France is the second most popular destination for cycling tourism, only behind Germany

In recent years, the number of bicycle touring routes and services has risen sharply, making France the second most popular destination for cycling tourism. Marjorie Cessac discusses the popularity in an article on the Le Monde website.

The popularity of cycling vacations continues unabated

From his bar, he watches them go by: Honed athletes, frantic teenagers, retirees going for it. Parents, too, towing carts from which emerge little helmeted faces. “Now that it’s possible to ride around the lake, it’s developed at breakneck speed. There are people all the time,” explained Pierre, a waiter at the Société des Régates à Voile d’Annecy. “Open-air cafés have set up all along the shore,” he said. “Some locals also offer drinks to cyclists.”

With day tours, multi-day itineraries and long-distance trips, cycling tourism is booming in France, the world’s second most popular destination behind Germany, clocking in over 9 million cycling holidays per year. By 2022, 22 million French people had taken to two wheeled-vacations. “Local authorities invested €500 million in 2019 to promote this sector,” stated Véronique Brizon, managing director of ADN Tourisme, the national federation of institutional tourism organizations.

By March, France had completed 79.5% of the network planned in its national cycle route scheme – which aims to complete 26,115 kilometers by 2030 – and almost 95% of the Eurovéloroutes that cross it. “In 2022, average ridership on these European routes increased by 11% in France compared with 2021,” continued Brizon, citing the example of the Vélodyssée (its French name), which links Norway to Portugal via France, from Roscoff (Finistère) to Hendaye (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), on the Spanish border.

‘Before, we only did repairs’

To support the movement, a three-year “Accueil vélo” (“bikes welcome”) certification has been rolled out throughout the region. Today, 6,400 service providers have earned the credential. They include tourism offices, hotels, campsites, river ports, and even railway stations, all of which are committed to providing services for cyclists. These include a bike parking space, a respectable breakfast, route information, and repair tools.

Beside another crystal-clear lake, Lac du Bourget, in the small port of Aix-les-Bains, Compagnie des Bateaux has also earned the green designation. “Before, we only did repairs, but now we’ve upgraded,” explained Cécile Revol, head of reception. On the water, one of the shuttles has been redesigned to accommodate around 30 bikes. “Some families come from Chambéry, we take them to Conjux, then they return in the evening by boat,” she explained, pointing out that bike transport is free of charge.

After crossing to Hautecombe, the road climbs, then zigzags, with views across the lake to Chanaz. In this pretty village on the banks of the Savières canal, the proximity of the ViaRhôna – which winds its way from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean – has encouraged the emergence of accommodation for cyclists. At the campsite, a few safari tents are reserved for them. “Here, the advantage is that you can stay for just one night,” said David Lopes, a traveler enjoying the fresh air under the awning, his bike beside him. The campsite is recording a growing number of short stays when a minimum five-night reservation is typically required in July and August.

A little further on, a number of cyclists dressed in Tour de France gear enter the more spacious Le Shana hotel, which has also held an “Accueil vélo” certification for the past year. “We usually stay in more upmarket establishments,” said a retired Swiss man who had come from Culoz to climb the Col du Grand Colombier in the Jura mountains. “It’s our reward after the effort.”

A wide range of travelers

Community spirit is also thriving. In France, the region has the most members (over 1000) of the Warmshowers network. Founded in 1993, the US homestay website now attracts 182,000 members in 161 countries. Nicolas Mercat, the mayor of Le Bourget-du-Lac, is one of them. “For the last two weekends, we’ve hosted a traveler from Lyon who followed the ViaRhôna, then an American who went all the way to Greece,” said the cycling enthusiast, who is delighted to see so many newcomers.

For years, this avid traveler has pedaled his way around the world, staying “in Iran, Japan, Africa and elsewhere,” as he put it. In his commune, the large campsite has an area devoted to cyclists who wish to pitch their tent without prior reservation. Sites such as Welcome to my Garden and Facebook groups, like DodoCyclo, also provide tips for accommodation.

From penniless adventurers who camp to wealthy foreigners who sleep in Relais & Châteaux while enjoying fine wines in the evening, the profiles are varied. On average, however, these travelers spend more than the average tourist: €68 per day compared to €55. Local benefits are also evident. In five years, bicycle tourism on the Loire à vélo route and Brittany, for example, has doubled revenues.

Tour operators specializing in cycling tourism are also feeling the wind shift in their favor. The larger, trekking-oriented tour operators have integrated cycling into their offer. In May 2022, Terres d’Aventure acquired Europe’s number-one bicycle tour operator, the Austrian Eurofun Group. Increasingly in demand, these companies organize trips from A to Z, which even include luggage transfer by cab. “We’re seeing the emergence of a new clientele, people who aren’t necessarily very sporty, who go to the banks of the Loire, the Canal du Midi or Burgundy,” said Pascal Gaudin, head of Vélorizons.

The tour operator’s philosophy is to sound out the needs of the clientele in order to encourage them, when they can, not to use electric bikes. Because while they enable more people to participate, the assisted two-wheelers also create stress, with some riders not hesitating to let loose on bikes normally limited to 25 kilometers per hour. “A friend of mine saw one going 60 kilometers per hour the other day,” said Pierre, the Annecy bartender, who complained about the fact that typical complaints about cars and the race for speed have been transposed onto bike paths.

Bicycle fashion is also a fast-growing market segment, with corresponding price rises. Today, the trend is towards Gravel-type bikes (which combine road and off-road riding) and “bikepacking,” which involves wedging small, ultra-minimalist, lighter and more expensive bags under the handlebars, frame or saddle. “It’s also about increasing product ranges. Before, you couldn’t find panniers everywhere,” said Emmanuel Roche, an expert in cycling policies and an enthusiast of family trips abroad. “Now, in the same store, there can be 10 or 20 different models.” Purists agree: “We’re also in the midst of maximum consumption.”

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