dossier
Burgundy Cycling
Season: April to October.
Duration: 7 days (6 nights).
Terrain & Difficulty
We grade the tour as ‘easy-moderate'; daystages are 20 miles (approx 30 kms) plus option rides. The terrain is flat tomostly flat through the vineyards and moderate up hill to and back from thecanal de Bourgogne.
The Bikes
Brand new 27 gears, Shimano equipment, Aluminum frame comeequipped with tool kit, spare inner tube, pump, lock, rear carrier, bell, waterbottle holder, kickstand and removable handlebar bag (to carry maps, fruit,cheese, wine etc). Cycle hire fee 85 Euros (approx US$127) for 7 days, payableat the end of the tour. Panniers areavailable to fit on the rear carrier at 3 Euros (approx US$3.50) per day. Helmet is included in the package but weadvise bringing your own for safety and hygiene reasons. A water bottle is provided. The bikes have to be collected from ouragents shop in Beaune and also returned to him at the end of the tour. Nosecurity deposit is required, but you may be asked to leave a credit cardnumber with the bike provider.
Accommodation
Half board on 4 nights, bed and breakfaston 2 nights. Accommodation is in a mixture of 3*** hotels and Bed andBreakfasts.
Nights 1 & 6. Beaune. A 3*hotel located 5 minutes from fortifiedold town, dinner included in a gourmet restaurant.
Night 2 & 3. Nuits StGeorges. We stay in a 3* hotel located1km (0.6mi) from the station, dinner included in a gourmet restaurant.
Night 4 & 5. Westay on a barge, Lady A, on the canal de Bourgogne, or in a B&B inChateauneuf en Auxois. Dinner (notincluded) on board or near the chateau.
Baggage Transfers
A reasonable amount of baggage (not more than 20kgper person) per person is moved between hotels each day.
Maps & Route Notes
Daily cycling routes or detailed maps, biking guide notes as well as suggestedrestaurants, tasting and sightseeing will be provided by the local rep.
Arrival
The starting point of the tour is at Beaune. On weekdays in summer 2007 there was aconvenient TGV train service from Paris Gare de Lyon (dep. 14.34) to Dijon(arr. 16.16) with a connecting local service from Dijon (dep. 16.44) to Beaune(arr. 17.06). There are many other trains on this route, although the localservice between Dijon and Beaune is less frequent on Sundays and holidays.Consult www.raileurope.com for the day you plan to travel or call Rail Europe tollfree, 1-800-848-7245.
End of Tour
In summer an example of a convenient trainservices are as follows on a weekday:
Beaune dep. 11:00
Dijon ar.r 11:25
Dijon dep. (TGV) 11.40
Paris Gare de Lyon arr. 13.21
There are earlier and later trains. Reservations are compulsory on TGVtrains. TGV trains departing Dijon before 12.00 on weekdays are likely to beheavily booked. Local trains are less frequent at weekends and public holidays.
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ITINERARY |
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Day 1. Arrive in Beaune. There is lots to see and do in Beaune if you arrive reasonably early. If you arrive later then take some time on the morning of day 2 to look around. Day 2. Meeting at the local representatives office to make any final adjustments to the bike that may be needed and also to go over the first map with you. Then there is a short bike ride, 14 miles (22km) on flat terrain to reach Nuits St Georges where you stay for two nights. The route takes you through the famous vineyards of the Cote de Beaune with numerous ancient churches, chateaux and charming villages along the way. The route is not far but there is much to see and of course opportunities to taste some of the local produce! Day 3. There are a few interesting sights to see in Nuits St George including the 13th century church and the museum. Fit these around the day’s circular cycling route, a tour to discover the Cote de Nuits. The basic route is 20 miles (32km) with an optional extra ride. The day is spent cycling among the most famous vineyards that produce the finest red wine of Burgundy. Gevrey Chambertin, Morey Saint Denis, Chambolle Musigny, Vosne Romanee and the producers of the most expensive wine of Burgundy, La Romanee Conti. En route you can also visit of the Chateau du Clos de Vougeot to see its 16C wine press collection or the 11c Abbey de Citeaux. Day 4. Leaving Nuits St Georges and heading for the Auxois region you will notice a change in scenery as we climb the hills and ride away from the vineyards and towards the Canal de Bourgogne. There are some great views and canal side hamlets on the way to the accommodation either on a barge at Port du canal de Vandenesse en Auxois or in Chateauneuf en Auxois. There are variations on the route but most will cycle about 22 miles (35km) during the day. Day 5. Exploring the Auxois region and its castles following the canal de Bourgogne. Visits of the Abbey de Labussiere, the mediaeval garden of Chateau de Barbirez or the Chateau de Cormartin. Return for your second night at Port du canal de Vandenesse or in Chateauneuf en Auxois. Day 6. Cycling through the Cote de Beaune, ‘’The Chardonnay kingdom’’. Approx. 25 miles (40km) back to Beaune cycling through the vineyards of the Cote de Beaune, Meursault, Puligny, Chassagne Montrachet, Pommard. You can also visit the 17C castle of La Rochepot before arriving in Beaune for your last night. Try to arrive in time to visit the main attractions of the old medieval town center with its 15C Ramparts and the famous Hospice founded in 1443 as a hospital for the poor. Day 7. The tour ends in Beaune after breakfast. |