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Vélodyssée from Nantes to La Rochelle by bike – Loire Atlantique and Vendée

Price per person

From 1050€

Type of stay

Bicycle trip

Location

Nantes, Pornic, La Rochelle - France

Duration

8 days

Difficulty

Departures

Please contact us

Capacity

2 people minimum

Reference

Cyclo 05

Your stay

Bike tour on the vélodyssée from Nantes to La Rochelle.

From Nantes to La Rochelle by bike, a journey along the “Vélodyssée” cycle route along the Atlantic coast. You’ll start your cycling trip in Nantes. The route takes you past the emblematic “Machine de l’île” , then along the majestic Loire estuary before reaching the serenity of the beautiful Pays de Retz peninsula on the Atlantic coast. Southern Brittany and the Côte de Jade offer a coastline of sandy coves, jagged cliffs and picturesque hamlets. The variety of landscapes will enchant you, as will the scent of the sea air that will accompany you throughout your stay.

You’ll pass through charming seaside resorts such as Saint-Brévins and Pornic, the coast’s flagship town, then continue your journey through the Vendée salt marshes to the island of Noirmoutier, a little jewel of nature. The discovery of the Côte de Lumière continues through beaches, forests and dunes to Les Sables d’Olonne, renowned for its fine sandy beaches and picturesque landscapes, and on to La Tranche sur Mer.

Your tour ends in La Rochelle, the white city with its Mediterranean microclimate, which you’ll reach via the former Marais Poitevin, now a protected area. You can extend your cycling tour from Nantes to La Rochelle with a visit to the island of Ré. A day trip not to be missed, weather permitting!

Throughout your stay, you’ll enjoy a wide range of culinary specialties bursting with freshness and iodized flavors, and stay in mainly 3-star hotels.

You'll enjoy :

An ocean-facing bicycle route
Nantes, with its astonishing “Machines de l’île”, and La Rochelle and the nearby Île de Ré
The mouth of the Loire… in the wild, at Saint-Brévin
Vendée’s long beaches and rocky coastline
The Gois passage linking Noirmoutier island “by sea

Back to travel

Daily program

Day 1 - Arrival in Nantes

Arrival at your accommodation in Nantes. You will be welcomed in a hotel***.

We’ll provide you with documentation on the region and a road book indicating your route.

Nantes, the capital of western France, has been awarded the “Ville et Pays d’art et d’histoire” label for its historical and cultural heritage. Among the must-sees are the Château des Ducs de Bretagne and Les Machines de l’Ile, before strolling through the Jardin des Plantes, one of France’s 4 largest botanical gardens.

Overnight in a Bed and Breakfast*** hotel

Day 2 - Nantes - Saint Brevin

La Vélodyssée and La Loire à Vélo cycle routes run together from Nantes to the ocean. Along the Loire estuary, you’ll discover boires, wetlands, étiers, the maritime canal, ports and an open-air art gallery with the contemporary exhibition “Estuaire”, a veritable open-air museum. In Saint-Brévin-les-Pins, smell the sea air, contemplate the dunes and sandy beaches!

Overnight in a Bed and Breakfast*** hotel.

Day 3 - Saint Brevin - Bouin

In just a few kilometers, you’ll cycle from the immense pine-fringed sandy beaches of Saint-Brévin to the charming sandy coves and jagged coastline of the peaceful Baie de Bourgneuf, dotted with fisheries and small seaside resorts. You’ll find yourself on the route de l’Huître Vendée Atlantique, and there’s no escaping a little oyster tasting! Plan to spend some time in Pornic, before heading back to the Vendée and the small village of Bouin via the Marais Breton Vendéen.

Overnight in hotel***in Bed and Breakfast

Day 4 - Bouin - Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie

This new day’s cycling will take you through the famous and legendary Passage du Gois, the only one of its kind in Europe (remember to check the tide timetable the day before, the passage window is 3 hours a day, sometimes very early or very late): a 4.2 km route under the sea, passable only at low tide (watch out for slipping on the cobblestones when the sea recedes!), you’ll discover Noirmoutier, a small, unspoiled Vendée island with a variety of landscapes that will delight you with its authenticity.

If the tide doesn’t allow you to use the passage du Gois, this new stage will take you through the peaceful and serene Marais Vendéen, passing through Beauvoir and its 17th-century market town, then Saint-Jean de Monts. You’ll then follow the Corniche Vendéenne, with its astonishing cliffs and famous rocks, “Les cinq Pineaux”, to reach the attractive, lively town of St Gilles-Croix-de-Vie.

Overnight in a 3* hotel in a Bed and Breakfast.

Day 5 - Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie - Les Sables d'Olonne

You’ll then continue on to Brétignolles and Brem, where you’ll enjoy an easy drive along a dirt track with a view of the ocean. You’ll then move away from the coast to continue your journey through a remarkable landscape of ancient salt marshes and Olonne forest, all the way to Les Sables d’Olonne, where you can end the day relaxing on a wide sandy beach, or visiting the town’s picturesque narrow streets.

Overnight in a Bed and Breakfast*** hotel

Day 6 - Les Sables d'Olonne - Tranche sur Mer

The Vélodyssée winds its way between state-owned forest and jagged coastline, taking in some remarkable natural sites: the Bay of Cayola, with its magnificent panorama, the Pointe du Payré and its marshes, and a number of lively ports, including the charming Port de la Guittière, now an oyster-farming village and listed as Vendée’s first remarkable site. Passing through the forest, you can enjoy the freshness of the pines and holm oaks before reaching La Tranche sur Mer and its 13 km of fine sandy beach.

Bed and Breakfast in a 3* hotel

Day 7 - La Tranche sur Mer - La Rochelle

This final stage takes you through one of the last natural lagoons on the Atlantic coast, the Belle Henriette lagoon. This wild lagoon is home to many protected birds, and will delight nature lovers. You’ll continue your tour through the desiccated part of the Poitevin marshes, along deserted paths or small roads, offering a landscape criss-crossed by straight canals, before crossing the Sèvre Niortaise and following the canal that will take you to La Rochelle. It’s an easy, quiet ride before returning to the Atlantic coast and the hustle and bustle of the city.

A city with a remarkable history, La Rochelle is a dynamic tourist destination. Here you can appreciate the old port and its towers, which guarded the entrance from the 13th to the 15th centuries, the town center and its arcades, and the 15th-century town hall.

Overnight in a Bed and Breakfast*** hotel

Day 8 - Departure or Ile de Ré loop (optional)

A looping tour of the Ile de Ré, passing through the villages of La Flotte en Ré (dating from the 18th century) and its fishing boats, and Saint-Martin with its fortifications and fort. You’ll pass oyster beds, salt marshes and the L’illeau des Niges nature reserve. Return via La Couarde and Bois plage. Overnight stay and breakfast in a *** hotel

rates

Price per person

	April to October	July and August
8 days – 7 nights :	1050 €	1065 €

Price includes

7 nights in 3* hotels with breakfast (in double/twin room)
Route book (with map and directions)
1 GPS application
Luggage transfer at each stage
24/7 technical assistance

Supplement

VTC bike rental: €165
Electric bike rental: € 290

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.

We remind you that rental bicycles are equipped with panniers that you can use to carry any items you may need for the day.

Your travel file corresponds to the documents or files you receive prior to your trip (usually one month before) and 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
Necessary voucher(s) to be given to the service provider(s) (only if necessary!)

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

An electric bike adapted to the route

With equipment :

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

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

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

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 trip is offered in a “superior” version:

The type of accommodation is classified into 3 ranges:

Comfort: The tour features mainly 2 and 3-star hotels (or equivalent) and bed & breakfasts.

Superior: The tour features mainly 3- and 4-star hotels (or equivalent) and charming bed & breakfasts.

Luxury: The tour features mainly 4 and 5 star hotels or equivalent

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

7 days a week
from 08:00 to 20:00.

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