Geneva to Annecy by Road Bike

During the course of the day arrive to the city of Geneva. If you arrive early explore the streets and admire the views across the famous lake.

This morning you shall be provided with your rented bike and a loaded GPS device (or Smart Phone App). Your cycle tour today starts off in Switzerland via some pretty villages of Avully, Cartigny, and Chancy. Soon you shall cross the Swiss/French border through the Usses valley. Now you start your first Tour de France climb, the Col de Richemond which was ridden in the 2012 edition. You are now in what is known as the Jura mountain range. After the Col de Richemond, you descend and start the Col de la Biche before reaching Seyssel your destination for the night. Seyssel has a lovely location overlooking the Rhone River.  

Today you start off by cycling through the wine growing region of Chautagne. Here you shall ride through the village of Culoz, found at the bottom of the Col du Grand Colombier. This ascent was again used in the 2012 version of the Tour de France and is considered on of the toughest, it has a steep section with gradients of over 10%. Of course, whenever you climb you get rewarded with magnificent views and you should always take time to admire these as you ride rather than stare at the road ahead! As you descend you pas through the village of Chanaz as you reach the shores of Lake Bourget. This is France’s largest lake and home of many rare birds and several fish species. After spending time cycling beside the lake, you arrive to Aix-Les-Bains at the foot of the Alps. This is an important Spa town for France and has many Roman remains to explore. This historic centre is particularly nice with top-notch restaurants and bustling cafes.

Today you will explore by bike a lessor, a known area of the region. Your route will take you away from the busier tourist spots and maybe cycle in peace and tranquillity through stunning landscapes. These are the Bauges mountains and you shall soon realize why this is one of France’s best-kept secrets. As you cycle you will be panoramic views across the Aravis, Belledone, and Chartreuse mountains. You will have a 13 miles(21km) ascent today in Mont Revard, this climb has been included as many as five times in the Tour. 

The today cycle route takes from Annecy via Albertville which was actually the home of the 1992 winter Olympics. On your route today to will ascend two famous mountain passes, fist the challenging Col des Saisies, with an ascent of around 9.4 miles and a gradient of 6.4%, followed by the Col des Aravis, featured in the Tour almost 40 times, 7.5 miles and an average gradient of 5%. Your tour end at Lake Annecy, which hosted a time trial in the 2009 Tour and was featured in the 2013 Tour de France. Here you will find canals crisscrossing the medieval town center, this is why it is known as the Venice of the Savoy. Also, it is worth visiting the medieval castle that dominates the town.

Depart after breakfast.