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From Mont Ventoux to Chateauneuf du Pape
Provence
France
Wine tasting from the Mont Ventoux to Châteauneuf du Pape
Far from the crowds, come and discover the natural wonders of la Provence: olive groves, fruit trees and wine! During your stay you’ll go from the beauty and history of Avignon, to the heart of the Dentelles de Montmirail with its small villages and its world-famous Côtes-du-Rhône wines… like Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise. A wonderful finish to the week are two nights in the village of Châteauneuf du Pape with plenty of time to discover and enjoy.
Vacqueyras
Vacqueyras is a village famous for its wine. The old village is enclosed in a circle of buildings forming a protective wall. The guard tower in front (photo) dates to the 11th and 12th centuries, and has marks of the Templiers Knights.
The wines: Vacqueyras was awarded its own appellation in 1990. Red, white or rose wines may be produced but, in practice, only a small amount of white grape varieties are planted. Half of the blend must be of the Grenache grape, the rest is usually Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsaut.
Beaumes de Venise
This village is naturally sheltered from the strong Mistral wind. It is one of the charming little villages of the Comtat Venaissin, a well known holiday resort, very busy in summer and appreciated for its mild climate in winter. It owes its name to the many caves (les balmes) found on the hillside. With a population of 2070 people, this 1903 hectare village is situated 8km from Carpentras, 32km from Avignon and 20km from both Orange and Vaison la Romaine.
Châteauneuf and the Papal tradition of planting vine
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a medieval village on the side of a hill, guarded by the ruins of an ancient chateau towering above. From the chateau hill you have an outstanding view in all directions, mostly of vineyards, of course. Off to the east and south, the Rhône winds across the fields, and the afternoon sun turns it silver. The village streets are narrow, curving around the hillside or climbing up and down between the houses. The buildings are old, but everything is very thoroughly restored, and this is clearly a tourist town, and its purpose is to sell wine. The village was once circled by two concentric walls. The outer wall enclosed the chateau and the entire village, as far as the main road at the bottom of the village (now in front of the Office de Tourisme). The inner wall enclosed the chateau and only the highest part of the village. A literal translation of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, "the Pope's new house", is actually true. The Popes of Avignon built a summertime château (their summer palace) here to get away from the hustle-bustle of the Palais. Apart from the foundations, only two walls (towers?) remain of the chateau, but they're the ones facing the village, and they're still high and imposing, giving a good feeling of what it was like here centuries ago.
Vine cultivation, already known to the Gauls, was widely developed by the Romans. Monks were the first to clear the land and cultivate these vineyards and Bishops were instrumental in extending vine cultivation. In 1157, in keeping with Roman tradition, Geoffrey, the Bishop of Avignon, planted vines and personally managed his own estate and was most certainly the owner of a vineyard located in his fief in Châteauneuf.
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Meeting:
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Avignon hotel
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Airport:
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Marseille
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Transfer:
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Avignon
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Riders:
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Min
2 riders
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Trip Rating
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Rates and Dates for 2009 | 2010
Rates include:
7 nights accommodations in ** hotels or B&B with private bath, 7 breakfasts and 4 dinners, all transfers from and to Avignon, 6 days of biking. 21 speed hybrid bike equipped with a tool bag, pump and a helmet. Road book with route details. 24 hr local emergency phone number.
| A | 2009 | 8 days trip | 8d / 7n | €910 | $1365 |
| Single supplement | €275 | $415 |
| Supplement for trips in July | €38 | $60 |
Transfer Option:
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2009
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Transfer from Avignon
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Trip starts in the center of Avignon and ends there as well with a private taxi from Chateuneuf (20 minutes), or we can drop you off at the Avignon TGV train station. There are excellent train connections to Avignon from Paris or Marseille on the fast speed TGV train.
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Any day during the season
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Rates do not include:
Drinks, lunches (in small restaurants, buy picnic items on the road or the hotel can prepare a picnic to go) and 3 dinners.
Day 1 Trip starts in Avignon. Arrival any time during the day. Stay inside Avignon’s fortified city for the first night. Discover the beauty of one of Provence’s great cities. Hotel Avignon.
Day 2 Ride from Avignon to L’Isle sur la Sorgue, Provence’s antiques capital. Finish your day with a climb up to your hotel with great views overlooking the valley in the sleepy village of Venasque classed amongst one of the "most beautiful villages in France." (B, D) Hotel Venasque. (45 km)
Day 3 A village day with lots of ups and downs surrounded by vineyards and cherry orchards. Discover little known Vaucluse villages: Malemort-du-Comtat, Mormoiron and Mazan. (B, D) Hotel Venasque. (30 km)
Day 4 Ride along the base of the Monts du Vaucluse and follow your nose and your Road Book’s suggestions to different wine domains that await you. Hotel Sainte Colombe. (B, D) (30km)
Day 5 In Côtes du Ventoux country. A lovely loop ride through small charming villages nestled under the Ventoux. Hotel Sainte Colombe. (B, D) (25 km)
Day 6 Next stop, the small Côtes du Rhone villages of Beaumes-de-Venise and Vacqueyras, lined with wine cellars! The wine discovery continues in Châteauneuf du Pape for the next two nights. Hotel Châteauneuf du Pape (B) (40 km)
Day 7 A day of Châteauneuf du Pape discovery. With your Road Book in hand, you choose where to go and the amount of kilometers to ride. Go from a lazy terrace lunch in a restaurant full of wine merchants to domain wine tasting into the early evening…le paradis! Hotel Châteauneuf du Pape (B) (10 to 25 km)
Day 8 Taxi transfer to Avignon. End of trip. (B)
B= Breakfast D= Dinner
Our Road Book includes a detailed itinerary of each day’s biking and a practical map. We let you in on our “great addresses” and our “favorites”. We propose a selection of restaurants, places to visit you probably would not find on your own, and a few, suggested artists and craftsmen. We also help you with the more pragmatic side of a trip by including a list of food stores, post offices, and banks.
DOCUMENTS: Technical description of the itinerary, 1:125 000 scale map with itinerary traced out, contact listing, technical sheet and vouchers.
Meeting:
Avignon hotel
Airport:
Marseille
Train station:
Avignon
Transfer:
Avignon
Trip starts in the center of Avignon and ends there as well with a private taxi from Chateuneuf (20 minutes), or we can drop you off at the Avignon TGV train station. There are excellent train connections to Avignon from Paris or Marseille on the fast speed TGV train.
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Tack:
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Horses:
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Pace:
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Easy to moderate level of biking with a maximum of 45 km a day. Several days have climbs.
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Level:
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(2
to
2
out of 5)
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Riders:
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Min
2 riders
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Passport and Visa Requirements:
Passports Passport valid for at least three months beyond length of stay required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except: (a) 1. EU nationals holding a valid national ID card. . more
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*Important Notice: The following ratings have been submitted by guests and do not necessarily represent the views of Hidden Trails, its partners or employees.
Every care is taken to ensure accuracy but Hidden Trails is not liable for any errors or omissions.
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with the tour ID you provided.
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..view other reports for different trips
Double occupancy with private bath.
- 1 night at the Hotel d’Angleterre ** in Avignon
- 1 night at the Hotel les Remparts in Venasque
- 2 nights at the Café Guintrand in Sainte Colombe
- 2 nights at Maria & Andréas, charming B&B in Châteauneuf
OR equivalent hotels.
Meals: We include 7 breakfasts (B) and 4 dinners (D) in hotels or local restaurants.
Breakfasts : Continental.
Dinner : Menu with several choices – entrée, main dish and a dessert.
Occasionally dinner is a 2 course meal.
Not included : Drinks, dinners not on the itinerary, all lunches.
Lunches : in
small restaurants, buy picnic items on the road or hotel makes a picnic to go.
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Tack:
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Horses:
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|
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Pace:
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Easy to moderate level of biking with a maximum of 45 km a day. Several days have climbs.
|
|
Level:
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|
(2
to
2
out of 5)
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Riders:
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Min
2 riders
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Passports
Passport valid for at least three months beyond length of stay required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except:
(a) 1. EU nationals holding a valid national ID card.
Passport Note
France is a signatory to the 1995 Schengen Agreement.
Visas
Not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above for the following durations:
(a) nationals of EU countries for an unlimited period;
(b) nationals of Australia, Canada and the USA for stays of up to 90 days.
| Passport Required? |
| British |
Yes |
| Australian |
Yes |
| Canadian |
Yes |
| USA |
Yes |
| Other EU |
1 |
| Visa Required? |
| British |
No |
| Australian |
No |
| Canadian |
No |
| USA |
No |
| Other EU |
No |
| Return Ticket Required? |
| British |
No |
| Australian |
Yes |
| Canadian |
Yes |
| USA |
Yes |
| Other EU |
No |
This information is not being updated on a regular basis. Hidden Trails does not
take any responsibility for the accuracy of the above information. Please, consult
the embassy or consulate for updated info.
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From Mont Ventoux to Chateauneuf du Pape
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