Aloha Studio - GTMC

How to get to the GTMC?

Joining the GTMC route

As the whole route is 1,400km long, it’s unlikely that you intend to cycle along it in its entirety!

That’s not a problem, as many linking stages are accessible by train, while there are many places where the GTMC intersects with other routes, making it easy to join the GTMC at many different points.

Here is the list of the main access points to the GTMC (going north to south) and of the SNCF train stations that may prove useful along the route:

  • Avallon (SNCF train station)
  • Château-Chinon
  • Etang-sur-Arroux (SNCF train station)
  • Autun (SNCF train station)
  • Moulins (SNCF train station)
  • Clermont-Ferrand (SNCF train station)
  • Neussargues (SNCF train station)
  • Saint-Flour (SNCF train station)
  • Langeac (SNCF train station)
  • Saint-Chély d'Apcher (SNCF train station)
  • Florac
  • Le Vigan
  • Millau (SNCF train station)
  • Lunas (SNCF train station)
  • Clermont-l'Hérault
  • Agde (SNCF train station)

At the bottom of this page, find all the linking stages (signposted with GTMC signs) via which you can join or leave the Grande Traversée du Massif central à VTT.

These ‘gateways’ to the route are easily accessible by train or by bus. Or you might decide to reach one of these gateways by car, returning to the relevant one by train or by bus at the end of your trip along the GTMC.

Getting around with your mountain bike on trains and buses

arrivee-a-la-gare-avallon.jpg

Getting around with your mountain bike on trains and buses can sometimes prove complicated, as the SNCF French national rail service and bus companies now have strict rules about taking bikes on board.

Here’s our advice so that your trip with your mountain bike goes as smoothly as possible:

  • TER regional trains accept bicycles (except at very busy times) without any reservation necessary, plus you do not need to dismantle your bike. You can reserve a place for your bicycle in certain coaches on certain trains.
  • Consider other passengers, and before putting your mountain bike in the train, make sure it is as clean as possible, both for the comfort of fellow travellers and for the good of your bike.
  • On Intercités trains, it is generally possible to transport your bicycle as long as you indicate the fact at the time of purchasing your ticket. The transportation of your bicycle will cost an extra €10 on top of the ordinary ticket price.
  • On TGV high-speed trains, there are two possibilities: either reserve a spot in advance for you bicycle via the SNCF website, at a cost of  €10 a bike; or avoid that cost by dismantling your bicycle and taking it onboard packed in its bike cover.
  • The buses serving the GTMC regions do not carry special racks for bicycles at present. That means that you will have to dismantle your bicycle and pack it in its bike cover to take it onboard.

How to get back to your point of departure?

To work out the best way to get around by train with your bike without having to put it in a bike cover, you might consult the website for DeutscheBhan which can help you calculate the best way for you and your bike

Pour connaître le meilleur moyen de se déplacer en train avec son vélo sans le mettre dans une housse, vous pouvez consulter le site internet de la DeutchBhan qui permet de calculer la meilleure possibilité pour vous et votre vélo

Some examples of train travel times using either SNCF regional TER trains or  Intercités trains (available in both directions):

  • Paris > Avallon (direct; c.3hrs)
  • Lyon > Avallon (1 change; c.5hrs)
  • Lyon > Autun (1 change; c.3hrs 30mins)
  • Autun > Moulins (2 changes; c.2hrs 30mins)
  • Moulins > Clermont (direct; c.1hr)
  • Lyon > Clermont (direct; c.2hrs 30mins)
  • Clermont > Agde (1 change; c.6hrs 30mins)
  • Clermont > Neussargues  (direct; c.1hr 30mins)
  • Clermont > Langeac  (direct; c.1hr 30mins)
  • St-Chély-d'Apcher > Millau (direct; c.2hrs)
  • Millau > Agde (1 change; c.2hrs 30mins)

 

 

Map

Accommodation Useful information Leasure Restauration

Accommodation Useful information Leasure Restauration

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Map

Avallon / Quarré-les-Tombes

1 Avallon / Quarré-les-Tombes

52 km
5 h 30 min
Hard
The Grande Traversée du Massif Central (GTMC) mountain bike route begins at Avallon, at the northern end of the Parc du Morvan, in central Burgundy. Explore Avallon’s historic centre, then descend on your mountain bike, via steep terraced gardens, to follow the Cousin upstream, cycling along its wild, steep-sided valley. Continuing south through hedge-divided fields, you reach the Lac du Crescent, one of the six ‘great lakes’ of the Morvan Range. After the dam at L’Huis Raquin, enjoy a detour of under 5km (there and back) to admire the imposing Château de Chastellux, dating back to the 11th century. This stage offers a solid introduction to the granite range of the Morvan Hills!
Liaison Autun / La Tagnière

9 Liaison Autun / La Tagnière

41 km
4 h 15 min
Très difficile
Au sud du Parc du Morvan, la cité gallo-romaine d'Autun, classée "ville d'Art et d'Histoire" avec son théâtre romain, son temple de Janus, sa cathédrale mérite un détour depuis l'itinéraire principal de la GTMC.
Cette liaison ludique est agrémentée de portions de sentiers agréables sans trop de technicité.
Elle offre de très beaux points de vue comme le signal d'Uchon, également surnommée "la Perle du Morvan" qui est remarquable pour ses chaos granitiques à travers ses belles forêts.
Autun peut aussi être une portée d'entrée sur le parcours de la GTMC.
Link Château-Chinon

6 Link Château-Chinon

8 km
1 h 00 min
Average
The start of this GTMC à VTT linking stage lies very close to the Musée du Septennat, which displays the gifts received by French President François Mitterrand during his two terms in office (1981-1995). The track shows off the Morvan area and crosses typical light woods and patchworks of fields. Mountain bikers will relish this superb stretch, alternating between woods and traditional farmland.
Clermont-Ferrand / Volvic

15 Clermont-Ferrand / Volvic

20 km
2 h 00 min
Hard
Historic Clermont-Ferrand was formerly the starting point for the original GTMC mountain bike route. From town, you head gradually up to the Chaîne des Puys Range, distinguished by its 80 volcanoes and dominated by the largest, the massively impressive Puy de Dôme. Admire the exceptionally varied landscapes below the Puy de Dôme, going from the 2,000-year-old city to sunny slopes planted with vines and fruit trees. This stage ends amidst chestnut woods and ancient volcanic flows, which have given rise to distinctive vegetation and architecture.
Cycling in these parts, your gaze will be irresistibly drawn to the volcanoes. The stage ends at the little town of Volvic, famed for its mineral water naturally filtered through volcanic rock.
Link Langeac / Saugues

24 Link Langeac / Saugues

61 km
6 h 30 min
Very hard
This GTMC link starts on the banks of the Allier River, then leads you gradually towards the legend-filled Gévaudan area to rejoin the main route on the southern border of the county of Haute-Loire. At the outset, the path overlooks the Allier Valley. The perched village of Chanteuges stands guard like an ancient sentinel on its promontory. The geology changes, basalt columns giving way to parts strewn with granite boulders, creating landscapes typical of the Margeride area. Midway along, Saugues makes a great stop, with its historic centre to explore. In season, the air is perfumed with narcissi up until you reach the Domaine du Sauvage, leading you back on to the main GTMC route.

25 Link Saint-Chély-d'Apcher / Baraque des Bouviers

27 km
2 h 45 min
Hard
Two highlights to signal on this GTMC link, offering good cycling and a succession of elevations to tackle. The first highlight is at the spot called Les Cayres, by the river at St-Alban-sur-Limagnole, with a charming bridge over the water – this makes for a wonderful picnic spot!
After that, you gradually climb up to the Margeride Plateau, where you may encounter not just distinctive Aubrac cows, but even a bison or two, making for quite a surprise! You also cross lovely pine forests. You rejoin the main GTMC route at an impressive altitude of almost 1,400m above sea level.
Link Millau / La Couvertoirade

35 Link Millau / La Couvertoirade

48 km
5 h 15 min
Hard
The historic town of Millau, at the heart of the Parc Naturel Régional des Grands Causses, serves as the departure point for this linking stage along the GTMC. After a climb offering you views of the famous contemporary Millau Viaduct, you reach the Larzac Plateau.
Crossing the northern part of this plateau with its steppe-like zones, make for the Templar village of La Cavalerie, then that of L’Hospitalet-du-Larzac. Next, continue on small singletracks, taking you through old grazing and farmland that’s unique in Europe, up to the village of La Couvertoirade. A major feature in the territories of the Causses and Cévennes, Le Larzac has, since 2011, formed part of these regions’ UNESCO World Heritage Site.