Archive for August 2012

Cycling – Biking in the Dordogne – Aquitaine


The Dordogne is one of the prettiest areas you could ask of for cycling / biking. With 100’s of chateaux, lush virgin forest, endless fields of grapes, sunflowers, maize, grain…..meandering rivers and streams, well placed villages for that deserved pitt stop or lunch and a reliable and regular train service. You can base yourself in one place and use the train for those farther afield destinations and enjoy a leisurely ride back to home base, or spend 3 or 4 days at one place then move to another part of the Dordogne. The landscape is very level from Lalinde towards Bordeaux and rolling country from Lalinde towards Sarlat. With plenty of secondary roads in good condition and usually with a cool forest section the choices are endless for day trips. The most pro-active cycle hire company in our area is Aquitaine Bike Hire www.aquitainebike.com with excellent alloy or carbon fibre road and/or hybrid bikes it’s pretty difficult to go past Robert and Amy Owensmith for service, professionalism, reasonable prices and careful preparation of your routes…….all based on your fitness level. We have enjoyed hosting a range of people who have booked their bikes through Robert and Amy and from an outsiders perspective…… what delightful, warm and efficient people to deal with. Sometimes after a few days out on the road, it’s nice to take a day off the longer trips , especially to recharge the batteries and give your ‘ seat ‘ a rest. Our local area has many short and level rides that can fill in the morning or afternoon leaving plenty of time to relax. Staying at Maison Porte del Marty is a great base to enjoy the beautiful Dordogne region on a bicycle, you can arrive by train at Lalinde with a regular service from Bordeaux or Sarlat with connections from the South of France through Toulouse and Agen, from Spain through Bordeaux and the North and East of France through Paris or Limoges – Perigueux. If you were thinking about heading in our direction, ask us for some travel choices. Bergerac airport has daily flights from many UK cities, Holland and Belgium.
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