Hitting the cycling trail –
by train!
The good news is that you don’t have to be super fit to enjoy the cycling trails of the Ardèche. Hôtel de la Villeon is only 5 minutes’ walk from the famous Via Rhôna, a 815 km cycle route that goes from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean.
Better still, just to the north of Tournon is the Tournon St Jean train station for the local steam train and this is another good way to start your cycling tour. You can load your bike on the train and the 1hr 40-minute ride will take you up through the Gorges of the River Doux and the Doux Valley, through chestnut forests and by way of mountainous views to the lofty town of Lamastre. It’s a beautiful way to start getting to know the landscape and saves your legs a hard climb.
The Dolce Via
In Lamastre, you can take to the Dolce Via, 75 km of meandering, gentle cycle track . It’s on the route of a former train line that originally linked some of the region’s most rural and remote towns and villages and it guides you gently from Lamastre through the Eyrieux Valley.
The route is divided into 6 sections of between 7 and 16 km each and it’s certainly something a family could tackle together. It’s an idyllic way to travel and if you haven’t got children I’d suggest visiting in early September. It’s still wonderfully warm but also blissfully quiet.
There are plenty of places to stay en route, including a number gîtes which are “Accueil Vélo” (which means they are