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Dordogne Cycle Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Sunday

On your arrival at either the railway station or airport in Bergerac, we will meet you in our air-conditioned vehicle and transport you the short distance to the starting point of the tour in the village of Saint-Nexans. Once the ‘formalities’ of checking in and ‘fitting’ your bike are completed there are a few hours of leisure before dinner; an opportunity to mix and mingle with your colleague cyclists, a chance to swim off the tiredness of travel, partake of a restorative drink or, for the more energetic, perhaps a familiarising gentle cycle of the local countryside.

Day 2: Monday

Refreshed by a restful nights sleep and replenished by a good breakfast we are in the saddle for our ride out of Saint-Nexans towards Monbazillac and the chateau known for France’s original sweet white wine appellation. The gentle sun-kissed slopes of the town produce a harvest of varied vine-stock that makes this wine such a star. It may be early in our tour, and probably early in the day, but we hope that will not preclude us sampling this jewel in the wine-producing crown of the Bergerac region.
Back on the bike, we ride gently through the unusually circular fourteenth-century bastide of Issigeac, to arrive at Sainte Sabine for lunch.

We burn off the calories of lunch, albeit gently, travelling through breath-taking scenery towards our destination, and hotel, in Montpazier. The serene surroundings belie its hard history where notably twice in the middle ages it was in the midst of the conflict of the Wars of Religion and an uprising provoked by ‘revolting-peasants’ complaining at the after-war misery that they endured. We will arrive in the town in the late afternoon. Before partaking of a well-deserved dinner there is opportunity for leisure where we can possibly, if so inclined, swim out any leg weariness, amble about the town, or simply relax in the rural idyll of the château grounds. As always, the choice is yours!

Day 3: Tuesday

After breakfast we ride towards Belvés, which will permit a stunning ridge-top view, and an excellent photo opportunity, of the surrounding countryside. After coffee, we can look around the old village and the Place des Armes, noted for its pillared market, before trundling through stunning scenery, so typical of the region, to enjoy lunch in Castelnaud.

Immediately after our lunch, we cycle the short distance to Château de Castelnaud, captured successfully by Simon de Montfort in 1214 and held by the English for much of the Hundred Years War. We then cross the river and head towards the twenty-two hectares of ancient parkland that accommodate the magnificent gardens – Les Jardins Suspendus de Marqueyssac – surrounding a beautiful eighteenth-century château. This is a fine opportunity to experience and enjoy the cultivated environs before the final ride up-river to Carsac, our base for the evening.

Day 4: Wednesday

Leaving our base, all our luggage aboard the van, we cycle for a short distance before crossing back over the Dordogne River and ride up towards the bastide of Domme; on arriving, and looking back, the elevated position of the village offers a dramatic panorama dominated by the river.

Having caught our breath, following the ascent and the landscape, we leave the village, descend to the river, and cross to its north-bank and ride to Richard the Lionheart’s temporary residence at the château of Beynac. This visit grants opportunity to see comparatively, with the château at Castelnaud, the difference in the presentation of such constructions. Cinema-buffs will find this place particularly interesting as Luc Besson, the award winning filmmaker, used the Beynac site as set for his film ‘The Messenger’ – the story of Joan of Arc.

Following lunch we ride towards our destination, the architecturally stunning and awe-inspiring capital of Perigord Noir; Sarlat. This magnificently restored town boasts numerous examples of the local stone built dwellings of its day constructed to create striking piazza; photo opportunities abound as well as shops offering the very best of local produce.

Our itinerary permits time to enjoy this place where you could sit on one of the enchanting and elegant squares to enjoy a refreshingly cool drink, saunter through the labyrinths of lanes or mooch about the galleries containing the output works of the areas artists and artisans.

Day 5: Thursday

Leaving Sarlat behind, but taking plenty of memories with us, we have some peddling to do before our arrival in the village of Les Eyzies where we stop for morning refreshment.

Les Eyzies, set on the banks of the Vézère River, is a small village but of significant global importance; it is the world capital of pre-history and the site of the Musée National de Préhistoire; thirty-five thousand years BC, Cro-Magnon man inhabited the area around Les Eyzies de Tayac. Here we can enjoy coffee in one of the numerous coffee shops accompanied by patisserie before, if so inclined, wandering around the museum.
If one dose of history was not enough we get back on the bike to continue up and over the escarpment and enjoy the thrill of an exhilarating ‘breeze-in-your-face’ descent into Montignac, where we have lunch, before the short ride to the most-famous and best-known of all the prehistoric attractions of the Dordogne; the Lascaux caves.

In 1940 four local boys, looking for a lost dog, wandered into the caves and discovered that the walls showed drawings made thousands and thousands of years ago depicting animals, hunts and wars. In the intervening sixty-plus years, thousand upon thousands of visitors have made the discovery for themselves. Interest in the period or the subject is unnecessary in order to appreciate fully the creativity or be somewhat overwhelmed by their painting and their subsequent survival.
After the coolness of the caves, we will warm ourselves in the afternoon sun before clambering back aboard the bikes for our final ride to the relaxed surroundings of Condat sur Vézère for our overnight stay.

Day 6: Friday

With our fitness levels improved, we are ready to embark on the longest day’s ride of the week though with no more difficulty than that encountered on previous days.

Leaving the châteaux on the edge of Condat sur Vézère, we cycle into, through and out of the village; ride the smooth forest trail before rejoining quiet country-lanes on our way to Chavagnac where we rest and stop for morning coffee.

Refreshed, we cycle tranquil countryside into the Corréze and enjoy a lazy descent to Lac du Causse, the location of the 2009 World Junior Rowing Championships. This vast man-made lake covering one-hundred hectares is complete with beaches and bathing facilities and an ideal place for us to lunch and spend the rest-hour. Perhaps the lure of the water will be too great for some and an after-lunch dip in its cool waters, a contrast to the heat of the midday sun, will offer welcome relief and treat; others may be content to bronze themselves on the powder-fine sandy beach.

Pulling ourselves away from the cooling calmness of the lake we board our bikes for the final time and head towards Brive, which we skirt around, on our way to our hotel perched on the mound that makes Varetz. Our auberge located in forty hectares of grounds with splendid gardens is a perfect place to watch the setting sun, to reflect and reminisce on our holiday experience, to bask in our sense of personal achievement before gathering one last time for a well-deserved and much-needed, given the demands of the day, evening meal.

Day 7: Saturday

We hope that our legs will not be stiff or our bodies weary after enjoying a restful night’s sleep. Replenished by a hearty breakfast, we have an opportunity to enjoy, until next time, the magnificent morning views, and pack and prepare for departure.
We will transfer you to Brive-La-Gaillarde Railway Station where you can either catch your train or, or storing your luggage at the station, take the opportunity to spend a final few hours roaming around Brive; home of the internationally successful and acclaimed Rugby team, fine restaurants and many shops and boutiques.

Bon Voyage!

Dordogne Testimonials

My wife and I truly enjoyed our Deluxe Cycle Tour. Gary and his team take care of all the dirty work (accommodation, luggage transfer, snacks, directions, lunch & dinner reservations) so all you have to do is enjoy the ride. We cycled the Dordogne route which offered a fantastic variety of scenery and tourist attractions such as Vineyards, Castles, Landscape Gardens and the Lascaux Caves. I would strongly recommend a Deluxe Cycle Tour to anyone seeking a taste of the French countryside at a leisurely pace.
-Stuart & Natalie – NSW, Australia

This trip was everything we expected and more. The cycling was at a leisurely pace, which is what we needed after all the fantastic food. Deluxe Cycle Tours looked after us throughout the tour and nothing was a problem. All we had to do was wake up and cycle to the next fabulous hotel.
-Roger & Sue – Kilmarnock, UK

We contacted Deluxe Cycle Tours without really knowing what to expect. We were not experienced cyclists,but the countryside looked amazing. What was actually delivered was an experience way beyond what our family could have hoped for. The guiding was extremely professional,and the food and scenery quite extraordinary. A great guide to me about people who care about their business is their attention to detail. The guides at Deluxe Cycle Tours could not have been more thorough or thoughtful. We look forward to joining them again one day hopefully in the not too distant future.
-Guy, Jenny & Hugo – Sydney, Australia

The hotels were all a very special surprise at the end of each day as every one of them was special in some way. We’ll definitely be back for one of the other tours. This vacation is highly recommended for even the most rusty cyclist. Thank you boys.
-Maurice and Valerie – New York, USA