How to travel to/ from the different regions of France by train, plane or car for your cycling holiday. Useful info and websites, including local connection options and onward travel ideas for start/ finish destinations featured in our circular and linear cycle tours in France.
LOIRE VALLEY
Destinations
Tours
1: Train, via Paris or Lille (Eurostar/TGV). 2: Fly to Tours, Poitiers, Nantes or Paris.
Blois
1: Train from Tours or Paris. 2: Fly to Tours, Poitiers, Nantes or Paris.
Chitenay
1: Train from Tours or Paris to Blois, then taxi to Chitenay. 2: Fly to Tours, Poitiers, Nantes or Paris.
Saumur
1: Train from Tours or Paris. 2: Fly to Tours, Poitiers, Nantes or Paris.
Orléans
1: Train from Tours or Paris. 2: Fly to Tours or Paris.
Angers
1: Train from Tours or Paris. 2: Fly to Tours, Poitiers, Nantes or Paris.
Please see below for more detailed information on options available.
By Rail:
- Tours
Eurostar to Paris or Lille. TGV services from Paris Montparnasse or Lille to St Pierre des Corps station (Tours), with local service to Gare de Tours (the central station in the city). Local connections to Blois (for Chitenay) and Saumur. - Orléans
Eurostar to Paris. Intercity services to Les Aubrais (Orléans TGV station) and Intercity services to Orléans Centre from Paris Gare d’Austerlitz.
By Air:
- Tours
Ryanair – flying from London Stansted (Sun/Mon/Fri). - Poitiers-Biard (100kms south of Tours – one stop on TGV train from St Pierre des Corps station, Tours)
Ryanair – flying from London Stansted (Sun/Tues/Weds/Fri). - Nantes Atlantique (good rail connections from Nantes station to Loire Valley start/finish towns)
easyjet – flying from Birmingham, Bristol and London Gatwick
Ryanair – flying from Edinburgh, London Stansted and Manchester - Paris – Charles de Gaulle (shuttle bus or RER train to Paris then by rail to Loire Valley) TGV services also run direct from the airport station to the Loire Valley)
British Airways – flying from London Heathrow
easyJet – flying from Belfast International, Bristol (to CDG and Orly), , Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, London Gatwick and London Luton and Manchester.
jet2.com – flying from Leeds-Bradford.
Air France – flying from Birmingham, Edinburgh, London Heathrow, Manchester and Newcastle.
Vueling (flights are to Orly airport) – flying from Birmingham, Edinburgh and London Gatwick.
By Car:
Use Ferry or Tunnel. Distance Calais – Tours: 325 miles using toll roads.
Long term parking can usually be arranged (we can advise likely charges).
This information is correct as at January 2023.
ATLANTIC COAST / AQUITAINE
Destinations
La Rochelle – 1: Train, via Paris (Eurostar/TGV)
2: Fly to La Rochelle, Poitiers or Nantes.
Cognac – 1: Train, via Paris (Eurostar/TGV/regional train)
2: Fly to La Rochelle, Poitiers or Bordeaux.
Bordeaux – 1. Train via Paris (Eurostar/TGV)
2. Fly to Bordeaux
Please see below for more detailed information on options available.
By Rail:
- La Rochelle
Eurostar to Paris. TGV services from Paris Montparnasse to La Rochelle (trains roughly every 2 hours, journey times around 2hrs 49mins from Paris). - Cognac
Eurostar to Paris. TGV services from Paris Montparnasse to Angoulême, then regional train to Cognac (TGV services roughly every 2 hours, journey times around 3hrs from Paris). - Bordeaux
Eurostar to Paris. TGV services from Paris Montparnasse to Bordeaux Saint Jean (trains every 1-2 hours, fastest journey time 2hr 4mins).
By Air:
- La Rochelle-Ile de Ré – Please note: all flights to La Rochelle are summer holiday season only,
easyjet – flying from Bristol, London Gatwick and Manchester.
Ryanair – flying from London Stansted - Poitiers-Biard
Ryanair – flying from London Stansted (Sun/Tues/Weds/Fri) - Nantes Atlantique
easyjet – flying from Birmingham, Bristol and London Gatwick
Ryanair – flying from Edinburgh, London Stansted and Manchester - Bordeaux
British Airways – flying from London Gatwick
easyjet – flying from Belfast, Bristol, Glasgow, London Gatwick, London Luton and Manchester
Ryanair – flying from Brimingham, Edinburgh, London Stansted and Manchester
By Car:
Use Ferry or Tunnel. Distance Calais – La Rochelle: 430 miles using toll roads (or St Malo – La Rochelle 198 miles).Calais – Cognac 495 miles using toll roads (or St Malo – Cognac 280 miles). Calais-Bordeaux 537 miles via toll roads (or St Malo – Bordeaux 318 miles).
Long term parking can usually be arranged. (We can advise likely charges.)
This information is correct as of January 2023.
DORDOGNE
Destinations
Souillac – 1: Train, via Paris (Eurostar/TGV/local service) to Souillac.
2: Fly to Brive Dordogne Valley, Toulouse, Paris or Limoges.
Please see below for more detailed information on options available.
By Rail:
- Souillac
Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord. Train (direct Intercity) from Paris Gare d’Austerlitz to Souillac. Journey time from Paris is around 5hrs.
By Air:
- Brive Dordogne Valley (No shuttle buses at the airport – taxi transfer to Souillac c.20mins only)
Ryanair – flying from London Stansted (2 days per week summer season only)
- Paris (RER train or shuttle bus to Paris then by rail to Souillac, see above)
British Airways – flying from London Heathrow and London City (to Paris Orly airport).
bmi – flying from Bristol
easyJet – flying from Belfast International, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, London Southend, Gatwick and Luton and Manchester.
Flybe – flying from Aberdeen, Birmingham, Cardiff, Doncaster, Edinburgh, Exeter, Manchester, Newcastle and Southampton.
Jet2.com – flying from Leeds-Bradford.
Air France – flying from Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, London Heathrow, Manchester and Southampton.
Vueling – flying from London Gatwick.
- Toulouse-Blagnac
(Shuttle buses and trams to Toulouse city centre and station, good rail connections from Toulouse Matabiau railway station to Souillac – journey time about 2hrs)
British Airways – flying from London Heathrow
easyjet – flying from Bristol and London Gatwick
Ryanair – flying from Edinburgh and London Stansted
By Car:
Use Ferry or Tunnel. Distance Calais – Souillac: 497 miles using toll roads
Long term parking can usually be arranged (we can advise likely charges).
This information is correct as at January 2023.
PROVENCE
Destinations
Orange – 1: Train, via Paris or Lille and Avignon (Eurostar/TGV/local service) to Orange.
2: Fly to Avignon, Marseille, Nîmes or Montpellier.
Avignon and Aigues-Mortes – 1: Train, via Paris or Lille and Avignon (Eurostar/TGV/local service)
2: Fly to Avignon, Marseille, Nîmes or Montpellier.
Please see below for more detailed information on options available.
By Rail:
- Orange and Avignon (via Paris or Lille)
Eurostar to Paris or Lille, then TGV to Avignon (or Lyon) and local train Avignon to Orange.
Connections at Lille avoid the need to transfer between stations in Paris. - Aigues-Mortes (via Paris or Lille and Nîmes)
Eurostar to Paris or Lille, change at Nîmes and local train to Aigues-Mortes (sometimes a bus operates this service).
By Air:
- Avignon
Flybe – flying from Birmingham (1/2 flights per week May-Sept only) - Marseille Provence (direct services to Arles, Avignon and Orange from the nearby airport rail station)
British Airways – flying from London Heathrow.
easyjet – flying from Bristol, Glasgow and London Gatwick
Ryanair – flying from East Midlands, Edinburgh, London Stansted & Manchester.
- Nîmes
Ryanair – flying from Edinburgh and London Stansted (summer season only) - Montpellier
easyjet – flying from London Gatwick and London Luton.
Frequent trains run from Avignon, Marseille, Nîmes and Montpellier railway stations to Orange. Local connection (but infrequent, with some bus services) from Nîmes to Aigues-Mortes.
By Car:
Use Ferry or Tunnel. Distance Calais – Orange: 593 miles using toll roads. . Calais – Avignon 611 miles using toll roads.
Long term parking can usually be arranged (we can advise likely charges).
This information is correct as at January 2023.
LANGUEDOC/CANAL DU MIDI
Destinations
Carcassonne – 1: Train, via Paris or Lille and Toulouse or Montpellier (Eurostar/TGV/local service) to Carcassonne.
2: Fly to Carcassonne, Toulouse or Béziers-Cap d’Agde airports.
Please see below for more detailed information on options available.
By Rail:
- Carcassonne (via Paris or Lille)
Eurostar to Paris or Lille, then TGV or Intercity and local services from Paris Gare de Lyon or Montparnasse to Carcassonne. Connections at Lille avoid the need to transfer between stations in Paris.
By Air:
- Carcassonne
Ryanair – flying from Bournemouth, East Midlands, Edinburgh, London Stansted and Manchester.
(Shuttle bus to Carcassonne city and railway station -25 minutes journey time). - Toulouse-Blagnac
British Airways – flying from London Heathrow
easyjet – flying from Bristol and London Gatwick
Ryanair – flying from Birmingham, Edinburgh and London Stansted
(Shuttle buses and trams to Toulouse city centre and station, good rail connections from Toulouse Matabiau railway station to Carcassonne.) - Béziers-Cap d’Agde
Ryanair – flying from Birmingham, Edinburgh, London Luton, London Stansted and Manchester
(Shuttle bus from the airport to Béziers bus and rail station, regular TGV, Intercity and regional trains run to Carcassonne.)
By Car:
Use Ferry or Tunnel. Distance Calais – Carcassonne: 654 miles using toll roads.
Long term parking can usually be arranged (we can advise likely charges).
This information is correct as at January 2023.
ALSACE
Destinations
Strasbourg
1: Train via Paris or Lille (Eurostar/TGV).
2: Fly to Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (best for UK flights and onward connections by rail), Strasbourg (no flights direct from UK) or Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden in Germany.
Please see below for more detailed information on options available.
By Rail:
- Strasbourg
Eurostar to Paris or Lille. TGV train from Paris or Lille direct to Strasbourg. Paris Gare de l’Est to Strasbourg journey time from 1 hr 46 mins.; Lille to Strasbourg from 3hr 35mins.
By Air:
- Strasbourg
No direct flights from UK, but connecting flights possible (eg.via Schiphol). - Karlsruhe/Baden Baden
Ryanair – flying from London Stansted - EuroAirport Basel – Mulhouse – Freiburg
British Airways – flying from London Heathrow (good rail connection to Strasbourg)
easyjet – flying from Bristol, Edinburgh, London Gatwick and Manchester.
Other Information:
- Strasbourg Airport
Shuttle train to Strasbourg station, 4 trains an hour, journey time 9 mins. - Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport
Bus Line 285 goes to Baden-Baden station, buses hourly, journey time 26 minutes. Direct TGV connection to Strasbourg or local train (1 change). Bookable minibus shuttle services to Strasbourg also available. - EuroAirport Basel – Mulhouse – Freiburg
Regular shuttle bus to Saint Louis (SNCF) railway station. Regular direct trains Saint Louis – Strasbourg. (journey time about 1hr 9 mins).
By Car:
Use Ferry or Tunnel. Distance Calais – Strasbourg: 384 miles using toll roads.
Long term parking can usually be arranged (we can advise likely charges).
This information is correct as at January 2023.
USEFUL CONTACTS
Please note that rail and flight contacts are for your convenience and no endorsement is intended.
Rail contacts
www.sncf-connect.com – French Railways (timetables and online ticketing – web and app versions)
www.eurostar.com – Eurostar 034312 186 186 (£10 call fee applies to telephone bookings)
www.seat61.com/France – Seat 61 (an excellent independent UK site giving information on rail travel across Europe)
Flight contacts
If you can, it is often worth checking alternative days (days or weeks), as sometimes you can save money by adding an extra day to the start or end of your trip.
Some flights are daily, others only fly on certain days of the week or are summer services only. Please check carefully, particularly for return flights at the end of the holiday.
www.airfrance.co.uk – Air France
www.ba.com – British Airways
www.cityjet.com – Cityjet
www.easyjet.com – easyjet
www.flybe.com – Flybe
www.jet2.com – Jet2
www.ryanair.com – Ryanair
www.vueling.com – Vueling
Airport websites
Please note that airport contacts are for your convenience and no endorsement is intended. These sites may also include local shuttle bus and taxi information.
www.tours.aeroport.fr/ – Tours Val de Loire
www.poitiers.aeroport.fr/ – Poitiers-Biard
www.nantes-aeroport.fr – Nantes Atlantique
www.parisaeroport.fr – Paris Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports
www.larochelle.aeroport.fr – La Rochelle/Ile de Ré
www.bordeaux.aeroport.fr – Bordeaux
www.aeroport-brive-vallee-dordogne.com – Brive Dordogne Valley
www.avignon.aeroport.fr/en/ – Avignon Provence
www.marseille.aeroport.fr – Marseille Provence
www.nimes.aeroport.fr – Nîmes Alès Camargue Cévennes
www.montpellier.aeroport.fr – Montpellier
www.aeroport-carcassonne.com – Carcassonne
www.beziers.aeroport.fr/ – Béziers
www.toulouse.aeroport.fr – Toulouse-Blagnac
www.strasbourg.aeroport.fr – Strasbourg
www.euroairport.com – Euroairport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg
www.baden-airpark.de – Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden
This information is correct as at January 2023.
BOOKING PROCEDURE
- Decide how and when you would like to travel, checking price and availability (either yourself or through your travel agent).
- Once you are satisfied, place the booking with us. We will confirm the booking within 24 hours (week days only).
- Once we have confirmed your reservation, book your travel arrangements.
