Dordogne Valleys & Villages Cycling

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This was our fifth Headwater cycling holiday and we really enjoyed it.

We did feel that the quality and facilities of the first (and last) hotel was well below that of the others and probably our only disappointment

Richard Heron, 28 Aug 2023

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We enjoyed visits of castles, gardens, caves, small villages and country side while following an excellent road map. Electric bikes are a must because the road can be sometimes quite hilly !

Vincent Dumont, 12 Aug 2023

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Very well organised with excellent hotels routes with apps and points of interest clearly indicated. Let Headwater take the stress out of planning for the perfect cycling holiday ! It's worth paying for !

Che Desai, 29 Jul 2023

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sublime, the locations, itinerary, food, service and ease of the whole holiday was excellent. We were very lucky with the weather too- the recommendations of where to stop for coffee/ lunch very wise and welcome. End of May is glorious- the honeysuckle, fields of wild flowers, swift and house martins everywhere and so many lovely spots to stop and rest/ picnic. The velo vert route was lovely when we were able to use that too

WILSON, 22 May 2023

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A beautiful area to cycle in and the Headwater electric bikes were brilliant. So comfortable and easy to use. The route was well planned; lots of interesting places to visit and just the right distances so that on hot days we could do most of the miles in the mornings.

Mr Bampfylde, 14 Jul 2022

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Dordogne beautiful area to travel round can be very hilly in parts,local people very helpful

Mr Whittaker, 16 May 2022

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Cycling hillier than expected, Lascaux caves a highlight, food at Les Glycines excellent, prefered new longer 25mile rather than 20mile trips with 2 days at one location, grateful for taxi for 2hour trip to Toulouse when train failed but strongly dislike single person supplement

Mr Francies, 1 May 2022

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A great holiday but it does have a few flaws!

Mr Hughes, 2 Sep 2019

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We had a fantastic holiday mixing exercise with beautiful scenery, excellent food in a tranquil environment. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend a cycling holiday with Headwater.

Mrs Craft, 1 Aug 2019

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An excellent balance of cycling (some challenging hills!) sightseeing, eating and drinking with plenty of opportunity for relaxing as well.

Mrs Boyle, 4 Jul 2019

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The briefing by the reps about the bikes and the Ride with GPS app was very good. The route notes were also useful. The bicycles were excellent. The ladies needed the electric bikes in the Dordogne because they had not done much cycling preparation beforehand. The meals at each hotel were very good. The countryside was beautiful and there were many interesting sites to visit.

Mr Quaddy, 24 Sep 2018

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We had the best cycle briefing ever from Nick, the Headwater rep, who was friendly and professional. All the hotels were lovely to stay in with great food and beautiful swimming pools to relax in at the end of the day's cycling. We were warned about the steep climb at the end of day one and maybe, given the hilly nature of the Dordoigne area, we should have anticipated the hills. They were quite tough going in places. The GPS made finding the way easy .

On the down side, some of the rides were a bit dull. We cycled in Umbria last time and enjoyed it more; great architecture, villages and generally more fun. The French drivers all give you room when passing but pass at high speed and most of the cycling is on roads, not cycle paths.

I will save up for another Headwater holiday though but will spend a little more time looking at the area first. Lovely weather!!

Mrs Skinner, 6 Sep 2018

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Lovely area, great hotels mostly, very enjoyable

Mr Thake, 21 Aug 2018

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A lovely way to explore this beautiful and historic area of France while building up a good appetite for a classic french meal

Mr Rogers, 15 Aug 2018

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We had a relaxing week in the Dordogne, with cycling and beautiful food every day. The routes, although appearing short, are very hilly in places and are not to be taken lightly. We really would recommend kayaking on this trip, as there were lots of opportunities alongside the cycling and it added a great extra dimension. There are lots of ancient monuments and castles to explore, but simply soaking up the medieval architecture is a treat in itself. In August, it was nearly 40 degrees so be prepared, and get the cycles done early, so you have time to relax. Try the local vin de noix, and all the lovely cheeses and meats. After all, you will cycle them off! And do NOT forget insect repellent!!

Mr Barlow, 5 Aug 2018

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Great easy cycling for the most part amongst beautiful countryside with interesting places to visit all along the way.

Mrs Stevens, 25 May 2018

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Most enjoyable holiday cycling through beautiful quiet countryside with stunning views. There were plenty places of interest from Chateaux to Caves. The food and accommodation was of a high standard. The Vielle Auberge in Souillac could have been more comfortable but we forgave it for the food.

After reading previous reviews, we hired electric bikes this year. This was a good decision as, although we still had plenty exercise, we enjoyed each days cycle without feeling terminally exhausted. We saw more as we always chose the longer route. It is a very hilly region and definitely a grade 2 cycling holiday.



Mrs Craig, 31 Aug 2017

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Great cycling, fabulous food, quiet roads in a busy area, plenty of local places of interest, well done Headwater.

Mr Quick, 17 Aug 2017

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Nice area though hillier than we expected when we booked. Well maintained bikes, though rather heavy. Good food. We were lucky that we had a cooler than average week for August.

Mr Millar, 13 Aug 2017

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We like the Headwater cycling format to the extent that we cannot remember the number of holidays we have been on.

Mr Jenkinson, 14 Jun 2017

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The Dordogne is a beautiful area. Good routes on quiet roads but testing hills! Accommodation is very good and the food lived up to the expectations as advertised. If anything the four course evening meal every night is too much but no doubt others will disagree! We felt the grading system was slightly underrated as at times the hills were testing given the very warm sunny days we enjoyed. Overall a lovely week in a lovely part of the world. Thank you

Mrs Pryor, 6 Jun 2017

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Excellent holiday in a truly beautiful part of the Dordogne. Extremely comfortable hotels with some fantastic cycling and so many varied places to stop including villages, chateaus, gardens,caves etc which meant every day was a different experience. However, a word of caution. If you are not a reasonable cyclist consider an e bike or choose more direct routes between hotels which avoid some good hill climbs.

Mr Mcbrien, 11 May 2017

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If you like being outdoors and lots of exercise, this is a perfect balance to stay active and work up an appetite to indulge in the gastronomy and wine. Compared to the South East of England the lack of traffic and potholes is wonderful!

Mrs Caruthers, 25 Aug 2016

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This was not our best holiday with Headwater the weather in the Dordonge was just awful and we had to contend with a train strike none of which Headwater could have done anything about. We dried out on the last three days in Sete which was lovely. Electric bikes are wonderful

Mrs Colquhoun, 9 Jun 2016

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This was our first trip with Headwater (recommended by our New Zealand travel agent) and we are very pleased with our choice and will definitely look at another cycling trip in the future- most likely in France. We were particularly impressed with by the friendliness of all the hotel staff we encountered - and their helpfulness!!

Mr Cleugh, 7 Jun 2016

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An excellent way to see the countryside without the stress of organising all your own itinerary.

Mr Gower, 21 Sep 2015

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Excellent routes, great hotels, fabulous countryside, lots to see and good food to fuel your journey!

Mr Valentine, 25 Aug 2015

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Extremely enjoyable, well organised and busy with an excellent mix of quiet countryside cycling and fascinating places to see and visit.

Mr Cumberlidge, 3 Aug 2015

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Fantastic holiday all round. Accommodation, food, service etc all excellent if a little bit variable. The cycle routes were well planned and took us through some lovely areas. Would definitely recommend an e-bike for anyone who is not a regular cyclist or accustomed to hill work. The food was very good all round if a little heavy on the gourmet- we will not want to see any more frois gras or duck for a long time! The one exception is the bistro at Hotel Pere Leon - best avoided and easily done with the plethora of good alternatives in Toulouse.

Mrs Carroll, 2 Jun 2015

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We especially appreciated the well-chosen routes through beautiful countryside on little roads with little traffic. A highlight is the long downhills we enjoyed from ridges to river level.

Mrs Dietz, 4 Sep 2014

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Thoroughly enjoyed our holiday the excellent hotels and food were welcome relief at the end of a challenging day's cycling. Beautiful countryside and villages to visit on route.

Mrs Culligan, 21 Jul 2014

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A very rewarding type of holiday. A very good way to get insight into a particular region.

Mr Otiv, 2 Jul 2014

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This was a fantastic hotel. The best hotel was in montignac, however the worst eating experience was in motignac at the terrace restaurant next to the building site of lascaux 4. In our opinion you should consider foregoing the 'gastronomic title' for one night and let your customers eat at one of the many riverside restaurants and save the taxi fare and let them upgrade their meal with the difference.

Mrs Mills, 2 Jun 2014

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This must have been 15th Headwater holiday for me and I have no complains about any of them. My late husband and I have used two other companies in the past (one in Germany and one in France) but always came back to Headwater. The formula is excellent (rest day between cycling or walking), the hotels are always good and very often really excellent. The reps are very helpful. You know someone else has done the background work researching for suitable roads to cycle and hotels to stay, yet it feels like an adventure as you have to find your way from one hotel to the other. I have recommended Headwater for several of my friends looking for active holidays and hope I will do many more myself in the future.

Mrs Grover, 21 May 2014

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The holiday was terrific. Lots of wonderful villages, castles, and caves. The biking routes were well planned and very enjoyable. This was our third Headwater Holiday and all of them have been phenomenal. The food was great too, The trip notes were excellent. The bikes were very good bikes. The holiday was not exactly leisurely. If one does just the trips on travel days, it still would not be leisurely due to many tough hills. If you do the optional trips on 'lay over days,' the accumulation can be quite exhausting. However, many of the really great things to see are on 'layover days' - so resting on these days is not really an option. Personally, we enjoyed the level, but agree with others that the level needs to be at least moderate. I would rate this trip as moderate to challenging. The good news is that even if you are not an active cyclist, you can always hop off your bike and push it to the top of the difficult hills - pushing is not as difficult as it might sound. And once you get to the top, it is worth the effort for long rides with great views on quiet roads. The sights Headwater recommends in the notes are perfect! The Headwater reps (Keith and Claire) were very helpful and went out of their way for us.



Mrs Love-Fordham, 23 Sep 2013

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This was a really excellent holiday despite the cycling being a little harder than expected. The food throughout was outstanding. Keith and Claire were friendly and helpful giving excellent advice and support.

Mrs Stewart, 23 Sep 2013

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Very good. We have always enjoyed our Headwater holidays.

Ms Webster, 8 Sep 2013

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1. Be prepared for one disappointing hotel amongst the other gems



2. If cycling, some training beforehand will enhance your holiday

Mrs Heller, 28 Aug 2013

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The Dordogne is a beautiful area for cycling, but be aware this is a hilly route. The benefit is that the cycling works off all the wonderful food you will be presented with at the hotels.

The hotels, with the exception of Le Quercy are first class,but the food is excellent at all.



Mr Higgins, 27 Aug 2013