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The Bordeaux wine route by bike

Price per person

From 925€

Type of stay

Bicycle trip

Location

Bordeaux, Margaux, Saint-émilion - France

Duration

6 to 7 days

Difficulty

Departures

Daily from April to October

Capacity

2 people minimum

Reference

Cyclo 12

Your stay

Bicycle tour of Bordeaux’s great wines

A bike trip along the Bordeaux wine route to discover the most prestigious vineyards in the Bordeaux region. Margaux, Pauillac, Pomerol and Saint-émilion…. Four or five days of cycling alternating between the world’s greatest wines and an exceptional historical and architectural heritage.

In this land where the waters of the Dordogne, Garonne and Atlantic merge to create Europe’s largest estuary, there’s something to satisfy every appetite for nature and culture, leisure and sport, conviviality and gastronomy. Marshes, vineyards, forests, rivers, small ports, charming towns and villages, citadels, wine-growing châteaux and Romanesque churches make up the landscape under the South-Western sun!

The roads and cycle paths on this tour will lead you to a wide variety of remarkable sites. First, the left bank of the estuary and the Médoc vineyards. Then, after a boat crossing, the right bank with the citadel of Blaye and the beautiful village of Bourg sur Gironde. Further east, the Fronsadais region on the slopes of the Dordogne, then the Pomerol vineyards, not far from Libourne. You’ll pass the famous Château Petrus or Cheval Blanc before staying in the medieval town of Saint-émilion, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Finally, a pleasantly hilly cycle path, a former railroad line, will guide you through the Entre-deux-Mers to the bastide town of Créon and the abbey of La Sauve Majeure. You’ll finish your cycling trip along the Garonne and its carrelets, before taking to the majestic quays of Bordeaux, also a World Heritage site, for a grand finale!

You’ll be welcomed each evening in charming hotels and bed & breakfasts, and seduced by the comfort of the accommodations we’ve selected, as well as by the quality of the regional gastronomy you’ll enjoy at dinner.

You'll enjoy :

The world’s greatest wines: Margaux, Mouton Rothschild, Petrus, Cheval Blanc.
The magnificent vineyards of the Bordeaux region, a blend of tradition and modernity.
The vineyards and village of Saint-Emilion, both World Heritage Sites
The very pleasant Entre-Deux-Mers cycle route.
Bordeaux and the “cité du vin”, a showcase for the international wine world.

Back to travel

Daily program

Day 1 - Arrival in the Bordeaux region

Arrival at Bordeaux train station or airport.

Bordeaux, the ancient Roman “Burdigala”, indissociable from its vineyards…shines brightly in its stone finery to dispense with artifice. The Garonne River, the heart of the city, welcomes walkers on its banks or for boat trips. Everyone can make the quays their own, in the hope of witnessing the stopover of a cruise liner, the “astonishing spectacle” of a giant of the seas in the heart of the city.

Transfer by cab to Le Pian Médoc and welcome at your hotel***. You will be given your bike, documentation on the region and a route booklet indicating your itinerary.

Dinner at leisure, overnight stay and breakfast at hotel.

Day 2 - The Médoc Châteaux Route

Leaving Le Pian Médoc towards Macau, the châteaux route follows the Gironde to Margaux, Saint-Estèphe, Moulis…

Stop off at the winery.

This châteaux route through the Médoc is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful! It is as surprising and winding as the Garonne, which it runs partly alongside.

You’ll start your cycling itinerary by crossing the vineyards of Margaux, Haut-Médoc and Moulis-en-Médoc, riding along the vine rows of famous châteaux and those that deserve to be better known.

The Grands Crus follow one another, and the landscapes offer themselves to the most curious eyes.

through a variety of pleasant landscapes. This route will take you to the heart of the “red Médoc”, where you’ll spend the night in charming bed & breakfasts, on estates or in superb stone mansions full of character.

Dinner, overnight stay and breakfast.

Day 3 - Crossing the estuary and the "route de la Corniche

This route will take you to Lamarque, where you will embark on a crossing of the Gironde estuary.

You’ll reach the magnificent citadel of Blaye before continuing your journey along the estuary. Imposing and majestic, it overlooks the estuary with its 33 hectares in the heart of the town, offering a splendid panorama of the Gironde.

You’ll cross the vineyards of Côtes de Blaye AOC, Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur.

Finally, you’ll head for Bourg-sur-Gironde, along the “Corniche Fleurie”, where countless palm trees, oleanders and holm oaks reflect the mild climate.

For lovers of fine stonework, Bourg sur Gironde is a jewel of architecture. Clinging to its rock, encircled by walls, the village is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved on the estuary.

Lodging, in the village of Bourg sur Gironde: in a bed & breakfast (chambre d’hôtes) in a pleasure residence.

Dinner at the restaurant, served with market produce and rich in flavor.

Day 4 - The vineyards of Fronsac, Pomerol and Saint-Emilion

On the way to Saint-Emilion, you’ll pass through the vineyards of two other appellations: Pomerol and Fronsac.

The Pomerol appellation, a close neighbor of Saint-Emilion, covers a small plateau to the north of Libourne, a small appellation area but a huge reputation… Pomerol wines, where Merlot is king, are among the most sought-after in France, including the famous “Petrus”. As for Fronsac, this is the most historic part of the Bordeaux vineyard, since Fronsac was drunk at the court of King Louis XIV…

At the confluence of two rivers, the Isle and the Dordogne, the great wine-growing terroirs of Saint-Emilion – Pomerol – Fronsac embrace superb landscapes of hillsides and plateaus. Forming an admirable mosaic of plots, the vineyards stretch to infinity.

On this new tour, you’ll discover magnificent estates, most of them planted in the middle of vineyards and inhabited by winegrowers and their families.

Despite the trials and tribulations of the centuries, all these architecturally remarkable châteaux have fortunately been preserved in their original state.

It’s not without reason that the famous painter Princeteau stayed in the region at the end of his life… so he could admire this special light on the vines and groves, running down the slopes to the banks of the Dordogne! We recommend a stopover in Nérac, where the view is magnificent…

Accommodation in a 3-star hotel in Saint-Emilion.

Day 5 (optional) - Saint-Emilion! Vineyards, architecture and landscapes

This tour of the Saint-Emilion jurisdiction will take you through the eastern part of the Saint-Emilion jurisdiction, between vineyards and hamlets…. On the program: wine-growing châteaux, old stones and remarkable viewpoints. You can reach Castillon la Bataille and return via the banks of the Dodogne.

Take advantage of your free time to visit the medieval town of Saint-Emilion. You will be staying in the same hotel as the day before.

Dinner on your own

Day 5 or 6 - Saint-Emilion - Bordeaux

After passing through Branne on the Dordogne, you’ll join the “Roger Lapébie” cycle path and enjoy an ideal route for a bike ride, in the heart of natural landscapes but with several equipped rest stops and water points. You’ll follow this pleasant track, with its easy-to-ride surface, all the way to Créon, the region’s typical bastide village. This pretty bastide is well worth a visit, and the small villages are full of chapels and churches.

An unspoilt natural and architectural heritage with varied, undulating landscapes accessible to all. A rich architectural heritage of medieval towns, bastides, fortified mills, abbeys and Romanesque churches.

This trail will take you to the majestic Place de la Bourse in the heart of Bordeaux. You’ll then have a bird’s-eye view of the quays, the Garonne and the Pont de Pierre, which you’ll have crossed just a few minutes before!

Hotel accommodation**** or 3* in Bordeaux.

Hotel located in the heart of “Old Bordeaux”, where elegant 18th-century buildings display the refinements of Bordeaux’s golden age.

Facing the Place des Quinconces, one of Europe’s largest squares, and the Grand Théâtre…

Dinner on your own

Day 6 or 7 - Departure

After breakfast

rates

Price per person

	6 days – 5 nights	7 days – 6 nights
Comfort accommodation in St-Emilion : Superior accommodation in St-Emilion :	925 € 960 €	1035 € 1085 €

Price includes

5 to 6 nights in 3 or 4-star hotels and bed & breakfasts (in double/twin rooms)
2 dinners (excluding drinks)
Route book (with map and directions)
1 smartphone app for GPS navigation
Luggage transfer at each stage
Crossing the estuary by boat
Cab transfer on arrival or departure (if arriving by car)
24/7 technical assistance

Supplements

	6 days – 5 nights	7 days – 6 nights
Touring bikes (VTC) Electric bicycle (VAE) Gravel	120 € 220 € 220 €	135 € 250 € 250 €

Further information

We take care of transporting your luggage every time you change accommodation, so you can travel light and enjoy your day’s hiking.

Leave your luggage at the reception desk of your accommodation before departure.

At the end of the afternoon, you’ll meet them at the reception desk of your new accommodation or directly in your room.

Luggage accepted per person: 1 suitcase or travel bag (maximum 23 kg) + 1 carry-on.

Your travel file corresponds to the documents or files you receive prior to your trip (generally one month before) and/or on arrival at your first accommodation.

It includes :

A welcome letter with key practical information:

Baggage transport times
Details of delivery and collection of rental bikes if required
Your local contact and emergency telephone number(s)
Any additional information

Travel logbook including map with route (at the appropriate scale) and directional, tourist and practical information

Any necessary vouchers to be given to the service provider(s)

On request and depending on the tour:

Download the “Evazio” application onto your smartphone for GPS navigation with visual (reading the route on your smartphone screen) and/or spoken guidance. The application also contains practical and tourist information. Once the trip has been downloaded, no Internet connection is required.
Loan of a GPS device with pre-recorded tracks
Send GPX tracks of each stage for use with your own navigation device

On this tour, we can provide you with a choice of the following, upon reservation:

A VTC bike adapted to the ride and the route

VTC Trek Women VTC Trek Homme

An electric bike adapted to the route

A gravel bike adapted to the course

With equipment :

Bag 1

Handlebar bag

Repair kit

Anti-theft device

Headset

1 rear bag
1 handlebar bag
1 repair kit
1 helmet (on request)
1 anti-theft device
1 charger (for electric bike)

For younger children, depending on age and size, we can offer

Children's bikes

Bicycle follower

Trailer

Second trailer

A child’s bike
A baby seat
A trailer
A follower bike

The bike is adjusted to your size and delivered to the first accommodation.

At the end of the tour, the bike must be left at the last accommodation with its equipment. We’ll take care of collecting them.

This tour is offered in the “superior” category

Hotel categories :

Comfort: The tour features mainly 2 and 3-star hotels (or equivalent comfort level) and bed & breakfasts.
Superior: The tour features mainly 3- and 4-star hotels (or equivalent level of comfort) and charming bed & breakfasts.
Luxury: The tour features mainly 4- and 5-star hotels (or equivalent level of comfort).

For the duration of your stay, our telephone assistance service is available: