The Rhône corridor south of Vienne is one of the busiest transport arteries in Europe, with the river, the A7 motorway, the railway and the N7 all squeezed into the valley, and Le Péage-de-Roussillon sits right in the middle of it. The town grew up as a toll station on the old road, hence the name, and in the twentieth century it became home to a large chemical platform whose chimneys and pipework still dominate the riverbank.
Neighbouring Roussillon has a more elegant claim to fame. In 1564, during a royal tour of France, the young King Charles IX stayed at the Renaissance château here and issued the Edict of Roussillon, which fixed the first of January as the start of the year throughout the kingdom. Before that, different regions began the year on different dates, often at Easter. The château, a fine Italianate building, still stands.
For riders, the valley floor is about getting through rather than enjoying, and the N7, the old road to the south made famous by summer holidays of the 1950s and 60s, can be slow. But the hills on either side are another matter. To the west, across the Rhône, the roads climb steeply into the Ardèche and the Pilat, with tight bends and spectacular views over the valley. To the east, the Drôme des Collines offers quieter, rolling roads through orchards and woods.
Fuel and food are plentiful in the valley. As a scenic stretch, it is the views from the hills above, looking down on the great river and its traffic, that make the biggest impression.