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Tour of the Lot et Garonne by bike – Bastides and castles

Price per person

From 855€

Type of stay

Voyage à vélo

Location

Agen - France

Duration

7 to 8 days

Difficulty

Departures

Daily from April to October

Capacity

2 people minimum

Reference

Cyclo 19

Your stay

The Lot et Garonne by bike.

Discover the Lot et Garonne by bike on this peaceful tour between the Garonne and Lot valleys. In this rural département crossed by the Lot and Garonne rivers, the landscape is strongly influenced by agricultural activity. You’re immediately struck by the variety of landscapes created by the mosaic of crops: arable farming, market gardening, orchards, vineyards and meadows combine to create remarkable, highly diversified landscapes.

After an escapade along the Canal de Garonne, you’ll cycle up the Lot valley from Aiguillon to Puy L’Evêque. An atmosphere of tranquility and gentleness pervades you, and will remain throughout your journey. As you cycle along streams and rivers, this pleasant, flat cycle route is lined with orchards and plum trees, giving the landscape a garden-like feel, and punctuated by numerous villages and bastides that invite you to relax. Visit Nérac, Castelmoron, Pujols, Villeneuve sur Lot, Penne d’Agenais or Puy-L’Evêque. Perched high above the River Lot, this medieval town is a maze of narrow streets and staircases lined with gilded stone houses, all the way down to the slipway where the barges bound for Bordeaux once docked. Don’t miss a visit to the imposing Château de Bonaguil, one of France’s finest fortified castles. From the top of its rocky spur, it forms an ensemble, unique in Europe, of gigantic proportions and in a remarkable state of preservation.

You’ll be staying at the foot of the bastide town of Tournon d’Agenais (a 12th-century bastide accessible by a dizzying staircase!) before completing your journey by bike, gently downhill, along the charming Séoune valley, home to typical bastides such as Beauville and Puymirol. Finally, the Canal de Garonne takes you back to your starting point in Agen.

A land of gastronomy, the Lot et Garonne will awaken your taste buds with truffles, foie gras, lamb or Quercy melon… and Cahors Malbec wine. You’ll be warmly welcomed every evening in 2 or 3 star hotels and charming bed & breakfasts.

You'll enjoy :

Small country roads through valleys, orchards and vineyards
The many fortified towns along the way: Pujols, Beauville, Puymirol etc.
An overview of the Canal de Garonne greenway
The gentle Lot Valley
Gastronomy in the South West

Back to travel

Daily program

Arrival in Agen

Arrival at your accommodation in Agen. You will be welcomed in a hotel***. We’ll provide you with documentation on the region and a road book indicating your route.

This pretty town, capital of the prune, halfway between Bordeaux and Toulouse, offers a number of places to visit. With 2,000 years of history behind it, the town reveals its heritage through medieval alleyways and elegant 19th-century boulevards: the Musée des Beaux-arts presents five paintings by Goya (including the self-portrait), amidst other Spanish works from the 18th and 19th centuries. Its dynamic town center offers shops and services. Farmers’ markets showcase local produce: foie gras, fruit and vegetables, and of course, Agen prunes!

Overnight in a 3* hotel with breakfast.

Agen - Le Temple sur Lot

Starting out from Agen, you can begin your cycling holiday by crossing the famous canal bridge. The “voie verte” offers continuous, easy and safe kilometers. Continue on to Buzet and discover its vineyards, then continue along the Garonne canal until you reach the Lot river. Enjoy the many stops along the way. Aiguillon marks the official start of the cycle route. Majestic river, medieval bastides, hillsides carpeted with orchards, villages with their feet in the water… the Lot valley has many pleasant surprises in store for you. Don’t miss a stop at the Musée du Pruneau!

For those who choose the Nérac option, an 8-day, 7-night stay: You’ll pedal in the footsteps of the famous King Henri IV. From the Buzet vineyards to the Armagnac region, around Mézin you’ll discover its castle and its magnificent river, the Baïse. The Pays d’Albret, an authentically Gascon region, is a destination full of charm, invigorated by the green gold of pine trees and orchards!

Overnight half-board in a 4* hotel.

Agen - Nérac

Follow in the footsteps of the famous King Henri IV. From the vineyards of Buzet to the Armagnac region, around Mézin you’ll discover its castle and its magnificent river, the Baïse. The Pays d’Albret, an authentically Gascon region, is a destination full of charm, invigorated by the green gold of pine trees and orchards! Night and breakfast in a 3* hotel

Nérac - Le Temple sur Lot

From Henri IV’s castle, your day’s cycling today takes you to the Lot Valley! You’ll cycle up the Baise to Buzet to discover its vineyards, then continue on the Canal de Garonne until you reach the River Lot. Take advantage of the many stops along the way. Aiguillon marks the official start of the cycle route. Majestic river, medieval bastides, hillsides carpeted with orchards, villages with their feet in the water… the Lot valley has many pleasant surprises in store for you. Don’t miss a stop at the Musée du Pruneau!

Half-board accommodation in a 4* hotel

Le Temple sur Lot - Villeneuve sur Lot

Today you’re back on the cycle route to the bastide town of Villeneuve sur Lot. You’ll take beautiful, shady valley roads through apple and plum orchards that produce the famous “prune d’Ente”, which when dried becomes the delicious Agen prune. Your route will be marked by ancient bridges and superb villages such as Casseneuil, Sainte Livrade and Pujols, one of the most beautiful villages in France!

Bed and Breakfast in a 2* hotel

Villeneuve sur Lot - Fumel

Departing from Villeneuve-sur-Lot, the itinerary winds along back roads through plum orchards in the wide Lot riverbed. You’ll pass through the magnificent medieval village of Penne d’Agenais, overlooking the Lot valley. Other remarkable hilltop villages include Montsempron-Libos and Fumel. A few kilometers from Fumel, a detour is in order to visit one of France’s most beautiful fortified castles, Château de Bonaguil. From the top of its rocky spur, it has dominated the valley and medieval village for 8 centuries. The castle is unique in Europe for its gigantic proportions and remarkable state of preservation.

Half-board accommodation in a 3* hotel

Fumel - Tournon d'Agenais

From the Lot et Garonne your day’s cycling takes you this time to the Lot department. Here, the Cahors vineyards are neatly arranged around elegant wine estates. You’ll cycle along small roads and greenways until you reach the remarkable medieval hilltop village of Puy L’Evêque. Your route then takes you back to the Lot-et-Garonne, to the beautiful medieval village of Tournon d’Agenais, via small valley roads.

Half-board accommodation in a 2* hotel

Tournon d'Agenais - Agen

The final leg of the cycle tour takes you back to the prune capital of France. Remarkable villages will cross your path, including the bastide towns of Montaigu de Quercy and Puymirol, and the perched villages of Beauville and Roquecor. The route gradually descends along shady paths into the Séoune valley.

Bed and Breakfast in a 3* hotel

Departure

After breakfast.

rates

Price per person

7 days – 6 nights: €855
8 days – 7 nights: €970

Price includes

6 to 7 nights in 2, 3 and 4* hotels with breakfasts (in double/twin rooms)
3 dinners
Road book (with map and directions)
1 GPS application
Luggage transfer at each stage
24/7 telephone assistance

Supplement

	7 days – 6 nights	8 days – 7 nights
Touring bikes (VTC) Electric bicycle (VAE)	125 € 220 €	140 € 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 suited to the tour and the route (men’s, women’s and Unisex)

T830 Black

Velo Lot et Garonne Woman

T831 White

An electric bike adapted to the route

VAE Lot et Garonne bis

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

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 “comfort/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: