Travers to Lyon (53 kms)

There are a few hills in this stage, and the traffic to contend with in Lyon, but mostly the riding is easy. From Travers, continue along D65H, through la Brosse, and then briefly rejoin the D65. After 100 metres, take the D52A on your left, towards the lovely village of Hières-sur-Amby (7 kms). Ride through the village and then towards Bourcieu and Vernas (10 kms) on the D65E, which becomes the D65b after it crosses over the D65. In St. Romain de Jalionas (12.5 kms), take the D55 on your right, towards Chavanoz (16 kms). Keep following the D55 through Villette d’Anthon and Jons (24 kms).

Cross the Rhone shortly after leaving Jons, going towards Nievroz (28 kms). Follow the D61 as you leave Nievroz, riding towards Thil (32.5 kms).





From here we followed the unpaved path alongside the river until Mirabel (40 kms), only running into a bit of trouble when we had to cross a pedestrian bridge with some of the walkway missing (it is possible to go around this if the bridge remains unfixed and proves too difficult to cross). For a paved alternative, take the D61b out of Thil up to the Route de Genève (N84), turn left towards Mirabel.

Ride through Mirabel, turning left at the end of the village to cross the Pont de l’Ile. From here you can follow the bike path through the impressive Parc Miribel-Jonage and probably into Lyon. We left the path to stick with our GPS route, but I would expect one of them to go into the city and provide a safer passage. We arrived on a Sunday, so the traffic was light.

Culoz to La Balmes les Grottes / Travers (85 km)

There are quiet backroads through the French countryside, quaint villages, and many opportunities to travel close to the river. This stage is reasonably flat and not overly difficult. However, on the day we did the ride, the headwind was strong, making it not as pleasant as it could be.

Crossing to the western side of the Rhone at either Seyssel, or Culoz, follow D992 to Belley (18 kms). As with many sections of the ride from here on, it is possible to follow the unpaved service roads on the banks of the Rhone for much of this part, if you choose.

From Belley, head towards les Eccassas, Brens (24 kms), Chantmerie, then Peyrieu (30 kms). The next town to aim for is Murs-et-Gélignieux - you can get there from Peyrieu either by climbing over the hill, passing through the village of Fay, or following close the river on or near the D992. After Gélignieux (37 kms), take the D19c passing through la Bruyère and Brégnier-Cordon. In the next town, Glandieu (42 kms), there is a waterfall by the main road that is worth a stop. There are also some nice looking restaurants in town.

Continue on the D19 to St-Benoit (47 kms) and le Port de Groslée (50 kms). Here there are some nice parks on the banks of the Rhone, and a restaurant. Although it was after 1pm, and we were hungry, we kept going along the D19 to Flevieu, where we stopped for a nice lunch and refill of our water bottles. Keep following the D19 through Briord, Serrières-de-Briord (64 kms), the Barrage de Villebois, Sault-Brénaz (70 kms) and Saint-Sorlin (75 kms).

Following the D40a, take the next bridge across the Rhone, towards La Balmes les Grottes (82 kms). This town has some famous caves that are probably well worth visiting. However, being time-limited, we pressed on to the accommodation we had booked in Travers (85 kms), conveniently located on the bike path. Here we stayed at the lovely chambre et table d’hôtes at Chez Sylvie. The beautiful farmhouse and gardens of Sylvie and her husband Didier, provided a perfect place to rest, and to practice our French. The evening meal, eaten with the Didier family on their terrace, was absolutely fantastic, as was the breakfast the next day.

Geneva to Culoz (67 km)

This section takes you through the beautiful vineyards and countryside south of Geneva, then over the border into France. It is moderately demanding, with several steep descents and climbs, particularly around the Defile de l’Ecluse, where the Rhone squeezes through the Jura mountain range.

As you’d expect, there is a bit of traffic to pass through Geneva, but the bike paths are good. Once outside of the city, the countryside opens up into beautiful vineyards and villages. There was a nice restaurant in Laconnex, where we stopped for an early lunch.

After Chancy (17kms), stay on the same side of the river, crossing the French/Swiss border before reaching la Joux. Once through Valliery (23kms), there is a great view across the canton of Geneva to the Jura. Leave the N206 to head towards Vulbens and Chevrier (32kms). At the Defile de l’Ecluse, stop at the lookout to see the view of the Fort d’Ecluse opposite, and the Rhone below.



After a steep descent, and a corresponding climb, you reach the small village of Arcine (39kms). The next village to head towards is Clarafond, followed by Chêne-en-Semine, Challonges, and Veytrens D’en Haut, before reaching the beautiful town of Seyssel (53kms). There you should find plenty of places to eat, or stay.

We went on to Culoz (67kms), in order to get the train back to Geneva (one of the few places where the route meets this train line). There is limited accommodation in Culoz, so if you’re planning to continue down the Rhone the next day, it’s better to stop in Seyssel.