OK with a little effort I have added in one of the greatest climbs of Europe. I will be changing the ride dates a little because of the train schedules. The trains do not run that often on Sunday so we will be changing the day off / Mont Ventoux to Monday and changing the Monday ride to Sunday.
Here is how it works, when you go to get your rail tickets don't buy train tickets from Paris to Grenoble and back. Go to the web site I will provide and buy a 3 day rail pass for about the same price as a out and back ticket from Paris to Grenoble. The 3 day pass will allow you to pick three days of train riding so the third day will be your trip out to Orange and back where we will start and finish the ride to Mont Ventoux. The ride will be 20 miles of flats to Besoin have coffee and a croissant and 8 miles to the top. down the back side to Malaucene for lunch and back to Orange to catch the train back to Grenoble. The train runs about every hour, so we can make it back to Orange when we please and take the train back to Grenoble on our day pass.
Three day train passes are $215 per person or $190 for a saver pass but you have some restrictions.
A simple round trip ticket would cost you around $200 per person. I would not purchase a first class pass simply because most of the trains we will be taking do not have a first class section.
After you receive your three day pass through Fedex hang on to it. when you get to Paris CDG go down stairs and present it to the teller and ask for a seat assignment, if you are late just jump on the train and get a seat assignment from the ticket taker but make sure that you have filled out your pass for your first day of travel. If you get a seat assignment from the ticket booth that will go over that with you.
Traveling with your bike?
all trains in French allow bikes to be brought abroad but need to be in a case or bike bag. Now, back and forth between Paris and Grenoble our bikes will be in a bike box but the trip down to Orange will be a little different, I will purchase large trash bags for everyone in Grenoble. You remove your front wheel place it in a bag and place your frame with rear wheel and your bagged front wheel in a large bag, that is all they require. I have never had a problem with the trains.
Note: remember that when returning to Paris that you need to get train tickets to Paris not Paris CDG.
