From €895 / pers.
with luggage transfer

Crazy about Allier, a cycling trip to discover the Gorges du Haut-Allier
Distance
285km
Duration
7 days
Steps
Stages > 50km - Difficulty 4/5
Le village de Prades au coeur des gorges de l'Allier

Crazy about Allier, your cycling trip in the Allier Gorges

A challenging cycling route that will take you to amazing places like the volcanic lake of Bouchet, Pradelles (one of the most beautiful villages in France), and especially the magnificent Gorges du Haut-Allier, which flow between Lozère and Haute-Loire. A hilly route rich in discoveries. Your route will follow part of the Stevenson Trail, easy paths through nature, and picturesque roads… All the ingredients to fully enjoy the incredible scenery of Haute-Loire and Haut-Allier. Your stops will be punctuated by pleasant and varied stops, offering you the opportunity to discover the local cuisine and meet the locals!

To plan your stay, check out our tips!

[WEBRESA]

The advantages of your bike tour:

  •  You travel independently and follow a specially adapted route.
  • You can also choose from modern electric bikes for comfort and convenience.
  • L’Autre Chemin also offers children’s bikes or child trailers.
  • Your stay is half-board 
  • Easy to navigate, you have access to a digital guidance app.
  • Your luggage is delivered at each stop (one bag max. 13kg/person).
  • For this trip, the bikes provided by the agency include the guarantee “Sereine mind”. For more information, see the Insurance section.
  • Our travel bikes for this trip
Your journey
Etapes du parcours Fou d'Allier

Your route:

  • Elevation gain 5,250 m – Country roads and trails
  • Self-guided cycling tour, you choose your departure
  • Medium difficulty – Paths sometimes a little stony and small country roads

  • Family: Children aged 13 and over (depending on their ability – variations and additional days are possible to make it accessible to younger children, please contact us)

  • Accommodation: In a private room (B&B, cottage, hotel, or alternative accommodations)
  • IMPORTANT: Cycling touring requires good self-management skills: Knowing how to change an inner tube, repositioning a derailed chain, and also good bike handling skills.
  • What climate? See our Frequently Asked Questions

Please note that every stopover is given as an indication and may be modified according to the availability of accommodation 

Puy de lumières ur la Cathédrale - Photo OT Le Puy - L. Olivier
Day 1: Your arrival in Le Puy-en-Velay

A day exploring the town of Le Puy-en-Velay.

An opportunity to discover the Velay city! You'll stroll through the secret streets of the upper town and discover the Cathedral, the starting point of the Way of Saint James.

Discover:
> The Cathedral and its Cloister, the starting point of the Way of Saint James
> Notre-Dame de France
> The Saint-Michel Chapel
> Crozatier Museum
> The narrow streets of the upper town
> The Hôtel-Dieu and its exhibitions
> The Polignac Fortress
> Monument passes on sale at the Tourist Office or at the monument ticket offices.
> Bobbin Lacemaking Training Center
> The Henry Vinay Garden (Horseshoe Park)

Le lac de Naussac
Day 2: Le Puy-en-Velay – Langogne - 59 km - D+1020m

Ride the Le Puy-en-Velay greenway, which follows a former railway line (Le-Puy-en-Velay / Langogne). Tunnels and viaducts will mark this route as you reach Costaros. Soon, you'll be riding the Stevenson Trail and crossing the meadows, heading due south to reach Pradelles, one of the most beautiful villages in France. You'll then cross into Lozère and discover the town of Langogne and Lake Naussac.

Discover:
• The engineering structures (viaduct, illuminated tunnels) of the greenway
• The village of Solignac-sur-Loire
• The Beaume waterfall
• The Church of St. Pierre de Cayres
• The volcanic lake of Bouchet

• Landos
> The washhouse and its fountain
> Church of St. Félix
> The Marais de Ribains

• Pradelles
> Visit the village
> Neo-Gothic church
> The view of Gévaudan

• Langogne
> Lake Naussac – Water sports and swimming
> The Calquières spinning mill
> Museum of Sacred Art

Séjour à vélo électrique dans la vallée de l'Allier
Day 3: Langogne - Pont d'Alleyras - 59 / 52km - D+1210/ 980m

You'll climb higher to discover Lake Naussac and then magnificent little villages such as Auroux, bathed by the Chapeauroux River. You'll travel through the Margeride to discover Grandrieu and the village of Chambon-le-Château.

Discover:
Viewpoints over Lake Naussac and the Margeride-style landscapes

• Auroux
> A charming village on the banks of the Chapeauroux River

• Grandrieu
> The granite village
> The lake
> The chapel of Saint-Méen

• Chambon-le-Château
> The Château

• Alleyras
> The Church of Alleyras and its small staircase to admire the landscape from above
> Unsupervised swimming at Pont d'Alleyras

La Chapelle de Rochegude
Day 4: Alleyras / St-Privat – 50 / 28km - D+1305 / 645m

Whether you're looking for a sporty day or not, the choice is yours. You can either follow the Allier River (by road) on a small road that gently climbs (before rising more steeply) to Saint-Privat-d'Allier (a stage of the Way of St. James), or you can gain some altitude by climbing back up to the Devès plateau, following wooded paths before reaching Montbonnet and the Way of St. James to reach Saint-Privat-d'Allier.

Discover:
• Saint-Didier-d'Allier
> The castle overlooking the Allier River

• Saint-Privat-d'Allier
> Horseback riding – Reservations available
> The Château of Saint-Privat-d'Allier
> The Priory and the esplanade overlooking the Allier Valley

Le Prieuré de Lavoûte-Chilhac en Haute-Loire
Day 5: Saint-Privat-d’Allier – Langeac – 60km - D+670m (Variante 31km - D+420m)

A spectacular day of e-biking with a panoramic "balcony route" and a magnificent road that follows the Allier River to St Arcons d'Allier, Chanteuges, or Langeac.
You'll then head towards the incredible town of Lavoûte-Chilhac, its Cluniac Priory, and its meandering Allier River.

Discover:
• Rochegude: The incredible Saint-Jacques Chapel

• Prades
> La Roche Servière
> The sarcophagus
> The ruins of the feudal castle
> The 12th-century church
> Supervised swimming

• Saint-Julien-de-Chazes: The Sainte-Marie-de-Chazes Church on the banks of the Allier

• Saint-Arcons-d’Allier: The village

• Chanteuges
> The Saint-Marcellin Church
> The National Conservatory of Wild Salmon

• Langeac
> Jacquemard Museum (lace)
> Agnès de Langeac History Museum - Monastery
> Saint-Gal Collegiate Church

• Lavoûte-Chilhac
> The Cluniac Priory
> The medieval bridge
> The Sainte-Croix Church

• Chilhac: The Blot Cliffs

Le château de Polignac sur fond de sucs volcaniques
Day 6: Langeac – Le Puy-en-Velay – 52 km - D+1150m

The route will take you to Siaugues Saint-Romain via small roads and paths. You'll discover the small village of Saint-Jean-de-Nay and a landscape quite different from the one you've traveled so far.
A route that will end with a magnificent panorama. The Puy-en-Velay basin will be revealed to you with the Mézenc highlands as a backdrop. You'll discover the fortress of the Counts of Polignac, the Chapel of Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe, Notre-Dame de France, and the Puy-en-Velay Cathedral.

End of stay with luggage collection from 5 p.m. at our partner's or optionally with an additional night in Puy-en-Velay (overnight stay & breakfast with luggage delivery to the hotel).

Discover:
• Siaugues-Sainte-Marie Saint-Romain
> Remains of the castle
> Limagne Marshes

• Saint-Vidal
> The fortress
> The 12th and 15th century church

• Polignac
> Tour of the fortress

• Le Puy-en-Velay
> The Crozatier Museum
> Notre-Dame de France
> The Hôtel-Dieu
> The Saint-Michel-d'Aiguilhe Chapel
> The Upper Town of Le Puy-en-Velay – Guided tour
> The Cathedral

Prices include:

  • Accommodation in a double, twin, or multiple-occupancy room with half-board 
  • Tourist taxes,
  • Luggage transfer at the stopover (one bag, max. 13kg/person),
  • Access to the guidance app and travel diary,
  • Telephone assistance.

Extras

  • Electric bike rental or a non-electric bike rental, two rear panniers, a helmet, a light repair kit,
  • Multrisks and cancellation insurance
  • Single supplement
  • Additional night in Le Puy-en-Velay (B&B basis)

This price does not include

  • Transportation and transfers to the starting point Meals other than those listed in the description
  • Multirisks and annulation insurance
  • Parking Bike rental
  • GPX tracks (we do not provide GPX tracks for our routes – guidance via the app)
  • Drinks, spending money, any visits or activities
  • Generally, anything not listed in the “This price includes” section

Administration fees

  • €12/person if ordered online
  • €15/person via quote

As an optional extra, L’Autre Chemin offers:

You want to rent a bike

  • Electric-assisted hybrid bike rental with two 20-liter panniers: +€185/bike
  • Non-electric hybrid bike rental with two 20-liter panniers: +€125/bike

If you plan to travel with your bike, please ensure certain points: If it is an electric-assisted bike, the battery must have a minimum power of 400 or even 500 watts. Please note: the battery must be removable; if not, please contact us to check availability. It is imperative that your bike is in perfect working order before departure. Remember to have it serviced. Please bring a suitable repair kit and a smartphone mount for the handlebars. Our routes combine small roads and trails; your bike must be a hybrid, mountain bike, or gravel bike with suitable tires. City and road bikes are therefore prohibited. Our trips are more or less sporty, and a basket on the handlebars is to be avoided, as are large city bags. You’ll be riding on trails, and this type of equipment risks destabilizing the bike’s balance and making it difficult to transfer bikes (similarly, front mudguards make it difficult to load bikes onto trailers, so avoid them). Any doubts? Contact us.

L’Autre Chemin has developed numerous partnerships with guesthouses and small traditional hotels to offer you the best of Haute-Loire and to ensure that each stopover is an opportunity to discover the architecture, the art of living, the gastronomy, but also a moment of exchange and meeting.

By Train

The town of Le Puy-en-Velay has a train station that takes you right to the city center, close to your first hotel and all the sights and shops. In short, it’s very pleasant to take the train from home to begin your cycling trip to Le Puy. Psst, even if the journey may seem long, when you arrive via Saint-Etienne, the tracks run alongside the wild Loire Valley, a very pleasant sight.

By Car

Le Puy is accessible by road, notably via two main roads: the RN88 from Saint-Etienne/Lyon or Aubenas/Mende, or via the RN102 (Clermont-Ferrand). There are suitable parking lots on site, but we’ll explain everything in your travel guide!

  • Paris: 515km
  • Lyon: 134km
  • Marseille: 300km
  • Toulouse: 350km
  • Montpellier: 250km

Where to park in Le Puy?

  • Breuil underground car park – Place du Breuil (near Ibis Styles and Ibis Centre) – Closed Sundays and public holidays – 7 days: €60 & 14 days: €100/14 days – Reservations: +33 4 71 02 03 54

Le Puy above-ground car parks – Rates: €10/week and €20/month. Subscriptions must be reserved and paid in advance at the Mobilité-en-Velay commercial center. Tel. +33 4 71 02 60 11 (open Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.) – Height limit 2.20 m & length 5.50 m maximum. These car parks are served by a free shuttle or the urban transport network.

  • Bertrand de Doue Parking: Parking without video (near train station, Ibis Styles & Budget)
  • Estrouilhas Parking: Parking without video (near Ibis Centre)
  • Quincieu Park and Ride Parking: Parking without video (near Ibis Centre)
  • Montredon Park and Ride Parking: Parking without video (free bus service to the city center)
  • Dunant Parking (free bus service to the city center)
  • Train Station Parking: Video-monitored parking – €6 / 24 hours (near Ibis Styles & Budget)
  • Carmes Parking: Video-monitored parking – €30 / week – Reservation: +33 7 68 10 76 81 (near Ibis Styles & Budget)
  • Foch Parking – 6 avenue du Maréchal Foch – Video surveillance – (near Ibis Styles & Budget) – 7 days: €30 & 14 days: €60 – Reservation: +33 7 68 10 76 81
  • Saint-Jacques Parking (Center served by bus) – 13 bis de Roderie – Aiguilhe – Video surveillance – Reservation: +33 4 44 43 97 43 – 7 days: €29 & 14 days: €55 (near Ibis Center)
  • La Malle Postale – Parking at 7km from Le Puy – Drop-off and pick-up guaranteed – 7 days / 7– 7 days: €30 & 15 days: €50 – Reservation: 04 71 04 21 79 Prices given for information purposes only, subject to change without notice

Whether you want to book your cycling trip to the heart of the Mézenc highlands or ask us any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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