Safrantours

The Gironde possesses one of the finest cyclepath networks in France. You can go all the way round the Arcachon basin with the Eurovelo1, which is a sure temptation to do just that!
You'll see grand Atlantic beaches, wild and free, which contrast with the gentler waterfront cycleways of Arcachon and its café and restaurant terraces. And then there are once again beaches, calmer this time, in the shelter of an arm of the bay. The route takes you from small port to harbour in a succession of changing colours. And it brings you to the vast Bird Park and the salt meadow nature reserve. You'll enjoy slipping through the pine forest to reach Cap Ferret, but the story doesn't end there. There are also the landing pier and the boat which come to collect you, the sea air of the crossing, and a fabulous panorama of the Bay of Arcachon just coming into sight...

The circuit is well-adapted to the needs of children. Most of the route is along cyclepaths. However common sense dictates that some experience and a respect of the Highway Code are required when the route goes through urban areas.

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A cycling trip along the Rhône river. All down the valley you'll enjoy pedalling at your own rhythm through a rich and varied built heritage, and the broad Côte du Rhône vineyards . Saunter along the left bank, roam along the right - you're sure to appreciate the diversity of environment in this mighty fluvial empire.

A cycling holiday created especially for families. It's great fun to follow the river and its affluents along minor country roads and paths with very little traffic. Far off the cliffs of the Vercors Nature Park add a touch of grandeur to the already provençal scenery

Thus from guest house to guest house, with ample opportunities to take a dip here and there, you'll make your way to the romanesque city of Die, the mediaeval Tower of Crest and, after going through the Ramières Nature Reserve, your journey comes close to its end between the peach and cherry trees of the Rhône Valley.

Your holiday along the Eurovelo 1 begins at the very heart of the Breton salterns of the Vendée between sea and mainland. The scenery is astonishing, with water meadows and polders cut through by canals and drained by salt channels.

Then it's on to the island of Noirmoutier, and the deepening impression of being in another world as you penetrate further into the isle. Then there are beaches, salterns, visits to little fishing ports, and forward to the third part of the programme as you set foot on the Ile d'Yeu with its wild coastline, fine sandy beaches little white cottages and the sea air to inhale, deeply. You could imagine that you were out to sea!

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The Vercors Natural Park is known among cycle enthusiasts for its spectacular roads. Unique in Europe, the itineraries here are incomparable, with roadways carved out of the limestone mountains at the beginning of the 20th century at the cost of enormous effort and courage. These roads wind through gorges and tunnels carved out of the very rock to bring the traveller onto the plateau of the Vercors. The voyager is then rewarded by the most superb panorama imaginable: limestone corries, forest as far as the eye can see, and cliffs up to 1000 feet! The holiday takes place in what the French modestly call “la moyenne montagne” ("medium-size"), and has the particular interest of being recommended in high summer thanks to relatively moderate temperatures. But perhaps the ideal moment to enjoy this unique experience is in early autumn, when the countryside is full of the most vibrant colours, and the mists down in the valley contrast with frequent blue skies up on the plateau.

The trip begins with a ride along the route of the old steam train which used to link Lamastre with Le Cheylard through the mountains of the Ardèche department. Then, after going from one valley to the next, you cycle alongside the turbulent River Eyrieux. Numerous traces of the engineers’ work remain, and the scenery is simply superb. It’s a really different way to see the mountains of the Ardèche, the Boutières, and the typical Ardèche valleys , whilst giving new purpose to the superb railway heritage, today abandoned.

The route, with its gentle slopes, is ideal for cycle tourists. But as the paths are not surfaced, country bikes (hybrids) are recommended.

This original cycling holiday along the beautiful Atlantic coast has been specially conceived for parents with children. First, you'll enjoy getting to know Royan, a small yet vibrant seaside town with plentiful beaches ideal for taking a dip. Next day, you pedal off along a superb cyclepath that follows the coast to Ronce-les-Bains and a warm welcome to a lovely hotel facing the Ocean. Then aboard a small boat you'll sail round Fort Boyard* and on to the peaceful island of Aix, with the promise of a day in the footsteps of Napoleon Bonaparte! The conclusion of this splendid holiday takes you to the Isle of Oléron with its remarkable bike tracks between land and sea.
*Astonishing sea-locked fort famous in France as the setting for the TV game show subsequently metamorphosed in the UK as "The Crystal Maze".

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The "véloroute" ("bike-road") is a signposted itinerary created so that cyclists can travel upstream alongside the Lot river.
80 kilometres long and practically flat, the route goes along little-used small roads chosen for their charm. The véloroute will guide you through the orchards where the famous Agen prunes originate, lead you along picturesque little streets and beckon you to laze around on the banks of the Lot.
In fact all along the way there are places to stop and relax by the river - something kids generally love!
Exploring the area will be enhanced by trips around the places you stay. An opportunity to gain a little height over the valley to visit the windmills, clock-towers, chapels, castles and mediaeval villages dotted about the hilly surroundings.

Up on the hills above Lake Salagou in the heart of the Hérault, there's a pretty hamlet that has been restored with love and good taste. Nestling in that hamlet you'll find a hotel ready to welcome you in a region where welcoming is second nature. And from this charming place in lovely surroundings you'll set out to explore a land with oodles of personality. Your bike rides will also bring you to the water's edge where you may like to bathe, sail or paddle your own canoe, as it were!

Other excursions through vineyards and chestnut woods take you to little hilltop chapels and feudal and even prehistoric remains. And so both Mums, Dads and children can relax, what better than one of those shady nooks to be found in the sector that also possesses a pool to swim in.

A cycling trip along the Rhône river. All down the valley you'll enjoy pedalling at your own rhythm through a rich and varied built heritage, and the broad Côte du Rhône vineyards . Saunter along the left bank, roam along the right - you're sure to appreciate the diversity of environment in this mighty fluvial empire.