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8 days (7 nights)
End of August
Family
France
Slow tourism · Outdoor Activities · Food & Wine · Beach Holidays
Arcachon bay, France

A couple would like to spend a cycling holiday with their two children aged 4 and 14. Velstana created a fully customized 8-day trip for this family, balancing fun activities around the Arcachon Bay and discovery of the wines of Médoc.

The call

At the chosen time, Stanislas called us and we built our circuit together in less than three quarters of an hour. He asked us the right questions while letting us express our desires, including those of the children… he was very patient!

We opted for the Médoc and the Arcachon Bay destination, a good compromise between fun activities for children and wine discovery for parents.

We decided to leave at the end of August for a period of 8 days with stages of around 50 km/day, knowing that the entire route would have to be practically flat.

We asked Velstana to focus our tour on two themes: family activities and wine discovery, Médoc making this a must!

Stanislas advised us to take a roving tour by staying two days in the same place twice to change the pace and also to rest the children, which seemed to us to be a very good idea.

For accommodation, we chose 3* services in guesthouses or charming hotels.

In the evenings, we wanted to be able to dine in the city freely and as often as possible with the children, following the recommendations of Velstana.

The reservation

The following week, we received the description of the trip designed and its price by e-mail: everything was in line with what had been agreed, so we approved the quote. The last step before departure: we paid the deposit.

The preparations

Two weeks before departure, we received a comprehensive Travel Book via e-mail with the complete itinerary and many other things, such as information on the route, travel advice and suggestions on typical restaurants and local cuisine.

A link received by e-mail enabled us to have the route on our smartphone, very easy and convenient to follow.

Arcachon bay, France
Arcachon bay, France

Trip details

Day
1

Cycling distance: 10 km

After dropping off our car in the parking lot at Bordeaux station, a taxi awaited us and took us to pick up the bicycles from the rental company, including a child bike and a child seat. Then he drove us to our superior 3* hotel located in Margaux where we enjoyed the pool with the children, delighted! From there we went by bike to a Margaux appellation family château and took a guided walk in the estate's vineyards with an electric cart, followed by a tasting: Read moreHide
Day
2

Cycling distance: 48 km; elevation gain: 200 m +

We followed the beautiful route of vineyards and castles crossing Moulis-en-Médoc, Fort-Médoc, Bages, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe among others. We stopped to visit a very nice castle in Saint-Estèphe, with of course a wine tasting planned in advance. We spent the night in Saint-Yzan in a guesthouse with swimming pool and table d'hôtes, the atmosphere was very friendly.
Day
3

48 km 90 m +

We reached Soulac, a cute little seaside resort, via Blaignan and its famous hazelnuts, Richard's lighthouse and the port of Saint-Vivien-de-Médoc on the estuary. We spent the night in a guesthouse with a swimming pool and close to the beach, and chose to dine at one of the restaurants recommended by Velstana.
Day
4

20 km

From Soulac we went to Pointe de Grave to take the boat to the Cordouan Lighthouse. On the spot, a treasure hunt awaited us, to the delight of the children! We spent the night in the same guesthouse and had dinner in town.
Day
5

60 km 180 m +

We rode along the cycle paths through the forest and swam at Hourtin-Plage halfway through the circuit; an opportunity for us to admire beautiful views of Lac d'Hourtin as far as Maubuisson. We spent the night very close to the beach in a guesthouse with a swimming pool and we had dinner in town.
Day
6

60 km 240 m +

We reached Lac de Lacanau, then the beach of Grand Crohot, the village of l'Herbe and its charming oyster farmers' huts, the Cap Ferret lighthouse and finally the tip of the Cap. We went on to Bélisaire pier to cross the bay by boat to the Moulleau pier. We spent the night there in a very welcoming 3* hotel near the beach. For dinner, we enjoyed the tapas at Le Moulleau in a very good atmosphere.
Day
7

30 km 100 m +

We started the day by heading for the Dune du Pilat by bike path: a very nice little excursion and with almost no one about in the morning at that time of year. Then we visited the zoo of the Arcachon bay located at La Teste-de-Buch, for the greater pleasure of the children... and parents! Read moreHide
Day
8

10 km

We strolled through the winter city of Arcachon and its Moorish Park, and then climbed to the Observatoire Sainte-Cécile to admire a superb view of the bay. In the early afternoon, the taxi took us from the hotel to Arcachon station; we reached Bordeaux in less than an hour. Velstana, on the other hand, took care of transferring the bicycles to Bordeaux.

Pricing and services for this cycling journey in France (excluding equipment rental): €980 /adult and €650 /child; Equipment rental price: €100 /adult bike, €55 /child bike, €25 /child seat;

Included:

  • Accommodation 7 nights in a double room: 3* superior hotels or guesthouses (breakfast included)
  • Dinners (excluding drinks) on days 1 and 2
  • Baggage transfer
  • Visits / winetasting in two wineries
  • Visit of the Cordouan lighthouse
  • Transfer by boat from Cap Ferret to Arcachon
  • Taxis from Bordeaux to Margaux on day 1 and from Arcachon station on day 8 and train tickets to Bordeaux
  • High-quality bikes
  • Accessories (bags, helmet, repair equipment, pump)
  • Travel Book accessible anywhere, anytime, including a one-of-a-kind cycling itinerary available on an app

Excluded:

  • Meals other than those listed above
  • Personal expenses
  • Travel insurance 

The abovementioned sample prices are for guidance only and are not binding. The total cost of your holiday will depend on a number of factors, including time of year of travel and choice of accommodation and transport. The actual cost of your holiday is as set out in the Booking Confirmation.

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