Cycling the Canal de Garonne from Bordeaux to Toulouse
From Bordeaux to Creon, 29km
Leaving Bordeaux, after crossing the St-Jean Bridge, a cycle track that runs in part alongside the Garonne leads to Latresne, where you join the beautiful Roger Lapébie cycle track. It’s named after the winner of the Tour de France in 1937 and is remarkably well laid out along a former railway line, with several dedicated stops in former railway stations. The way heads to Créon. This place, set around its arcaded central square, a remnant of a former bastide fortified town, is well worth a detour.
Provisionally, the route starts from Bordeaux SNCF train station. Head down to the Pont St-Jean Bridge, accessible via a ramp, to cross the Garonne, whose east bank you then follow for a while. From Latresne, the Roger Lapébie cycle track is tarmacked, well-equipped and safe.
If you want a longer first day (or if you’re short of time), you can skip Creon and continue on to La Reole (below), for 64km day.
The Roger Lapebie bike path is not 100% flat but it’s more than doable for novices. Some of the old stations along this converted railway line have been converted into cafés, though they may not be open offseason. Great surface for cycling.
Creon
- The Chateau Camiac is a wonderfully lavish option if your budget stretches to staying in a chateau. Yes, it’s expensive but it’s also a proper Bordeaux chateau and a real treat. It’s not far from the Roger Lapebie bike path. For more of a budget option, head to Hotel Atena.
From Creon to Sauveterre/La Reole, 35km
The route continues along the former railway line, recalled by converted stations and railway-crossing houses. A detour to La Sauve is well worth it to admire the historic Abbey of La Sauve-Majeure. Enter Sauveterre-de-Guyenne via one of its splendid old gateways to make for the arcaded central square, at the heart of the bastide fortified town created in 1281.
The Route
The route along the Roger Lapébie cycle track is very well laid out and safe, and doesn’t present any difficulties.
In the heart of the Entre-Deux-Mers area – between the two rivers, the Garonne and Dordogne, nicknamed ‘seas’ – you cross an ocean of vines! The terrain is hillier here. You join the Canal de Garonne at La Réole. This town conceals a few treasures behind its ramparts. In its maze of little streets, don’t miss the 13th-century church of St-Pierre, nor the esplanade next to a former Benedictine Abbey which offers a fine view over the Garonne Valley.
The Route
The route is along hilly little roads with very light traffic. The way is signposted between Sauveterre and Loubens. Note however that the route is not signposted between Loubens and La Réole.
At Rauzan, a worthy 4km diversion from the route, there is the L’îlot-vignes B&B. It’s run by Laure and Pierre-Yves, and they are hugely welcoming towards cyclists. They offer B&B + table d’hôtes (evening meals), which you should say yes to given Pierre-Yves has worked in some fine French restaurants in his time. There is also a pool and a local bike delivery service. More info here.
Further on, L’Autre Vie is a lovely, small B&B tucked among the vineyards just the other side of Sauveterre. It’s a short detour after you leave the Roger Lapebie bike path. This is a lovely place to stay, with a pool and deck that overlook the vines. A little bit further on just south of La Reole at Fontet (and a bit cheaper) is this old mill that now offers B&B.
This it not the Alps! Nonetheless, the Sauveterre to La Reole section is the hardest part of the Bordeaux-Toulouse route. There are hills! This stretch may be a little hard for some novice cyclists and also for children/families, so be prepared, take plenty of water on hot days and don’t plan too many kilometres if you’re worried about the hills.
From La Reole to Buzet-sur-Baïse/Damazan
From this stretch onward it’s pretty easy riding. There are two distance options to be recommended:
1) La Reole to Marmande: approx 26km from La Reole.
If you need a shorter stretch, there is the Hotel Le Capricorne at Marmande, a short detour from the canal (approximately 26km from La Reole). Marmande is a nice town with good restaurants and bars, and this hotel is used often by cycle tour companies working the canal. From Marmande you can then continue on to Damazan the next day.
The cycle route joins the Canal de Garonne close to the startling Musée de l’Allumette (Match Museum) at Fontet. This place’s port and outdoors recreation centre make it a great spot to stop before starting out on the greenway beside the canal. This stage is calm, but the perched village of Meilhan-sur-Garonne draws you up to it for fabulous views. For a further short detour, visit the town of Marmande, which conceals some surprises.
The Route
Part of this stage is shared with motorized traffic, going on small roads from La Réole to Pont Berrat. Then you join the well laid-out, signposted greenway along the Canal de Garonne.
Off the route
To reach the town of Marmande there are two options: from Pont-des-Sables, following the signposted cycle track alongside the very busy D 933 road for 6km; or, from Pont-de-Fourques, 2km further on, follow quiet roads with very little traffic that take you back close to the Garonne River, which you then have to cross via the D 933 road to reach the centre of Marmande – count 7km in all for this second option.
2) La Reole to Damazan: approx 60km from La Reole.
If you need a longer stretch, stay near where the Garonne river meets the Lot (ideal if you’re moving onto the Lot Valley bike route) at the Inter-Hotel de la Confluence at Damazan.
Le Mas-d’Agenais is the highlight on this stage of the Canal des 2 Mers à Vélo cycle route. Its church of St-Vincent is an architectural gem, startlingly containing a work by Rembrandt, Christ on the Cross. The wide vista over the Garonne at one end of the village adds to its attractions. At the end of the stage, the cycle track leads to Damazan, a bastide fortified town built from scratch in the 13th century.
The Route
This stage is along a well laid-out, signposted greenway.
To reach Le Mas-d’Agenais itself, cross the canal at the first bridge you arrive at, climb the slope opposite, then pass in front of the former washhouse of La Fontaine Galliane.
Link Canal de Garonne / Vallée du Lot
From Damazan, it’s possible to join the Voie Verte de la Vallée du Lot greenway, which leads to the splendid town of Cahors via a delightful 150km route. The starting point for this route lies 500m from the exit to the village, beside the canal. After following some small roads with little traffic, cross the Garonne River via a road bridge (dismount from your bike and lead it by hand along the pavement), then follow a busier road taking you to Aiguillon, dominating the Garonne and Lot Valleys.
There are a few restaurants when you reach the Villeton/Mas d’Agenais areas.
From Damazan to St Jean de Thurac, 41km
The Canal des 2 Mers à Vélo cycle route continues along the greenway beside the Canal de Garonne, passing through the very lively port of Buzet-sur-Baïse. You reach Agen itself via one of the longest canal-bridges in France, at 600m. The town is both capital of the département (French county) of Lot-et-Garonne and French capital of prunes… and it conceals many other curiosities, which you can discover in the remarkable monuments in the historic centre.
The route
This stage takes you along an easy, signposted greenway.
Link Canal de Garonne / Vallée du Lot
From Damazan, it’s possible to join the Voie Verte de la Vallée du Lot greenway, which leads to the splendid town of Cahors via a delightful 150km route. The starting point for this route lies 500m from the exit to the village, beside the canal. After following some small roads with little traffic, cross the Garonne River via a road bridge (dismount from your bike and lead it by hand along the pavement), then follow a busier road taking you to Aiguillon, dominating the Garonne and Lot Valleys.
From this stretch onwards there aren’t many restaurants and water points can also be hard to find. Take supplies with you. There also aren’t that many established bike-friendly hotels/B&Bs.
Just after Buzet-sur-Baïse is Moulin de Saint-Laurent with camping, B&B and self-catering options.
Hotel-Restaurant Au Colombier du Touron is just before Agen. In Agen itself there is this hotel with accueil velo (‘welcome cyclists’) status). Chateau Saint Marcel, meanwhile, is just south of Agen.
After St Jean de Thurac
There are a few options here, depending on how much time you have and how your legs are feeling.
Leave Agen’s port via a greenway. The way continues close to the Garonne, although the river is rarely visible from beside the canal. After Lamagistère, you enter Valence d’Agen, passing close to former abattoirs superbly converted into an information centre. The town was built as a fortified bastide in the 13th century. Admire its covered market, dovecotes, washhouses and port. Every summer, the show entitled Au Fil de l’Eau une Histoire revives the town’s important past as a port.
The route
This stage is along a well laid-out and signposted greenway.
1) St Jean de Thurac to Moissac: 32km
From Valence to Moissac, the cycle route sticks to the tranquil canal. The town of Moissac, located on one of the famous pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela, stretches out peacefully beside the Tarn River. Visit Moissac’s splendid medieval Benedictine abbey, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its stunningly carved cloisters and one of the most beautiful Romanesque church entrances in southern France.
The route
Between Valence and Moissac, the route is signposted, but on certain stretches you have to leave the towpath and cycle on stretches of road shared with motorized traffic, although these roads are generally very quiet.
The Hôtel Le Moulin de Moissac is a worthy diversion from the canal towpath as the hotel overlooks the Tarn River. Hotel L’Armateur has also been recommended to us by cyclists who stayed there.
2) St Jean de Thurac to Monbéqui: 63km
The A La Reine B&B at Monbéqui is small (there are only two bedrooms) but it’s bike-friendly and offers a homely welcome.
3) St Jean de Thurac to Montauban: 65km
The Canal des 2 Mers à Vélo cycle route leaves Moissac via the Pont-canal du Cacor, a remarkable canal-bridge. Not long after, you reach a business park at the entrance to Castelsarrasin, an historic fortified town in the County of Toulouse. From its marina, you can head into the old centre that witnessed many turbulent times, but that has preserved many fine public spaces and buildings, including the imposing St-Sauveur Church, built of fine brick.
The route
The towpath leads you without any difficulties right up to Montech port. Just before the latter, do go and take a good look at the extraordinary sloping lock where curious old locomotive engines slumber.
There’s the elegant Abbaye des Capucins, which is set in an old abbey in Montauban, a short detour from the canal.
4) St Jean de Thurac to Grisolles: 70km
Approx 70km from St Jean de Thurac Villa Toulousaine is more of a budget option but a nice place to relax.
5) St Jean de Thurac to Grenade-sur-Garonne: 78km
Leaving Montech, the Canal des 2 Mers à Vélo cycle route leads south along the greenway beside the Canal de Garonne towards the great regional capital of Toulouse. Numerous big villages are dotted along the way, like Grisolles, with its museum, and many ‘Villeneuves’, ‘new towns’ dating from the construction of fortified grid-plan settlements… in the 13th century. A cycling circuit through the nearby vineyards of the Frontonnais allows you to discover them and a grape variety unique to this part of southwest France – négrette.
The route
Four hundred metres after Montech, cross the splendid footbridge on to the Canal de Garonne’s other bank. The greenway is well laid out and signposted.
Approx 78km from St Jean de Thurac Villa Léopoldine is a small detour from the Canal de Garonne towpath itself but we’re told it’s a worthy diversion, with its stately rooms.
Arrive Toulouse: 23km
You can sense the outskirts of the huge regional metropolis of Toulouse long before reaching the centre of ‘the pink city’, as it’s nicknamed. Sticking to the Canal de Garonne, its historic tranquillity contrasts with the rampant urbanisation beyond. You enter Toulouse at the junction of the Canal de Garonne, the Canal de Brienne and the Canal du Midi, at the level of Les Pont-Jumeaux. Then a cycle track beside the Canal du Midi takes you into the city centre.
The Route
The greenway alongside the Canal de Garonne is well laid out and safe for cyclists. For the final stretch to reach Toulouse city centre, use the cycle track beside the Canal du Midi.
As with Bordeaux, Toulouse has stacks of hotel and B&B options. We like the Crowne Plaza – it’s a bit pricier than your standard chain hotel but a nice place to rest at the end of a journey (or to recoup if you’re continuing on the the Canal du Midi). A slightly cheaper option in the atmospheric Hôtel Le Père Léon, which was recommended to us by cyclists. Adagio also has an apartment hotel for self-caterers.
Alternate Itinerary
Day 1 : Bordeaux – Rauzan | 46 km
Once the Garonne crossed in Bordeaux, follow the bike path ‘Roger Lapébie’ (French racing cyclist) in the middle of vineyards and forest. This path use an ancient railway which leads you to the heart of the ‘Entre-deux-mers’. You will leave it to reach you accommodation in Rauzan, medieval village overhanged by its castle and donjon.
Day 2 : Rauzan – Marmande | 69 km
You leave Rauzan and reach the bike path. It ends in Sauveterre-de-Guyenne, fortified village from de 13th century. Follow the itinerary by small countryside routes, before joining the Canal des-deux-mers in La Réole, small village overhanging the Garonne. Then follow the Canal and reach Marmande, the tomato capital city!
Day 3 : Marmande – Agen | 64 km
Reach the canal that you will follow to Agen. Two stops are must-be-seen places. The first at ‘Le Mas-d’Agenais’ with the church St. Vincent, pearl of the French Renaissance and the ‘Christ on the Cross’ from Rembrandt. The second one in Damazan, fortified village from the 13th century. Then you will arrive in Agen by one of the longest bridge-canal.
Day 4 : Agen – Moissac | 43 km
Run of the river, this stage continues, passing through Valence d’Agen, medieval village with a rich cultural and natural heritage. You will find a warm welcome for cyclotourists.
You arrive in Moissac, unmissable stage of St Jacques de Compostelle pilgrimage. Visit the ancient Benedictine abbatial church, its cloister and the church which tympanum is one of the greatest from the Romanesque Art.
Day 5 : Moissac – Toulouse | 68 km
During this last stage, enjoy the quietness of the canal before joining the lively and well-known “Ville rose”. The villages are queuing regularly, welcoming you for lunch breaks or relaxation. You arrive in Toulouse, away from the traffic, via the Canal du Midi.
What else?
Of course you can always choose your own adventure. See our map at the top, which also shows how the Canal de Garonne links with the Canal du Midi, for more hotel and B&B options.
If you’re cycilng in March/April or September/October (or on a Sunday, Monday or public holiday), always ask at each accommodation to check lunch stops for the next day as some restaurants and cafes will have closed for the year and it may be best to pick up sandwiches at a boulangerie or a picnic lunch en route (some accommodation owners will prepare these for you for a small surcharge).
This route is not as well developed as the Canal du Midi in terms of facilities, restaurants and lunch stops, so always plan lunch stops ahead or carry supplies in your panniers.
Canal Boat Tui 