Our Destinations

Letter Randocheval

Why travelling with Randocheval ?

FRANCE - BORDEAUX : THE FAMOUS BORDEAUX WINES...

An exceptional trip for wine amateurs!   You will enjoy wine tasting throughout the whole week including white, rosé and red wines: Médoc, Côte de Blaye, Côte de Bourg, Bordeaux supérieur, Lalande-Pomerol, St Emilion, Entre deux mers, Graves, et the famed syrupy white wine of Sauternes.   You will have the opportunity to discover the Citadelle of Blaye, medieval city of St Emilion, the feudal castle Rauzan, and the Bastide of Cadillac.   You will also take the horses on a 3km ferry crossing of the Gironde estuary.

ITINERARY

Day 1

Arrival of riders directly to the accommodation late afternoon if you arrive by car.
Otherwise the pick up from Bordeaux station is 5.30 and 6.30 from the airport.

Day 2

Breakfast at 8am. You will leave Chateau Pomeys for the Gironde River through the Medoc Vineyards. You will picnic by the banks of the river and then put your horse on a ferry to cross the Gironde estuary (about 30 minutes). You will arrive at the Blaye Citadel, built by Vauban, in the afternoon and have a free visit. Wine tasting of Cote de Blaye. Overnight at a hotel.

Day 3

You will depart at 9.30 am for a ride through rolling hills covered with vineyards, to the Cotes de Bourg vineyards. Picnic next to the Co-operative at Lansac including a wine tasting of Cote du Bourg, the afternoon the land alternates between dairy cows grazing and the vineyards of Bordeaux. Arrival at Cubnezais around 7pm, where you will have dinner and stay at a B&B, home of a Bordeaux wine producer, where you will enjoy the Bordeaux wine tasting.

Day 4

Depart around 9.30am for the vineyards of Bordeaux and Superior Bordeaux. The landscape is one of hills scattered with vineyards and woods. The picnic will be at chateau Courrèges where you will be able to savour the a Superior Bordeaux wine. Then you will ride across the Fronsac vineyards, up to the Libourne area. You will have dinner and stay overnight at a hotel.

Day 5

Depart around 9h30 in direction of St Emilion. St Emilion itself is one of France’s great cultural and historical treasures. You will have a tasting stop at chateau Bellegrave (Lalande Pomerol). For the picnic, you will stop near Saint Emilion about 1.30 pm, and will be able to visit the village and to taste more wine. In the afternoon we’ll ride to the banks of the Dordogne and cross vineyards from where you can see a number of wine producing chateaux. You will have diner and overnight at the St Jean de Blaignac hotel.

Day 6

Depart around 9h30 in direction of Cadillac and it’s chateau on the border of the Garonne. The scenery is very varied: valleys, forests, vineyards and meadows. On the trail you will visit the Rauzan Castle, from the 13th century and have a taste of the delicious Entre-deux-Mers wine. You will picnic in the countryside. At the end of the afternoon, you will arrive at chateau du Broustaret and taste Premiere Cotes de Bordeaux at dinner. We either stay at the chateau or in a hotel in Cadillac.

Day 7

Before the starting, tasting of Cadillac wine and Premiere Cotes de Bordeaux; depart around 10.00. You will cross the Garonne River on the Cadillac Bridge and reach the Graves and Sauternes vineyards.. Picnic at chateau Myrat where you will have a Graves and Sauternes tasting. In the afternoon you pass the wine school Chateau de la Tour Blanche with a sweeping view over the vineyards of Sauternes and the pine forest in the horizon that marks the end of the vineyards of Bordeaux. We finish the ride in Sauternes and stay overnight in a Castle at Sauternes or at Beautiran.

Day 8

You will be transferred to the airport or the train station after breakfast about 9.30, journey time around 1hr 15 mins.

NB : The organiser reserves the right to change the lodging and hotels depending on their availability and the itinerary depending on the availability of lodging, the conditions of the trails and the seasons.

EXTEND YOUR TRIP

HORSES AND REQUIRED RIDING LEVEL

Horses
The horses are predominantly french saddle horses. They were schooled and trained for trail rides.

Tack
English tack, the most part of time from Forestier brand.

Required riding abilities
This trail is for intermediaire to advanced riders able to be comfortable at trot and canter. About 5 hours in saddle everyday. There is no particular difficulty on that trail. Minor riders are welcome if they are 16 years old and accompagnied by their parents.

YOUR GUIDES

Guiding
Your guide is a professional horseman, used to guide trails in the area. In love with the region, he'll make you discover those wonderful landcapes with very happy conditions.
Logistic

Transportation of luggages and equipments will be made by our support vehicule.

ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation
You'll be accommodate in double / twin rooms in small hotels or guesthouses. Those accommodations were selected for their warm and enthousiastic welcome.

Restauration
Lunches are substancial and varied, served as country style buffet. Diners are served at the restaurant or to the guesthouse, wine is included !

DATES AND RATES

Single room supplement : 235 €

Supplement does not apply if you are prepared for sharing, even if we do not find another rider for sharing your accomodation.

Single room supplement : 189 €

Supplement does not apply if you are prepared for sharing, even if we do not find another rider for sharing your accomodation.
If you absolutely require a single room, please book it with us, but the single supplement will have to be paid directly.

- the trail ride as described in full board basis, drinks included,
- the transfers from and to Bordeaux train station or Bordeaux airport at set times,
- the financial guarantee of the deposits you send to Randocheval.

- any other prestation,
- all extras ordered with the menus,

- extra drink between meals (soft drinks, aperitif, and liqueurs)
- personal expenses,
- optional insurance : more information.

BOOKING - INFORMATION

Contact Yves for any enquiry !

PRATICAL INFORMATIONS

Formalities
Contact your ambassy. For European people, the Identity card is enought.

Vaccination - health
No specific vaccinations. Don't forget your repatriation insurance.

We recommand to be update of usual vaccination, and especially tetanus..