Perigord and Quercy: A tour for Avid Cyclists (7nights/8days)

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One village in the region, Les Eyzies, is the “world capital of prehistoric times” due to the numerous caves filled with prehistoric paintings of animals, people, and magical symbols. The most famous cave in the region, Lascaux, is closed to the public; through our tours, you can visit the cave of Font de Gaume with paintings from 12,000 B.C. in Les Eyzies, or Pech Merle, near Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, which also boasts a 15,000-year-old petrified footprint. Moving on in time Roman ruins can also be found throughout the Segala region.

Some of France’s most beautiful and well-preserved medieval villages are found in the Dordogne – in fact, some have won the prestigious title as “Un des Plus Beaux Villages de France” (One of the Most Beautiful Villages in France). Visitors have the opportunity to view and/or visit over 1,000 castles in the region, some romantically perched overlooking small villages, some imposing their majesty near the river.

The natural beauty of the area is astounding and can be enjoyed from the seat of your bicycle, on a hike, or from a kayak or canoe trip. You may pass through vineyards and walnut groves as well as the Regional Park of Quercy (Parc Naturel Regional des Causses du Quercy). A perfect biking tour for avid cyclists

Getting there

• By Road
• By Rail Europe is known for its excellent train system, and France is particularly known for its high-speed TGV trains. For the two Dordogne tours offered, we suggest buying tickets to Sarlat (for the Sarlat tour) and Souillac (for Black Perigord). There’s more good news: the train system is fairly friendly to bicycle owners. Please see www.sncf.com for more details or to book train tickets online. You may also want to check out www.raileurope.com (particularly if there is browser trouble with the SNCF website from your country).
  
  Trains a Grande Vitesse (TGV):
  Part of the SNCF, TGV high-speed trains connect major cities like Bordeaux and Toulouse from Paris in about four and a half hours.
  
  Rules for bicycles on the TGV:
  You can take it on free of charge on TGV East if it is dismantled and in a box or cover (max size 120 x 90 cm) and placed in the luggage area at the ends of the coaches. If the bicycle is not dismantled, you have to put it by yourself in the luggage van or in the bicycle compartment of certain main-line trains. Please note that main TGVs linking Paris to the East of France have a special fitted-out space and can hold 4 bicycles. The reservation is then compulsory and priced at €10.
  
  Transport Express Regional (TER):
  The TER is a slower-moving regional train run by the SNCF. Often, you will have to take a TGV to a major station, then switch to a different regional train. In the Dordogne, there is a TER stop – Matabiau - connected to the Toulouse airport, which goes to Cahors and Souillac.
  
  You can take bicycles on a TER train free of charge in the Dordogne Region (Aquitaine at www.ter-sncf.com – it’s mostly in French for this region) if they are dismantled and in a box. If you don’t want to dismantle your bike, you can check with an agent at the train station before your departure – but this is obviously not the safest bet for transporting your bike by train. Sometimes you can take your bike on dismantled but only if you make sure it is not blocking major paths or bothering other clients.
  
  Thalys and Eurostar:
  Thalys trains connect the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium to France via Paris. The Eurostar connects the UK with France via Lille and Paris. Like TGV East, bicycles are free of charge on board if they are dismantled and in a box or covered. This is required, and the maximum size is 120 x 90 cm. You can store it in the luggage area at the ends of the coaches. Also, for Thalys and Eurostar, there may be a bicycle car in coach 1 and/or coach 11.
• By Air The closest airports to the Dordogne are Bergerac, Bordeaux, and Toulouse. It is possible to fly into the three airports from international destinations; flights from Paris to other destinations in France are most likely to leave from the Orly Airport, though some will connect from Charles de Gaulle. We highly suggest UK residents search for low-cost connecting flights to Bergerac. Easyjet flies into Bordeaux and Toulouse from a few European destinations as well.
  
  Look for connection information on the airport websites: www.bordeaux.aeroport.fr, english.toulouse.aeroport.fr/us/, and www.bergerac.aeroport.fr
• By Sea

Why do we like them?

Cyclomundo cycling holidays will expose you the real Europe. Every aspect of their guided and self guided cycling routes is carefully planned to maximise your interaction with local people, from local guides and the independent hotels you stay in, to the diverse places you cycle through. As true cycling specialists and local experts for road biking holidays in France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland, Cyclomundo will ensure you get the most from your biking break in Europe, whether you are looking to clock up maximum miles or set a more leisurley pace on an independent trip.

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