£1,475.00 per person*
($1,902.75 USD or $2,920.50 AUD)
£250.00 deposit
£400.00 single room supplement
29th Sep to 5th Oct 2025
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Join us for this cycling tour. All you have to do is pedal
La Rochelle train station or airport
Angoulême station
A self guided tour to enjoy at your own pace, taking in the breathtaking Atlantic Coast and the rich history of the Charente region.
Starting in the spectacular port of La Rochelle, visiting the cycling paradise of the Ile de Ré, then following the coast to historic Rochefort before heading inland to Roman Saintes and finally the brandy capital of the world, Cognac, the cycling is gentle and the scenery amazing!
Our Cognac and the Atlantic Coast cycling tour explores an incredibly diverse landscape – sandy beaches, rocky promontories gazing out to scattered islands, fishing villages and oyster beds. Inland, marshes criss-crossed with waterways provide home to a myriad of bird species, pastures for cattle jostle with medieval forests and the vineyards of the wines that go to make cognac.
Set amongst these varied panoramas are some wonderful historic towns, La Rochelle, granted its charter in 1199 by Eleanor of Aquitaine, was a centre of medieval trade in wool, wine and salt between France, England and Flanders. The old harbour, wonderfully preserved, is witness to its history. Rochefort, 15km from the mouth of the Charente estuary, was the stronghold of Louis XIV’s navy and the Arsenal and Corderie Royale (rope factory) have been painstakingly restored, together with L’Hermione, the frigate in which Lafayette sailed to help Washington in the Revolutionary War.
Further inland and on the banks of the Charente, Saintes has a ridiculous number of historical sites for a town of its modest size! As the Roman capital of the region, the vestiges of their occupation are widespread, but notable are the Arch of Germanicus built in 19AD, and the open-air Amphitheatre, which held audiences of 20,000. From a later period, the magnificent Abbaye aux Dames (Ladies’ Abbey), consecrated in 1047, stands on the banks of the river.
Upstream, Cognac is of course famous for the brandy that bears its name, and the great producers like Hennessy, Martell and Rémy-Martin built magnificent mansions along the river banks in the 19th century, but behind these is a well preserved old quarter dating from the 15th Century. There is no better way to experience the area than our Cognac cycling tour.
With the sea so close, it’s no surprise that beautifully fresh fish and shellfish should be on most menus, but lamb from the salt marshes and beef from the creamy Charentais cattle that graze the inland pastures also make welcome appearances. Charentais melons with their striped skin and perfumed orange flesh, and cherries and plums grow in abundance.
Although the region’s most famous drink is Cognac, there are local wines and a speciality known as Pineau des Charentes, which is a fortified sweet wine – marvellous chilled as an aperitif!
Our cycling tour is an easy ride through these pastoral landscapes which will show you the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of this fascinating part of France.
After collection from La Rochelle Rail station, we’ll take you to your hotel in the heart of the historic area of the city to set up bikes; once everybody is correctly fitted, we take a short cycling tour of the surrounding countryside to familiarise ourselves with gears and controls, and to make any fine adjustments.
Back at the hotel, have a dip in the pool, take a sauna or relax on the terrace with a cold drink before the first of many memorable meals.
Today's ride is a loop onto the nearby Ile de Ré. After skirting the coast with stunning seascapes to our left, you cross the awe inspiring Pont de Ré, to arrive on the island where time seems to have stood still for decades. We recommend the pretty fishing village of La Flotte for lunch at the harbourside. After lunch you can visit the Fort de la Prée, designed by the Marquis de Vauban, chief military engineer of King Louis XIV, The Sun King. Vauban will make an appearance a few times over the coming week!
Pass by the ruined 12th C Abbaye des Châteliers then head across the island to St Martin de Ré where you can board a pleasure ferry to take you back under the bridge to the harbour in La Rochelle if you don't fancy the ride.
You should have plenty of time to explore the old city before choosing one of the many fabulous restaurants in the harbourside area near your hotel.
Ride distance: 43km / 27 miles
From La Rochelle you ride out through the enormous marina, then along the coast on bikepaths that are part of the Vélodyssey route that runs from Brittany in the North all the way to the Spanish border. Stopping for coffee in the seaside resort of Chatellaillon-Plage, then onwards to lunch in the Port town of Fouras, where another Vauban fort awaits for those who wish for a bit more history. Picking up the Vélodyssey again a flat traffic-free ride in the afternoon, including a magnificent section along the Charente estuary, brings us to the historic town of Rochefort.
Rochefort has a long and proud history as a naval base, which is reflected in the many places of interest in the town; amongst these are the Corderie Royale, the rope-making factory and arsenal of Louis XIV, the Sun King, at 374m long the longest building of its age in the world; and the frigate Hermione, an exact replica of the vessel in which General Lafayette brought help to the Americans fighting the British in the War of Independence, which has recently made the Atlantic crossing and return. Alongside the dock is the National Maritime museum, which is a must-see for those of a nautical persuasion!
The old quarters and gardens by the Charente have been magnificently restored and there should be plenty of time before dinner to take in the sights.
Ride distance: 58km / 35 miles (shorter ride optional)
On the way out of Rochefort, take advantage of another of the town’s historical assets, and it’s most fun – Le Pont Transbordeur, a ‘transporter’ bridge, where a pontoon carrying passengers crosses the river suspended between two enormous gantries on either side. Built in the 19th Century, it is now one of only eight working transporter bridges in the world (three in the UK, two in Germany, Buenos Aires and Bilbao being home to the others).
On the other side of the Charente, continue your cycling tour through the flat countryside towards the Gironde estuary. Picking up the coast again, cycle past the ponds of the oyster producers En route discover the amazing village of Hiers-Brouage. In the early middle ages, the village was an island in the shallow waters of the Bay of Biscay, but over the centuries the spread of the salt marshes resulted in the village becoming a port on the bay. In the 16th century, it was fortified to keep at bay the bands of mercenary soldiers released from fighting in the Wars of Religion. These days it is full of craft shops and boutiques, and is a wonderful place to visit, with star shaped curtain walls being intact.
After lunch head inland on winding roads alongside the waterways of the Brouage marshes. You will see herons, swans, egrets and magnificent storks in this birdwatcher's paradise. Finally we pick up a bikepath on a disused railway to deliver us to our hotel on the banks of the lovely Lac du Trizay. A stroll around the lake is the perfect way to sharpen your appetite for a fabulous meal at, in our humble opinion, the best table of the region.
Ride distance: 44km / 28 miles
From Trizay continue on the disused railway track, before switching to canal-side paths before arriving at the first visit of the day, the magnificent Chateau of La Roche Courbon, built in 1475. With its ornamental gardens and lake it is a secret treasure of this corner of France. Rooms have been restored to the state they were at various points in the chateau’s history, so you will see the sumptuous furnishings of the 17th and 18th century, and the late medieval kitchens.
The afternoon ride takes you along the River Charente into Saintes, the resting place for the night. Just after leaving the river, you can take a tour and tasting at a producer of Cognac and Pineau, and then visit the site for which Saintes is most famous, the Roman Amphitheatre. Built in the 1st Century BC, the arena is one of the oldest in the old Roman province of Gaul, and one of the best preserved.
Another fine meal awaits at the hotel 5 minutes from the Arena.
Ride distance: 51km / 32 miles
On our way out of Saintes take have time to take in the Roman Arch on the riverside and the 12th century Abbaye aux Dames, where medieval lords sent their'spare' daughters for religious instruction! Its just a few kilometres of rolling countryside before lunch – which, weather allowing (as it nearly always does!) will be a packed lunch in the grounds of the Abbaye de Fontdouce – a stroll around the landscaped park of the abbey will sharpen the appetite!
After this it is luckily just a few kilometres to our Chateau hotel in Cognac itself. Take a dip in the pool or grab your bike and pedal into the old centre of the town to see the majestic mansions built with the proceeds of the brandy industry, with such famous names as Hennessy, Martel, and Rémy- Martin over their ornate gates. At the hotel a gourmet meal awaits in a magnificent setting overlooking the Charente Valley!
Ride distance: 48km / 30 miles
After breakfast we transfer to the TGV train station in Angouleme for onward journeys. Alternatively, although our tour is over you may want to stay on an extra day to take full advantage of the wonderful town of Cognac!
Compare what is included in a French Cycling Holidays bike tour:
We try to include as much as we can within the price, while keeping things as flexible as possible. Our riders come from all over the world so we believe that it is more economical and convenient for customers to arrange their own travel to France and the region in which their tour starts. The French train system is generally reliable and efficient, and there are numerous regional airports, often with low cost airline operators. (Links to the airlines and railway companies can be found in frequently asked questions.)
We provide the transfers to and from the local airports and the nearest TGV railway stations, and other locations by arrangement. If you have driven down, we can arrange secure parking for your car and return you to it at the end of your cycle holiday.
We stay in very comfortable hotels, mostly 4*, and very occasionally 3* hotels which we choose if they have charm and comfort above their rating. All rooms have en-suite shower or bath facilities.
We select our hotels for their character as well as their facilities, and avoid the major chains in favour of independent, privately run hotels.
Prices are based on two sharing in twin or double rooms. Singles are available on request. Where possible, we choose hotels with swimming pools as there is nothing quite like a dip after a day in the saddle!
It is sometimes necessary to change accommodation for reasons of room availability, minor adjustments to the route or upgrading the hotels. We will always endeavour to use hotels of an equal or higher level of comfort/facilities to those shown – please contact us to check for the most up-to-date information regarding your particular tour.
We include selected meals depending on the tour - generally where our hotel has an exceptional restaurant.
Evening meals include a starter, main course and dessert, some will have an additional cheese course. We are happy to arrange for our restaurants to cater for specific dietary requirements and allergies etc. Customers are responsible for drinks with meals.
We do not include lunch, as the costing of these is beyond our control, but we recommend suitable cafés and bistros. Usually these will accept bank cards but it is worth carrying some cash in Euros just in case. On days where a suitable café or bistro does not coincide with the route at a suitable time, we will provide a packed lunch of sandwiches, fruit and cereal bars.
We provide lightweight alloy framed Trek ‘hybrid’ touring bicycles with 27 indexed gears. Along with each bike we provide a combination lock, and a self inflating puncture kit.
For carrying the items you might need during the day (camera, wallet, windbreaker etc.) we fit a capacious handlebar bag which also features a large map pocket. These clip on and off the bike in a flash so that you can always take your valuables with you when off the bike. The bikes have a pannier which is useful for carrying packed lunch and additional water.
The bikes are meticulously maintained and we keep a wide range of sizes; female specific saddles are also available. We do not provide helmets automatically, as we find people prefer their own if they want to wear one, and sizing and fit is quite personal; however we always have helmets available for use.
For nearly all of our tours an e-bike - electrically assisted pedal bicycle - can be rented if you are concerned about fitness or hills. These bikes apply a 'multiplier' to the level of input provided by the rider, the level of assistance can be adjusted for the terrain. This can be useful if members of your party have very different levels of bike-fitness and experience, as hills that look daunting suddenly become easy with an e-bike. Read more about e-bikes on our cycle tours or contact us for details. Backup
Our agent is always on call by phone, WhatsApp or e-mail. He or she will see you at your hotel each morning to make sure there are no problems and to collect your luggage for transfer to the next hotel. In the event of problems on the route they should be able to get to you within an hour.
Everybody is provided with detailed route maps for each day as well as GPX files for loading into your preferred navigation App. Our agents are enthusiastic experts on the local area and will be able to sort out any problems or special requests that you might have.
Described as a " Haven of Peace in the heart of La Rochelle". Located in the heart of the historic district, overlooking the emblematic Old Port of La Rochelle, this your home for the first two evenings.
Situated in the grounds of the Corderie – the centre for rope making for Louis XIV’s imperial navies – the hotel dates back to the 17th century and sits on the banks of the River Charente close to the historic dockyards.
The elegant façade houses modern and comfortable rooms and hidden in a courtyard is a swimming pool; in the basement is a fully equipped fitness centre if the day’s cycling hasn’t been sufficient exercise!
The restaurant looks out onto the river and the Corderie – a perfect setting for local oysters or lobster, or venison from the local forests!
On the shore of the Lac de Trizay, the hotel is run by Sabine (front of house) and Yohann (chef) who has in our view, one of the best tables in Charente. A huge swimming pool and jacuzzi/spa complete the comfort!
The Relais is a modern 4 star hotel not far from the historic centre of Saintes, set in an exceptional park with a huge lake – wake up to the sound of ducks and geese! With a huge indoor swimming pool, the pride of the Relais is its restaurant. Award-winning chef Stéphane Gautier uses herbs and vegetables from the hotel’s kitchen garden and foraged in the local woods to create a menu that attracts diners from all over the region.
The 4* Château de l'Yeuse was built in the Italianate Louis Phillippe style in the 1850’s. Sitting in a 20 acre park with views overlooking the valley of the Charente and the vineyards of Cognac, the hotel also boasts a large swimming pool. A few minutes from the centre of Cognac, the situation is ideal.The gardens are notable as they have been left 'wild' to encourage wildlife and biodiversity.
Dinner is eaten in the elegant contemporary dining room, or on the terrace overlooking the valley on fine days.
