Burgundy self guided cycling tours, France
| country: | France |
| location: | Burgundy |
| trip type: | Self guided, moderate cycling holidays |
| departures: | This trip can depart any day between April and October |
| price: | From €705 (8 days) excluding flights and bike rental. Price is based on double occupancy and includes accommodations in 2- and 3-star properties, breakfasts and most dinners, route notes, luggage transfers and assistance if necessary |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Featuring one of France’s longest greenways, Burgundy is a cyclist’s paradise. Our colourful itinerary allows you to experience the world’s most exceptional wines, from varying shades of Burgundian red to the Charolais white! As you cycle, you will travel through a palette of colors as varied and diverse as the remarkable tiled roofs that top the mosaic of exceptional medieval sites you’ll encounter on your journey. Needless to say, gastronomy and wines will be on par with our memorable itinerary!
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive in Beaune. Arrive in Beaune at the time of your choice. The earlier you arrive, the more time you’ll have to drink in—figuratively and literally—the magical allure of Burgundy’s wine capital. Its cobblestone streets offer world-class attractions including the 15th century Notre-Dame Basilica, the Hôtel-Dieu, with its famous multi-colored tile roof, and the Wine Museum. There are also numerous wine ‘caves’ (wine cellars), perfect for sharpening your toast-making skills for the days ahead! |
| Day 2: | Beaune – Rully (30 km or 20 miles). Right after breakfast you’ll meet our local representative, who will outfit you with bikes and go over the next few days’ itinerary. You can take it easy for this first day as the ride is fairly short and leisurely through Chardonnay land. The villages of Pommard, Meursault and Santenay will be the best introduction to the region and provide you with many good options for lunch. Our hotel is in the center of the village of Rully and boasts an excellent restaurant. A slightly longer route will take you up to the village of Saint-Romain before rejoining the normal itinerary. |
| Day 3: | Rully – Buxy (two options: 35 km (22 miles) or 50 km (31 miles). Today’s route carries us south through the Cotes Challonnaises and the village of Mercurey, which produces one of the best examples of the pinot noir appellation of the same name. The terrain is a bit more rolling with a succession of hamlets, creeks, woods, and of course vineyards. You will stay in the pretty medieval village of Buxy, for 2 nights, where we use a very friendly hotel with swimming pool. |
| Day 4: | Rest day or optional ride (70 km or 44 miles). You may opt to spend the day relaxing or browsing the streets of Buxy and perusing its shops, or you may choose to do our recommended loop. Our optional ride from Buxy takes you south to the world-renowned Abbey of Cluny, which was built in 910 AD, and still towers as a monument to Romanesque architecture and the prestigious center of Christendom in medieval Europe. Prior to the building of Saint Peter’s in Rome, it reigned as the largest church in the world and earned a reputation for producing popes. The ride back to Buxy will be done on the cycle path. |
| Day 5: | Buxy to Nolay (55 km or 34 miles). After breakfast, we’ll travel northwest to the country town of Couches, after crossing the Canal du Centre. This itinerary is definitely a good contrast and a nice balance to the wine-making area, as you’ll be crossing a land of cattle farms, oak woods, and isolated farms. This ride ends in the market town of Nolay, where you will overnight. |
| Day 6: | Nolay to Beaune (two options: 45 km (28 miles) or 60 km (37 miles). The ride from Nolay goes up to Bligny-sur-Ouche and down to the Canal of Burgundy at Pont d’Ouche. After riding along the peaceful canal on the tow-path, we will cycle back to Beaune. This 15-km stretch is a smooth downhill through lovely forest before reaching the great vineyards of Alex Corton. |
| Day 7: | Beaune to Beaune (two options: 55 km (34 miles) or 70 km (44 miles). The last ride is a loop from Beaune to the Abbey of Citeaux, a historically important abbey located in St. Nicolas-lés-Citeaux. From the Abbey, the route takes you through the best Pinot noir vineyards of Burgundy, Chambolle-Musigny and Nuits-Saint-Georges, among others. |
| Day 8: | Departure. After breakfast, depart at the time of your choice. |
how this holiday makes a difference
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We offer you a unique way to offset your carbon by using pollution-free bicycles. Travelling by bike, you are no longer an observer you are a peaceful and friendly actor of local people, environment and culture.
You will be cycling on “Greenways” where no motorized traffic is allowed. The most part follows canal towpaths but also vineyard paths, disused railway lines and little country roads. During this tour you will get the best out of fine local produce – tasting Burgundy's exceptional wines and the tasty, authentic cuisine. Relying on local guides and family-owned hotels, you will be ensured a warm, personalized welcome. All properties are run by people who have a passion for their region and its cultural, gastronomic, and historical heritage. We use genuine places with local charm, blending harmoniously into the environment. Our hotels offer guests a pleasant, nice-sized environment. Some of them have as few as two rooms, while others are small human-sized hotels. We are based in France. This is where we live and work. Our office is located in the French Alps, just a stones throw from the Swiss border, and we ride the very same roads we recommend to you for your cycling vacations. As firm believers of sustainable development, we have established a friendly network of professionals, comprised mainly of local tour guides, small operators, and family-run agencies. Most of our people have created their own jobs/enterprises in order to live their passion for the region and cultural heritage. All have extensive travel experience and have lived in various places before falling in love with the area they now call home. Traveling with us guarantees that you will be taken care of by caring professionals who chose to build their lives here. Forget the non-descript and indistinguishable big chain hotels; we use genuine places with local charm. All the properties we use are run by people who have a passion for their region and its cultural, gastronomic, and historical heritage.' We recommend travel by train, a much more eco-friendly solution. To travel within Europe, we recommend taking trains over renting cars, or air transports. Trains are more energy-efficient and will minimize the CO2 emission by capita. When flying is required, prefer an airline that contributes to funds aimed at offsetting carbon emissions. In cities, we recommend clients to use public transportations, or to walk or bike. City bike rentals are more and more widely available in big and medium-sized cities across Europe they are the best way to get around congested cities. Our travel tips include a list of renters. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |