The EuroVelo 17 runs from the Mediterranean in France to Andermatt in Switzerland. The segment that goes from the Mediterranean to the south side of Lake Geneva is also known as the ViaRhôna. During our three week trip in Europe we did several segments of the routes. It was truly a highlight of our trip with some of the best infrastructure and services for cyclists we’ve ever seen on the segment from Avignon to Valence.
Segments
Montpellier to Beaucaire
We spent one day travelling along this part of the Via Rhôna/EV17 as part of a three week trip in Europe. This section is also part of the EV8 and we did it in the reverse direction from what is described here, i.e. we went from Beaucaire to Montpellier.
Scenery and Attractions
The area between Montpellier and Grau-du-Roi feels like a never ending beach town. There are public beaches along most of the Mediterranean coast and lots of high density communities and services right next to it. Then, between Grau-du-Roi and Saint Gilles, the Via Rhôna passes through the Camargue which is a wetland area with large lagoons and flamingos! The last segment from Saint Gilles to Beaucaire is through rural farmlands and along canals.
Cycling Conditions
This section of the Via Rhôna is okay. There is sufficient cycling infrastructure that you are on bike lanes most of the time, but they weren’t all in great condition. Some were bumpy and others were narrow. But it is better than nothing and it even looked like there were some new ones that had just been paved. There were a lot of cyclists in the areas near the beach as it seems to be a main mode of transportation.
This section of the Via Rhôna follows a cyclepath along Canal du Rhône à Sète. The infrastructure was pretty good and the area was busy with tourists and families.
This 18km section was awful! After turning off the cycle path in Gallician, the Via Rhôna follows a narrow departmental road (D779) with no shoulder and a fair bit of traffic. The wind in this area was also brutal the day we biked through, which added to the challenge. If we were to bike this route again, we would try to skip this section, but there don’t seem to be many alternatives in the area — no trains and no other roads.
This section was okay. Near Saint Gilles, the route follows country roads through quiet farmland. Then, at Bellegarde, it joins a cycle path along the Canal du Rhône à Sète for the rest of the way to Beaucaire.
Komoot links
For exact routing details along with additional photos, visit these links
Avignon to Valence
We completed the section from Avignon to Valence over three days, travelling northward. Everything about it was great — the scenery, the cycling infrastructure and the camping! We saw a lot of other touring cyclists so it seems to be a popular destination — but not overly busy in May when we were there.
Scenery and Attractions
There was so much beauty and so much history along this section! The route primarily follows the Rhone River and there were lots of good views along the way. There were also several small towns with great markets and in between there were historic bridges, vineyards, and nuclear plants! The hardest part was that we had headwinds for all three days! FYI. The predominant wind comes from the north, so heading south is the safer bet.
Cycling Conditions
Avignon to Bourg-Saint-Andéole
This section was great. It mostly followed a paved cyclepath or multiuse path along the Rhone River all the way between Avignon to Saint-Étienne-des-Sorts. From there to Bourg-Saint-Andéol, the route was more on country roads cutting through farmlands and getting our first glipses of rocky outcrops. The entire section was gradually uphill, but it was so gentle that it almost felt flat.
Another great section of the Via Rhôna, almost all on a cyclepaths. Upon leaving Bourg-Saint-Andéol, there was a nice greenway most of the way to Viviers. We took a slight detour into Viviers for coffee and even the small country road had a painted bike lane. After Viviers, the route crossed the Rhône River a couple times including on a historic suspension bridge just north of Montélimar. The section of the route between Montélimar and Cruas was often up on the dykes and very exposed to the headwind — it was a great path, but the weather did make it a challenging ride.
This section of the route is a mixture between greenways, country roads and urban infrastructure (near Valence). The route crossed a shared bridge near La Voulte-sur-Rhône that was busy, but we had no issues. We saw so many cyclists that we think the local traffic is just used to it. We had a bit of trouble navigating our way into Valence, but thankfully managed to find the separated bike lane that crossed the bridge into the city. From there, we followed a path along the river and easily found our way to the train station.
Komoot links
For exact routing details along with additional photos, visit these links:
Geneva to Montreux
We completed the section from Geneva to Montreux in 1.5 days. We started in Switzerland, went to France and then went back to Switzerland. The cycling infrastructure wasn’t as good as the segment from Avignon to Valence, but the scenery was beautiful.
Scenery and Attractions
The section along the south side of Lake Geneva was a mixture of busy towns along the lake and some fantastic views of the Alps. Highlights included the medieval town of Yvoire and the Réserve Naturelle des Grangettes at the eastern end of the lake. Riding into the mountains just felt surreal.
Cycling Conditions
In general, this section of the route was less developed than the other segments described above.
After leaving the train station in Geneva, it was a bit tough to find the route, especially at rush hour. But eventually, we found our way to some nice cycle paths that led out of the city. Eventually, the route headed uphill away from the lake. It passed through several vineyards on quiet country roads before returning to the lake near Hermance. Between there and Yvoire, the route was mostly on a cyclepath next to the main road, but there were some sections on the road itself or on some quieter country roads.
From Yvoire to Amphion-les-Bains, the Via Rhôna was okay, but nothing special. It passed through small communities, typically on bike lanes, but it just felt like suburbia. At that point, the main route continues along the main road, but we opted for the Via Rhôna alternative route that took us away from the lake and up into the hills. There was no specific cycling infrastructure, but the road was quiet and it offered some nice views of the lake. Just beyond Lugrin, there was no alternative but to join the main road (i.e. Route Nationale). Our campground host had warned us that the road can be busy and dangerous, so we were nervous, but at 7am on a Sunday morning it wasn’t busy and we only had about 10 cars pass us. After 5km, near Locum, we were able to turn off the main road and connect to a beautiful old rail trail. From there, and almost all the way to Montreux, the route was great. Nice cyclepaths with some great views.
Biking on a local road up a hill near Lugrin. 
Painted bike lane on a local street. 
Departmental Road with no shoulder 
Converted rail trail going under a historic bridge. 
Cycleway along Lake Geneva near Saint-Gringolph 
Crossing the Rhone River on a cycling bridge. 
Crossing through the Reserve Naturelle des Grangettes. 
Cycleway near Chillion Castle in Montreux
Komoot links
For exact routing details along with additional photos, visit these links
Accommodation
Here are the places we stayed while travelling along the EV17.
Le Grau-du-Roi: Camping Yelloh! Village Les Petits Camarguais
This campground was more like a resort with some campsites. There were several pools and several restaurants across several campsites. It was a 6km detour from Le Grau-du-Roi and the EV17, but it was a nice location for exploring the beach at La Espiguette. Our site was huge, but right next to a bouncy castle and the pool. We paid $43 (€27) for our site, which was the cheapest along this stretch.
Avignon: Camping Bagatelle
Camping Bagatelle is located directly across the Rhone River from the centre of Avignon. It is also close to both the train station and the Via Rhôna cycle route making it a very convenient place to stop. Our site was small, but adequate. There is a restaurant on site, but we opted to wander into town for our morning coffee. We paid $35 (€22) for our site.
Bourg-Saint-Andéol: Camping du Lion
Camping du Lion was a great, quiet campsite just off the Via Rhôna and about 1.5km north of Bourg-Saint-Andéol. When we were there in May it was very quiet, other than about 5-6 groups of cyclists like us. The sites had decent tree coverage and there were some covered picnic tables which are a rare find at campsites in Europe (from our experience)! We paid $35 (€22) for our site.
Cruas: Harmony Camping de Cruas
Harmony Camping was a true gem. It is located about 1km from the center of the small town of Cruas and is right next to the Via Rhôna. We opted for a bivouac which was a treehouse style accommodation. It had canvas roof with a sleeping area up top and an open area below with a picnic table. The mattress was provided, but we used our own sleeping bags. The campground also had an “Abricylo” which was a mini-home with a seating area, hot plate and microwave. It was the perfect spot for us to have dinner on a rainy night. The bivouac was just $52 (€33) for the night and probably our favourite accommodation option of the entire trip.
Geneva: TCS Camping Geneva
The TCS Camping Geneva is located on the east side of Lake Geneva, about 8 km from the city center. It is located down a pretty big hill from the Via Rhôna cyclepath, but the location was convenient for us. The tenting area was just a small field with one shared picnic table, but there was also some nice seating areas with a view of the lake. There was no official electrical connections, but we managed to charge our devices at a shared location. Despite being pretty simple, this was our most expensive camp site of the trip at $64 CAD (41 CHF) for one night, likely due to it (a) being in Switzerland and (b) being very close to Geneva.
Lugrin: Camping Le Rys
Camping Le Rys is a small, simple campground near the eastern end of Lake Geneva, just outside of the village of Lugrin. It is up a big hill from the Via Rhôna, but it was nice to get some climbing in and get some views of Lake Geneva. The campground host was so friendly — we went around the campground to pick the site we wanted and then she ran an extension cord to our site so we could get some electricity. Our site was large and grassy and very private compared to many of the other campgrounds we had been staying in. The cost was $40 (€26), so pretty cheap for the area, but it also lacked services (e.g. restaurant) that some of the other campgrounds had.
