14th - 21st June 2025 (Sold out)
30th August - 6th September 2025
5 to 30° C
Level : Intermediate to Advanced
Cycle Geneva to Nice
12 Alpine passes
Ride from the Mont Blanc Region
to the Mediterranean Sea
550 kms in 6 days
Your Tour de France Adventure
Overview
Ride from Geneva to Nice over "La Route des Grandes Alpes"
You will ride twelve alpine passes including col du Galibier, col du Télégraphe, and col d'Izoard. These mountains are regularly used in the Tour de France and will test your limits. Along the way you will ride hors category cols and gems such as the 'Shoelaces' of Montvernier..
Only 15 Spaces Available - Book Now to Secure Your Place
Test your Limits in the French Alps
Starting in the Mont Blanc region you will ride south for six days, until you reach Nice, on the Mediterranean Sea. Six days, 550kms riding the alpine passes the pros face every year offers a challenge like no other. Riding in the French Alps will test your abilities as a rider.
Supported Tour de France Style
We use support cars carrying spare parts, drinking water, and food. Martin will also be riding with you passing on coaching advice and knowledge. Martin is a professional cycle coach with years of experience. He ensures you will reach each stage of Geneva to Nice under your own steam. He and his team are on hand should a repair be needed. We want to keep you on the road as much as possible.
Logistics - From airport transfers to moving your luggage from hotel to hotel, we have you covered on Geneva to Nice
We've got you covered. We have good relationships with the hotels and some provide washing facilities for your kit. Every hotel provides secure bike storage. Our logistic mastery stretches to providing you with porridge in the morning.
Experience the Spectacular and the Beautiful
Riding the "Route des Grandes Alpes" is an experience which immerses you in the spectacular awe inspiring beauty of the French Alps. It is hard to describe the feeling as you ride higher and higher into the mountains. It is simply something you have to do.
We ride together, we eat together, and camaraderie forms
Our guests tell us they make new long lasting friendships on our tours. If you are wondering if you can enjoy riding Geneva to Nice if you're travelling alone, the answer is yes.
Highlights...
Audrius Simaitis – "Fabulous Tour, immaculate organisation, attention to every detail, tailored professional advice during the rides and real camerado atmosphere. Highly recommended! "
Itinerary, Cycling Location, and Profile
We'll ride 12 Alpine Passes:
- Col de la Colombière (1128m) 1st category. Distance 19.8 km, average gradient 5.6%. Maximum gradient 10%. Height gain 1066m
- Col des Aravis (1486 m) 1st category.
Average gradient: 5.7% ; maximum gradient : 8.6%. Distance 21.3 km ; height gain 756 m. - Col de la Madeleine (1993 m) hors catégorie
Distance 25,3 km average gradient 6,2 % ; height gain. : 1585 m - Les lacets de Montvernier: Les lacets de Montvernier isn't a col but is noteworthy thanks to its tightly packed string of 17 hairpin bends. The bends are no more than a 100 metres apart and it has gradients of between 8-9%. If you have ridden Sa Colobra in Mallorca, you know how amazing this can be. Put on your climbing legs!
3.4 km, average gradient 7.3%, elevation gain: 505 m - Col du Télégraphe, 1st category (1566 m), 12 km, average gradient 7%, height gain 851 metres
- Col du Galibier (2646 m) hors catégorie
18.1 km, average gradient 6.9%, elevation gain: 1245 m - Col du Lautaret (2058 m)
We descend towards it from col du Galibier and then further down towards Briançon - Col d'Izoard (2360 m)
Average gradient: 5.7%, maximum gradient : 9.4%. Distance 20 km ; height gain 1141 m. - Col de Vars (2108 m)
Average gradient: 5.7%, maximum gradient : 8.7%. Distance 19.4 km ; height gain 1111 m - Col de la Bonette (2802 m) hors catégorie
Average gradient: 6.6%, maximum gradient: 9%. Distance 24,1 km ; height gain 1589 m ; the highest asphalted road in France and the highest through road in Europe - Col St Martin (1500 m) : 1st category
16.5 km, average gradient 6.2%, elevation gain 1018 m - Col de Turini (1607 m) 1st category
Average gradient: 5.2%, maximum gradient : 9.3%. Distance 15.3 km ; height gain 1107 m - Col de Castillon (707 m) 3rd category
Average gradient: 5.1%, maximum gradient : 6.8%. Distance 7 km ; height gain 349 m
Prices and dates
Prices shown per person sharing (pps) are based on 7 nights, double occupancy, half board, support, food & drinks during the rides, airport transfers in Geneva and Nice
EB* = Early Bird for deposit received before 15.11.2024 R** = regular price from 16.11.2024
Geneva to Nice Cycle: from Sat 14th to Sat 21st June 2025 (Sold out)
Geneva to Nice Cycle: Sat 30th August to Sat 6th September 2025
7 nights, sharing en-suite room
Only 15 places available on this epic week (to guarantee the quality of the service!)
EB* Price 2 719 €/pps
R** 2 919 €/pps
Single supplement: 70 €/night
Please read the Geneva to Nice Terms and Conditions prior to booking.
What's included / not included
What's Included
- Group transfers airport-hotel-airport for you and your bike, in Geneva and Nice on Saturdays of arrival and departure within a predefined time window (check recommended flight details)
- Transfer bike boxes from Geneva to Nice and daily luggage transport
- 7 nights HB
- Foods during the rides: lunch, water, energy bars & gels, other snacks & drinks
- Transport for you and your bike should you wish to have a shorter day or experience difficulty
- Mechanical assistance for your bike
- Secure overnight bike storage
- Martin and Thierry on the bike with you for pacing and coaching
- Flora's organisational and logistical talents and stretching if time allows
Not Included
- Flights
- Single Supplement
- Drinks during the meals and other private expenses
- Sports massage available in certain hotels. Fees apply
- Private medical & Travel insurance
- Bike hire is not totally unavailable for this trip, but not easy.
Services & Information
Accommodation details
We'll stay in 7 different hotels on our ride through the Alps, most of them are very good 3 star houses. The rooms are en-suite.
All hotels have been selected and visited by SportActive and have been used in our previous Geneva to Nice tours.
The dinner menus are pre-planned for the whole week in order to enjoy diversified dishes. Breakfasts are suited to cyclists' needs with cereals, eggs, ham, cheese, fresh fruit etc. We even organize your porridge, should we make it ourselves in the kitchen! (it happens!)
Sports massage is available on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights. Sunday & Monday the masseurs comes to the hotel; Tuesday the hotel has a Spa with masseurs on site. We need to pre-book the massages, of course.
Your hotels of the week are the following:
- Hôtel**** La Ferme du Lac
- Hôtel Radiana***
- Hôtel de l'Europe*** St Jean de Maurienne
- Lautaret Lodge & Spa
- Aztéca Hôtel ***
- Hotel Le Saint Sebastien-Vesubie
- Hôtel Prince de Galles ****
Flights & Airport Transfers
2025 Flight info
The flights to use for this holiday, if flying from Ireland, are the following:
June 2025
- Outbound - Sat 14/6/2025 Dublin to Geneva Cointrin airport with Aer Lingus: flight EI684, 13:15 - 16:35
- Homebound - Sat 21/6/2025 Nice to Dublin with Aer Lingus: flight EI545, 15:20 - 17:05
August 2025
- Outbound - Sat 30/8/2025 Dublin to Geneva Cointrin airport with Aer Lingus: flight EI684, 13:15 - 16:35
- Homebound - Sat 6/9/2025 Nice to Dublin with Aer Lingus: flight EI685, 17:10 - 18:30
Group airport transfers will be organised for the above indicated flights.
If flying to Geneva from other airports, landing around 12:00 would be convenient; we'll arrange an additional transfer to the hotel.
When departing from Nice on Saturday (the homebound date), we'll organize group airport transfers for flights departing latest at 16:00.
Should your flight be at a later time or date or very early morning, we'll help you organise your airport transfer.
It is best and easiest for you to book the flights yourself.
Weather & seasonality
Due to high altitude temperature and weather can change quickly. It can be 30 °C in the valley to lower than 10 °C on top of the climbs.
We advise taking a range of warm clothing including:
- Leggings,
- Arm warmers
- Gilet
- Long sleeve wind/rain jacket
- Light long finger gloves
- Overshoes
Thunderstorms are likely to happen in this season. Be prepared!
Request my Holiday Details
Download the Brochure
You can download the Geneva to Nice PDF brochure :
Testimonials
Testimonials
Dear Sportactive team,
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I could take up such a challenge that is Geneva Nice. I would like thank you all, Flora, Martin and Thierry for your incredible support and professionalism.
I doubted myself as to whether or not I had the legs for this. I figured that if you had faith in me I should also.
Thank you for a wonderful week that I will never forget.
Guylaine Letendre - Quebec - Canada - Wonderful and challenging Geneva Nice
Testimonials
This was my sixth trip with Sportactive, the support they give is, as always, superb.
Advice, technical assistance, pacing (very important on long climbs), food, hotels are provided in a personalised and thoughtful, ’sympa' way.
Everyone gets to ride at their best and at the pace they prefer. I was very lucky again this year to be in the presence of other experienced, well-prepared cyclists.
We had fun on the road and over the nourishing French cuisine in the evenings.
Seamus Shortall - Dublin – Ireland - Geneva to Nice 2016