Voie Verte des Vallées: which way and when to ride
The best month for Voie Verte des Vallées is October: 76% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In October the wind barely favours either direction — on average 1.3 km/h along the route (ERA5 2006–2025, daytime 9:00–18:00).
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24% | 24% | 73 | 8 °C | 0% | 63% | 9.0 † |
| February | 41% | 24% | 60 | 10 °C | 0% | 45% | 10.2 † |
| March | 59% | 27% | 69 | 13 °C | 0% | 21% | 11.8 |
| April | 74% | 24% | 60 | 17 °C | 0% | 4% | 13.5 |
| May | 70% | 29% | 76 | 20 °C | 1% | 0% | 15.0 |
| June | 67% | 24% | 70 | 24 °C | 10% | 0% | 15.8 |
| July | 69% | 15% | 43 | 26 °C | 18% | 0% | 15.5 |
| August | 70% | 13% | 42 | 26 °C | 18% | 0% | 14.2 |
| September | 76% | 18% | 53 | 23 °C | 6% | 0% | 12.5 |
| October | 76% | 22% | 80 | 18 °C | 0% | 2% | 10.8 † |
| November | 53% | 27% | 78 | 12 °C | 0% | 25% | 9.3 † |
| December | 30% | 24% | 77 | 9 °C | 0% | 54% | 8.6 † |
Best months are all months within 3 percentage points of the best one. † less than 11 hours of daylight — long stages get tight.
Wind by month
| Month | Wind Bourges → La Rochelle, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Bourges → La Rochelle | Headwind > 15 km/h, La Rochelle → Bourges | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −3.3 | 16% | 4% | La Rochelle → Bourges |
| February | −3.1 | 17% | 6% | La Rochelle → Bourges |
| March | −2.3 | 17% | 6% | La Rochelle → Bourges |
| April | −0.5 | 11% | 7% | either |
| May | −2.4 | 14% | 6% | La Rochelle → Bourges |
| June | −2.4 | 11% | 4% | La Rochelle → Bourges |
| July | −4.5 | 15% | 3% | La Rochelle → Bourges |
| August | −4.1 | 12% | 2% | La Rochelle → Bourges |
| September | −1.4 | 10% | 6% | either |
| October | −1.3 | 10% | 4% | either |
| November | −3.3 | 14% | 3% | La Rochelle → Bourges |
| December | −3.5 | 16% | 4% | La Rochelle → Bourges |
Stages
The route is split into 4 stages of about 100–150 km between towns; each stage has its own page.
| Stage | km | Best month | Tailwind Bourges → La Rochelle in October, km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Bourges → La Châtre | 78 | October | −2.0 |
| 2. La Châtre → Chauvigny | 126 | October | −1.4 |
| 3. Chauvigny → La Crèche | 119 | September | −1.2 |
| 4. La Crèche → La Rochelle | 121 | September | −0.9 |
How to read the numbers
Wind is the 10 m wind of a 25-km grid cell, daytime hours 9:00–18:00 local solar time; at saddle height in a sheltered valley it is weaker, on a coast or ridge stronger. A positive value is a tailwind. ERA5 slightly over-counts days with ≥ 1 mm of rain (by about 5–7 percentage points) and underestimates daily highs by 1–2 °C. Good day = less than 1 mm of rain between 9:00 and 18:00 (riding hours, local solar time) and a high between 10 and 30 °C; rain at night or in the evening does not spoil it.