Motorcycle accommodation in Vaucluse with secure parking

Vaucluse is one of those departments that hooks you from the first few kilometres. Between the switchbacks of Mont Ventoux peaking at 1,909 metres, the limestone-carved Gorges de la Nesque, and the winding Luberon roads threading through lavender fields and garrigue, the terrain is built for motorcycles. The hilltop villages follow one another like natural rest stops: Gordes, Roussillon, Venasque, Bonnieux, each worth killing the engine for a few hours. Provence here is not just scenery: the air smells of thyme and pine resin the moment you leave the tourist roads. Watch out for the Mistral wind, which can hit hard on exposed plateaus and ridgelines. Allow at least two to four days to cover the main routes without rushing. The department suits both relaxed touring and technical riding on the narrow backroads of the Luberon, sometimes on the same day.

What to see and do in Vaucluse?

Starting in Avignon is almost mandatory: the Palais des Papes, the largest Gothic building of the Middle Ages, and the Pont Saint-Bénézet are as impressive in person as their reputation suggests. To the east, Vaison-la-Romaine surprises with its vast archaeological site, Roman villa ruins, a 1st-century bridge and a medieval town clinging to its rocky spur. The Luberon villages form a natural circuit of their own: Gordes with its dry-stone lanes, Roussillon perched on ochre cliffs at 343 metres, Bonnieux commanding the valley below. Near Gordes, the Abbaye de Sénanque set among lavender fields is one of Provence's most iconic sights. Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, with its mysterious resurgent spring, makes a cool and welcome stop. On the food side, Vaucluse produces black truffles around Ménerbes, Carpentras strawberries, Venasque cherries and Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines. L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, threaded by canals and paddle wheels, is famous for its antique markets. Rustrel's Colorado Provençal offers dramatic ochre landscapes worth a short hike.

Motorcycle routes and road trip ideas in Vaucluse

Vaucluse packs some of the best motorcycle roads in the South-East into a surprisingly compact area. The D974 climb to the summit of Mont Ventoux from Bédoin is the classic: 21 kilometres of progressively tighter hairpins through pine forests then a near-lunar landscape at the top. From Sault, the ascent is more gradual and perfectly suited to those who want to soak in the lavender fields along the way. The Gorges de la Nesque are tackled via the D942 between Sault and Villes-sur-Auzon a vertiginous cliff road with little traffic and a decent surface. In the Luberon, the D36 from Apt toward Bonnieux rolls through sun-baked garrigue with satisfying linked corners under oak canopy. The Carpentras, Malaucène, Vaison-la-Romaine loop on the D938 and D977 skirts the Dentelles de Montmirail with fine flowing sections through vine-covered hillsides. The D25 into the Petit Luberon toward Oppède stays quiet even in high season, ideal for escaping tourist traffic. Heading back toward Avignon on the D901 in late afternoon, the low Provençal light over the Comtat Venaissin plain is something you won't forget.

Frequently asked questions