Here's a local train map for the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France, which includes the Dordogne, Bordeaux's wine region, La Rochelle, Limoges, Perigueux and Biarritz.
Nouvelle-Aquitaine is the region created by combining the old Aquitaine region with the old Poitou-Charentes region. It's a vast area with a wide range of cycling options and terrains. It takes in Bordeaux (the capital of the Gironde department) and runs through to the Dordogne's capital of Perigueux (a major administrative centre), as well as to Limoges, Angouleme and Poitiers, all major centres of the old Poitou-Charentes region.
For cyclists, Nouvelle-Aquitaine is a hive of activity, with the EuroVelo 1 and EuroVelo 3 passing through, as well as La Flow Velo, the Canal de Garonne, Velo Francette, and a link between the outskirts of Libourne and Perigueux. La Rochelle and Ile-de-Re to the north of Bordeaux and Biarritz to the far south highlight the scope of the region.
Getting there by train
It is possible to again reach Bordeaux by TGV fast train with a fully assembled bike from Paris Montparnasse. Book TGVs in advance on the SCNF website and include a bicycle reservation when you book. You can also go Paris-Rennes-Nantes and then cycle down the west coast (or hop down it on local trains). Bordeaux and Toulouse are also linked by train, as are Bordeaux-Saint-Emilion-Bergerac-Sarlat and Bordeaux-Perigueux.
Catching local trains
Once in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, a regional network of local TER trains is key to combining bike-train travel. All the coloured lines below are either local TER trains or Intercites trains.
Intercites trains require bicycle reservations in advance when you book your own ticket on the SNCF website.
No bike reservations are required anywhere on the TER network from mid-September to June 1 – you just buy a regular ticket and walk your bike on.
However, from June 1 to September 15, the following "busy" lines need bike reservations:
- Bordeaux - Dax | Bayonne | Hendaye (line 51)
- La Rochelle - Rochefort - Saintes - Bordeaux (line 15)
- Libourne - Bordeaux - Arcachon (line 41+)
- Le Verdon - Macau - Bordeaux - Pessac (line 42)
For these lines from June 1 to September 15, you need to book a bike reservation via this page. Bike tickets cost €3 on top of the regular fare. Beware that if you use a combination of lines or change trains, you may need a bike ticket for part of the route. For example, Sarlat or Bergerac to Arcachon is a combination of line 33 (no bike ticket needed) and line 41+ (bike ticket needed) so you will need to buy a normal ticket from Sarlat or Bergerac to Libourne or Bordeaux, and then a bike reservation ticket for Libourne/Bordeaux to Arcachon.
All lines on the Nouvelle-Aquitaine network other than those above take bikes all year without a separate bike reservation. When searching the SNCF website for these non-bike-ticket lines, there is no need to tick the 'travelling with a velo' box as this may only bring up fast train options (TGVs and Intercites that require bike reservations). So if you are on a line that's NOT mentioned above, just buy a normal ticket (do not tick the velo option as TER lines not mentioned above will take bikes – you don't need a 'bike ticket' for these so they don't show up in the bike search (mad, yes, but that's how it is).
Intercites trains that accept bikes (e.g. Bordeaux to La Rochelle) will appear with a bike symbol on a bike search. The TER website booking link is here.
See also the TGV section here for workarounds on how to arrive in these areas from out of the region.
Click here to open larger, clearer map in PDF format in a new tab.
Bike hire, accommodation and tours
You can use our bespoke bike hire service to find bike hire in this region.
You can find accommodation by searching here.
You can search self-guided and guided rides here. Let me know via here if you need help.
