• The Hotel de Ville Poitiers france France, Poitiers Hotel de Ville
    The Hotel de Ville Poitiers france
  • Twisted Gun Monument at United Nations Palace-de-Nations plaza grounds Geneva Switzerland Switzerland, Geneva UN Twisted Gun
    Twisted Gun Monument at United Nations Palace-de-Nations plaza grounds Geneva Switzerland
  • Chateau de Serrant Loire Valley France, Loire Chateau de Serrant
    Chateau de Serrant Loire Valley
  • Loire river at Gien France, Gien
    Loire river at Gien
  • Le Puy en Velay France, Le Puy en Velay
    Le Puy en Velay

Central French Motorcycle Tour - A Guided Motorcycle Tour

Rhone-Alpes, France

3 and 4 star hotels

This tour begins with a 4 night stay at Chateau De La Ragotterie the Best Western Premier Le Mans Country club where the Loire region is explored before moving to Dordogne region for a 4 night stay at Chateau de le Cote near Brantome where the Dordogne is explored.
On this guided tour you will ride some of the best motorcycle routes starting from Rhone-Alpes
We have not set dates for this tour yet and there may have added a new variant, so, check our tour diary. If you are interested in this tour or something similar then please contact us and we shall set a date, alternatively, browse our upcoming tours to see what's new.

Contact us to discuss your bespoke tour requirements.
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This 9 day, 8 night tour with 7 days riding begins and ends in Geneva, Switzerland but travels through the Rhone-Alpes to the Midi-Pyrenees.

Daily routes are 150 to 200 miles and involve around 6 hours in the saddle each day with stops approximately every 90 minutes. The format is to depart after breakfast and ride about 50 miles then stop for a morning refreshment break, ride another 50 miles and stop for lunch, ride a further 50 miles and stop for an afternoon refreshment break and ride the final 50 miles to reach the hotel. Accommodation is in good quality three and four star hotels booked for dinner, bed and breakfast. At Sarlet-la-Caneda we stay in the same hotel for a few nights taking a circuit from that hotel to better explore the area.

The tour passes through many renowned towns and villages. Riders will therefore experience some fantastic technically challenging roads whilst visiting interesting towns and historic sites.

Look at this itinerary and discover some of the most interesting motorcycle routes in france

Geneva sightseeing

War memorial chair with broken leg and fountains in GenevaThis is the day of arrival. Some will be travelling further than others and those who arrive earliest can spend the day sightseeing in Geneva. Take a bot trip on Lake geneva, see the famous Jet d'Eau fountain and flower clock, stroll through the botanical gardens, visit the Palace of Nations or the UN or for the more technically minded CERN.

You will simply not run out of things to do in and around Geneva in a week let alone a day so plan your route well to see as much as possible in the available time. Anything you missed you can probably catch when we return hear at the end of the tour.

Our hotel is rated 4 star and is just on the outskirts of the city making it ideal for parking whilst being within easy reach of all Geneva has to offer.

View Route Guide (indicative only, actual may differ)

Geneva to Le Puy (210 miles)

St Michael d'AliguilheWe depart Geneva and make our way through alpine roads to reach our first stop at Aix-les-Bains a French Spa Town located at the edge of the Lac du Bourget the largest natural lake of glacial origin in France. We stop for morning coffee beside largest fresh water marina in France.

We continue our journey to the small town of Saint-Jean-de-Bournay where we break for lunch. The surrounding countryside as we enter and leave the town is very picturesque as is the ongoing route.

For afternoon tea we stop in the city of Saint-Étienne. Although an ancient ecclesiastical city it is also famous coal mining region and for bicycle production.

We stop for the night at the medieval town of Le Puy-en-Velay. The towns 12th century cathedral is a Unesco World Heritage Site a starting place for pilgrims who make their way to Santiago de Compostela

View Route Guide (indicative only, actual may differ)

Le Puy-en-Velay to Sarlat-la-Canéda (185 miles)

 Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne We depart Le Puy-en-Velay and make our way to Saint-Flour where remains of Roman Vilas and Bronze age settlements exist. The town sits on a volcanic plug and is surrounded by a medieval town wall. It makes a most interesting stop for our morning coffee.

Leaving Saint-Flour we pass through the Rhone Alps mountains around 1700-1800 meters high on each side of the road. This brings some interesting twists and turns and a few hairpin bends but the road is two lanes wide and so not overly challenging. We rest for lunch at Aurillac at the foot of the Cantal mountains. The town is about 30k population and offers a good range of places to eat catering for most pallets.

Our afternoon ride takes us over some nice twisty roads and in to charming village of Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne with buildings dating back to the 9th century, The riverside makes an ideal stop for afternoon tea before ending the day in Sarlat-la-Canéda a town with the world’s highest number of historic monuments.

View Route Guide (indicative only, actual may differ)

Sarlat, Cahors, Rocamadour, Uzerche (190 miles)

RocamadourThere is so much to see in this town and surrounding region that we stay for a few nights and take a day trip to visit some of the other delightful towns in the area. Our first stop takes us to Cahors which rests on an Ox Box of the River Lot. The town has a rich history and was once a Roman City. It has also exported a black wine, AOC, since the middle ages.

We continue our circuit to Rocamadour where the buildings are literally built into the cliff. It makes a most interesting lunch time stop.

After lunch we make our way to Uzerche, once described as the pearl of the Limousin. Perched on top of a rocky outcrop the town has long been fortified and many historical buildings remain well preserved in the town.

The final leg of the route takes us back to our hotel in Sarlat.

View Route Guide (indicative only, actual may differ)

Sarlet to Chinon (215 miles)

We depart Sarlet to begin our return journey. The first stop takes us to Brantome (left) where there is an 8th century Benedictine Monastery that has the oldest bell tower in France. The Dronne riverside makes an attractive spot to stop.

We continue our route north to Confolens on the Charente and Limousin border. The medieval wall that once fortified this town is still evident and the town makes a charming spot to stop for lunch.

The next stop on our trail is Poitiers where we shall stop in a coffee on the central square overlooked by the Hotel de Ville.

The final leg of this trip brings us to Chinon a town nestling on the banks of the Vienne river close to its joining the Loire. During the Hundred Years’ War the future Charles VII of France stayed here and this was where Joan of Arc visited the King to request permission to raise an army. The defensive nature of the Chateau at Chinon becomes evident as we approach, you will see that it dominates the landscape and will be seen from a distance and those on the front of the 3 star hotel that dates back to the 16th century can look out their window and up to the Chateau.

View Route Guide (indicative only, actual may differ)

Chinon to Orleans (120 miles)

There are so many wonderful Chateaux in the Loire Valley and we expect you will want to visit at least one such as Chambord (right). It can take time to thoroughly explore and so we cut down the riding taking a short route up the Loire and ending the day in Orleans. We will decide the night before which Chateau appeals most to the group and may split into smaller groups if opinion is divided.

Our 4 star hotel is in the Art Deco style and centrally located in Orleans and so Maison de Jeanne D’Arc, the museums and cathedral are just a short stroll away.

View Route Guide (indicative only, actual may differ)

Orleans to Digoin (180 miles)

 la-charite-sur-loire We depart Orleans following the course or the Loire river. We make several river crossings as we make our way towards Digoin an d you will see many Chateaux along this route. Our first stop is at the town of Gien which has a rather impressive Chateau built in the 15th century for Anne de Beaujeu a daughter of Louis XI's. Among the items of interest is a museum dedicated to hunting.

After our break we continue following the Loire break arriving at La Charité-sur-Loire a small town of medieval origin with a grand cathedral. The town regularly hosts music festivals so we might catch some entertainment during our lunch time stop

Our third stop of the day is at Nevers. There has been a town here since Roman times. The present day town has narrow winding streets, some ecclesiastical buildings and a palace (presently used as a Court).

After the break we depart the continue along the banks of the Loire to reach our final destination of the day at Digoin. A popular village with travellers because it is the spot where the Central Canal meets the Loire.

View Route Guide (indicative only, actual may differ)

Digoin to Geneva (170 miles)

We complete our journey to Geneva via Chalon-sur-Saône, Lons-le-Saunier and Morez. Our first stop of the day is at Chalon-sur-Saône which was once a busy port for local wines that were transported via the river and the Canal du Centre. The town also claims to be where photography was invented and there are many early photographs in the museum.

Our lunch time stop is at Lons-le-Saunier at the foor of the Jura’s Although the town has Roman origins a fire destroyed most of the ancient buildings and most of what remains today has been built in the last few hundred years. The Town Square has a nice fountain and statues.

After lunch we continue into the Jura’s and onwards to Morez where you will see some very interesting railway viaducts crossing the river and along the mountainside. The small town of Morez is famed for clocks and spectacle production.

The final leg of this journey continues the route over the Jura’s and into Geneva where we end the trip back where we started.

The accommodation is once again the 4 star hotel on the outskirts of the city where those on the tour with hired bikes will return them.

View Route Guide (indicative only, actual may differ)

Route Variation

Please note that maps are indicative because it is not always possible to enter all the waypoints and on the day of departure as we need to review our routes based upon the latest traffic and weather information available making changes as and when necessary.

Ask for more details about this Tour Provisionally Book This Tour Learn about our group discounts

Motorcycles For Rent in Rhone Alpes, France, Available on this Tour

Most motorcycles available for hire are obtained directly from local mainstream dealers and are subject to change especially if the tour listed was last run in previous years. We can source others to ensure most riders needs are accommodated. However, apart from our own fleet we do not have exclusive access to third party rental motorbikes and so models, availability and prices must be confirmed. Prices and terms are set by the dealers who supply the machines and they are liable to update them regularly.

BMW F700GS Rent BMW F700GS

Restrictions: Theft-Damage deposit €1500 (credit card authorization only)

Weekly Hire From: Euro €595

BMW F800R Rent BMW F800R

From the 'Roadster' range, the F 800 R is an extremely capable motorcycle and makes an excellent touring bike.

Restrictions: Theft-Damage deposit €2000 (credit card authorization only)

Weekly Hire From: Euro €550

Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom Rent Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom

Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom. Very easy to handle, with its low seat, and its 1200 cc, it will take you to the end of the road ! You will be seated in a typical but comfortable Harley riding position thanks to the forward-mounted foot controls. You can stretch your legs !

Restrictions: Minimum age 25, minimum experience 1 year, Excess €650

Weekly Hire From: Euro €695

BMW R1200RT Rent BMW R1200RT

The most accomplished touring motorcycle for many years and it remains the bike of choice for long distance touring.

Restrictions: theft-Damage deposit €2000 (credit card authorization only)

Weekly Hire From: Euro €925

BMW R1200RS Rent BMW R1200RS

When fitted with panniers this makes a great touring bike and is a classic 'roadster' version of the iconic BMW boxer engine

Restrictions: heft-Damage deposit €2000 (credit card authorization only)

Weekly Hire From: Euro €825

Harley-Davidson Dyna Low rider Rent Harley-Davidson Dyna Low rider

Harley Davidson Dyna Low rider is best suited to those with shorter legs. It takes the best of the 70s style with modern technology for an unforgettable ride. Enjoy the torque and power of the big twin cylinder 1690 cc !

Restrictions: Minimum age 25, minimum experience 1 year, Excess €1000

Weekly Hire From: Euro €857

Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Limited Rent Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Limited

Harley Davidson Electra Glide. With the HD top class tourer, you will for sure never forget the ride. Great comfort, for both the pilot and passenger. Listen to your music, relax and enjoy the view !

Restrictions: Minimum age 25, minimum experience 1 year, Excess €1000

Weekly Hire From: Euro €1,190

BMW R1200GS Rent BMW R1200GS

There is no better Enduro bike. BMW created this class with the R 80 GS over 30 years ago and it's gone from strength to strength ever since.

Restrictions: heft-Damage deposit €2000 (credit card authorization only)

Weekly Hire From: Euro €875

Other makes and models of motorcycle may be available for hire on special request, so, if you have a preferred ride just ask and we shall see what can be arranged.

Further details

Parties interested in this tour should get in touch now to intimate interest via our Enquiries Form or email hi@mctours.eu or phone +44(0)141 416 0230