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Cycling - A Vélo  © Michel Joly Whether you choose to make cycle rides from your base locally or go on a fully fledged cycling holiday, Burgundy has much to offer. You can plan your own route, go on a self-guided tour following a set itinerary, or a take a fully escorted trip. Going It Alone If you enjoy planning the route, going it alone gives you ultimate flexibility and a greater sense of adventure. You don't have the luxury of your luggage being transported for you but of course, you have far greater freedom of choice. Taking your own bike  France is a bike-friendly place and travelling on French trains is easy. There is a free leaflet 'Train et Vélo' available from most stations. You can take your bike on trains marked with a bicycle in the timetable and some TGVs allow you to take a bike free of charge. Travelling from the UK on Eurostar, you can take a bike as part of your baggage allowance, providing that it is dismantled and packed in a bag no larger than 120 by 90 cm. They also have a registered baggage service, Esprit Europe where you send your bicycle on ahead for £20 each way, 24 hrs before your departure. Ferries usually take bikes free, as do Air France and British Airways. Low cost airlines may charge you. Bikes for hire
If you want to hire a bike when you arrive in Burgundy, Bourgogne Randonées, based near the railway station in Beaune, rent bicycles by the day. Touring routes and the necessary accessories are provided. They hold a store of 200 bikes but even so, when possible, book ahead from Florent: helloinfobr@aol.com. Mountain bikes are often available for rent from campsites and hostals. Local tourist offices also have information. Average cost around 16€ per day. The bikes may not be insured, so check this out.
The IGN Top 100 Road Maps of France (previously Serie Vert), are recommended for cyclists. They come with contours in relief shading and graphic relief is added in high mountainous areas to give a better presentation of the terrain, scale 1:100,000. For Burgundy:
the vineyard route Cycling through the famous vineyards from Beaune to Santenay is a 20 km route. A map with information about the villages you will pass through is available from the Beaune Tourist Office, 6 Boulevard Perpreuil, 21203 Beaune, price 2 euros.
La voie verte La Voie Verte in southern Burgundy is a tarmaced path, about 117 km long, specifically for cyclists. Using a disused railway line and canal towpaths, the route goes through a variety of landscapes, past châteaux, vineyards and along waterways. The route is also suitable for roller skating and is wheelchair friendly.
If you are arriving by train, TGV Mâcon-Loche, Mâcon-Ville and Chalon-Ville are the nearest stations to the route and it is possible to rent bikes (see list in la Voie Verte publication details below). En route there are car parks, toilets, picnic places and other amenities to help make the journey enjoyable. There are five sections of la Voie Verte: Digoin to Paray-le-Monial, 17 km along the Canal du Centre in gentle Charolais country.
St-Léger-sur-Dheune to Chalon-sur-Saône, 35 km along the Canal du Centre, passing the vineyards of the Côte Chalonnaise. Givry to St-Gengoux-le-National, 20.5 km, along a disused railway line, this route is a mixture of woodland, vines and rural architecture including the pretty village of Buxy. St-Genoux-le-National to Cluny, 20.5 km continuing on the old railway line through rolling landscape passing Château Cormatin, Taizé and on to Cluny. There is a Bicycle Museum in Cormatin worth a visit. Cluny to Charnay-les-Mâcon, 21 km through the Lamartine Valley with the rock of Solutré in the distance. You will go through the Bois-les-Mâcon tunnel where temperatures can go down to 11 degrees in summer.
Branching off along la Voie Vert there are an additional 21 loop circuits to explore. 'La Voie Verte' en Saône-et-Loire' e.mail: CDT71@wanadoo.fr along the canals For nature lovers, the Canal du Nivernais is the most beautiful waterway in Burgundy with unspoilt villages and pretty countryside along the route. Cycle to Mailly-le-Chateau and on to the wine country of Bailly and Irancy in the Auxerre region. The following publications are available from the Tourist Offices: The Canal du Nivernais from Decize to Auxerre, 190 km
in length. 'A Vélo le long de l'Yonne et du Canal du Nivernais' e.mail: cdt-89@tourisme-yonne.com This is a simple leaflet with a good diagramatic map showing places of interest. It is in French but it is easy to follow if you don't know the language. A 62 km route from Auxerre to Clamecy showing railway stations, points of interest and detailing restaurants and places to stay. The scenery along the Canal de Bourgogne is completely different being less wooded with more open fields, crops of dazzling yellow rape and wheat fields with poppies and cornflowers. En route you have a couple of Burgundy's finest chateaux, Ancy-le-Franc and Tanlay. The Abbey of Fontenay and Semur-en-Auxois are nearby. SELF-GUIDED TOURS  Photo: Hendrick Monnier If you want all the headaches and planning done for you, so that you arrive on holiday, pick up a bike, follow the itinerary, and the accommodation is there waiting for you, then a self-guided tour is a good option. Your luggage is transported for you and you travel at your own pace, stopping off for a lazy lunch, to view a château or taste a glass of wine next to the vineyard. Discover France offer three luxury itineraries around Burgundy. Under the titles ‘Vineyard Escapes‘, ‘Gastronomy and Wine’ and ‘Beaune to Cluny’, you can enjoy well earned food and wine after the day’s exercise. Headwater Holidays offer 'Abbeys and Vineyards', a 7 day
route including Auxerre, Chablis and Irancy; or 'Best of Burgundy': 11
day route including two châteaux, Morvan Forest, Vézelay
and Chablis with character hotels and superb restaurants. Belle France offer 'Vintage Burgundy', a route around the most celebrated vineyards or 'Best of Burgundy', Beaune south to Tournus and Cluny. For gently undulating terrain, southern Burgundy and Beaujolais
will appeal. FULLY ESCORTED TOURS With a guide and mini-bus support, you can see a larger
area, highlighting French Cycling - their Burgundy programme starts around Chablis, takes you down to Beaune and finishes at Dijon. Butterfield and Robinson centre on Beaune and the famous vineyards with fine wining and dining en route. MOUNTAIN BIKING - vélos tout terrain or VTT For a guide to mountain biking sites: Fédération Française de Cyclotourisme or Fédération Française de Cyclisme. |
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