Velodyssee Cycle tour from Nantes to La Rochelle
Pricing informations
Tour description
Cycle tour from Nantes to la Rochelle on the Velodyssee bike road
The Nantes La Rochelle cycle tour along the Atlantic coast. From Nantes you go along the majestic estuary of Loire before reaching the serenity of the peninsula of the Pays de Retz. For those who had the chance to go to the ocean in your early years this cycle tour will remind you of your childhood holidays. The smell of warm sand, salty air, sea breeze and pine tree forests surround you on this recent greenway. The diversified lands will seduce you like the fragrances of the sea air accompanying you all along this trip.
You will be warmly welcomed every nights in 3 stars hôtels. To be more confortable during your cycling tours, we can Bike hire or an E-bike as you prefer!
- A road bike facing the ocean
- Nantes, its astonishing “Machines de l’île” and La Rochelle with the nearby Ré island
- The mouth of the Loire … wild, in Saint-Brévin
- The long beaches and rocky coasts of Vendée region
- The “Gois passage” connecting “by sea” to the island of Noirmoutier
Program
Arrive at your 3-star hotel in Nantes, where you will find the road book and bikes waiting for you. West capital and certified «City of Art and History » Nantes will seduce you with its historical and cultural heritage, among the essentials you will discover the « Château des ducs de Bretagne », the « Machines de l’Ile », before strolling in the « Jardin des Plantes » one of the 4 biggest botanical garden in France.
Overnight in a 3-star hotel. Breakfast included.
Cycle track of « La Vélodyssée » and « La Loire à Vélo » make common road from Nantes to the ocean. Along the estuary of La Loire, you will discover damp places, canals, ports and an outside art gallery with the contemporary exhibition « Estuaire », a real open-air museum. In Saint-Brévin-les-Pins, feel the ocean breath of the sea air and its conifer scents, stare at the sand dunes and fine sandy beaches !
Overnight in a 3-star hotel. Breakfast included.
On this step, you pass in few kilometers from large beaches of Saint-Brévin lined with pines to charming sandy coves and jagged coastline of the Baie de Bourgneuf quiet and pleasant, ponctuated by fishing spot and little seaside resorts. You are actually on the « Vendée Atlantique Oyster Road », and you won’t escape a tasting ! Plan to stay for a while in Pornic, before joining the Vendée and the little village of Bouin by the Marais Breton Vendéen.
Overnight in a 3-star hotel. Breakfast included.
On this new bike day you will ride to the famous and mythical « passage du Gois », unique in Europe (remember to check the tide times the day before, the passage time is 3 hours per day, sometimes very early or very late) : road under the ocean of 4.2 km and praticable only at low tide (be careful not to slip on the cobblestones when the sea is withdrawing !), you are going to discover Noirmoutier. The little and preserved vendéene island with its diversified landscapes, and its authenticity will delight you.
If the tide does not allow you to take the passage of Gois it will be by the peaceful and serene Marais Vendéen that you will approach this new stage passing by Beauvoir and its market town dating from the 17th century, and Saint-Jean de Monts. You will then follow the Vendéen cornice composed of amazing cliffs and its famous rocks “The five Pineaux” to join the seductive and lively city of St Gilles-Croix-de-Vie.
Overnight in a 3-star hotel. Breakfast included.
You continue your trip joining Brétignolles and Brem by a cycle path without any complexity and with sea view. You will get away the seaboard to continue your excursion with a amazing landscape between the ancient salt marsh and the Olonne forest leading you until Les Sables d’Olonne where you take the benefit of a large fine sandy beach to relax and finish your day or visit and walk accross the little and charming streets of the city.
Overnight in a 3-star hotel. Breakfast included.
It is as close as possible to the sea that you will resume your journey, the Vélodyssée winds between national forest and jagged coasts, making you discover remarkable natural sites: the Bay of Cayola from where you will enjoy a magnificent panorama , the Pointe du Payré and its marshes, or even a few lively ports including the charming Port de la Guittière, which has become an oyster village and is classified as the first remarkable site in Vendée. Passing through the forest will allow you to enjoy the freshness of the pines and holm oaks before reaching La Tranche sur Mer and its 13km of fine sandy beach.
Night in Bed and Breakfast in a *** hotel.
On this last stage the Vélodyssée brings you through one of the last natural lagoon of the atlantic littoral, the lagoon of Belle Henriette. Very wild, it houses a lot of protected birds and will seduce nature lovers. The trips goes on through the dryed part of the Marais Poitevin, by country lane and little desert roads offering a criss-crossed landscape with straigh lines canals, before crossing the Sèvre Niortaise and go along the canal an easy and quiet track leading you until the atlantic coast and the effervescent city of La Rochelle.
La Rochelle is a tourist and lively city, remarkable for its history. You can appreciate the old harbor and its towers which kept it the entrance from XIIIth century to XVth century. You can also enjoy the city centre and its arches as well as the town hall from the XVh century.
Overnight in a 3-star hotel. Breakfast included.
Loop tour to the island of “Ré”, passing through the villages of “Flotte en Ré” (dating from the XVIIIth century) and its fishing boats, “Saint-Martin” with its fortifications and its fortress. You will walk along the oyster beds, salt marshes and the nature reserve of the “illeau Niges”. Back by “La Couarde” and “Bois plage”.Overnight in a 3-star hotel. Breakfast included.
Practical details
Luggages
The documents
The bikes
Accomodations
Support
We take care of transporting your luggage to the next accommodation so that you fully enjoy your daily ride.
You leave your luggage at the reception desk before your departure.
At the end of the afternoon, you recover them in the next accommodation (at the reception or directly in your room).
Luggage accepted per person: 1 suitcase or travel bag (20 kg maximum) + 1 hand luggage.
We remind you that rental bikes are equipped with saddlebags to be used to bring your belongings useful for the day.
Your travel pack corresponds to the documents or numeric files that you receive before your trip (usually one month before) and upon your arrival at the first accommodation.
It includes:
- A welcome letter with the main practical information:
- The time slot for luggage transport
- Details of the delivery and recovery of rental bikes if necessary
- Your local contact and telephone number(s) in case of emergency
- Any additional information
The travel book including a map with the route (at the appropriate scale) and directional, tourist and practical indications
The voucher(s) to be given to the service provider(s) (only if requested)
On request and depending on the tours:
The “Evazio” application to download to your Smartphone for a “GPS” guidance. This guidance is visual (reading of the track on the Smartphone’s screen) and vocal.
The application also contains practical and tourist information. Once the trip has been downloaded, no internet connection is necessary
The loan of a GPS device with pre-loaded tracks
GPX traces of every step for use with your own navigation device
On this tour, you can choose on reservation:
- A hybrid bike suitable for touring and for the course
- An electric bike adapted to the route
With its equipment:
- 1 rear bag
- 1 handlebar bag
- 1 repair kit (for 1 or 2 bikes)
- 1 helmet (on request)
- 1 lock (for 1 or 2 bikes)
- 1 charger (for the electric bike)
For the youngest, we can propose depending on age and size
- A child bike
- A baby seat
- A trailer
- A bike trailer
The bike is delivered to the first accommodation and is adjusted to your size.
At the end of the course, the bike must be left at the last accommodation with its equipment. We will take care of their recovery.
This tour is available in a “superior” version :
The type of accommodation is classified into 3 ranges:
- Comfort : The trip mainly presents hotels classified 2 and 3 stars (or equivalent) and guesthouses.
- Superior : The tour mainly presents hotels classified 3 and 4 stars (or equivalent) and charming guesthouses.
- Luxe : The tour mainly presents hotels classified 2 and 3 stars or equivalent
Our assistance remains available for the duration of your stay.
