CGCM1 – From Bordeaux to Sète by bike along the canal des deux mers

This canal connects the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. You will follow the Garonne Canal between Bordeaux and Toulouse before joining the famous Canal du Midi, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which leads to Toulouse and then to the Mediterranean. A peaceful journey full of discoveries awaits you.

STANDARD : with accommodation in 2-star hotels

SUPERIOR: with accommodation in 3-star hotels

Hiking

Day 1: Arrival in Bordeaux
Thanks to the ideally located hotel that we have selected for you, you can easily discover Bordeaux. This city that its inhabitants mostly walk or cycle around will offer you peaceful moments with its large wooded spaces, moments full of history when you will come across its magnificent buildings and will allow you to discover the pleasures of its Bordeaux nights. The numerous cycle paths will allow you to visit in complete safety!

Day 2 : Bordeaux – Rauzan – 46 km
You will cross the Garonne river before leaving the town on the Roger Lapébie bicycle path which will take you through vineyards and forests to the Entre-deux-mers. Today’s stage ends in Rauzan, dominated by its medieval castle.

Day 3 : Rauzan – Marmande – 69 km
You will again take the cycle path to Sauveterre-de-Guyenne where it ends before joining small paths that will lead you to La Réole, a village overlooking the Garonne. The day ends in Marmande, known for its tomato of the same name!

Day 4 : Marmande – Agen – 64 km
The canal will take you today to the Mas d’Agenais famous for its church and the work of Rembrandt “le Christ en Croix” then to Damazan and its 13th century bastide. Your journey ends in Agen where you will spend the night.

Day 5 : Agen – Moissac – 43 km
You will find the track along the Canal, a former towpath, and continue exploring this magnificent region. You will pass through Valence d’Agen renowned for its cultural heritage and its landscapes. The stage will end in Moissac, known by the walkers of the road of Saint Jacques de Compostelle as a stage impossible to circumvent thanks to its church and its extraordinary cloister.

Day 6 : Moissac – Toulouse – 68 km
Enjoy a little more of the peace and quiet offered by the canal and the small villages you will pass through today before returning to the city’s lively atmosphere.
Rose!

Day 7: Toulouse – Castelnaudary – 66 km
It’s time to join the Canal du Midi and the Lauragais country. Don’t go too fast and take advantage of all the farms full of geese that you will come across today. The stage ends in Castelnaudary where you can taste its very famous cassoulet!

Day 8 : Castelnaudary – Carcassonne – 43 km
Today you are travelling through the Cathar country and its many castles scattered along the way, traces of our rich past. Today you will reach the marvellous medieval city of Carcassonne, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 9 : Carcassonne – Homps -43 km
It is a peaceful day that awaits you along the waterway between canal and river. Take the time to admire the hundred-year-old trees that line your road and to visit the small villages that you will pass through until you reach Homps where you will spend the night.

Day 10 : Homps – Béziers – 60 km
This day will take you to the edge of vineyards and olive groves between charming little villages such as Paraza or Le Somail. You will then reach the more lively port of Capestang. Before reaching Béziers you will admire the Malpas tunnel and the Fonsérannes waterfall.

Day 11: Béziers – Sète – 45 km
Change of scenery! Today you will follow the canal and the river Hérault to reach the Onglous lighthouse. It is now the sea that guides you to Sète, a very southern village.

Day 12 : Sète
End of the tour after breakfast.

Best period

From the beginning of March to November. Pay attention to the harvest period

Services

• 11 nights with breakfasts (in room for 2 people)
• 2 dinners (excluding drinks)
• Luggage transport during the cycling stages
• The rental of a VTC bike equipped for 10 days (with 1 helmet) and its repatriation
• 1 travel file (per room) including colour maps, detailed itineraries (FR or GB) and tourist documentation
• Tourist taxes
• Hotline support 7 days a week

Lunch, drinks, costs of site visits or transport not detailed in the services and other personal expenses are not included in this price. Cancellation/Assistance insurance is extra.

Access

By car:

Arriving by the A10 motorway then A630 >> Exit n°4 direction ” Bordeaux centre “.

By train :
Take the TGV : Paris Gare Montparnasse >> Bordeaux St Jean station (by TGV).
For more information, consult the SNCF : www.sncf.fr

By plane

From Roissy CDG airport:

– Roissy Charles de Gaulle T.2 Station >> Bordeaux St-Jean Station (by TGV).
From Orly airport :
– Transfer by taxi to Gare Montparnasse >> Gare de Bordeaux St Jean (by TGV).
– Shuttle Bus (Le Bus Direct): from Orly South or West – Line 1 >> Montparnasse Station >> Bordeaux St Jean Station (by TGV).

Difficulty of the hike

Level 2 – Circuit with stages with average mileage (about 50 km) and/or occasional relief.