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Bike touring in Provence
Question: I have a friend who asked me to get on the Internet and find out about bicycling tours in Provence. Got any recommendations?

Graham Banks
Chicago, IL
wahz@suba.com

�����ԹϺ��� Adviser: Tell your friend that he/she’s in luck. A whole slew of outfitters run group bike tours to Provence, one of Europe’s primo destinations for two-wheeled travelers. One major plus about skinny-tire touring–especially with seasoned pros who have already scouted out the best cafes in advance–is that it’s possible to eat
yourself silly every night without gaining obscene amounts of weight.

Butterfield & Robinson offers four separate trips through the region, ranging from five to eight days and starting at a land cost of $2,255 per person. Nights are spent in plush chateaux along the way. Carbo-loading for the 35-mile days shouldn’t be a problem: You’ll have ample opportunity to gorge yourself on distinctive Provençal cuisine as you pedal through
medieval hill towns and olive groves. Blue Marble Travel also offers a seven-day inn-to-inn trip out of the Nimes for a land cost of $1,395 per person.

If your friend’s looking for something a bit more rugged, he/she can always forego elegant evenings in local castles for nights spent camping amidst thick oak forests and lavender fields. Backroads’ seven-day spin through the Luberon and Vaucluse region of Provence costs $1,048 per person, not including international airfare.

For more information and summer departure dates, call the outfitters directly: Butterfield & Robinson (800-678-1147), Blue Marble Travel (201-326-9533), Backroads (800-462-2848).