FAQs - OUR VILLA BASED TOURS.

FAQs - OUR VILLA BASED TOURS.

OUR FAQs:

OUR ANSWERS:

What do your self guided tours include?

Isn't it a bit restrictive staying in just one place?

We don't think so. On the comfort front, with a single base bike tour there is no daily packing, unpacking and all the boring logistics of moving to the next hotel.
There is also no luggage restriction, which is no mean thing when you need both cycling and normal holiday equipment.
You'll also hopefully benefit from the personal touch and our local knowledge when you stay in just one place at the villa.
On the cycling front, we have more than enough great routes to keep you busy for the 5/6 days, with 30+ superb, self guided bike rides that start and end at the villa. We have great cycling in every direction, so there's no need to ride the same area twice. And if you want to we can also design and load rides to the GPS especially for you.

My partner doesn't like to bike as much as me - how would that work with your tours?

Our self guided bike tours are designed to be flexible. You really can strike the balance between biking & relaxation that you want.
So for example, what about a ride in the morning for the both of you, taking in the beautiful river source village of Fontaine de Vaucluse.
Then in the afternoon - the pool and a short ride to Gordes for the more serious biker.
And a dip in the pool & a book for the less serious biker followed maybe by a car ride to meet up in Gordes for a coffee.
The options are endless.
And remember, we also have electric bikes available for hire, if you want to make the cycling easier (at €208 per person for your stay) - please enquire at the time of booking.

Does a GPS tour mean I'm on my own?

Not at all.
First of all, it's pretty hard to get lost with one of our GPS systems. We haven't lost anyone yet...
But should that happen or should you suffer a rare mechanical problem then vehicle back up is just a call away.

Fitness - what level of fitness is needed?

You don't need to be super fit to do our cycle tours, as you choose the rides to suit you. To make it easier our rides are rated by difficulty - Easy, Moderate, Hard & Hardest.
We would recommend, however, that you do not come new to cycling and to exercise - you'll enjoy it more that way!
Ideally preparation for a tour would involve 1 or 2 rides per week over different terrains (for 4 weeks prior) of at least an hour each. This will get you used to riding and being comfortable on a bike, whilst getting used to providing a decent level of effort.
Note that our rides often take the least hilly option to get to a destination - but of course if you want hills and hundreds of lovely kms, we can do that too. And remember, of course, if you wanted to make the cycling easier with an Ebike we can organise that for you (at €208 per person for your stay). If you have any doubts here - please just contact us.

I'm not a very strong rider - can I still do one of your tours?

You can choose the difficulty of your ride with the lowest kms and the easiest routes up any hills. But if this still seems too much, we can provide you with an electrically assisted bike. It's a €208 extra charge for your stay - Please enquire at the time of booking.
With the Ebike you get to select the amount of assistance you want & the level of effort you give. The bikes are easy to ride, highly autonomous with a minimum range of 60kms to a max of 100kms.

Tour size - what are your self guided tour sizes?

Our villa based tours cater from a minimum of 2 guests up to 6.
We have three rooms, two with double beds and 1 with 2 single beds, that can also easily be moved together to form a large double. There are two bathrooms. Also when you book the villa, it is just yours for the entirety of your stay, we do not sell any unused rooms to other groups.

Where is the villa situated?

We are based in Provence, in the village of Taillades in the beautiful and renowned Luberon valley and Regional Park, in the south of France - 40 minutes from Avignon and 1 hour to the Med.
The vast majority of roads that we use are quiet countryside back roads. The terrain is best described as flat (an extension of the Rhône river delta) to rolling, low altitude hills (along the Luberon valley). There are, however, steeper, longer hills (the Vaucluse mountains) to the north that we can take you to if that's what you want.
Taillades is located on the flat near the entrance to the Luberon valley, between Avignon & Apt running West / East, and L'Isle sur la Sorgue & Cavaillon running North / South.
The villa is set in and alongside an attractive newly renovated development from the 1800s, just opposite the well-known St Pierre Mill and its 6m high water wheel. It is within easy striking distance of the vast majority of the famous Luberon stone villages.
The villa is situated just 6km from Coustellet from where we run our B&B based bike tours, so we are never far away should we be needed.
Click here to access our Location page.

Weather - What's it like?

With its Mediterranean climate, the area enjoys some of the best weather in France, with an average of 300 days of sunshine per year, and little rain.
It really does make for some excellent cycling weather!

Spring - Mid Spring - April onwards usually means great biking in Provence and you could be forgiven for thinking it's Summer with temperatures between 16 & 23c. It will probably be warm enough to wear short sleeves & shorts during the day.
Early mornings and late afternoons can be a little fresher, so long sleeves and leggings may be needed.
Like most places this time of year, you could be unlucky and could get the odd shower, so rain/wind jackets need to be brought just in case.

Summer - "La Belle Saison" with clear skies, sun and very little and often no rain. Average maximum afternoon temperatures are between 26 & 30c, so great cycling weather. We do need to be careful though and make sure we drink enough (camelback water bottles are a good idea), use sun block and wear the right light weight gear, you'll probably be wearing short sleeves & shorts.
Evenings are usually lovely of warm.

Autumn - Provence usually continues to see some great maximum temperatures - between 15 & 25c, real "Indian Summer" territory.
Around the end of September evenings usually start to cool down so you will probably need warmer gear then.
You could also be unlucky from October, and get the odd shower, so wet weather gear needs to be bought just in case.
Don't be put off though, as Autumn is a great time to visit Provence: good temperatures, fewer tourists & the days are still fairly long. We usually stop our tours around the end of October as that's when the likelihood of a shower starts becoming too great for us.

Winter - Although we have some great clear days with lots of radiant heat, it's generally too cold to run tours, so we close. The mistral is also at its strongest in Winter and early Spring.

The Mistral wind - Provence is famous for the mistral wind, thankfully it's weaker in the Luberon valley than it is further to the west.
A normal mistral wind speed is situated between 20 & 45 mph. It can make cycling harder but rarely is it a show stopper. Bring a wind jacket just in case.
The upside of the mistral wind is that it's a dry wind that chases the clouds away bringing lovely bright sunshine, so it's not all bad - it's most frequent in Winter and in early Spring, when we are closed.

Rain - you would be unlucky if you got anything more than a shower - very rarely is it so heavy that we can't cycle.
If you do get a bit of rain, there are however lots of ideas for rare rainy-day activities: many museums, historic sights, interesting towns, lots of shopping etc.

Average Max Temp Celsius Fahrenheit
MARCH
The almond trees are in full blossom!
16°C 61°F
APRIL
The cherry trees are in full blossom!
21°C 70°F
MAY
The Perfect cycling conditions!
The poppies & flowers are out - It's beautiful!
23°C 74°F
JUNE
The perfect cycling conditions with lovely warm spring weather!
It's strawberry & cherry time and the lavender is in blossum!
27°C 81°F
JULY
Summer time in Provence: Blue skies, long evenings.
The lavender is in blossom!
30°C 86°F
AUGUST
Summer time in Provence: Blue skies, long evenings.
33°C 91°F
SEPTEMBER
Beautiful "Indian Summer".
Ideal for cycling! The wine harvest begins.
27°C 81°F
OCTOBER
Beautiful "Indian Summer".
Ideal for cycling! The wine harvest continues.
24°C 75°F

Can children do your self guided tours?

As a general rule, and as with most tours, our holidays tend to be suitable for kids of 15 and over.
Our tours are, however, flexible so you can make the cycling as easy as you find suitable for you and your family. With some guidance from us, you can choose the right rides, distances, amount of climbing & attractions that you are comfortable with.

Do I need to speak French?

No, is the quick answer, we are an English / French family so you are ok on that front.
As for the restaurants, cafés and shops etc, they are used to seeing non-French speakers, so many will have some level of English.
Though any effort to speak French - even the very basics will usually go down well.

Amenities - what amenities are there around the villa?

In Taillades village there is a good restaurant and a bakery. Then within a 5 minute ride or 2 minutes car journey, you have Robion village, with lots of good restaurants and cafes, pizza take away, bakeries, 2 butchers, bio fruit and veg, a cash point, a mini supermarket, 2 pharmacies and an English speaking doctor.
Then 5 minutes in the other direction we have the town of Cavaillon, with several supermarkets, and all the amenities and services you would expect.

Tour dates - What tour dates do you run?

We run our self guided bike tours from April to October inclusive. They are designed to be flexible, with tours starting on Saturdays. Arrivals are from 12 Noon to 6pm - departures by 10am. Please contact us for any questions regarding tour dates.
Please click here to go to the page "Prices & Dates".

Local Restaurants - What are they like?

We have a list of our and our guests' favourite tried and tested restaurants & cafés which should be useful for your lunches and evenings out. There are some very good restaurants for all budgets, and they are easy to get to, from a 5 minute walk into the village or from a 5 - 15 minute drive to a nearby village. These restaurants and cafes have been marked on your GPS units to make finding them more easy.

What about meals when we are at the villa?

As you may have seen there is a large choice of good restaurants and cafés available for both lunch and dinner, for when you fancy a meal out.

But what about when you want to eat at the villa? First you're going to need some ingredients. One of the options is the various local markets. There is the superb Sunday morning farmers market in Coustellet just 5kms away, great for local fresh Provençal produce: fruit, vegetables, cheeses, meats etc. There are other good large local food markets in Apt, L'Isle sur la Sorgue, Petit Palais and nice smaller markets in Roussillon and Gordes.
In terms of shops there is a good bakers one minute's walk away from the villa and there are butchers, bakers, fruit & veg shops and a small supermarket nearby in Robion, just a two minutes' drive away. Coustellet, just a 10 minutes' drive away, has a superb bakers, the farmers shop, quality wine cellars, a reputed chocolatier, quality delicatessens, a fishmongers, a bio shop and more.
Then with a 5 minutes' drive you have a large Auchan hyper market, that has a wide range of food and domestic products.

Once you have the ingredients, you should have everything you need to cook up a feast for family and friends at the villa . The spacious and attractive kitchen has been equipped to a high level with a built-in oven, induction hob, American fridge, built-in microwave, dishwasher, plenty of pots and pans, coffee machine, toaster etc...

Then the only thing left to decide is where to have the meal, it's either the dining area inside, with its six person solid wood table and plush chairs or it's outside on the terrace under the pergola to enjoy the warm weather. With plenty of Provençal tablecloths, table furnishings, quality wine glasses and plenty of crockery etc, there is all you need to enjoy the occasion and that well-earned dinner.

There is also a large Weber charcoal BBQ available so you can make the most of the good weather.

Lunch - What are the possibilities?

Of course you have various choices.
There are many excellent restaurants and cafes in the Luberon villages & towns that you will visit on our rides.
Our preferred restaurant listing points you in the right direction regarding type of food and budget.
Or if you prefer you can always find a takeaway baguette sandwich or buy bread from one of the numerous excellent bakeries. You could also visit one of the many Provencal markets, and finding a scenic picnic spot should not be a problem!

I would say that the majority of our bikers prefer to have a lighter lunch, so as not to make afternoon cycling too uncomfortable. This can work well as there are lots of simpler, but good, local cafes where you can get lighter fare; lots of salads, omelettes etc. The daily ride notes that you take with you flag up where you can find our single favourite lunch spot (along with other choices) in each of the villages visited. These restaurants and cafes have been marked on your GPS units to make finding them more easy.
Should you want a more informal lunch, there are many bakeries (takeaway baguette sandwiches, breads, cakes etc...) and markets where you can stop and put yourself together a nice provencale picnic. Picturesque spots, to stop and enjoy your food abound, along the routes that we follow. Obviously, should you want a more full on lunch experience the notes will also point you in the right direction.

Special Dietary Requirements - Do restaurants cater for them?

I would say French restaurants in general, do not cater very well for requirements that are out of the French norms, as France is very attached to its traditional cuisine. Vegetarians tend to fare the best, as most decent restaurants will have an alternative, it's just the choice won't be huge.
For lactose intolerance, gluten free and vegan food, in general, but not always, it will be more of a question of having to choose carefully amongst the existing menu items.

Laundry - How do I wash my bike clothes?

There is a large capacity washing machine at the villa, as well as a ironing board and iron. For drying clothes there is a drying rack and the Provençal sun. Please note that we don't have a tumble dryer at the villa.

Do you provide any supplies?

Yes, we provide you with a Starter Kit, enough to get you going with some: milk, tea and coffee, cordial, sugar, S&P, olive oil, toilet rolls, kitchen roll, washing-up liquid, washing powder and dishwasher liquid.
We provide pillows, bedlinen, towels, toilettries (showel gel, shampoo, handsoap, washing-up liquid as grease remover) and hairdryers.
There is also a vacuum cleaner, mops, dustpan & brush...

Wi-Fi - do you have it?

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the house and on the terrace.

When is the Lavender harvested?

Lavender is in bloom from June through to mid July, this is usually when the harvest starts - it's dependent on the weather that has preceded.

Are pets allowed at the villa?

Sorry but no, as we need to keep it pet free for people with allergies.

OK that's a lot about the bike tours - but who are we?

We are Natalene, Neil, Lucy & Jamie an Anglo French family who have been living in Provence since 2004.
We made the move from London after many excellent holidays cycling in the area. Following the success of our B&B business we created Provence Cycling Holidays, thus combining our B&B experience, with our long held passion for biking and the great back drop for cycling that is the Luberon!
Then in 2017, given the success of our B&B based bike tours, we set up a second business, with our Villa based tours out of the village of Taillades, just 7kms from the B&B. These are also GPS tours, but based in our lovely new build villa and on a self catering basis.

If you can't find the question that you want to ask here - please email or call us.

FAQs - OUR VILLA BASED TOURS.

OUR FAQs:

OUR ANSWERS:

What do your self guided tours include?

Isn't it a bit restrictive staying in just one place?

We don't think so. On the comfort front, with a single base bike tour there is no daily packing, unpacking and all the boring logistics of moving to the next hotel.
There is also no luggage restriction, which is no mean thing when you need both cycling and normal holiday equipment.
You'll also hopefully benefit from the personal touch and our local knowledge when you stay in just one place at the villa.
On the cycling front, we have more than enough great routes to keep you busy for the 5/6 days, with 30+ superb, self guided bike rides that start and end at the villa. We have great cycling in every direction, so there's no need to ride the same area twice. And if you want to we can also design and load rides to the GPS especially for you.

My partner doesn't like to bike as much as me - how would that work with your tours?

Our self guided bike tours are designed to be flexible. You really can strike the balance between biking & relaxation that you want.
So for example, what about a ride in the morning for the both of you, taking in the beautiful river source village of Fontaine de Vaucluse.
Then in the afternoon - the pool and a short ride to Gordes for the more serious biker.
And a dip in the pool & a book for the less serious biker followed maybe by a car ride to meet up in Gordes for a coffee.
The options are endless.
And remember, we also have electric bikes available for hire, if you want to make the cycling easier (at €208 per person for your stay) - please enquire at the time of booking.

Does a GPS tour mean I'm on my own?

Not at all.
First of all, it's pretty hard to get lost with one of our GPS systems. We haven't lost anyone yet...
But should that happen or should you suffer a rare mechanical problem then vehicle back up is just a call away.

Fitness - what level of fitness is needed?

You don't need to be super fit to do our cycle tours, as you choose the rides to suit you. To make it easier our rides are rated by difficulty - Easy, Moderate, Hard & Hardest.
We would recommend, however, that you do not come new to cycling and to exercise - you'll enjoy it more that way!
Ideally preparation for a tour would involve 1 or 2 rides per week over different terrains (for 4 weeks prior) of at least an hour each. This will get you used to riding and being comfortable on a bike, whilst getting used to providing a decent level of effort.
Note that our rides often take the least hilly option to get to a destination - but of course if you want hills and hundreds of lovely kms, we can do that too. And remember, of course, if you wanted to make the cycling easier with an Ebike we can organise that for you (at €208 per person for your stay). If you have any doubts here - please just contact us.

I'm not a very strong rider - can I still do one of your tours?

You can choose the difficulty of your ride with the lowest kms and the easiest routes up any hills. But if this still seems too much, we can provide you with an electrically assisted bike. It's a €208 extra charge for your stay - Please enquire at the time of booking.
With the Ebike you get to select the amount of assistance you want & the level of effort you give. The bikes are easy to ride, highly autonomous with a minimum range of 60kms to a max of 100kms.

Tour size - what are your self guided tour sizes?

Our villa based tours cater from a minimum of 2 guests up to 6.
We have three rooms, two with double beds and 1 with 2 single beds, that can also easily be moved together to form a large double. There are two bathrooms. Also when you book the villa, it is just yours for the entirety of your stay, we do not sell any unused rooms to other groups.

Where is the villa situated?

We are based in Provence, in the village of Taillades in the beautiful and renowned Luberon valley and Regional Park, in the south of France - 40 minutes from Avignon and 1 hour to the Med.
The vast majority of roads that we use are quiet countryside back roads. The terrain is best described as flat (an extension of the Rhône river delta) to rolling, low altitude hills (along the Luberon valley). There are, however, steeper, longer hills (the Vaucluse mountains) to the north that we can take you to if that's what you want.
Taillades is located on the flat near the entrance to the Luberon valley, between Avignon & Apt running West / East, and L'Isle sur la Sorgue & Cavaillon running North / South.
The villa is set in and alongside an attractive newly renovated development from the 1800s, just opposite the well-known St Pierre Mill and its 6m high water wheel. It is within easy striking distance of the vast majority of the famous Luberon stone villages.
The villa is situated just 6km from Coustellet from where we run our B&B based bike tours, so we are never far away should we be needed.
Click here to access our Location page.

Weather - What's it like?

With its Mediterranean climate, the area enjoys some of the best weather in France, with an average of 300 days of sunshine per year, and little rain.
It really does make for some excellent cycling weather!

Spring - Mid Spring - April onwards usually means great biking in Provence and you could be forgiven for thinking it's Summer with temperatures between 16 & 23c. It will probably be warm enough to wear short sleeves & shorts during the day.
Early mornings and late afternoons can be a little fresher, so long sleeves and leggings may be needed.
Like most places this time of year, you could be unlucky and could get the odd shower, so rain/wind jackets need to be brought just in case.

Summer - "La Belle Saison" with clear skies, sun and very little and often no rain. Average maximum afternoon temperatures are between 26 & 30c, so great cycling weather. We do need to be careful though and make sure we drink enough (camelback water bottles are a good idea), use sun block and wear the right light weight gear, you'll probably be wearing short sleeves & shorts.
Evenings are usually lovely of warm.

Autumn - Provence usually continues to see some great maximum temperatures - between 15 & 25c, real "Indian Summer" territory.
Around the end of September evenings usually start to cool down so you will probably need warmer gear then.
You could also be unlucky from October, and get the odd shower, so wet weather gear needs to be bought just in case.
Don't be put off though, as Autumn is a great time to visit Provence: good temperatures, fewer tourists & the days are still fairly long. We usually stop our tours around the end of October as that's when the likelihood of a shower starts becoming too great for us.

Winter - Although we have some great clear days with lots of radiant heat, it's generally too cold to run tours, so we close. The mistral is also at its strongest in Winter and early Spring.

The Mistral wind - Provence is famous for the mistral wind, thankfully it's weaker in the Luberon valley than it is further to the west.
A normal mistral wind speed is situated between 20 & 45 mph. It can make cycling harder but rarely is it a show stopper. Bring a wind jacket just in case.
The upside of the mistral wind is that it's a dry wind that chases the clouds away bringing lovely bright sunshine, so it's not all bad - it's most frequent in Winter and in early Spring, when we are closed.

Rain - you would be unlucky if you got anything more than a shower - very rarely is it so heavy that we can't cycle.
If you do get a bit of rain, there are however lots of ideas for rare rainy-day activities: many museums, historic sights, interesting towns, lots of shopping etc.

Average Max Temp Celsius Fahrenheit
MARCH
The cherry trees are in full blossom!
16°C 61°F
APRIL
The cherry trees are in full blossom!
21°C 70°F
MAY
The Perfect cycling conditions!
The poppies & flowers are out - It's beautiful!
23°C 74°F
JUNE
The perfect cycling conditions with lovely warm spring weather!
It's strawberry & cherry time and the lavender is in blossum!
27°C 81°F
JULY
Summer time in Provence: Blue skies, long evenings.
The lavender is in full blossom!
30°C 86°F
AUGUST
Summer time in Provence: Blue skies, long evenings.
33°C 91°F
SEPTEMBER
Beautiful "Indian Summer".
Ideal for cycling! The wine harvest begins.
27°C 81°F
OCTOBER
Beautiful "Indian Summer".
Ideal for cycling! The wine harvest continues.
24°C 75°F

Can children do your self guided tours?

As a general rule, and as with most tours, our holidays tend to be suitable for kids of 15 and over.
Our tours are, however, flexible so you can make the cycling as easy as you find suitable for you and your family. With some guidance from us, you can choose the right rides, distances, amount of climbing & attractions that you are comfortable with.

Do I need to speak French?

No, is the quick answer, we are an English / French family so you are ok on that front.
As for the restaurants, cafés and shops etc, they are used to seeing non-French speakers, so many will have some level of English.
Though any effort to speak French - even the very basics will usually go down well.

Amenities - what amenities are there around the villa?

In Taillades village there is a good restaurant and a bakery. Then within a 5 minute ride or 2 minutes car journey, you have Robion village, with lots of good restaurants and cafes, pizza take away, bakeries, 2 butchers, bio fruit and veg, a cash point, a mini supermarket, 2 pharmacies and an English speaking doctor.
Then 5 minutes in the other direction we have the town of Cavaillon, with several supermarkets, and all the amenities and services you would expect.

Tour dates - What tour dates do you run?

We run our self guided bike tours from April to October inclusive. They are designed to be flexible, with tours starting on Saturdays. Arrivals are from 12 Noon to 6pm - departures by 10am. Please contact us for any questions regarding tour dates.
Please click here to go to the page "Prices & Dates".

Local Restaurants - What are they like?

We have a list of our and our guests' favourite tried and tested restaurants & cafés which should be useful for your lunches and evenings out. There are some very good restaurants for all budgets, and they are easy to get to, from a 5 minute walk into the village or from a 5 - 15 minute drive to a nearby village. These restaurants and cafes have been marked on your GPS units to make finding them more easy.

What about meals when we are at the villa?

As you may have seen there is a large choice of good restaurants and cafés available for both lunch and dinner, for when you fancy a meal out.

But what about when you want to eat at the villa? First you're going to need some ingredients. One of the options is the various local markets. There is the superb Sunday morning farmers market in Coustellet just 5kms away, great for local fresh Provençal produce: fruit, vegetables, cheeses, meats etc. There are other good large local food markets in Apt, L'Isle sur la Sorgue, Petit Palais and nice smaller markets in Roussillon and Gordes.
In terms of shops there is a good bakers one minute's walk away from the villa and there are butchers, bakers, fruit & veg shops and a small supermarket nearby in Robion, just a two minutes' drive away. Coustellet, just a 10 minutes' drive away, has a superb bakers, the farmers shop, quality wine cellars, a reputed chocolatier, quality delicatessens, a fishmongers, a bio shop and more.
Then with a 5 minutes' drive you have a large Auchan hyper market, that has a wide range of food and domestic products.

Once you have the ingredients, you should have everything you need to cook up a feast for family and friends at the villa . The spacious and attractive kitchen has been equipped to a high level with a built-in oven, induction hob, American fridge, built-in microwave, dishwasher, plenty of pots and pans, coffee machine, toaster etc...

Then the only thing left to decide is where to have the meal, it's either the dining area inside, with its six person solid wood table and plush chairs or it's outside on the terrace under the pergola to enjoy the warm weather. With plenty of Provençal tablecloths, table furnishings, quality wine glasses and plenty of crockery etc, there is all you need to enjoy the occasion and that well-earned dinner.

There is also a large Weber charcoal BBQ available so you can make the most of the good weather.

Lunch - What are the possibilities?

Of course you have various choices.
There are many excellent restaurants and cafes in the Luberon villages & towns that you will visit on our rides.
Our preferred restaurant listing points you in the right direction regarding type of food and budget.
Or if you prefer you can always find a takeaway baguette sandwich or buy bread from one of the numerous excellent bakeries. You could also visit one of the many Provencal markets, and finding a scenic picnic spot should not be a problem!

I would say that the majority of our bikers prefer to have a lighter lunch, so as not to make afternoon cycling too uncomfortable. This can work well as there are lots of simpler, but good, local cafes where you can get lighter fare; lots of salads, omelettes etc. The daily ride notes that you take with you flag up where you can find our single favourite lunch spot (along with other choices) in each of the villages visited. These restaurants and cafes have been marked on your GPS units to make finding them more easy.
Should you want a more informal lunch, there are many bakeries (takeaway baguette sandwiches, breads, cakes etc...) and markets where you can stop and put yourself together a nice provencale picnic. Picturesque spots, to stop and enjoy your food abound, along the routes that we follow. Obviously, should you want a more full on lunch experience the notes will also point you in the right direction.

Special Dietary Requirements - Do restaurants cater for them?

I would say French restaurants in general, do not cater very well for requirements that are out of the French norms, as France is very attached to its traditional cuisine. Vegetarians tend to fare the best, as most decent restaurants will have an alternative, it's just the choice won't be huge.
For lactose intolerance, gluten free and vegan food, in general, but not always, it will be more of a question of having to choose carefully amongst the existing menu items.

Laundry - How do I wash my bike clothes?

There is a large capacity washing machine at the villa, as well as a ironing board and iron. For drying clothes there is a drying rack and the Provençal sun. Please note that we don't have a tumble dryer at the villa.

Do you provide any supplies?

Yes, we provide you with a Starter Kit, enough to get you going with some: milk, tea and coffee, cordial, sugar, S&P, olive oil, toilet rolls, kitchen roll, washing-up liquid, washing powder and dishwasher liquid.
We provide pillows, bedlinen, towels, toilettries (showel gel, shampoo, handsoap, washing-up liquid as grease remover) and hairdryers.
There is also a vacuum cleaner, mops, dustpan & brush...

Wi-Fi - do you have it?

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the house and on the terrace.

When is the Lavender harvested?

Lavender is in bloom from June through to mid July, this is usually when the harvest starts - it's dependent on the weather that has preceded.

Are pets allowed at the villa?

Sorry but no, as we need to keep it pet free for people with allergies.

OK that's a lot about the bike tours - but who are we?

We are Natalene, Neil, Lucy & Jamie an Anglo French family who have been living in Provence since 2004.
We made the move from London after many excellent holidays cycling in the area. Following the success of our B&B business we created Provence Cycling Holidays, thus combining our B&B experience, with our long held passion for biking and the great back drop for cycling that is the Luberon!
Then in 2017, given the success of our B&B based bike tours, we set up a second business, with our Villa based tours out of the village of Taillades, just 7kms from the B&B. These are also GPS tours, but based in our lovely new build villa and on a self catering basis.

If you can't find the question that you want to ask here - please email or call us.

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