Avignon

There are 14 catalogued climbs within 50 km of Avignon, including 3 rated HC or Category 1. The signature ascent is Mont Ventoux.

March, April, May offer the best riding temperatures. Around 12 months a year are warm enough to ride (ERA5 normals, 2015–2024).

January averages only 10 °C daily highs — Avignon is a season destination, not a winter one.

6 shops within 12 km of Avignon have verified bike rental, rated 4.9/5 on average. Our ranking lists them with prices and fleets where the shops publish them.

Avignon Caumont airport (AVN), 9 km away; the nearest major hub is MRS at 66 km.

5 verified cycling cafés operate within riding distance of Avignon — places with proof of bike racks, workshops or club rides, not just a name.

By rail with SNCF: bike €10 (bike space) / free bagged. Budget airlines take boxed bikes for 45–80 € per flight — our bike-transport table lists every carrier with verified fees.

Mont Ventoux runs 21.0 km at 7.5% for 1569 m of ascent, topping out at 1897 m, with a maximum of 16.3%. It is the climb riders travel to Avignon for — the climb page carries the profile and every approach we have measured.

Mont Ventoux — 21.0 km at 7.5%, category HC, 1569 m of ascent. Category comes from our own scoring (average gradient squared × length), so it is comparable across every climb on the site.

Riding from Avignon starts easy and turns serious as soon as you leave the river plain, so the day is usually flat first and steep later. The first hour rolls through vineyards and orchards on quiet, well-surfaced lanes, then the ground tilts towards the Vaucluse hills with Mont Ventoux on the horizon as a constant reference point. On the flat, wind matters more than gradient, and it can turn a gentle valley road into real work. A mid-ride café stop is normal here and worth building into the route.

Put Mont Ventoux first and build the rest of the trip around it; everything else in the area is a supporting act. The Gorges de la Nesque from Villes-sur-Auzon (10.9 km at 2.0%, +217 m) is more spectacle than test, while Col de Murs from Venasque (11.9 km at 3.9%, +465 m) gives you a proper rhythm climb without wrecking you. For a hard day that isn't the summit, Col de la Liguière from Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt is a cat 1 at 13.6 km and 5.4%, averaging into +733 m. Combe de Lourmarin from Cadenet (11.2 km at 1.3%) is the easiest way through the hills.

Yes, Avignon works well for a beginner: the hard climbing is optional and the gentle riding is genuinely gentle. Combe de Lourmarin from Cadenet averages just 1.3% over 11.2 km, the Gorges de la Nesque climbs only 217 m across 10.9 km at 2.0%, and Col de Murs at 3.9% is a realistic first proper col. The valley roads between them are flat, so a newer rider can build volume without ever touching a steep gradient. Ventoux can wait for another trip.

Four to five riding days is the sweet spot for Avignon; anything shorter forces you to gamble everything on one Ventoux attempt. A sensible shape: an easy valley day to settle in, a rolling day over Col de Murs, the Ventoux day with nothing else planned around it, a recovery spin through the Gorges de la Nesque, then Col de la Liguière or Combe de Lourmarin to finish. Spread out like that, you also keep a spare slot in case the wind on the summit is unrideable on your first choice of day.

Yes, arriving in Avignon without a bike works perfectly well, since hire is available in the town itself. That makes the trip realistic for anyone flying in — Avignon Caumont airport sits about 9 km away, and you can be on local roads the same day without dealing with a bike box. Reserve ahead for the busiest months, and confirm that the gearing you get suits a climb of Ventoux's length before you commit to that day.