Biking River Cruise With Backroads & AmaWaterways
By John Roberts
You can have it all as a cycling enthusiast who wants to explore Europe on a highly curated, hassle-free vacation.
In fact, I took a river cruise bike tour that combines the best elements of sailing on the scenic rivers of Bordeaux with days spent cycling through vineyards in the French countryside.
One of the cycling trips during John’s Bordeaux river cruise with Backroads and AmaWaterways. * Photo: John Roberts
Does this sound like a dream? Well, the partnership between AmaWaterways and Backroads was forged years ago to make these kinds of trips a reality for fitness-focused cruisers.
Backroads is an active travel company that offers land-based trips all over the world. The company has been operating since 1979, offering a series of biking, hiking and multisport vacations for adventurous travelers seeking all kinds of experiences.
AmaWaterways, launched in 2002, is one of the world’s leading river cruise operators, with more than two dozen ships on the great rivers around the world.
AmaWaterways and Backroads created their active river cruise program in 2015 with a few voyages on the Danube. Now, the program has blossomed to dozens of yearly trips.
These trips are ideal for adventurous travelers who are inclined toward staying fit or active. The program includes river cruises in Bordeaux, France, like we enjoyed, or voyages on the Danube River, the Dutch and Belgian waterways for tulip time, Portugal’s Douro River, and the Rhine and Seine Rivers in Germany and France.
My wife Colleen and I sailed on AmaDolce for our Backroads biking trip the last week of September. The ship carries up to 144 cruisers, though there were just 75 onboard for our voyage.
The 144-pax AmaDolce docked along in mineral-rich waters of France’s Bordeaux region. * Photo: John Roberts
Backroads takes up to 30 people for its biking river cruises (and also offers full-ship charters for cyclists on select sailings, such as on the Danube and Douro rivers).
This was my fourth active river cruise with Backroads. Previously, I have taken biking and hiking trips with the company on the Danube River and a multisport voyage in New Zealand.
For our biking group in Bordeaux, we had 16 people, so it was nice to be part of a smaller group of cyclists sailing on a lovely river boat that was only half full.
That meant there was plenty of attention from our Backroads trip leaders Ana, Connor, Stefan and Anthony, as well as plenty of room for everyone to enjoy the amenities on AmaDolce.
Backroads trip leaders at Chateau La Haye during a break on one of the rides. * Photo: John Roberts
Our weeklong cruise went roundtrip from Bordeaux, which is located on the Garonne River in southwestern France and known as a global wine capital. Our group included seven couples and two lifelong friends. Cyclists came from the U.S. and Canada, representing California, Colorado, Massachusetts and British Columbia.
The morning route chat for the 16 biking passengers. * Photo: John Roberts
Riders ranged in age from late 40s to a few in their 80s. Most were in their 50s and 60s, and all are avid riders who were well prepared for the trip.
By week’s end, Colleen and I had completed 202 miles of cycling through the lovely hills, stunning vineyards and idyllic towns of the Bordeaux region.
We covered stretches of country road on both the Left Bank and Right Bank of the river.
VIDEO: Below is John’s overview of the biking part of his river cruise in Bordeaux with Backroads and AmaWaterways.
We started our trip with a bike ride in a light drizzling rain, but the rest of the week featured perfect conditions. The first week of autumn in France featured sunny skies and temps in the mid-60s to low 70s.
We had such a glorious time! Colleen calls it one of her best vacations ever.
John & Colleen enjoying a post-ride brewsky. * Photo: John Roberts
Specifically, we found five things to love about our biking river cruise with Backroads and AmaWaterways.
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Backroads Thinks Of Everything You’d Love (Or Will Make It Happen)
This biking river cruise trip is designed for travelers who love to bike and to explore new destinations. We had people enjoying their first Backroads trip but also a couple who were on their 10th.
Everyone in our group was well-traveled, sharing tales throughout the week of some of their previous adventures.
The Backroads daily program is filled with morning and afternoon rides, with options including longer and shorter routes based on how ambitious you want to be about your mileage.
Riders also might choose instead to enjoy the tours that AmaWaterways offers in each port. We had a couple people who decided to skip the afternoon ride to go on an AmaWaterways tour (most of which are included in the cruise fares) or enjoy free time in port instead.
I like these biking river tours because they offer the best of both worlds. They are great for avid cyclists and fitness-focused travelers, and you can also enjoy everything there is to love about a river cruise.
Ana and Connor served as our trip leaders on this voyage. They worked with the team of Stefan and Anthony, who were supporting us onshore by getting our bikes ready and set up each morning before our rides and joining us along the whole routes each day.
The Backroads team gave us a route-talk each morning to let us know what the road conditions would be, describing the number of hilly portions and identifying the best attractions along the way.
A route talk in the lounge. * Photo: John Roberts
Map of the Backroads AmaWaterways Bordeaux biking river cruise. * Map: Backroads
There were scheduled stops for lunches, wine classes, tours of chateaus, coffee and free time in the towns during the week.
Additionally, we had plenty of mid-ride pit-stop opportunities for breaks and snacks. The spreads included all kinds of drinks, candy bars, fresh fruits, granola bars, and other snacks like trail mix, dried fruits and chips.
The generous spread of snacks for each ride. * Photo: John Roberts
Colleen and I traveled to Bordeaux a day ahead of our meet-up with the group and enjoyed a day in the city. The meet-up point is the train station in Bordeaux, and we assembled mid-morning to meet our fellow riders, along with Ana and Connor.
RELATED: Heidi reviews her few days in Bordeaux before her river cruise.
We boarded a bus to Chateau Giscours to start our trip with a tour of the wine production facilities, and a tasting and tapas lunch. On the way to the chateau, our guides asked each couple on the bus whether they had any special requests or preferences for the trip, whether food, drink or activities.
It’s this special touch that lets Backroads craft the experience to fit each traveler’s expectations. Colleen and I quickly piped up when it was our turn, telling Ana that we love to try craft beers in new destinations when we travel.
We were delighted to find a nice variety of beers offered in the coolers that Anthony and Stefan set up for us every day. Several in the group loved trying the varieties, and we all celebrated our daily cycling accomplishments at a post-ride drinks and refreshments session before getting back onboard AmaDolce for our dinner and nightly activities.
Enjoying a post-ride drinkie. * Photo: John Roberts
They also will adjust for any dietary restrictions or meal preferences from the guests in the group.
Before your trip, you fill out a form to let Backroads know what size and type of bike you want. You can choose a regular bike or an e-assist bike, and they give you just the right fit by asking your height and whether you want clip-in pedals (if you are using special cycling shoes), gel padding for your seat and regular or drop handlebars.
Twelve of our 16 riders chose the e-assist bikes, and they all raved about how fantastic they were to ride, with the extra boost really helping during the steeper hills that we encountered during the week.
Beyond the biking, the team also organized a few special events that enhanced the trip. We had “wine school” at Le Vignoble in St. Emilion and an incredible picnic lunch spread after our tour of a chateau in the Medoc region.
Wine school. * Photo: John Roberts
We also had a couple of post-ride evening events — a tour of the Blaye Citadel and a delightful group dinner and drinks at a rustic waterside restaurant (with a DJ spinning records) while in port in Bourg.
Balye Castle. * Photo: John Roberts
RELATED: John reviews his Backroads biking cruise with Ponant in New Zealand.
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Biking In Bordeaux Is Idyllic (And Sometimes Challenging)
In the months before our trip, we had pictured in our minds how it would be: riding through the countryside, along vineyard-lined roads in southwestern France.
These scenes were everything we had envisioned and more.
Soaking in the scenery each morning and coming back aboard for sunset sailaways adds to the splendor of the trip, of course.
Sunset docked in Bourg. * Photo: John Roberts
AmaDolce navigated the Garonne River, the Dordogne River and La Gironde Estuary to deliver us to the charming towns on our itinerary.
The trip began with our lunch at the vineyard in Margaux, where we met our bikes for the first time. After the Backroads team gave us a briefing on safety and how to read our GPS devices to keep us on the designated routes, we were ready to get underway with our first ride.
Stefan and Anthony helped ensure everyone was comfy and the seats and handlebars were at the proper height. We proceeded to ride 22 miles to reach AmaDolce at its berth in Bordeaux, getting our first look at the stunning region that would be our home for the next week.
AmaDolce waiting in Bordeaux. * Photo: John Roberts
Through the afternoon’s intermittent light drizzle, we saw the perfect rows of grape vines among the rolling hills. It was a wonderful way to warm up our legs and get acclimated to the long rides that we would take during the trip.
A perfect row of grapes. * Photo: John Roberts
We were offered fantastic routes of varying distances every day, with the remaining rides all under sunny skies.
The longest route totaled 42 miles, and we had another day with 40 miles in the seat if we chose to pedal the entire way. Some opted to ride in the morning, then take a shuttle back to town or the ship if they wanted to try something else after our breaks for lunch.
After wine school in St. Emilion, we rode an especially scenic loop through the hilly Pomerol region along remote lanes past vineyards, farms and churches. Each day promised something delightful or challenging.
We raced through the countryside in places like Libourne, Bourg, Cadillac, Sauternes, Arcachon and Cap Ferret. I loved stopping along the roadside to snap pictures of historic churches and pretty horses.
I felt exhilarated when I huffed and puffed my way to the summit of another steep stretch of road on my regular bike — to see Colleen awaiting and cheering me on. Yes, she was able to beat me up most of the steep stretches under the smooth power of her e-assist bike .
The wonderful days of fine food, wine and beers, fresh air, stunning views and dozens of miles brought us nights of incredibly deep sleep onboard AmaDolce.
John’s cabin aboard the 144-pax AmaDolce. * Photo: John Roberts
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This Bordeaux Biking River Cruise Is Perfect For Wine Lovers (And The Wine Curious)
Bordeaux is widely known for its wine production and viticulture, which was introduced by the Romans centuries ago. Today, the region produces well over 500 million bottles a year, including some of the most prestigious varieties and vintages in the world.
This is wine country! * Photo: John Roberts
We learned about the process for small chateaus and larger facilities and how important the location, soil, sunshine and rain are for the tastes and varieties of the wines. A trusted adage in Bordeaux claims the best wines come from estates that can see the water, so the rivers on which we arrived offer an important connection to the chateaus that we visited.
Chateau De LaRiviere. * Photo: John Roberts
We got familiar with several appellations and Grand Cru wines, tasting the cabernet sauvignons and cabernet francs of St. Emilion and famed merlots of the Medoc, as well as sweet white wines of the Sauternes region.
Wines were always an overarching theme as we pedaled from place to place during our days.
In addition to wine school, we also toured several estates and vineyards for tastings and lunch breaks. Our wine-loving group visited Chateau Giscours in Margeaux, and Chateau de la Riviere (where we explored the beautiful castle grounds and vast wine cellar), Chateau Leoville Poyferre in the Saint-Julien appellation and a winery in the Sauternes region, known for its “noble rot” — beneficial fungus that gives a sweetness to the white wines that make the region famous.
Chateau Leoville Poyferre in the Saint-Julien appellation. * Photo: John Roberts
These stops served as the anchor points to days also filled with glorious rides through dozens of other beautiful vineyards, all with grapes in fine bloom during harvest season.
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AmaWaterways’ Wellness Program Offers Nice Balance
I’ve long been a fan of AmaWaterways’ Wellness Program and written stories about participation in the program during river cruises on the Danube and Dutch Waterways.
The cruise line’s commitment to active options for river cruisers is a bonus when you’re onboard for a Backroads biking trip.
Colleen and I joined a small group of people who would start their days in Wellness Host Teo’s classes. Each morning, he would offer a class to get the blood flowing. Teo would rotate the classes so something different would be offered each day.
The Sun Deck where some of the exercise classes were held. * Photo: John Roberts
In the morning, it was back-to-back 30-minute classes like Core Strengthening followed by Morning Stretching.
His program also features Yoga, Mobility and Resistance-Band Training. In addition, Teo offers active wellness walks and dance classes that are on the daily program, as well as personal training sessions (fee).
RELATED: Heidi reviews her excellent AmaWaterways cruise in the Netherlands and Belgium.
The AmaDolce’s gym. * Photo: John Roberts
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River Boats Are An Ideal Home Base For Your Trip
We have long known the benefits and all the nice amenities available when you take a river cruise.
However, travelers with Backroads often are taking their very first river cruise. Most have taken trips with Backroads or other companies that have them hopping from hotel to hotel and traveling by bus every couple of days to explore a destination.
They quickly realize the convenience and hassle-free nature of small-ship cruising.
Seating at AmaDolce’s bow, with views of the beautiful landscape. * Photo: John Roberts
AmaDolce launched in 2009, so it is a bit older. The ship carries 144 people on four decks and offers cabins that might best be described as cozy.
Our balcony stateroom (ship and cabin tour video in link that follows) was a little tight for two people sharing the closet space; the small seating area and desk filled up with our devices and other items quickly.
There are no North American outlets, so you need to bring a converter. The bathrooms have one small sink, plenty of storage space for toiletries and a good-sized walk-in shower.
The rest of the ship comes from the standard blueprint that you will find on most European river vessels.
Cruisers use the main lounge and bar on Deck 3 as the social hangout. The cruise director offers daily port previews and informational talks here, and guest musicians come aboard for nightly entertainment. AmaWaterways also offers a nightly hour-long “Sip and Sail” complimentary cocktail hour before dinner.
The lounge features an early-riser breakfast each morning. The main restaurant down on Deck 1 offers breakfast and lunch with a few menu items available, but the bulk of the food offerings are available at the buffet, including omelets made to order at breakfast and a pasta station for lunch.
Breakfast before a ride. * Photo: John Roberts
A delicious pizza served on deck. * Photo: John Roberts
Dinners are plated and full-menu events in the open-seating restaurant.
The top sun deck is used for some wellness activities (weather permitting) and has a walking track around the perimeter. The turf surface also includes a small putting green and a space for two cornhole, or beanbag toss, games.
Cruisers relax up here and enjoy the scenery from the lounge chairs (most situated under a shade canopy) or tables and couches. Plus, there is a small hot tub midship, which we soaked in a few times.
AmaDolce’s hot tub. * Photo: John Roberts
The pretty atrium is where you’ll find the guest services desk, and on the landing in the lobby area is a small library and the cruise director’s desk. Just off the atrium is a small boutique selling AmaWaterways logo wear and other souvenirs and sundries.
The ship has a good-size gym (not often found on a river ship), with light weights, yoga mats and cardio equipment. The big bonus is the two-person sauna, also in this facility at the back of Deck 3.
We ended our trip as a group with a fantastic Chef’s Table dinner at the dedicated venue in the stern of of AmaDolce. All cruisers have a chance to experience a Chef’s Table dinner. Reservations are required for this 24-seat venue, but the multicourse wine-pairing meal is included in your cruise fare.
VIDEO: Below is John’s full ship and deck tour of his biking river cruise aboard the AmaDolce.
What’s Included In This Backroads AmaWaterways Biking River Cruise
- AmaWaterways includes a handful of items and services in the cruise fare:
- All meals, including a Chef’s Table dinner
- Drinks (wine, beer and soda at lunch and dinner; plus a nightly Sip & Sail cocktail hour)
- Wi-Fi
- Daily choice of shore excursions
- Fitness classes with Wellness Host
- Use of bikes from ship’s fleet
- For bikers in the Backroads group:
- High-quality road bikes with the choice of regular or e-assist bike
- Backroads string backpack, water bottle, and a cycling shirt or T-shirt.
- Special tours, lunches, wine tastings and snacks while out on your daily riding program
Why Go On A Biking River Cruise?
For travelers who also enjoy wine and are avid cyclists or enjoy staying fit, this trip is an absolute no-brainer. I personally prefer craft beer to wine, but I really learned to appreciate and enjoy the wines that I learned about during this cruise.
For the oenophiles in our group, and we had quite a few (one fellow traveler boasts a 200-bottle collection), this program was spectacular.
Backroads trip leaders are passionate and personable, making the program especially enjoyable. The whole experience is about much more than the biking. Sure, the travelers in our group are avid cyclists, but they also are interested in making memories and sharing these experiences in a fun way with new friends while seeing destinations on their wish lists.
The program offers a certain diversity that keeps the days fresh and exciting. We were tasting wines, eating gourmet meals, touring castles and chateaus, and laughing and chatting at sunset cocktail parties amid the locals in small towns.
A picnic during one of the rides. * Photo: John Roberts
Plus, we had plenty of chances to enjoy the amenities and entertainment onboard AmaDolce, from live music and dancing to sitting in the hot tub on the sun deck for sailaway moments or booking a massage with the spa team.
During our final day together, we had a shorter day of biking in the seaside resort commune of Arcachon. Here, we had an easy day of pedaling, broken up by a range of delightful activities. We had a morning stop at Dune du Pilat, the tallest sand dune in Europe, where we climbed the sandy mountain to get panoramic views of Arcachon Bay.
John having fun at the Dune du Pilat, the tallest sand dune in Europe. * Photo: John Roberts
Then, we rode to a ferry landing to catch a ride — bikes and all — to Cap Ferret, a chic and picturesque beachy portion of the peninsula. This is a popular resort area that features modest but charming homes and waters filled with fishing boats.
We went for a ride to a lunch spot, spent some time at the beach, then walked along the shore to reach a small oyster restaurant for a late-afternoon snack on the region’s salty bounty straight from the sea.
A Few Caveats
These three waterways are brown and subject to a wide tidal range (a bore tide phenomenon known as La Mascaret), making this cruise a little turbulent at certain times.
You also don’t have a lot of scenic sailing stretches, as the ship makes its way for short distances back and forth between the two banks and into and out of the waterways to get to destinations that are relatively close to one another.
Our Biking River Cruise Itinerary
Day 1 – Meet in Bordeaux at the train station and take shuttle bus ride to the starting point of our first ride. The group bikes to the river ship. Luggage is taken separately and awaits in your cabin when you board your vessel.
Day 2 – Libourne
Day 3 – Libourne/Blaye
Day 4 – Blaye/Bourg
Day 5 – Bourg/Fort Medoc
Day 6 – Cadillac/Bordeaux
Day 7 – Bordeaux
Day 8 – Disembark in Bordeaux
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HEIDI SARNA
