Wednesday 17 – Sunday 28 September

Led by Dave Newman, the cycling tour of the Loire and Burgundy vineyards at grape harvest time will start from Orleans on Thursday 18th September

Travelling to and from the tour

A BikeBus leaves England on the afternoon of Wednesday 17 September on their Atlantic route and the first stop is Orleans just south of Paris which it reaches just after midnight. On the afternoon of Saturday 20 September a BikeBus leaves England on the Mediterranean route and reaches Auxerre just after midnight. An overnight stay in a hotel can be booked with your BikeBus tickets. More information from www.bike-express.co.uk or by phone on 01430 422111. Return by BikeBus from Macon on the Mediterranean route will be on Sunday 28 September reaching England in the morning of Monday 29 September.

Alternatively, it is possible for you and your bike to travel by Eurostar to Paris and cross Paris to take a train to either Orleans or Auxerre. Return by train is from Macon via Paris to London.

Important: participants must arrange and book their own bus or train tickets.

The route

From Orleans on Thursday 18th September, the tour follows the upper Loire river to the towns of Gien and the Sancerre vineyards before leaving the river to reach Auxerre on Saturday 20th September. Following the banks of the Canal de Bourgogne to Dijon, the tour turns south through the Cotes-de- Nuits vineyards through Nuits-St Georges to arrive in Beaune on Wednesday 24th for a stay of two nights.

The route-marked Vineyard Way meanders from Beaune through the vineyards to Santenay. Briefly following the Canal du Centre past Chagny leads to the Voie Verte converted rail trail and past the cycle museum to stay on Thursday night in the town of Cluny in the Macon wine region.

Continuing on the rail trail into the Macon and Beaujolais hills, we stay on Friday night among the vineyards before returning from the city of Macon either by train on Saturday or Sunday, or by BikeBus on Sunday.

The cycling distances each day will be 60 to 80 kilometres apart from the optional rest day in Beaune.

Booking

Contact Dave Newman (020 8541 0362 or at 156, Tudor Drive, Kingston, KT2 5QG) for more information and to make a booking.