- L’Autre Chemin
- Séjours
- The Cistre bike route
From €530 / pers
The Cistre bike tour
A cycling trip to share with family or friends across the high plateaus of Mézenc – Domaine de la Cistre: This herb, also known as “Alpine Fennel,” provides all the aromas of the Fin Gras du Mézenc when dried. You’ll explore the village of Moudeyres and its thatched cottages, Lake St. Front, and, of course, Mézenc. You’ll cycle along easily accessible paths and picturesque, quiet back roads.
You will cycle along easily accessible paths and quiet, picturesque backroads. Short stages between your overnight stops (though you are free to take detours and extend the adventure if you wish)
- Routes with no major challenges (you can always dismount if you encounter a tricky section)
- Scenic yet quiet roads that allow you to ride with a sense of safety Delightful sights to discover: the Étang des Barthes, the volcanic Lake Saint-Front, Mount Mézenc, and the Recoumène Viaduct
- Note: This trip is suitable for families (family room) with children aged 3 to 6 (in a trailer) and children aged 9 and up (on e-bikes).
To plan your stay, check out our tips!
What we like: Taking the time to soak up the high plateaus of Mézenc, the stop in Moudeyres with its thatched cottages.
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The advantages of your bike tour:
- You travel independently and follow a specially adapted route.
- Easy to find your way: you’ll have access to a digital route-guidance app
- Your accommodation is booked on a half-board basis (except for the last night in Le Puy-en-Velay – for the 7-day trip – which includes overnight stay & breakfast only).
- Your luggage is delivered to each stage (1 bag max. 13kg / person – Dimensions: length + width + height < 120cm)
- With extra : For this trip, the bikes provided by the agency come with a “Esprit Serein” commercial warranty – For more information, see the Insurance section.
- Our travel bikes for this trip
- Note: This trip is suitable for families with children aged 3 to 6 (in a trailer) and children aged 9 and up (on e-bikes).
Your route:
- Elevation gain 1,930 m – Country roads and trails
- Self-guided cycling tour, you choose your departure
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Medium difficulty – Paths sometimes a little stony and small country roads
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Family: Children aged 11 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
- Program day / day
- What's in your bike tour ?
- Extras
- Accommodation
- Access to Le Puy-en-Velay
- Need help ?
Please note that every stopover is given as an indication and may be modified according to the availability of accommodation
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.
B&B basis
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
> Bobbin Lacemaking Training Center
> The Henry Vinay Garden (Horseshoe Park)
You will join the Puy Greenway, which will take you peacefully to Coubon, where you will follow the Saint-Régis path to Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille. Your route will continue along small roads and forest tracks to take you to Freycenet-la-Tour and finally Moudeyres and its thatched cottages.
Discover:
Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille
> The Abbey of Saint Chaffre, which combines Romanesque and Gothic styles.
> The Church of St. John the Baptist
> The circular fountains and wash houses
> Museum of Popular Beliefs
> School Museum
> The European Cultural Space (exhibitions)
> The Recoumène Viaduct
• Freycenet-la-Tour
> 11th-century church
> Etang des Barthes
• Moudeyres
> The Perrel Brothers Museum
> The village and its thatched roofs
> The two houses of La Béate
You will arrive on the high plateaus of Mézenc and discover the volcanic lake of Saint-Front, pastures as far as the eye can see, the livestock and dwellings so characteristic of the plateau which suggest the harshness of the winters. Before reaching Les Estables, you'll cross the volcanic Narces of Chaudeyrolles and then follow the foot of Mont-Mézenc...
Depending on your fitness, you can extend the stage and discover the Souteyros waterfall and the charming thatched cottage hamlet of Bigorre (18 km).
Discover:
• Saint-Front
> The typical highland village
> The 12th-century Romanesque church
> The volcanic lake
> The thatched cottage village and the Bigorre Ecomuseum
• Chaudeyrolles
> The Maison du Fin Gras
> The Narces (The Narces)
• Les Estables
> The Croix de Pécata – starting point for the Mézenc climb
> The Croix de Boutières – An incredible view
> The church of Les Estables
You'll continue your bike ride to Freycenet-la-Cuche via small roads and trails that will offer a true immersion in nature. You'll return to Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille after crossing the magnificent Recoumène viaduct (a structure created for the Transcévennes railway line, which never saw trains. It was supposed to connect Le Puy-en-Velay to Aubenas, but the automobile decided otherwise...).
You'll then reach the Loire Gorges and then the greenway to return to Le Puy-en-Velay.
- 5-day stay: Bed and breakfast accommodation.
- 4-day stay: You may choose not to stay in Le Puy-en-Velay; your luggage can be collected from 5:00pm at our partner carrier's location in Le Puy.
Discover:
• Freycenet-la-Cuche
>The Church
>The Fortified House
• Longetrée
>The Longetraye Cave
• La Trasncévenole
>You'll pass through remarkable buildings
• Solignac-sur-Loire
>The Beaume waterfall, harmoniously blending volcanic rock and turbulent water
>The ramparts of Solignac overlooking the Loire Valley
>The Saint-Vincent Church in Solignac-sur-Loire
End of our services after breakfast
Prices include:
- Accommodation in a double, twin, or multiple-occupancy room
- Half-board except the final stopover (5-day stay) in Le Puy, booked on a bed-and-breakfast basis
- Tourist taxes,
- Luggage transfer between stages (max. 1 bag of 13 kg per person – dimensions: length + width + height < 120 cm
- Access to the guidance app and travel diary,
- Access to the navigation and travel log app
- Route map (one copy per travel group)
- Telephone support
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
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 panniers + the commercial guarantee “Sereine mind”: +€120/bike
- Non-electric hybrid bike rental with two panniers + the commercial guarantee “Sereine mind”: +€75/bike
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Electric mountain bike for children aged 9 to 12 + “Esprit Serein” commercial warranty: €100/bike
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Trailer available for children aged 3 to 6
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 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.
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.
Half Board
When you choose a half-board trip, which generally includes a set-menu dinner and breakfast, we invite you to let us know about any food allergies or special dietary requirements you may have. Please note that breakfast may be either continental or international, depending on the accommodation.
The establishments should normally be able to accommodate the needs of travellers:
- with confirmed food allergies (allergies involving the immune system and potentially causing severe reactions such as anaphylactic shock), such as allergies to honey, nuts, shellfish, etc.
- vegetarians (Due to the complexity and significant constraints this places on accommodation providers, we are unfortunately unable to organise trips catering for a vegan diet.)
- following a diet for religious reasons
For food intolerances (digestive difficulties in processing certain foods, with symptoms that are purely digestive, such as lactose or gluten intolerance) and other dietary restrictions, we will inform the accommodation providers in advance. However, some establishments may find it difficult to accommodate all dietary requirements, which are becoming increasingly common. We therefore thank you in advance for adapting your food consumption to the meals provided during your stay and, if necessary, bringing any additional foods or supplements you may require, such as gluten-free bread.
Please note: Additional charges may apply for special diets, depending on the policies of individual accommodation providers.
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 – 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
- Estrouilhas Parking: Parking without video
- Quincieu Park and Ride Parking: Parking without video
- Montredon Park and Ride Parking: Parking without video
- Dunant Parking
- Train Station Parking: Video-monitored parking – €6 / 24 hours
- Carmes Parking: Video-monitored parking – €40 / week – Reservation: +33 7 68 10 76 81
- Foch Parking – 6 avenue du Maréchal Foch – Video surveillance – 7 days: €40 – Reservation: +33 7 68 10 76 81
- Saint-Jacques Parking – 13 bis de Roderie – Aiguilhe – Video surveillance – Reservation: +33 4 44 43 97 43 – 7 days: €35
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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