Castles and Gorges: Southern France

We’ll meet at our hotel in Vichy. Depending on what time you arrive, you can explore the city before we get together for a little briefing session. We’ll discuss our upcoming itinerary, go over the rules of the road and answer any questions you might have. Afterward, we’ll head over to enjoy dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants. Are you ready to adventure France?

Our motorcycle tours of France adventure begins as we leave Vichy and cross into the magnificent Valley of the Sioule. We’ll be cruising through the countryside and make our way over the gorgeous Menat Bridge. Then we’ll make our way over through the great biking track of Col de la Croix St Robert and descend into the Village of Bresse en Chandesse where we will stop to enjoy the beautiful Orcival Church and its Romanesque stylings. We’ll end the day in the charming town of Le Mont-Dore.

We are heading deeper into the majestic land of France on our tours of France. As we ride out of town we’ll come across the impressive Castle of Val built on the lake of Bort Les Orgues. Don’t let its beautiful appearance fool you, this castle has also been home to some of the epic contests in the history of France. We’ll continue along our journey as we pass by the lake and through the hamlet of Salers. Then we wind up Puy Mar Summit before settling at the town of St. Flour for the evening.

You’ll get a truly authentic taste of France today as we wind across the beautiful motorcycle roads that will pass up right by the famous Garabit Viaduct—once a very important source of water for the region and a stunningly beautiful architectural work. From here, we’ll cross through the Belvedere Mallet and its charming lake before we travel across the incredible gorges of Truyère. Here will pass through the Chaudes-Aigues region and maybe stop off to enjoy these thermal springs before we head across the Aubrac Plateau. If we’ll have time, we’ll stop and check out Laguiole famous for its cutlery before we make our way into the secluded village of Estaing where we’ll rest for the night.

Another day of breathtaking scenery and history awaits us on our motorcycle tours France. We’ll begin by exploring the charming villages of Conques and Najac discovering the natural beauty of the countryside around them. We’ll pass through the incredible Aveyron Gorges discovering the wonders of France before we slide across Cordes Sur Ciel and the Valley of Tarn. By afternoon, we’ll reach the town of Albi—renowned for its magnificent fortified cathedral which has been one of the town centerpieces for centuries.

Today’s drive we’ll be a little bit shorter, but we’ll savor the pleasures of the road today on our adventure France. As we head out of Albi, we’ll make our way across chateaus and start entering some of the wine and cheese country of France. If we have time, we’ll make a stop at the world famous Caves Roquefort Company before we head along the lovely Ambialet Peninsula. We’ll then continue to Millau where we’ll enjoy this relaxing town and take it some of its great sites such as their ancient viaduct and so much more!

After six days on the road, it’s time for a little bit rest on our tours France. You have so many options today from just enjoying a stroll downtown and the cafes and shops to doing a little sightseeing. You can head to La Couvertoirade, a village dating from the era of Knights-Templar. You can also check out the vibrant Navacelles Circus or if you up for a little more outdoor adventure you can head to the Dourbie Gorges and Causses Larzac Plateau before heading back to Millau for the night.

Time to get back on the road on our French adventure! Are you ready for a little more adventure? We’ll head out of town and zoom into the Jonte and Tarn Gorges, two of the most beautiful in all of Europe. We’ll then pass through the tiny village of St. Enimie and enjoy lunch there before heading into the magnificent Mont Lozère and Cévennes National Park. These are some of the best roads in the country where we wind up and down mountains and view the incredible forests of the region. We’ll then pass through Guérin Guard Village before we settle into Les Vans for the night.

We are wrapping up our tours France today. We’ll begin by heading to the source of the Loire River and into the mountains of Mont d’Ardèche and Mont Gerbier de rush, which is some truly stunning scenery. We’ll then see the hip little village before we head into Middle Age town of Le Puy en Velay. There are few better places than this beautiful city with its 12th Century Notre Dame Cathedral and St-Michel d’Aiguilhe Chapel which dates to the 10th century. Here we’ll toast the accomplishments of our trip and enjoy a farewell dinner together.