A brief encounter with Bordeaux

The Itinerary

Day 1 Begin your holiday by checking in to your hotel (the Hotel Seze or Hotel Continental )and enjoy a short guided tour of the city's heart before trying out your bicycles in a quiet spot. More challenging will be choosing your evening meal from the dozens of restaurants competing for your custom in the quartier St Pierre.

Day 2 Take the cycle path over the St Jean Bridge to reach the long-distance dedicated cycle path that meanders up the valley of the Pimpine to reach Creon. Stop here for lunch or continue to the ruined 12th century abbey of La Sauve. In the afternoon regain the cycle path to the Chateau Hotel Isabeau de Naujan (http://www.domaine-de-naujan.com/anglais/pactutour_an.htm) If you have the stamina you can venture across the Dordogne for an evening visit to St Emilion

Day 3 Continue on the cyclepath to Sauveterre - a well preserved Bastide town that was often a frontier post during the 100 years war that ended with the English crown's loss of Aquitaine. Lunch here is followed by a route along narrow lanes down to Verdelais where Toulous lautrec is buried and then to St Macaire, an ancient former river port, where your night's accommodation is in the charming http://www.feuilles-dacanthe.com/ Their plunge pool is perfect for cyclists weary legs.
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Day 4 Leaving St Macaire's impressive ramparts behind you have a choice of routes that lead either to Bazas by way of the canal entrance at Castets-en-Dorthe or through Langon to the fortress at Roquetaillarde. Both have connections to Pope Clemente V whose ruined chateau at Villandraut could also figure in your itinerary. Returning eastwards there is the chance to visit the Sauternais before catching a local train through the Graves vineyards back to your Bordeaux hotel. (Alternatively, if your departure the next day from Bordeaux is after midday, you could choose to have a night at Uzeste and squeeze in another half days riding).
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Day 5 There is usually time in the morning for a tour of Bordeaux's more elegant shops or its colourful markets and perhaps to squeeze in one last lingering lunch before heading to the airport.

Bon voyage.

couple cycling to Creon

The Tour in Brief

Distances: Average 27 miles daily with a maximum of 31 miles. Three days cycling place-to-place
Option: of staying for at least one night on a wine producing property. (see the itinerary for website links). Option of staying 'on tour' the fourth night and returning to Bordeaux to go directly to the airport
The Route: passes through the Entre Deux Mers, the cotes de Bordeaux area and the Sauternes and ends with a train journey through the Graves vineyards back to Bordeaux.
Terrain: A gentle gradient along a former railway track to Creon before descending towards the Dordogne valley. On the second day continuing on the former railway to Sauveterre where you wind down to the Garonne at St Macaire from where its generally flat.
Suitable: for those who want a short break or perhaps to carry out a recce before returning at a later date. Easy gradients and lowish mileage makes it suitable for first time tourers

Start day: any day of the week 1st May to 4th October

The tour includes

4 nights 2 /3 star hotels and 3epis Chambre D’hotes on B&B or half-board basis
Hire of fully equipped hybrid bicycle
Supply of detailed maps and route notes and
Luggage transfers
Greeting on arrival day by your host who will offer a short walking tour of the city,
He will check you are comfortable with the bikes, routes any other details PLUS
He will be on call during the tour should any problems arise and will meet up with you during the trip to answer any queries in person.

Further Options: Some variations in the category of accommodation.This tour can be booked with evening meals included on some nights.

Price £525 per person

on the basis of 2 people sharing a double room £100 additional for a single traveller unless travelling in company with others when a supplement of £69 applies

Excluded: Travel to/from Bordeaux first hotel, train fare, admissions, other incidentals and any meals not specified.

It is a condition of all our tours that guests are responsible for purchasing adequate insurance for a cycling holiday on public highways.

On the long distance path

Not the worlds most compelling photo?

Cycle touring photo opportunity.

Bring your camera with you when you come on tour and for each photograph that you take and we use we give you a bottle of wine from Chateau le Mayne (you may pass it between Langon and Bazas)......

Cycle Bordeaux - Care-free cycling holidays in South West France

A brief encounter with Bordeaux

Price £525 per person

Cycle touring photo opportunity.