From Marseille to Montpellier — France's south coast by bike

Camargue is where white horses graze on the left and pink flamingos stand in shallow waters on the right. It’s about pedalling against the strong Mistral northerly, or being blown along at a brisk 30 kph with it at your back. The extensive marshland in the middle of Provence in the south of France lies in the largest river delta in Western Europe and discovering this region by bike is pure bliss. Along narrow paths, Provence bewitches with its scents, as thyme grows right by the wayside.

In this Collection, I’ve divided the route between the vibrant port cities of Marseille and Montpellier into seven stages that vary from 30 to 80 kilometres (18–50 mi). As a result, you can undertake the adventure with only a moderate level of fitness and plenty of breaks to enjoy the sights. Overall, the route is mostly flat with little in the way of altitude gain. The trail takes you offroad on rougher tracks with fantastic panoramas. Due to its mixed surface, touring bikes or gravel bikes are best. This Collection is great for families and makes for a wonderful cycling holiday on the French Mediterranean coast. If you’re ambitious, you can easily combine stages and finish faster.

Between the two cities is the Camargue nature reserve, unique in its atmosphere and biodiversity. On your way, you’ll come across picturesque fishing villages, deserted natural sandy beaches, shimmering pink salt lakes and countless native flamingos in the wild. The stages end in pretty coastal towns like Martigues, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer or Sète.

In the high season, it’s advisable to contact accommodation well in advance. The route is very well developed for tourism: there are numerous campsites, holiday flats and hotels. A wonderful option for accommodation is the Warmshowers cycling community, a network of cycling enthusiasts who offer overnight stays in their homes. Staying with locals gives you a completely different perspective on the places you visit and you can make great acquaintances.

The starting point of Marseille is easy to reach by train from across Europe. You can take your bike with you and enjoy a low-emission and sustainable holiday. At sncf-connect.com/en-en you can find out about routes and prices for French trains. If you travel from Germany, book the route to Paris with a German travel agent and the route from Paris to Marseille with a French travel agent, you will get a much better deal. It also pays to book early. There are numerous connections from Montpellier to Germany via Paris as well.