MENU
A group of 6 friends who are not really sporty decided to challenge themselves to discover the Entre-deux-Mers by bike. Evasion à vélo created a 6-day trip suited to their rhythm and their desire to visit the castles and vineyards of the region.
Here's how it could work...
At the time we had chosen, Thibaut called us and we built our circuit together in about thirty minutes. He asked us the right questions while letting us express the desires of our group of friends (we had had a brief between us beforehand). We were eager for the adventure to begin!
We chose to leave at the beginning of July for 6 days with stages of around 50 km per day and few slopes, two of us having even chosen an electric bike to ride even more comfortably!
We asked Evasion à vélo to base our tour around two themes: castles and wine discovery.
Thibaut advised us a loop tour by changing locations every day to explore the region as well as possible, as the stages were not difficult.
For the accommodation, we wanted very good quality services in guest rooms or charming hotels.
In the evening, determined to have a really enjoyable holiday, we asked our organizer to select high-quality addresses if possible for our accommodation, and, the icing on the cake, an exceptional gourmet restaurant in the middle of the holiday!
We finalized the creation of our tour by planning the first day without a bike in Bordeaux, during which Evasion à vélo booked us a visit and an unusual surprise dinner.
The following week, we received the description of the trip designed and its price by e-mail: everything was in line with what had been agreed, so we approved the quote. The last step before departure: we paid the deposit.
Two weeks before departure, we received all the elements and information useful for our tour by e-mail and post: the highlighted map and its protective cover, a very complete travel journal, and two small surprises: a smartphone holder and six saddle covers with Evasion à vélo logos to protect our bikes in case of rain. We figured we might need them eventually, but we just hoped they would just be used as decoration during our holidays in the Entre-deux-Mers... A link received by e-mail allowed each of us to have the route on our smartphones to complete the map, which for sure delighted some of us who have particular difficulty “disconnecting"!
Day 1
We arrive in Bordeaux by train in the late morning and went to our hotel by taxi to drop off the luggage. After a quick lunch, the address of which had been given to us by Evasion à vélo, we picked up the bicycles from the nearby rental company.
In the afternoon, Evasion à vélo organized an unusual guided tour of the city, followed by a dinner/evening in a quite exceptional place.
Day 2 50 km 340 m + (1)
We left Bordeaux easily by a bicycle path to Creon and its beautiful bastide, then visited the Abbey of La Sauve-Majeure, a true masterpiece of Romanesque art. We then went on to Rions, a superb old village, and reached Cadillac, famous for its castle and bastide.
We had a very good dinner and slept in a quality 3* hotel with a beautiful swimming pool.
(1) This is the sum of the elevations of all the climbs of the course
Day 3 54 km 340 m +
We crossed the Garonne to reach the Sauternes vineyard by quiet little roads and enjoyed a visit/tasting of a 1er grand cru classé de Sauternes planned by Évasion à vélo. The follow-up was a historical delight with the castle of Villandraut, Préchac and its church, the castle of Cazeneuve and Bernos-Beaulac.
Finally, we reached Bazas, its magnificent square and splendid cathedral, and we even enjoyed a private guided tour of the city thanks to Évasion à vélo.
We stayed in a superb superior 3* hotel with a swimming pool and an excellent restaurant which invigorated us after this beautiful day.
Day 4 53 km 240 m +
This stage is again full of beautiful monuments that we reached by quiet roads: the collegiate church of Notre-Dame d'Uzeste, the castle of Roquetaillade, the basilica of Verdelais, the castle of Malromé, the medieval city of Saint-Macaire and Langon.
We dined at an exceptional gourmet restaurant and spent the night there.
Day 5 52 km 220 m +
This was a more wine-focused than historical day, but it included a visit to the Château de Malle and the
Château de la Brède, Montesquieu's native residence, which took us to Leognan.
The highlights were the private visit of a Graves estate, the exploration of the Pessac-Léognan family estate and the visit/tasting of a Pessac-Léognan grand cru classé!
We spent the night and dined in the guest room of a castle, with wine tasting of course!
Day 6 25 km 50 m + 25 km 50 m
We returned to Bordeaux Saint-Jean station, going by the great castles of the Pessac-Léognan appellation, the priory of Cayac and Gradignan.
We collected our luggage which had been transferred to the bike rental company and got our car.
The duration of this trip enables exploration of the different aspects of the Entre-deux-Mers while having a good balance between the two themes chosen.
Price (excluding equipment rental): €790/person
Equipment rental price: €90 / bike €180/electric bike
Tempted by these travel tales? Like to try a cycling adventure and have fun? Well, yes, you can! Customize your next cycling holiday by simply going to create your customized holiday. Even if you only have the vaguest idea, we are here to guide you.
