Northern Burgundy is often referred to as the "Land of the Good Living", you'll understand why on this bike & barge tour.
With its pituresque countryside, medieval villages and meandering rivers, this tour is filled with fine wines and cheeses to help you enjoy your visit.
Known world over for it's mild climate, warm locals and their laid back lifestyle. Visit the gothic cathedral of Sens or enjoy the art and culture of both Auxerre and Joigny. The cycling has a mix of freewheeling stretches along the River Yonne and more challenging hilly sections with spectacular views. This tour covers all bases!
Day 1: Auxerre
Our epic tour of Burgundy begins with embarkation and check-in at 2pm. Your captain, crew and tour leader will give you a warm welcome followed by a bike fitting. After a delicious dinner onboard, there is ample time to take a starlit stroll through the beautiful river town of Auxerre with her majestic church spires, streets lined with 16th century timber houses and cathedral of Saint-Etienne, a true masterpiece of Gothic art.
Day 2: Auxerre, approx. 30 - 42 km
Today you have the option to either stay, relax and take in more of the sights of Auxerre, or begin your cycling adventure with your guide leading you along the Yonne river en route to “Caves be Bailly”. This vineyard is famous for its sparkling Cremant de Bourgogne and limestone caves. The nearby vineyards of St Bris and Irancy are also well worth a visit, as are the paintings of George Hosotte in the Chapelle de Bailly.
Day 3: Auxerre – Joigny, approx. 26 - 38 km
Today we strike out north, cycling through the Yonne river valley toward Joigny. If you choose the longer cycling route, you’ll get to see the charming countryside of Brienon-sur Armencon from where you’ll follow the beautiful Burgundy canal to Migennes where the Burgundy canal crosses the river Yonne and where you’ll rejoin your ship for a relaxed afternoon sail to Joigny, a picturesque little town that has a long and storied wine history as well as several historical monuments, ancient churches and townhouses with carved renaissance facades from the 16th and 17th centuries.
Day 4: Joigny – Villeneuve-sur-Yonne, approx. 21 - 42 km
What better way to start the day than with a loop through the local vineyards for a tasting of some of Burgundy’s finest wines? You’ll return to Joigny for lunch, after which you have the option to either hop on the ship for a leisurely sail to Villeneuve sur Yonne or jump back in the saddle for an afternoon ride to the town of Saint-Julien-du-Sault where you can visit the 13th century Saint-Pierre church with its magnificent stained-glass windows. We dock for the night in the lovely, lesser-known French town of Villeneuve where you are free to explore the medieval gate towers and romantic string of gardens as the sun sets over the countryside.
Day 5: Villeneuve-sur-Yonne – Sens, approx. 28 - 52 km
Day five also offers two cycling options – the short option follows the river Yonne, while the longer option takes you into the hills for a rewarding taste of the fine cider produced at the museum ‘de Pomme et de cidre’. Our next stop is Sens, one of the oldest towns in France where you’ll visit the first of the greater gothic cathedrals in France, Cathedral Saint-Etienne. There will be plenty of time afterward to shop, stroll through the marketplace or wander around town to acquaint yourself with the many restaurants Sens has to offer as today there is no dinner onboard.
Day 6: Sens – Pont-sur-Yonne, approx. 20 - 42 km
If you decide to brave the longer cycle route on day six, it leads to a local honey producer where you can sample their delicious wild honey. However, the shorter option affords you more time to explore Sens at your leisure before you cycle through to Pont-sur-Yonne, a charming riverside town.
Day 7: Pont-sur-Yonne – Montereau – Moret, approx. 33 km - 40 km
On our final day’s biking, we’ll visit Montereau-fault-Yonne, a town situated at the confluence of the Yonne and Seine rivers. Here, the thousand-year-old Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Loup collegiate church is well worth a visit. At Montereau we hop back on board the ship for a dinner cruise to our final destination, the charming medieval fortified town of Moret-sur-Loing where the famous painter Sisley drew inspiration for his work.
Day 8: Moret-sur-Loing
You bid your captain, crew, tour guide and fellow passengers a fond farewell as we enjoy one last breakfast together while disembarkation continues until 9:30am.
We recommend flying to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) or Paris Orly (ORY) airport to reach the starting point of this cycling holiday.
Flights are available with a number of airlines to your required airport or you can travel to the start using alternative methods such as rail or road.
We recommend using Skyscanner to find the best flight prices by date or Rail Europe for European rail travel. There is customer car parking available at most hotels for a supplement. Please contact us for more details.
Please use local transport to arrive at the starting point or call us on 0161 703 8161 for more specific travel advice.
You do not need to go back to the starting point of the cycling holiday as all hire bikes are left at the final hotel.
Important: Please book your flights only after the cycling holiday has been confirmed by invoice or email. Flights and transfers are not included in the advertised holiday price.
Included services:
Rental-Bikes & equipment
The bicycles on board are 21-speed touring bicycles with hand brakes. The bikes are equipped with a pannier and a water bottle holder. Helmets can be rented free of charge on board.
E-Bikes
On some barges we offer modern quality-electrically assisted bikes (Pedelecs) with 7 or 8-gear-hub circuit, gradual selectable help of pedaling power and deep UNISEX-comfot-entrance. The bikes are equipped with a powerful Panasonic or Bosch-Pedelec-Engine and a powerful Lithium-Ion-Battery, one battery-charge is sufficient for up to 65 kilometers. The range of the battery is depending on supportlevel, riding manners, body weight and terrain. In a more hilly terrain or with a higher bodyweight there is more batterycapacity used then in flat areas or with a low bodyweight. You can save battery, when you start with most possible low support and increase only if needed. The batteries are supposed to be charged overnight with the provided battery charger.
You can find out more about this cycling holiday by completing a Contact Form or call 0161 703 8161 to speak to one of the team.
You can now book this cycling holiday online using our secure booking engine. Book online here >>
Ship | Sailing | Arrival Day |
MV Fleur: | 8th - 15th June 2021 |22nd - 29th June 2021 |6th - 13th July 2021 |20th - 27th June 2021 | Tuesday |
MV Zwaantje: | 17th - 24th August 2021 |31st August - 7th September 2021 |14th – 21st September 2021 | Tuesday |
Season | Prices per person |
Season 1: 2 Bed Cabin: | £1335 |
Season 1: 2 Bed Cabin (Single Occ): | £1995 |
Rental Bike: | £90 |
Electric Bike Upgrade: | £200 |
Half Board Upgrade: | £275 |
Season | Prices per person |
Dijon (3*): Double: | £90 |
Dijon (3*): Single: | £135 |
Date From | Date To |
---|---|
08 June 2021 | 15 June 2021 |
22 June 2021 | 28 June 2021 |
06 July 2021 | 12 July 2021 |
20 July 2021 | 26 July 2021 |
17 August 2021 | 23 August 2021 |
31 August 2021 | 06 September 2021 |
14 September 2021 | 20 September 2021 |