France - Cognac for Families
31st July 2021 - 7th August 2021 (8 days)
Based at a château in the Charente Maritime department of France, this holiday provides an opportunity to tour abroad in comfort in the company of other families. The château complex is set in eight acres of private grounds with three accommodation buildings, swimming pools, a snooker table, a patio, and a BBQ area. Using a tried and tested format, families set off together at about 9:30 am, visit a cafe, then a place of interest with another stop in the afternoon, and return about 5:30 pm. After this, the children get together and play (possibly in 1 of the 3 swimming pools) whilst the adults drink a bottle of wine and generally relax, knowing the children are having fun. Ages have ranged from 5 to 18 years with the commonest age being between 10 and 13, including the Tour Manager's 13-year old son. The pace is relaxed, and everyone stays broadly together. Route sheets and gpx files are provided so if you wish to stay awhile at a location, you are most welcome to do so. A lovely environment for an enjoyable holiday.
Tour Manager Gary Hill
Grade Leisurely
Accommodation Guesthouse
Holiday Style Centre-based
Saturday 31st July
Arrive any time after 5pm, but in time for an introductions meeting at 8pm. Bikes can be left on cars as tomorrow's ride will be car assisted [Note: Anyone arriving at the location by cycle, please make contact to see if transport to the location can be arranged amongst the group]. Stay 7 nights. Meals: None
Sunday 1st August
Route 1. A circular car assisted ride from Jarnac (50km away) along the Charente valley. The town of Jarnac is on the banks of the Charente River, east of Cognac and west of Angouleme, in the eastern Charente department (Poitou-Charentes region) of France. The surrounding area is a gently rolling landscape of vineyards and other farming activities. 53km. Meals: None.
Monday 2nd August
Route 2. A circular ride via Givrezac and Mortagne-sur-Gironde. We head for the coast via Givrezac, a small market town and today is market day, so a good place to pick up lunch. Mortagne-sur-Gironde is an inland harbour which is lined by restaurants. 54km. Meals: None
Tuesday 3rd August
Route 3. A circular ride to Cognac, the main town in the region and famous for its Cognac distilleries, notably Hennessy. There isn't much to see on the way out and back except for the Roman Church at Ars. Today's ride is a little longer than usual but it uses the most direct route without retracing. 68km. Meals: None
Wednesday 4th August
Rest day, for sightseeing or relaxing. Meals: None
Thursday 5th August
Route 4. A circular ride to Pons, which was a staging post on the road to Santiago de Compostela in the Middle Ages. It's castle and donjon (tower) is in a square with public gardens, and it's possible to climb the tower. The ramparts below offer good views along the river Seugne. We don't visit the Château de Enigmes at Pons today, which has a treasure trail designed for children based around the Templars, but you may do so if you prefer rather than spending time in Pons itself, or you could visit the château the previous day. Built by the Rabaine family and, when threatened by destruction, it was moved stone by stone to its present site. 48km. Meals: None
Friday 6th August
Route 5. A circular car assisted ride from Espargnes (25km away) to Royan. For most visitors the big attraction of Royan is its proximity to very pleasant beaches which are sandy and gently sloping, so perfect for children. The ride will also visit Talmont, Royan, La Grand Conche and Ars. This second car assisted ride is suggested for today so that bikes can be left on cars ready for the journey home [Note: Anyone arriving at the location by cycle, please make contact to see if transport to the location can be arranged amongst the group]. 54km. Meals: None
Saturday 7th August
End of holiday. Château to be vacated by 10am. Meals: None
Please note that the day on which each ride will take place is subject to change.
The three buildings, the 'château', 'stables' and 'domaine' could be let in their own right but we have sole use of these. They are all well furnished and have well-equipped kitchens. The 'château' is the larger of the three and with its swimming pool will be used as the main communal area for relaxing in the evening, sitting on the patio, playing snooker or having a dip in the pool!
Most rooms are two-bedded, though some can take an extra bed or two, and some but not all are en-suite. Some families might wish to have the parents sharing a room with their own children, while others might need or prefer two rooms.
No breakfasts are included but there will be an opportunity to arrange for a daily boulangerie order to be delivered (except for Sunday morning). The group may choose to arrange a BBQ evening and/or source a local chef to arrange an evening meal or two!
The price of £470 is based on a minimum number of 33 people taking part in the holiday; please note Booking Conditions, clause 3. If there are insufficient bookings by 22nd May 2021, we will contact you and return all monies paid.
7 nights château, sharing room
Cleaning charges and heating/electricity costs
Travel to and from France and to the château
Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners
Refreshments during the day
€100 cash returnable damages deposit per family is to be paid to the Tour Manager on arrival. This is held to cover extra cleaning and any breakages/damages that may occur.
A deposit of £47 per person is payable upon booking, with the final balance of £423 per person to be paid ten weeks prior to departure, by 22nd May 2021.
Before 22nd May 2021
From 22nd May 2021 through to departure
Based in the Charente Maritime department of France, within 30km of Cognac.
Five circular routes are available from which a route will be chosen that is appropriate for a given day. Each route has been selected to lead to a point of interest that would appeal to both children and adults alike. Rides will leave the château at roughly 9:30am. A morning and afternoon stop will be incorporated, varying from a café in a village/town or another point of interest such as a church or château. Lunchtime will usually be in a town that offers a choice of places to eat. It is intended to return to the château by about 5:30pm.
All rides are led and it is anticipated that the group will cycle together. This is nice for the children, especially those on solo bikes, as they feel they are cycling with friends whilst still under the watchful eye of their parents. The average speed is leisurely at about 6kmph (10mph), waiting at difficult junctions for anyone behind to catch up if need be. The roads are mostly tarmac, though on occasions paths may be used that will be suitable for most types of bike.
This holiday is not designed for the absolute beginner. Your family should have been cycling before and all should be capable of covering 68km (42 miles) in a day. Children can often cycle further than parents expect when they are with a group. However, shortcuts can be suggested if you feel any given route is too long. If children cycle on their own bike it is important that parents keep an eye on them.
Ideal destinations for the rest day and within cycling distance is the town of Saintes with its Roman amphitheatre, the Château des Enigmes at Pons and a large waterpark at Jonzac, along with cafes and boulangeries.
Rooms will be allocated as near to your request as possible but, obviously, there will be less choice as the holiday gets booked up. Please make your preferences clear on the Booking Form.
The château is located at 17800 Pons, Charente-Maritime, France. Approximate distances from the nearest ferry ports are:
Calais (777km)
Dieppe (610km)
Le Havre (584km)
Caen (506km)
Cherbourg (591km)
Saint-Malo (430km)
Roscoff (565km)
The maximum number of participants will be 40 excluding the Tour Managers. This will mean there will be approximately 12 families in total, though this will depend on the number of people in each family.
At this time of year it should be warm and dry but rain is always a possibility, so you should carry clothing to ensure that you and your children can remain warm and (reasonably) dry. Sun cream is strongly recommended.
Any combination of tandem, cycle, hybrid or lightweight ATB is suitable, but this must be in good working order, especially the brakes. Everyone in your family should have ridden their cycle before the tour to ensure they are happy with its handling. Lights will not be necessary. Please ensure that you have suitable panniers for carrying rainwear, spare clothing, picnic food, sun cream, etc. Each family will also be expected to bring/carry sufficient spares and tools to deal with punctures and minor repairs.
Although the rides will be led, daily route sheets and gpx files containing enough information to navigate during the holiday will be provided. If you prefer to carry more detailed maps, several maps of the area are available through the internet, but a map showing the whole area covered won't have enough detail. The following maps cover the area:
IGN Top 100 - 1:100,000 IGN 138 - La Rochelle, Saintes, Ile de Re et Ile d'Oleron £8.99
IGN Top 100 - 1:100,000 IGN 145 - Bordeaux, Arcachon, Gironde, Medoc £8.99
Charente, Charente-Maritime - Michelin Local Map 324 1:150000 ISBN: 9782067210363 £5.99
The Rough Guide series of guidebooks for France can also be recommended.
You should carry a map in case you become separated from the group or wish to spend some time cycling away from the group. The routes have been planned using IGN maps 138 and 145 but please check with the Tour Manager just before the holiday if purchasing new maps. Michelin Local map 324 could be equally useful.
A €100 cash returnable damages deposit per family is to be paid to the Tour Manager on arrival. This is held to cover extra cleaning and any breakage or damage that may occur. This deposit, less the cost of any breakages, additional cleaning, etc, will be refunded at the end of the stay.
Please feel free to contact the Tour Manager directly by email for further clarification. This type of holiday uses a very successfully tried and tested format that has been used for 12+ years. It is sometimes easier to explain the finer points of the holiday over a quick email/phone conversation.