Pinot Noir Burgundy

If you would like to see a map of our different French routes, it is here.
A link to an overview of all our trips is here.
And, for a comparison of our South Burgundy route with our other French trips, see here.

A trip that showcases all that you’ve heard about France, and much that you haven’t. The world’s most precious vineyards, 15th century villages, the battlefields where Ceasar defeated Vercingétorix to end Gaul’s history and start France’s, Renaissance castles, great art, some of France’s best cuisine....

But we also spend time off the beaten track, in deep forests and pastoral farmlands, far from famous wine towns and attendant crowds. Cluny, once a center of medieval spirituality, is now a backwater, charmingly presided over by a “Tower of Cheeses.” And a day ride over one of France’s continental divides shows off a land so rural you won’t be able to imagine that Paris is just two hours away.

Photo thanks to Tanya Brief

Pinot Noir Burgundy

2008
Dates

Trip
Prices*

Baggage Services Offered** (optional)

Difficulty of the Ride

^{May 25 - 30}Trip Full

$1,695
US or C

950€

Half

Moderate

Either distance or hills keep you busy on most days, but the hardest rides are generally well-supported.

June 29 - July 4

Daily
Half

August 31 - Sept. 5

Daily
Half

* Prices in $ and € do not include precisely the same things. Click here for details, and for prices of optional extras: private single rooms, baggage services, and (in the case of the € price only) bike rental and shipping.

** At least 4 riders must subscribe to a given baggage service for it to operate. The services listed are those currently offered on the departure in question. Services which appear in bold already have at least 3 subscribers (so, one more would ensure their operation). See here for a discussion of our baggage services.

Day-by-Day Itinerary: *Southern Burgundy*
Day of the Week	Description	Typical distances, in km
Saturday	Access Package: TRAIN to DIJON Most of you will travel to Burgundy from Paris. Destination: the capital. Of Burgundy, that is. 90 minutes at 200 mph on this thing they call the TGV.... Others may come from Geneva, or Lyon.... However you get there, Dijon is one of France's most interesting cities. Burgundy’s gastronomic, as well as political, center, a perfect introduction to our route. The region’s four most famous products are well-displayed: mustard, cassis (black currants), wine, and snails. Mix and match them according to taste (editorial comment: yuck). Visit the old town, the medieval Cathedral, the Palace of the Ducs de Bourgogne. Or perhaps dabble in a wine tasting. Half Baggage	Lots, but probably on a train
Sunday	Meeting Your Trip. Our trip assembles in Dijon on Sunday morning. Mont AUXOIS, a CONTINENTAL DIVIDE A short train ride takes us out to Alésia, at the base of Mont Auxois. Then we set off on the bikes. If you wish, you can start by riding up either or both of two (optional) mountains. Mont Auxois was the site of Vercingétorix’s last stand: Caesar besieged and captured the famous Gaul here, thus sealing for centuries the Roman domination of what became France. The second has a seminary and a candy factory on top of it. So there is something for everyone. We next follow a pastoral valley though a sequence of sleepy villages. Far from the Burgundy known to tourists, this is a place where cows are hearded home in the evenings, where old stone villages quietly crumble, and where foreigners on bicycles are gawked at, if you can find anyone to gawk. Finally, up a monster hill, and over one of France’s continental divides, separating the English Channel basin from the Mediterranean. Then down the other side to the Burgundian capital. Pretty views and imposing cliffs line our road as we spiral down to the valley floor. Stop for a swim in Lac Kir on the way into town. Half Baggage	50 k
Monday	VINEYARDS of the CÔTE de NUITS Enter the grape greenery at Burgundy’s heart. Cycling through vineyards is one of our favorite pastimes. As you get used to it, you start to feel the special rhythm of this unusual agricultural domain. We pass through Marsannay-la-Côte, Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Vosne-Romanée... along the Route des Grands Crus (loosely, the “Great Wine Road”) on our way to Nuits-St.-Georges. Names familiar from any great restaurant’s wine list. The town of Nuits lends its name to the whole area: the Côte de Nuits. Surrounding us tonight are arguably the world’s best red wine vineyards, producing the elixir so carefully tasted by the Brotherhood of the Knights of Winetasting in Vougeot (no, we are not making this up).	25 k, but it feels like so much more
Tuesday	BEAUNE, MEURSAULT More vineyard biking today, and more famous names. After a climb to a ridge above the valley for a spectacular view of the whole hillside and the Saône River basin, we pass into the southern half of this famous wine-producing region and to Beaune, the center of the Burgundy wine trade, and center of the appropriately-named Côte de Beaune. Pause for lunch, visit the 15th-century hospital or the wine cooperative, wander through the walled town. Pernand-Vergelesse, Aloxe-Corton, Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet add their prestigious names to yesterday’s wine list. At the end of the day, a little side valley takes us into the Hautes Côtes de Beaune, and to Nolay, a charming 17th century market town. Half Baggage	55 k
Wednesday	La ROCHEPOT, the CÔTE de BEAUNE Depending on how you feel, today could be as short as a trip to a local swimming hole. But there is a lot of good biking at your door. Santenay, at the base of the hill where our hotel sits, is another of Burgundy’s great crus. There’s a nice waterfall at the Cirque du Bout du Monde (“hole at the end of the world”), in case your room doesn’t have a shower. And La Rochepot offers a jewel of a fortified castle, restored stone by stone by former French President Sadi Carnot. Add to this some beautiful views and as many wine towns as you can drink, and you’ll have plenty of inspiration to encourage you to cycle out. Half Baggage	15 - 80 k
Thursday	The CÔTE CHALONAISE A beautiful ride through the hills of the Côte Chalonaise, but also including 40 flat k on a rail-to-trail bike path. The best! Givry is the most prestigious wine town along the way, Buxy is the prettiest lunch stop, and Cormatin has a castle out of a fairy story. The silliest game of the day is chasing each other through it’s maze. Cluny was long the center of medieval spirituality, but our favorite thing about the town is that the central tower is called the Tour des Fromages — Tower of Cheeses. More things should be named after cheese.	65 k
Friday	The SAÔNE VALLEY and the MÂCONAIS We drop down to the Saône Valley after a morning climb over the ridge... Stop for a picnic in one of the glens of the forest of Chapaize. Or just make straight for Tournus, whose 11th century abbey is named for an obscure looney. Or maybe the reverse. End the afternoon lounging by the river, watching the teens cruise the bridge on their scooters. Then a quick train ride undoes your work of the past week, and carries you back to Dijon in time for supper. Half Baggage Trips ending with this route disband upon arrival in Dijon at the end of the riding day. But the trip’s “Access Package” presumes, and includes, tonight's hotel. A final Burgundian dinner is on offer to any staying behind, involving all the snails that can’t run fast enough to get away.	45 k
Saturday	CONNECTION DAY (through trips, “Access Package” subsribers only). The first morning train from Dijon to Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport reaches the airport at 9:45a. Book same-day flights accordingly! If you are continuing to Switzerland, a midday train will get you there. Or, an optional additional biking day in the French Jura may be available to you.... Half Baggage

Day-by-Day Itinerary: Southern Burgundy

Day of the Week

Description

Typical distances, in km

Saturday

Access Package: TRAIN to DIJON
Most of you will travel to Burgundy from Paris. Destination: the capital. Of Burgundy, that is. 90 minutes at 200 mph on this thing they call the TGV.... Others may come from Geneva, or Lyon....

However you get there, Dijon is one of France's most interesting cities. Burgundy’s gastronomic, as well as political, center, a perfect introduction to our route. The region’s four most famous products are well-displayed: mustard, cassis (black currants), wine, and snails. Mix and match them according to taste (editorial comment: yuck). Visit the old town, the medieval Cathedral, the Palace of the Ducs de Bourgogne. Or perhaps dabble in a wine tasting.

Half Baggage

Lots, but probably on a train

Sunday

Meeting Your Trip.
Our trip assembles in Dijon on Sunday morning.

Mont AUXOIS, a CONTINENTAL DIVIDE
A short train ride takes us out to Alésia, at the base of Mont Auxois. Then we set off on the bikes. If you wish, you can start by riding up either or both of two (optional) mountains. Mont Auxois was the site of Vercingétorix’s last stand: Caesar besieged and captured the famous Gaul here, thus sealing for centuries the Roman domination of what became France. The second has a seminary and a candy factory on top of it. So there is something for everyone.

We next follow a pastoral valley though a sequence of sleepy villages. Far from the Burgundy known to tourists, this is a place where cows are hearded home in the evenings, where old stone villages quietly crumble, and where foreigners on bicycles are gawked at, if you can find anyone to gawk.

Finally, up a monster hill, and over one of France’s continental divides, separating the English Channel basin from the Mediterranean. Then down the other side to the Burgundian capital. Pretty views and imposing cliffs line our road as we spiral down to the valley floor. Stop for a swim in Lac Kir on the way into town.

Half Baggage

50 k

Monday

VINEYARDS of the CÔTE de NUITS
Enter the grape greenery at Burgundy’s heart. Cycling through vineyards is one of our favorite pastimes. As you get used to it, you start to feel the special rhythm of this unusual agricultural domain. We pass through Marsannay-la-Côte, Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Vosne-Romanée... along the Route des Grands Crus (loosely, the “Great Wine Road”) on our way to Nuits-St.-Georges. Names familiar from any great restaurant’s wine list. The town of Nuits lends its name to the whole area: the Côte de Nuits.

Surrounding us tonight are arguably the world’s best red wine vineyards, producing the elixir so carefully tasted by the Brotherhood of the Knights of Winetasting in Vougeot (no, we are not making this up).

25 k, but it feels like so much more

Tuesday

BEAUNE, MEURSAULT
More vineyard biking today, and more famous names. After a climb to a ridge above the valley for a spectacular view of the whole hillside and the Saône River basin, we pass into the southern half of this famous wine-producing region and to Beaune, the center of the Burgundy wine trade, and center of the appropriately-named Côte de Beaune. Pause for lunch, visit the 15th-century hospital or the wine cooperative, wander through the walled town. Pernand-Vergelesse, Aloxe-Corton, Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet add their prestigious names to yesterday’s wine list.

At the end of the day, a little side valley takes us into the Hautes Côtes de Beaune, and to Nolay, a charming 17th century market town.

Half Baggage

55 k

Wednesday

La ROCHEPOT, the CÔTE de BEAUNE
Depending on how you feel, today could be as short as a trip to a local swimming hole. But there is a lot of good biking at your door. Santenay, at the base of the hill where our hotel sits, is another of Burgundy’s great crus. There’s a nice waterfall at the Cirque du Bout du Monde (“hole at the end of the world”), in case your room doesn’t have a shower. And La Rochepot offers a jewel of a fortified castle, restored stone by stone by former French President Sadi Carnot.

Add to this some beautiful views and as many wine towns as you can drink, and you’ll have plenty of inspiration to encourage you to cycle out.

Half Baggage

15 - 80 k

Thursday

The CÔTE CHALONAISE
A beautiful ride through the hills of the Côte Chalonaise, but also including 40 flat k on a rail-to-trail bike path. The best! Givry is the most prestigious wine town along the way, Buxy is the prettiest lunch stop, and Cormatin has a castle out of a fairy story. The silliest game of the day is chasing each other through it’s maze.

Cluny was long the center of medieval spirituality, but our favorite thing about the town is that the central tower is called the Tour des Fromages — Tower of Cheeses. More things should be named after cheese.

65 k

Friday

The SAÔNE VALLEY and the MÂCONAIS
We drop down to the Saône Valley after a morning climb over the ridge... Stop for a picnic in one of the glens of the forest of Chapaize. Or just make straight for Tournus, whose 11th century abbey is named for an obscure looney. Or maybe the reverse.

End the afternoon lounging by the river, watching the teens cruise the bridge on their scooters. Then a quick train ride undoes your work of the past week, and carries you back to Dijon in time for supper.

Half Baggage

Trips ending with this route disband upon arrival in Dijon at the end of the riding day. But the trip’s “Access Package” presumes, and includes, tonight's hotel. A final Burgundian dinner is on offer to any staying behind, involving all the snails that can’t run fast enough to get away.

45 k

Saturday

CONNECTION DAY (through trips, “Access Package” subsribers only). The first morning train from Dijon to Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport reaches the airport at 9:45a. Book same-day flights accordingly!

If you are continuing to Switzerland, a midday train will get you there. Or, an optional additional biking day in the French Jura may be available to you....

Half Baggage