A Gay Holiday in France

Biking vacation FAQs (Frequently-Asked Questions)

Other gay bike holidays in France and elsewhere

Become a bike guide! We have openings; you must speak French (or Italian) and have good bike skills.

We also offer sites for gay men and lesbians interested in scuba diving, hiking, rock climbing, and white-water rafting.

About this site

France is a friendly country with a rich history, beautiful landscapes, and hundreds of small towns where time seems to have frozen in the past. The French abolished their sodomy laws back in Napoleon's time, and most French people take the attitude that whether you're gay or straight is none of their business.

Yet as charming as they are, most of the villages and towns outside Paris have little or no active gay community. A gay man or lesbian who wants to tour France, and to see more than the large cities, may easily feel isolated.

We've got a solution: Cycle to some of France's most picturesque and historic sites, with a gay and lesbian group. Explore corners of France that many visitors never see, and do it with a friendly group.

Alyson Adventures, which specializes in active vacations around the world for gay men, lesbians, and friends, offers a number of bike holidays in France, including these regions:

Provence: We offer two quite different routes in this romantic region of France. The Mistral takes us north from Avignon, to the picturesque old duchy of Uzes, and then along the rim of the Ardeche Gorges, a thousand feet above kayakers battling the whitewater below. On The Provencal, we'll bike to the old Roman capital of Arles where a 2000-year-old arena towers over the site of Van Gogh's Cafe de Nuit; and on into the Luberon towns of A Year in Provence.

Burgundy: Rightly famous for its red wines, the old duchy of Burgundy has much more to offer cyclists. The Colors of Burgundy takes us along quiet roads that wind through forest and hillsides, haunting monastic ruins dating back almost a millennium, the spring that provides the source of Paris's Seine river; gourmet foods ... and a white wine that's as memorable as those Burgundian reds.

The Loire Valley: Travel to the better homes and gardens of the ancient French royalty, each with its own personality. On the 7-day Valley of the Kings, we'll bike to elegant Azay-le-Rideau, a compact jewel surrounded by moat; Usse, in the middle of Chinon Forest, where the legend of Sleeping Beauty was born; Chenonceau, leapfrogging over the Cher river; and the sturdy ruins of Chinon, where Joan of Arc entered the history books. Or try our more idiosyncratic Big Loire, Little Loir, a 5-day holiday taking us deep into French culture and history, and well off the usual tourist routes.