Easy routes to Bordeaux
Some residents of the British (& Irish) Isles have it very easy when it comes to reaching a Bordeaux cycle tour with direct low-cost flights from 6 English cities and Dublin bringing about 40 million people within an hours drive of a direct flight. From Ist April to almost the end of October flights are offered from the following airports (and remember Bordeaux’s Merignac airport is only about a 25 minute journey to your Bordeaux city centre hotel and tour start point)
Reaching your cycle tour by other flights
If its inconvenient to travel to one of the airports listed above there are two further flying alternatives: - via a hub such as Heathrow, Stansted or Paris; or flying to Bergerac for an hours train journey to Bordeaux The UK airports with direct connections to Bergerac currently include Belfast, Birmingham, Dundee, Edinburgh, East Midlands, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds/Bradford and Newcastle (You could even request a cycle tour that starts at Bergerac and finishes in Bordeaux).
Reaching your cycle tour by Rail
St Pancreas to Gare Du Nord, Paris now takes just 2.5 hours. Allow at least an hour for crossing Paris before a 3 Hour TGV journey to Bordeaux. There is the alternative of picking up a Bordeaux train at Lille to avoid the cross Paris Journey (you may prefer to break the return leg of the trip with a night out in Paris). If you wish to use your own bike you can bring them boxed or bagged up on the Chunnel and TGV services but be sure to allow some additional time in Paris for Taxi-transfer. Specialist rail travel agents that can handle the complete journey include. -------
Alternative ways of reaching your cycle tour start point
The Bike Express - In reality a very comfortable coach towing a trailer for stowing your bikes- operates from ‘up north‘. It travels down to South West France initially on alternate Wednesday's until late June and alternate Saturdays thereafter (unless stated otherwise in the schedule) Arrival at Bordeaux is the following day, at about 6am. The coach stops at Lourdes before returning to the UK through Bordeaux For those nervous of flying or with non-conformist cycles (tandems, trikes, recumbents ….) this can be a viable alternative and with video screens and refreshments on board it is a long way removed from the charabancs of yore. Pickups are usually service stations see http://www.bike-express.co.uk/ for details.
Drive yourself. Where a party of 4 or more have booked a cycle tour a shared vehicle can prove an efficient way of reaching the start point and allows the cycling element to be combined with some motor touring before and after. Secure parking can be arranged in Bordeaux for an extra charge. The distance to Bordeaux from the channel ferry ports by auto route is
