoes waited on hand and foot appear while we are slaloming between the projection cones at the north of Mount Pariou. The hike up to Pariou is worth while. We then move to the eastern side of the Domes chain in order to bypass the great Puy de Dome, which is impressive indeed. Crossing the Moreno Pass and we arrive at Laschamps. In this rural and tourist village, at the foot of the Puy de Dome, will find our accommodation for the night.

Distance and altitude gain: approx. 25 km / 600 m

Day 2: Laschamps - Murol

Still heading  south along the last young  Puys  and we begin to approach one of the larger volcanic edifice, the Sancy. We will cycle by the open craters of La Vache and Lassolas, with a possible break at the house of the Regional Natural Park of Auvergne Volcanoes. After a detour along the lake  Aydat, we get along Montenard, one of the last puys of the chain. We will then discover the village of Murol, after a nice downhill. Option to go to Lake Chambon. Night in Murol.

Distance and altitude gain: approx. 45 km / 700 m

Day 3: Murol - La Godivelle

Obviously, to leave Murol we have to cycle up. But soon enough, the wood of Courbanges gives us the way to the medieval town of Besse. Here, narrow paved streets invite us to saunter. A very interesting ski museum can also  justify a big break. Then we head in the direction of the crater lakes of Pavin  and  Montcineyre in order to leave the Sancy Massif and approach a new  type  of relief:  the basalt plateau of Cézallier. To get introduced to this relief, nothing  more  natural than to start from  the villages of Brion and Godivelle. Like the plateau, these villages are almost empty  but  release an incredible charm, where man coalesces with nature. Night at Godivelle.

Distance and altitude gain: approx. 45 km / 950 m

Day 4: La Godivelle - Allanche

In the way the crossing  of "Mongolian" Auvergne. Few changes in altitude,  but space, plenty of space, and cows grazing peacefully in their paddocks. After passing by the Lac d'en Haut and Lac d'en Bas we change the department but not the setting. We cross the highest commune of Cantal, Montgreleix at 1250m (less than 10 people). Possible hike the summit of Mount Chamaroux, probably one of the best views in Auvergne, since we are  just between the two volcanoes Sancy and Cantal...  which one to choose? We leave the pass of Chamaroux. Passing through the hamlets of great loneliness, but of great  beauty, we then finally come to Allanche, a place  where human beings have managed to settle.  Discovery of the old village with its ramparts and its medieval church. Overnight in Allanche.

Distance and altitude gain: approx. 40 km / 600 m

Day 5: Allanche - Lavigerie

This step brings us in the middle of the volcanic giant Cantal. After last few pedal strokes we reach Landeyrat and its train station built  mainly  for  cows (not  a  joke!). We  leave the Cézallier to descend into the valley of Santoire. We leave it then immediately to find the plateau of Limon, located just north of the great volcano of Cantal. It is  finally  through the valley of the Rhue that we will enter this mountain chain. We will only have to cycle up a small hill to have a great view and of course to get to our little cosy nest for the night: Lavigerie. Night en tête-à-tête with the mountains.

Distance and altitude gain: approx. 48 km / 885 m

Day 6: Lavigerie - Murat

We cycle down the valley of Santoire  to reach a new plateau, that of Pinhatèle. As  its  name  suggests, is a wooded  plateau, as unusual. We cross pastures planted with Scots pines and reach the villages of Boissonnière, Chalinargues and  rest on the shores of Pecher Lake, true haven of peace. Beautiful view, museum of Landscape Interpretation, small chapel on a headland, many good reasons to take a break and discover. We cycle down to Murat, ending point of our trip, where we arrive through the lovely medieval old town.

Distance and altitude gain: approx. 38 km / 530 m

Itinerary end: France Bike Trips services end in Murat at around 4 pm.

Two options for returning to Volvic from Murat:

  • By train, via Clermont Ferrand
  • By vehicle transfer: Please see "Dates & Prices" tab for more details.

On request we can book the following night's accommodation for you in Murat or Clermont Ferrand.

Distances and altitude gain are an indication only and may vary.

Dates

This tour can be booked anytime from the beginning of May to Mid-October.

Costs and services self-guided tour

Price per person for a group of:

Single-room supplement will be automatically charged in the case of odd-numbered groups.

The price includes:
  • 5 nights in guest houses and  2* hotels in double rooms with en-suite facilities
  • 5 breakfasts
  • 5 dinners (3 to 4 course menu)
  • Daily luggage transfers
  • Detailed road book, highlighted maps and GPS tracks
What is not included:
  • International flights
  • Your transfer to the meeting place
  • All services mentioned in extensions
  • Bike rental
  • Insurance, assistance
  • Drinks at the accommodation
  • Visits to museums, monuments and sites not covered by the programme
  • Additional travel related to changes in the programme due to bad weather
  • All personal expenses
  • Everything not mentioned under  “the price includes".

Supplementary services

Prices per person:

Single room accommodation (5 nights) 195 € / 

  • Supplementary nights in Clermont Ferrand, Volvic or Murat: Please contact us for a quote
  • Transfer from Murat to Volvic (per person): upon request. Please contact us for a quote
  • Bike rental: see below

Bike rental

Standard bikes and e-bikes are available for rent.

Standard bike (6 days) 210 € / 

E-Bike (6 days) 300 € / 

Please confirm your height on your trip reservation form.

Electric bikes offer pedaling assistance, greatly reducing the effort needed to cover a given distance compared to a classic "human-powered" bicycle. They offer an alternative solution in two cases: 

  • You do not feel able to complete a level 1 wheel (lowest level) circuit. With electric assistance, this trip becomes accessible. 
  • You would like to complete a circuit with a person who is fitter than you and you are worried that you will be unable to keep up, or that the other person will find your pace too slow.

Private groups / Custom tours

You are a group of friends, a family, a company or a cycling club and you would like to organise a private cycling tour on the dates of your choice. This option is available for guided and self-guided tours.

  • If you are interested in one of the tours presented on our website, we can provide you with a detailed quote based on the number of persons in your group.
  • If you are interested in a custom version of one of our tours, with specific requirements (tour duration, accommodation type, vehicle assistance, airport transfers, bike rental, etc.), we can provide you with a detailed quote based on the number of persons in the group and the group's specific requirements.

For more information or to receive a quote, please contact us by phone at +33 458 140 435  or by email at info@france-bike-trips.com.

Travel insurance

It is important to be correctly insured when embarking on a cycling holiday. We recommend checking the details of your travel insurance (if you have one) and, if necessary, subscribing to our contract below. Please note that France Bike Trips is simply an intermediary between you and the insurance company.

You can choose between these travel insurance contracts while completing your booking form:

  • I subscribe to the "comprehensive multi-risk" insurance cover (4.5%), minimum premium of 15 €:
    This contract covers assistance, repatriation, lost or stolen luggage, holiday interruption and cancellation. To see the full contract, click here.
  • I purchase the "cancellation only" insurance cover (2.5%), minimum premium of 10 €:
    This policy covers cancellation only. To see the full contract, click here.
  • I purchase the "repatriation & assistance" insurance cover (1.6%), minimum premium of 10 €:
    This policy covers assistance, repatriation, lost or stolen luggage and holiday interruption. To see the full contract, click here.

Recommendation:
If you choose to take out a travel insurance policy with another insurance company, please check that the search and rescue coverage is suitable: area covered, expenses included, risks covered (as an indication, a minimum cover of 15 000 € is recommended). Please note that credit card insurance rarely offers this type of coverage.

Booking procedure / Cancellation

How to book

In order to make a booking please fill in the online booking form on the "booking" page of your chosen tour. At the end of the booking process you will be transferred to our bank's secure payment page in order to pay a 30 % deposit.

Last minute booking

All self-guided bookings made within 21 days of tour departure will incur a surcharge of 15 € per person.

Expert advice
  • Unsure which tour to book?
  • Interested in a custom version of one of our tours?
  • Not sure if a particular tour is suitable for your riding style?

A dedicated team of travel specialists is available to offer you expert advice Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm (French time) by phone - +33 458 140 435 or by mail - info@france-bike-trips.com.

Tour confirmation

In order to confirm our guided tours, we need to reach a minimum number of participants (usually 5 persons are necessary). Therefore booking a guided tour does not necessarily mean the tour is confirmed. In the unlikely event that we are unable to confirm your chosen tour, we will offer you the opportunity (no less than 21 days before departure) of switching to another (confirmed) tour, or receiving a full refund.

Self-guided or custom tours: We confirm bookings of self-guided tours and custom tours directly after booking.

In both cases, please await our final booking confirmation before making any travel arrangements.

Balance payment

Tour balance payment must be made no less than 30 days before tour departure. Your travel documents will be sent to you once we have received your balance payment. Road books and maps will be sent to you 3 weeks before departure.

Cancellation

In the event that you are obliged to cancel your tour France Bike Trips will reimburse the entire sum paid for the tour, minus the following cancellation charges:

  • More than 60 days before departure: 5 % of the tour price, excluding insurance premium
  • Between 60 and 31 days before departure: 15 % of the tour price, excluding insurance premium
  • Between 30 and 21 days: 30 % of the tour price, excluding insurance premium
  • Between 20 and 14 days: 50 % of the tour price, excluding insurance premium
  • Between 13 and 7 days: 70 % of the tour price, excluding insurance premium
  • Less than 7 days before departure: 100 % of the tour price, excluding insurance premium

Full details of our sales conditions are available here

Getting there

By train: From Clermont-Ferrand train station to Volvic train station (about 30min by TGV train).
https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/

By plane:

  • From Clermont-Ferrand airport: join the Clermont-Ferrand train station and head to Volvic.
  • From Lyon airport: join the Lyon train station and head to Volvic.

By car:
Route planner: en.mappy.com

Coming back:

You can return to Volvic by taking the train from Murat : https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/

Route navigation

You will receive an email 2 weeks before departure, containing all the information necessary for your upcoming tour, including the following navigation tools:

Our dedicated smartphone app

Follow your route with comfort and ease! Thanks to the Velorizons navigation app, download the full trip itinerary to your smartphone, view route maps and profiles, access the list of booked accommodation, services and useful contacts, and use the integrated route guidance (visual and vocal) for navigation.

See the mobile app presentation video

To benefit fully from the app navigation system, we strongly recommend attaching your smartphone to the bicycle handlebar using a dedicated mount. An example can be viewed here.

Velorizons app compatibility
Operating systemAndroidAppleWindows PhoneBlackberry
CompatibilityVersion 8.0 minimumiOS 8.0 minimum. iPhone compatible, iPad compatible if GPS equippedNon compatibleNon compatible
A detailed Road Book

Your tour road book will be available to download in your My France Bike Trips customer area. The road book contains:

  • Full colour maps with highlighted routes,
  • Step-by-step route description,
  • Route profiles
GPS tracks

Tour GPS tracks will be available to download in your My France Bike Trips customer area. The tracks are in .gpx format, compatible with all GPS devices/apps.

Car sharing

If you sign up for a guided tour, we offer you the opportunity to see if you can carpool with other participants to get to the point of departure. To do this, go to "Car sharing" in our website. By entering the complete reference and the date of departure of the tour (available on the registration confirmation that we have sent you), you have access to route details and emails of other participants who wish to carpool.

Group size and guiding

For guided trips we limit the size of our groups from 5 (min) to 12 (max) persons in order to ensure security and conviviality.

You will be guided by English-speaking French mountain bike guides.

No size limitation for self-guided groups.

Accommodation

We favour comfortable accommodation with warm hospitality. For more details, please see the "Costs and services" section.

For private groups and self-guided tours it is possible to choose alternative accommodation (upgrade) depending on availability.

Food

"L'art de la table"

We pay very careful attention to the quality and the variety of your meals.  Fresh and local produce will be served wherever possible.

Depending on the meals included in your chosen tour:

  • Continental breakfasts taken at the accommodation
  • Cold picnics for lunch (mixed salad, bread, cold meats, cheese and fruit). Each participant carries his picnic in his daypack
  • Hearty dinners (3 to 4 courses, with local dishes)

Please check the "Dates & Prices" section for meal plan details.

Baggage

During the day you carry only a daypack for additional clothing, water, food, camera, etc. The rest of your baggage is transferred each day to the following nights accommodation.

Health

We strongly recommend having a medical check-up before your holiday. 

Our / Your state of mind

- A "group" tour: If you join a guided tour, you will be part of a group for several days. This is a superb opportunity to meet new people and share some magical moments. However, a group tour requires that each person show friendliness, openness and mutual respect for their fellow travellers.

- An "adventure" tour: despite the most careful preparation, adventure tours can present unforeseen events. Accepting these risks will help you enjoy your trip to the full, in the knowledge that your guide, our local partners and the entire France Bike Trips team will offer you the most suitable solutions to any given situation.

Bike and plane / train

If you decide to bring your own bike, be aware that transporting a bike by plane or train is no longer an issue. However a few simple guidelines help to optimise the transport and avoid potential damages that could occur.
Your bike must be transported in a designated bike bag (standard size 120x90cm). This maximal size allows you to travel with your bike as "hand luggage" in any TGV and SNCF trains.
It is very important that you protect your bike in the bag. After having deflated the tires, removed the wheels (by removing the quick release mechanisms), pedals and rear derailleur (which is left hanging on the chain), we recommend you wrap your bike inside the bag in a sheet of dense foam (thickness of 3 to 5 cm). A piece of cardboard or rigid plastic positioned between the foam and the inside of the cover can be beneficial to provide more rigidity.

Once folded up the bike bag will take up very little space and will be transported by the assistance vehicle during your tour.

Bike bags are available directly from France Bike Trips at a cost of 70 euros, plus postage.

Your equipment

Equipment provided by France Bike Trips on guided tours:
  • A group first-aid kit
  • A bike repair kit and tools
Personal equipment to bring:
Baggage

All your luggage must fit in two bags: a daypack and a travel bag.

1/ Daypack

This is the bag you will keep with you each day whilst riding. This bag should not be too large (up to 30 litres).

It will contain: a picnic lunch, camera, waterproof and extra clothing, etc.

Each day, your guide will advise you on what to bring in your bag according to the route and the weather.

2/ Travel bag

This is the bag that will be transported from one accommodation to the next by vehicle. It should contain all the belongings you will not use during the day.

IMPORTANT: Your luggage transported from one accommodation to the next must fit in a single bag and must not exceed 20kg.

List of equipment to pack in your bag the day of departure:
For your head
  • A cap or other head protection against the sun
  • A hat or headband
  • A bike helmet.
For your upper body
  • Two base layers (made of synthetic or natural breathable fabrics)
  • A warm shirt or a sweatshirt
  • A fleece
  • A waterproof jacket
For your legs
  • Two good quality cycling shorts
  • Trousers
  • Casual short
  • A swimsuit.
For your feet
  • Comfortable sports shoes 
  • Sports socks
  • Sandals (not obligatory, but nice during breaks and in the evening...).
For your bike

If you rent a bike from France Bike Trips, this material is not necessary.

  • 2 spare tubes and a puncture repair kit
  • Lubricant for chain and derailleur
  • A pump
  • A spare derailleur hanger
Various
  • A pair of cycling gloves
  • A bike lock
  • 2 bike bottles 75 cl (or Camelbak)
  • A small individual pharmacy: sunscreen (face and lips); band aids + double skin; Immodium; pain killers, earplugs, other personal medication.

Self-guided formula

Self-guided tour "user guide"

Active autonomy: what you need to know for our self-guided tours

In order to achieve the planned tour programme, you must:

  • Guide yourself with the highlighted maps and road book;
  • Choose suitable start times adapted to the lengths of the daily stages as well as your own riding pace, and leave an adequate safety margin of time;
  • Obtain daily weather forecasts from your hosts, and take into account the weather conditions when planning journey times;
  • Arrive at the booked guest houses and hotels listed in the programme on the given dates; 
  • Bring the necessary personal equipment to carry out the tour. France Bike Trips equipment list constitutes the necessary minimum;
  • Carry insurance policies and emergency telephone numbers with you at all times;
  • Be familiar with basic first-aid steps;
  • In the event of any problems during your trip, contact France Bike Trips (contact information in your travel documents). Possession of a mobile phone that works in France is strongly recommended.

Self-guided tours are undertaken without a guide and at your own risk. France Bike Trips cannot be held liable for any route error, misconduct, personal imprudence, inadequate planning or inappropriate reactions in the event of incidents.

Any programme change of your own initiative is under your responsibility and at your expense. 

Having said this, with our advice and good preparation, you should be able to look forward to a wonderful, trouble free holiday. Enjoy your trip!

This tour has not yet received any reviews.

X

Subscribe

When you subscribe to the "Photos / Videos" section, you will receive an email whenever a new photo or video album is published.

I am interested in the following Photos / Videos albums types:

CNIL (French National Commission for Data Protection and Liberties)

Search

Please type in your search terms.

You can prefix chosen words with the '+' sign to make them mandatory, or with the '-' sign to avoid results containing this word from appearing, e.g. west +nepal -canada

A dedicated team of travel specialists is available to offer you expert advice Monday to Friday from 9 to 12:30 AM and 13:30 to 6 PM (French time) on the phone, or by email.


Phone number: +33 458 140 435

Contact us

A dedicated team of travel specialists is available to offer you expert advice Monday to Friday from 9 to 12:30 AM and 13:30 to 6 PM (French time) on the phone, or by email.

Please type in your email address in order to access tour details and description

Your email will not be communicated to any third party or company outside France Bike Trips / Velorizons. You may receive occasional emails from France Bike Trips, with the possibility to unsubscribe at any time. CNIL (French National Commission for Data Protection and Liberties)