Mountain bike France

Superb alpine trail riding in two of the best MTB destinations in France, the Queyras and the BriançonnaisRef CY5H

How many French regions can boast a sunny climate (300 days of sunshine per year...), an amazing mountain environment (the Meije Glaciers, the Ecrins, the Pelvoux...), and as great a network of mountain bike trails? Welcome to the Queyras - Briançonnais! The area is a singletrack paradise, offering technical traverses, high ridge rides and long flowing descents... This trip offers a "real mountain" itinerary, which winds through the Hautes-Alpes from the Massif des Cerces to the forgotten valleys of the Queyras, with the discovery of numerous forts and fortified villages built by Vauban...

Guided version: from 1250€ - DetailsSelf-guided version: from 895€ - Details Duration : 7 days | Level : Customer satisfaction :
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+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.
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This tour is E-MTB compatible

Highlights

  • One of the best mountain bike destinations in France.
  • Breath taking vistas and panoramic views...
  • Diverse mountain terrain, from the Ecrins, to the Tabor and the Queyras, each as stunning as the last.
  • Long flowy singletrack descents through the larch forests.

Description

Comments

  • This trip exists in 2 versions : V2 = 2 wheels / V3 = 3 wheels.

Detailed itinerary

Day 1 : Briançon – Briançon

Itinerary start: Rendezvous with the organisation team is on day 1 at 9 am at Briançon SNCF train station. We will leave directly from the train station. Please arrive in your cycle clothing.

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

If you are coming from the Paris area, or from the Rhone Valley, a night train arrives in Briançon on day 1 shortly before 9 am. Just in time to join the group! Please note: When booking your ticket be aware that the trip starts at Briançon railway station, but ends at Montdauphin-Guillestre railway station. A train normally leaves on Saturdays from Montdauphin at around 8 pm to the Rhone Valley and Paris.

We start our trip with a bike tour of Briançon and its many fortifications, as well as its network of steep pedestrianized streets and spectacular bridges. Perfect mountain biking terrain, and a taste of things to come! We follow the Durance, gradually gaining altitude on trails that weave their way through the larch forests. The serious climbing begins in order to reach pretty mountain pastures around the village of Granon before climbing again to over 2000 metres, in order to reach some old forts and military zones offering breath-taking views. But the best is yet to come, with a magnificent descent that passes under the Peyrolle Ridge, before dropping back down to Briançon. A descent that lasts nearly an hour and half, all on singletrack. Guaranteed grins all round!

Distance covered: approx. 45 km / ascent: approx. 1600 m / descent: approx. 1600 m

Day 2: Briançon - Le Lauzet

A big day in the mountains awaits us, with the mountain biking starting directly from the centre of Briançon, where we quickly join trails that lead us up the Ecrins side of the Vallée de la Guisane (right bank). After an hour and a half of riding, we cross the river, leaving the ski lifts of Serre-Chevalier behind us and climb into the Briançonnais, where our first singletrack descents await us. Night in a gîte below the Col du Lautaret. Note: it is possible to do an extra loop from Briançon at the beginning of the day before beginning the Briançon - Le Lauzet stage. This loop takes in one of the classic Briançonnais singletrack descents through the larch forests…

Distance covered: approx. 40 km / ascent: approx. 1000 m / descent: approx. 600 m (approx. 60 km and 1800 m of climbing with the additional loop).

Day 3: Le Lauzet - Névache (Clarée Valley)

2 mythical alpine cols today: the Lautaret and the Galibier! Except that we climb them on trails, not on the road! A magical stage, in a breathtaking setting! Once we've passed the 2 cols, we descend off-piste, making a brief incursion into the department of the Savoie, before passing the foot of the Mont Thabor (3178 m). Nestled between the Cerces and Rochilles ranges, this is a mountain biker's paradise, with superb singletrack trails joining the numerous lakes and the Clarée Valley. A super fun technical descent leads us directly to our overnight lodgings, on the edge of a river.

Distance covered: approx. 45 km / Ascent: approx. 1500 m / descent: approx. 1500 m

Day 4: Névache - Cervières

The Clarée still has some hidden gems to show us! We descend the valley until we reach the Durance, which we follow upstream to the Col de Montgenèvre. This stage climbs and descends, following the Italian border, changing valleys 3 times during the course of the day! A steady fire road climb takes us around the Janus and up to 2500 metres, where some spectacular forts were built! A great singletrack descent takes us to Cervière, at the foot of the Queyras!

Distance: approx. 50 km / ascent: approx. 1500 m / descent: approx. 1500 m

Day 5: Cervières - Molines en Queyras

A change of scenery as of today, but still full of larch forests and superb singletrack... The charming Queyras Range will be our singletrack playground for the next few days. But we have to earn our ticket to paradise, by way of the Col d'Izoard. A climb on trails of course... before an off piste descent through the spectacular Casse Déserte. We then climb on singletrack, until we join the forest track that leads up to the Col de Furfande. Another unforgettable descent through alpine pastures takes us all the way down to the Guil Valley. Smiles all round!!! Beware, some sections are very exposed. Depending on your technical ability the guide may ask you to push your bike through certain short sections. We finish an already big day with a killer road climb to our night's lodgings for a well-deserved rest!

Distance covered: approx. 55 km / ascent: approx. 2100 m / descent: approx. 1750 m

Day 6: Molines en Queyras - Vallée du Guil (Château Queyras or nearby).

An early morning climb leads us to the famous village of St Véran (highest village in Europe) where we take the time to visit the remarkable traditional architecture of the houses. We then head off for a long loop that takes us almost to the Italian border, and allows us to discover the wonders of the "Haut Queyras". Our route takes us past several high altitude lakes, with 3000 metre peaks overhead (Rocca Bianca, Pic de Caramantran...), then over narrow cols to the remotest valleys of the Queyras, and the villages of Abries and Aiguilles en Queyras. Lots of technical singletrack in a high alpine setting!

Distance covered: approx. 55 km / ascent: approx. 1450 m / descent: approx. 1800 m

Day 7: Vallée du Guil - Montdauphin - Guillestre.

This last stage takes us to the southern part of the Queyras, with another large dose of singletrack! First to the Col Fromage… which should have you salivating over the numerous singletrack trails in all directions! We choose one that leads to the pretty village of Ceillac, before leaving the Queyras on fun singletrack along the Cristillan River. The impressive Gorges du Guil lead us gradually to the valley of the Durance, and the citadel of Montdauphin, a spectacular fort built by Vauban!

Distance covered: approx. 40 km / ascent: approx. 1400 m / descent: approx. 1600 m

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

Itinerary end: Separation is on the last day at Montdauphin-Guillestre SNCF railway station at around 3 pm (5 pm for level 3 groups).

Dates and price

Dates
Start date End date Duration Price
28/09/2025 04/10/2025 7 days 1250 €

Costs and services guided tour

What is included:
  • Fully qualified English-speaking French mountain bike guide 
  • 6 nights in mountain lodges (gîte d'étapes) and in double rooms
  • 6 breakfasts
  • 7 picnic lunch
  • 6 dinners (3 to 4 course menu)
  • Daily baggage transfers
  • Return transfer Montdauphin - Briançon (with luggage and MTB)
What is not included:
  • International flights
  • Your transfer to the meeting place (see paragraph below)
  • Bike rental
  • All services mentioned in extensions
  • Insurance, assistance
  • Drinks at the accommodation
  • Visits to museums, monuments and sites
  • 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)

Extra night in Briançon in 2* hotel, double room, including breakfast 60 € / 

Extra night in Briançon in 2* hotel, single room, including breakfast 110 € / 

  • Return transfer at the end of the trip to Briançon: 60 € for a group of 4 (depending on the number of participants)
  • Bike rental: see below

Mountain bike rental

We offer 2 categories of mountain bikes for hire (available from our partner shop in Briançon):

Full suspension MTB (Trail)
Cube Stereo One 22 HPC or equivalent (130 mm suspension travel)
485 € / 

Full suspension eMTB (all mountain)
Cube Stereo Hybrid 140 HPC Race model, 150/140 mm front/rear flow, 625 Wh
575 € / 

More details about the models on request.

Please confirm your height and frame size on your booking form.

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.

Booking with us

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.

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.

Payment options
  • by credit card via our website (Mastercard and Visa accepted)
  • by bank transfer (bank details on request)
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

Your invoice will be available 5 weeks before tour departure. 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.

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.

Groupe 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.

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.

Getting there

By train: From Paris Gare de Lyon train station to Briançon train station (about 8h by TGV train).
https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/

By plane:

  • From Lyon airport: join the Lyon train station and head to Briançon.

By car:
Route planner: en.mappy.com

Coming back:

You can return to Briançon by taking the train from Mont-Dauphin (about 2h) : https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/

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.

  • 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
  • Cereal bars and dried fruit during the day
  • Hearty dinners (3 to 4 courses, with local dishes)

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

Material provided by France Bike Trips (guided version only):
  • A group first aid kit
  • A repair kit and tools
Personal equipment to bring:
Luggage

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, extra clothing, sunglasses...

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.

Please note: Your luggage transported from one accommodation to the next must fit in a single bag and must not exceed 20kg maximum - or less if stated otherwise in the included services).

List of equipment to pack:
For your head
  • A cap or other head protection against the sun
  • A hat or headband
  • A mountain bike helmet (COMPULSORY).
For your upper body
  • Two cycling jerseys (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 with chamois
  • Trousers
  • Casual short
  • A swimsuit
  • Waterproof trousers (recommended for our alpine tours)
For your feet
  • Mountain bike shoes (“multi-activity / outdoor” type with grippy soles or clipless biking shoes)
  • Sports socks (+ warm wool socks for our alpine tours)
  • Sandals (not compulsory, but nice during breaks...).
For your mountain bike

If you rent your MTB from France Bike Trips, this material is not necessary.

  • If you have tires with tubes: 2 spare tubes + puncture repair kit
  • If you have tubeless tires: sealant, a tube with presta valve (just in case), a spare tire
  • If you have V-brakes: 2 sets of replacement brake pads
  • If you have disc brakes: 2 sets of replacement pads
  • A rear derailleur cable + 1 rear brake cable
  • Chain lube
  • A pump
  • A high pressure pump for your suspension  (optional, your guide will have one).
  • VERY IMPORTANT: A spare derailleur hanger  (only if your rear derailleur is not integral to the frame).
Various
  • A pair of MTB gloves (+ warm waterproof gloves for our alpine tours)
  • A bike lock
  • A head torch with batteries
  • A pair of spare laces
  • A toiletry kit and towel
  • 2 bike bottles 75 cl (or camelbak)
  • A pocket knife
  • Some plastic bags to protect your equipment
  • A needle and thread
  • A small individual pharmacy: sunscreen (face and lips); band aids + double skin; Immodium; pain killers, earplugs, other personal medication.

Dates

This tour can be booked anytime between the end of June and mid-October.

Costs and services self-guided tour

Price per person for a group of :

The price includes:
  • 6 nights in mountain lodges (gîte d'étapes) and in double rooms
  • 6 breakfasts
  • 6 dinners (3 to 4 course menu)
  • Daily baggage transfers
  • Detailed travel documents, maps and GPS tracks
What is not included:
  • Lunch
  • International flights
  • Bike rental
  • Your transfer to the meeting place (see paragraph below)
  • Return transfer Montdauphin - Briançon (with luggage and MTB)
  • All services mentioned in extensions
  • Insurance, assistance
  • Drinks at the accommodation
  • Visits to museums, monuments and sites
  • Additional travel related to changes in the programme due to bad weather
  • All personal expenses
  • Everything not mentioned under  “the price includes".

Supplementary services (self-guided)

(prices per person)

  • Picnic lunch: 15 € per person per day
  • Analogue map material: 95 €
  • You can find more additional services under the Dates and Prices tab

GPS tracks

If you choose to book a self-guided tour, we provide the GPS tracks of the route. You will be able to download the GPX type files from your France Bike Trips user account once you receive our travel documents by email. They are compatible with all current GPS software applications and editors.

Accuracy

These tracks have been created using professional mapping software. There may be slight differences between the GPS track and the reality on the terrain. The GPS tracks should thus be considered a "plus" to help you find your way. However, they are by no means a substitute for orientation with the help of the highlighted map material.

The distances and altitude gain in the tour's programme remain the reference. Indeed, real-world altitude and mileages can be different and vary significantly from the data shown in GPS software applications.

Data privacy

We ask you not to publish these GPS tracks on any website, social network or anywhere else. Their elaboration required many hours of hard work, both to create the track in the field, but also in our software applications. The non-respect of this ethic would force us to remove these valuable tool from our offer.

Analogue maps (optional)

We offer digital map material with highlighted tracks for our self-guided tours by default. These are printable (A4, pdf format).

On request, we can provide you with analogue maps containing the highlighted itinerary and route infos (official French maps at a scale of 1:25,000). Shipment will be made to the accommodation of your extra night before the tour.

Price of this option incl. shipping within France: see supplementary services

Please let us know in the booking form if you would like this option. Please also give us an accommodation address for shipping if you do not book an extra night through us before the tour.

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!

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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

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