Itinerary
A taxi will be waiting for you at the Pauillac train station upon your arrival to transfer you to your first hotel. At the end of the afternoon, our Trip Manager will meet with you for your Trip Orientation, to answer questions, and to check your bike fitting, before your first dinner.
Today’s very pretty ride is a great introduction to the region, as it gives you a variety of sites and scenery: shady forest and groves, fields of wheat and sunflowers, trickling streams, and little villages of the lovely golden stone of the Garonne Estuary. And let’s not forget the renowned vineyards! You’ll get opportunities to photograph a couple of the big names of the Medoc today, as you pass the grand chateaux of Pontet Canet, Lafite Rothschild, and Cos d’Estournel. You can also explore several villages, and the beautiful 10th century abbey of Vertheuil. A visit and tasting is organized for you today to fit in with your ride.
Today’s ride takes you southwards along the Estuary, passing by more great names from the Medoc wine world (Pichon Longueville Baron, Gruaud Larose, and Beychevelle, for example). But you’ll also enjoy a stop at the impressive Fort Medoc fortification, built by the war engineer and architect Vaubun, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and breaking through them in the 1600s under King Louis XIV. The ride isn’t too long, so you can consider catching a ferry at Lamarque to cross over the estuary into the town of Blaye, and visit the UNESCO-listed Citadel there. The end of your ride brings you in to Margaux, your home for two evenings.
A great loop ride awaits you today, replete with great Chateaux names, as well as tranquil countryside and small villages. Lots of photo opportunities, as you pass by Chateaux such as Giscours, Dauzac, Kirwan, Prieure Lichine, Palmer, and Chateau Margaux. Even for those who aren’t wine fanatics, the beauty and grandeur of the extraordinary architecture will not leave you unmoved! And of course, another organized visit and tasting awaits you near the end of your ride. Take some time to pull your thoughts away from the wine to enjoy a stop at the artisanal chocolate factory in Margaux as well, or perhaps the pull of the great names will be too much, in which case you can stop at a local wine bar for an end-of-the-day drink.
The Lonely Planet voted Bordeaux the best city to visit in 2017, and we agree! So today, we give you time to explore this vibrant regional capital. After breakfast, hop (with your bike) on the local train from Margaux into the heart of Bordeaux. Bordeaux is extremely bike-friendly, so you may well decide to use your wheels to explore; otherwise you can park your bike at your hotel. You won’t want to miss the city’s new wine-themed visitor experience, the Cité du Vin, as well as the grand Place de la Bourse with its Water Mirror, or simply walk the lovely esplanade along the banks of the Garonne. Lunch and dinner are a challenge only because of the plethora of great gourmet opportunities – fresh and simple to very very chic!
* For those that wish, we offer a bike route into Bordeaux instead, of 50 km / 31 Miles
Ride out of Bordeaux along the Garonne, passing in front some magnificent 17th and 18th century manor houses, before joining the Roger Labeypie bike path in the village of Latresne (the path is named after a local winner of the Tour de France bike race). This fabulous path winds you through the countryside of the Entre Deux Mers region (literally, between two seas). We recommend leaving it by the medieval village of Creon, for explorations and perhaps to find some lunch, before continuing on. Leave the path near the village of Guilac, to wend your way up towards, and then over, the Dordogne River at the bridge of Branne. It isn’t very far from there, riding through vineyards, until you see your goal in the distance: St Emilion.
Your final day’s ride is one of the prettiest, and is purposely a little shorter, in order to give you time for St Emilion itself, and a final wine tasting at the end of the day. Head out of the mediaval town and into the countryside and famous vineyards which surround it, starting into the area to the northwest in the Pomerol region. The Pomerol area is tiny, but the small production of essentially Merlot wines is renowned around the world today, and not only because of its star, the wines from Petrus, which of course you’ll ride by – as well as Chateaux Canon, Beausejour Becot, Angelus (with its iconic bells), and the vineyards of Cheval Blanc and Figeac… Even if you are not a wine connaisseur, you’ll love the truly beautiful riding, on tiny roads and interlaced with ancient stone walls and the lush vineyard greenery and chateaux themselves. Then back to St Emilion, with time for exploring, including the incredible underground church, entirely carved into the rock (its construction extracted over 15,000 cubic metres of rock!) and its catacombs, as well as the Romanesque church and the winding cobblestoned streets and houses.
After your final breakfast, catch the little Tacot shuttle from the centre of the village to the Saint Emilion train station, on the outskirts of town – Bon Voyage!
What's included
- 7 nights’ accommodation of the comfort level of your choice * CLASSIC, CLASSIC+ or DELUXE
- Hotel taxes
- All breakfasts, 3 dinners (drinks not included with the dinners)
- 3 visits and tastings at Grand Cru Classés Chateaux
- Fully equipped quality touring bike **
- Orientation with our Trip Manager at the start of the trip
- Detailed maps and step-by-step route instructions
- Regional information and advice
- Uploadable GPS file of the route to use on a free APP in your smartphone ***
- Transfer from Pauillac train station to first hotel
- Train tickets from Margaux in to Bordeaux
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel
- Phone call support 7 days a week
* Price based on double room occupancy – please contact us for details on single room supplements
** E-bikes and Road bikes are available on request (subject to supplement)
*** Can be used without international internet plan (offline)
Hotel Details
Classic Tour
1750 € / pers.
2 Nights
Au Coeur des Vignes – Pauillac
2 Nights
Hotel Pavillon Margaux – Margaux
1 Night
Hotel de la Presse – Bordeaux
2 Nights
Auberge de la Commanderie – Saint Emilion
Classic + Tour
1990 € / pers.
2 Nights
Au Coeur des Vignes – Pauillac
2 Nights
Chateau Marojalia – Margaux
1 Night
Grand Hotel Francais – Bordeaux
2 Nights
Logis des Remparts – Saint Emilion
Deluxe Tour
3450 € / pers.
2 Nights
Hotel Cordeillan Bages – Pauillac
2 Nights
Hotel Relais Margaux – Margaux
1 Night
Le Palais Gallien – Bordeaux
2 Nights
Hotel de Pavie – Saint Emilion
Our bikes
The high quality, light touring bike is the default bike included on the tour. It is perfectly suited to riding with lots of stops for explorations.
Upon request, and for a supplement, you can have a road bike or a pedal-assist electric bike – contact us for details.
All our touring bikes come equipped with removable handlebar bag with clear map case, flat tire kit (with extra inner tube), pump, lock, rear rack and back panniers, water bottle holder and new water bottle, bell and kickstand.
Ahead of the tour, we will ask you if you wish to use our helmets, and if you want toe cages on the pedals (both free of charge).
Each of our regions has its own bike fleet, often with a couple of different bike makes depending on sizing – if you want to know the specific bike details for your tour, just contact us, and we’ll be happy to send you the specs!
TOURING BIKE - men's frame (included in trip cost)
TOURING BIKE - women's Frame (included in trip cost)
E-bike - men's frame (supplement charge)
E-bike - women's frame (supplement charge)
Road (racing) bike (supplement charge)