Mountain bike France
A stunning MTB trip from the northern to the southern Pre-AlpsRef CY43
This Grenoble - Sisteron is a “must do”: fun trails and stunning scenery are the order of each day... Between Grenoble and Sisteron, the landscapes, climates and traditions switch from alpine to provençal... Under the watchful eye of the Mont Aiguille, we cross the open valley of the Trièves, with the mighty Vercors and Dévoluy on either side. We then cross the Col de la Croix Haute, where forests and alpine scenery progressively give way to mediterranean vegetation. We discover the stunning and wild Buëch area, and its renowned mountain biking trails: Savournon and Orpierre.
Highlights
- The passage at the foot of one of the most famous mountains in the Alps: the Mont Aiguille.
- The switch between the northern Alps and the southern Alps.
- The discovery of renowned mountain biking trails in Savournon and Orpierre.
Description
Comments
- This trip exists in 2 versions : V2 = 2 wheels / V3 = 3 wheels.
- This circuit corresponds to the 2nd part of the Grand Traverse of the Pre-Alps, divided into 3 one week circuits: Part 1 - Lake Geneva/Grenoble, Part 2 - Grenoble/Sisteron, Part 3 - Sisteron/Nice.
- Special offers for private groups. Please ask us for a quotation.
Dates and price
Dates
| From 06/09/2026 to 12/09/2026 | 7 days | 1185 € | Available |
| From 04/10/2026 to 10/10/2026 | 7 days | 1185 € | Available |
Costs and services guided tour
All given prices are per person.
What is included:
- Fully qualified English-speaking mountain bike guide
- 5 nights in gites or guest houses in double rooms
- 1 night in a gite in a shared room
- 6 breakfasts
- 6 picnic lunches
- 6 dinners (multi-course menu)
- Daily baggage transfers
What is not included:
- International flights
- Your transfer to the meeting place (see paragraph below)
- All services mentioned in extensions
- 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 (SR) supplement: please contact us for a quote
- Supplementary nights in Grenoble or Sisteron in a 3* hotel: upon request
- Mountain bike rental: see below
- Return transfers to the starting point: upon request (prices depend on week day and number of participants)
Mountain bike rental
If you choose the guided version of this circuit, two types of mountain bike are available for hire:
| Full suspension MTB, guided tour only Giant Trance X 29.1 or equivalent |
495 € / |
| Full suspension MTB Moustache Trail 4 or equivalent, 625 Wh battery |
545 € / |
More details about the models available upon request. You’ll receive your rental bike on Day 1 of your tour from your MTB guide. Bike check upon handover and after the tour. For the self-guided tour: Bikes must be picked up and returned by you at our partner's location.
Please confirm your height and bike choice on your trip reservation 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: |
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 Grenoble train station (about 4h by TGV train).
https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/
By plane:
- From Lyon airport: join the Lyon train station and head to Grenoble.
By car:
Route planner: en.mappy.com
Coming back:
You can return to Grenoble by taking the train from Sisteron (about 6h) : 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.
Costs and services self-guided tour
Price per person for a group of:
The price includes:
- 5 nights in gites or guest houses in double rooms
- 1 night in a gite in shared rooms
- 6 breakfasts
- 6 dinners (multi-course menu)
- Daily baggage transfers
- Detailed travel documents, highlighted maps and GPS tracks
What is not included:
- Lunch
- International flights
- Your transfer to the meeting place (see paragraph below)
- All services mentioned in extensions
- 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 (self-guided)
Prices per person
- Picnic lunch: 15 € per day
- Single-room (SR) supplement: please contact us for a quote
- Supplementary nights in Grenoble or Sisteron in a 3* hotel: upon request
- Mountain bike rental: see below
- Return transfers to the starting point: upon request (prices depend on week day and number of participants)
- Analogue maps: 115 € for the group
- more extra services in the dates & 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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