Cycle Geneva to Alpe d'Huez

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As you might imagine, winter sports are extremely popular in the Alps – skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and more. The Alps have something to offer in the other seasons as well! You can follow legendary cycling routes (like the ones in our tours) or, if you need a break from bike riding, you can wander through enchanting towns like Annecy or maybe, if it’s warm out, take a dip in a nearby lake. If you have time (and remember, on the Alpine cycling tour, you have a lot of kilometers to cover!), there’s always paragliding, hiking, boat rides, water skiing…

The Alps are the toughest terrain to cycle out of all the regions we prefer. Because of the challenges it poses, it’s our responsibility to make sure our riders can physically handle the terrain. Obviously, we don’t recommend the Alps for beginners – if you contact us, we can determine whether Alpine tours are a good match for you. If they aren’t a good match, don’t feel bad – we’ve saved you hours of pain, and maybe you can gain more cycling experience in another region of Europe!

Getting there

• By Road You may choose to rent a car in France for part of your journey. Dealers can be found at all airports and at the TGV stations. You can find the best deals by comparing rental companies online: Avis France (www.avis.fr), Europcar (www.europcar.com), Budget (www.budget.com), Hertz France (www.hertz.com), SIXT France (www.e-sixt.com), and CITER France (www.citer.fr). Note that drivers in Switzerland must be over 20 years of age, and over 21 in France, to rent a car (21-2 5 year olds may face extra fees) and they must possess a valid driver’s license. (An international driver’s license would help.)
• By Rail Europe is known for its excellent train system. Swiss national trains are known for being modern, comfortable, and unforgivably on time. France is known for its well-connected high-speed TGV trains. There’s more good news: the train system is fairly friendly to bicycle owners. Please see www.sbb.ch (select “en”) or www.sncf.com for more details or to book train tickets online. You may also want to check out www.raileurope.com (particularly if there is browser trouble with the SNCF website from your country).
  
  Trains a Grande Vitesse (TGV):
  Part of the SNCF, TGV high-speed trains connect major cities like Paris and Geneva. In particular, TGV Lyria offers direct service (in about three and a half hours) from Paris Gare de Lyon to Geneva’s Gare Cornavin. Lyria service is offered a few times a day, as is connecting service from Paris to Lyon to Geneva (around four hours, plus waiting time).
  
  Thalys and Eurostar:
  Thalys trains connect the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium to France via Paris. The Eurostar connects the UK with France via Lille and Paris. You can then get a direct connecting train from Paris to Geneva using TGV Lyria. Like TGV East, bicycles are free of charge on board if they are dismantled and in a box or covered. This is required, and the maximum size is 120 x 90 cm. You can store it in the luggage area at the ends of the coaches. Also, for Thalys and Eurostar, there may be a bicycle car in coach 1 and/or coach 11.
• By Air The closest airport to our starting points is Geneva International Airport, located right in Geneva. It’s probably the best option, but you can still find train connections to Geneva from the airports in Zurich, Lyon, and Paris. The train station at the airport is called “Geneve Aeroport”; there, you can find a quick connecting train to Geneva’s main station, Gare Cornavin. Some international trains (such as the one from Zurich Airport) make stops at both Gare Cornavin and Geneve Aeroport. If you are arriving to Geneva, make sure you stop at Gare Cornavin!
• By Sea

Why do we like them?

Cyclomundo cycling holidays will expose you the real Europe. Every aspect of their guided and self guided cycling routes is carefully planned to maximise your interaction with local people, from local guides and the independent hotels you stay in, to the diverse places you cycle through. As true cycling specialists and local experts for road biking holidays in France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland, Cyclomundo will ensure you get the most from your biking break in Europe, whether you are looking to clock up maximum miles or set a more leisurley pace on an independent trip.

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