The Itinerary

Day 1 on your arrival in Bordeaux check in to your very central three star hotel - the  Quality Hotel St Catherine and enjoy a short guided tour of the city's Roman-era heart before trying out your bicycles in a quiet spot. When you are happy with any adjustments and have walked through the maps and route notes you  then face the most testing challenge of your vacation - choosing your evening meal from the dozens of restaurants competing for your custom in the quartier St Pierre 100 metres from your hotel. 



Day 2 Your route out of the city in the morning takes you along the riverside to cross the St Jean bridge and join the dedicated cycle path that meanders up the valley of the Pimpine to reach the bastide town  of Creon. Stop here for lunch or continue to the ruined 12th century abbey of La Sauve. In the afternoon continue on this cyclepath to where you leave to reach Branne on the Dordogne and then continue to St Emilion. Here stay at either of the town's three star hotels- Logis des Remparts or Le Palais Cardinal. If Both are full we wi find an equivalent (or better)



Day 3  Today you head across the Entre Deux Mers to either St Macaire (32miles) or Cadillac (24miles) If to the latter you would certainly have time to do a tour of a chateau's cellars before your leave.  The route to St Macaire includes a further section of the Roger Lapebie cyclepath and takes in Verdelais an obscure little village that includes the grave of Toulouse-Lautrec.  If Cadillac is your destination then you reach it by way of Targon and a route down the valley past the imposing Chateau de Haut Benauge. If the Order of Knights Templar has any resonance for you you might want to pause at a former Knights Templar Commanderie on your route. At St Macaire you stay at Les Feuilles D'Acanthe hotel in the heart of the medieval village and at Cadillac you stay at the Chateau de la Tour hotel facing the former palace of the Dukes of Epernon. Both locations have a choice of excellent restaurants  and Les Feuilles has a plunge pool and De La Tour a swimming pool to ease cyclist's aching legs. 

Day 4 Leaving St Macaire's impressive ramparts behind you cross the Garonne to pass through Langon and head for the Sauternes. Coffee at the village of that name  is not mandatory - you might prefer a degustation of their famous sweet dessert wine before heading for Barsac, Cerons and Cadillac. Lunch here would leave you time  to head along the Garonne river to Rions and Langoiran and perhaps take in Chateau Mongenan before jumping a train to Beautiran to regain Bordeaux. OR if Cadillac is your starting point you can also track the Garonne northwards but continue to Martillac for lunch and perhaps take in a Pessac-Leognan chateau before returning to Bordeaux  Here you are at the Hotel St Catherine again and have time for one celebratory  dinner to mark the end of your own personal Tour de France.  

Day 5 After an evening's relaxation amongst Bordeaux's bright lights there is often time in the morning for a brief tour of the city's more elegant shops or the Capucin market and perhaps to squeeze in one last lingering lunch before heading to the airport.