Vallée de la Baïse by bike

160 km along the vallée de la Baïse by bike

INFORMATION | ACCOMMODATION | ACCES | CONNECTION

info Informations générales

Starting in the département (French county) of the Lot-et-Garonne, at the level of the Larderet double lock on the Canal de Garonne (see the Véloroute du Canal des 2 Mers à Vélo), this cycle route mainly follows the meandering path of the Baïse River upstream through the département of Gers, although it does go as far as Bonnefont in the département of the Hautes-Pyrénées.

Note that from Larderet’s double lock up to Barbaste, this cycle route shares the way with the much more extensive European cycle route, the  La Scandibérique - EuroVelo 3.

At Bonnefont, our cycle route turns towards Galan to join the Petite Baïse River and the Véloroute du Piémont Pyrénéen (V81) towards Tarbes or up to Lannemezan (the latter town with the closest train station to the end of our route) passing via the small town of Galan.

Our cycle route leads riders through steep terrain, along county or parish roads, for the most part. Given the steepness of the route in its upper stages and the types of roads employed, tackling the Vallée de la Baïse à Vélo cycle route in its entirety is only really suitable for seasoned cyclists.

Signposting

This cycle route is signposted in both directions in its entirety, with town directions indicated on the signs, while sometimes you’ll just see the abbreviation for the cycle route – V82. 
Galan marks the end of this cycle route, but it lies at the junction with the V81 cycle route, the Véloroute du Piémont Pyrénéen, which can lead you on further, either to Tarbes or to Lannemezan. The route is being improved all the time and at time of writing, for example, new stretches of greenway are being prepared along the parts of the cycle route in the département of the Lot-et-Garonne.

hotel Accommodation

Please note, the choice of accommodation is limited along certain stretches of this cycle route, so consider booking rooms in advance. Do note also that at time of writing, the Accueil Vélo accreditation scheme (indicating service providers who offer facilities specifically geared to cyclists) hasn’t yet been developed in either the département of Gers or that of the Hautes-Pyrénées.

train Trains and transport along the Vallée de la Baïse à vélo:

Without dismantling your bike: booking and paying in advance for high-speed TGV Inoui and Intercités trains

• Coming via the Canal des 2 Mers à Vélo cycle route, you can use the following train stations to reach the Véloroute de la Baïse: 
  Marmande, Tonneins, Aiguillon, Port-Sainte-Marie: Bordeaux > Toulouse (TER, regional trains, taking between 48mins and 1hr 16mins)  
  Agen : Bordeaux > Toulouse (TER regional trains, Intercités faster trains, or TGV Inoui high-speed trains in 1hr 14mins); or Toulouse > Bordeaux (TER regional trains, Intercités faster trains, or TGV Inoui high-speed trains in 1hr 16mins)
• Joining the Véloroute de la Baïse from the southern, Pyrenean end, you can reach the cycle route via the train station at: 
  Lannemezan: Toulouse > Lannemezan or Pau > Lannemezan (at time of writing, works ongoing on this line, so check timetables) 

Without bike: bike hire possible in Agen at the  Café Vélo and at Cycle Sud-Ouest in Buzet-sur-Baïse

• Getting to the cycle route: from Paris Gare de Lyon (TGV Lyria, 2h16)

Connections with further cycle routes

The Vallée de la Baïse à Vélo cycle route is directly connected:

• To the north, with the Canal des deux mers à vélo at the level of the double lock at Larderet (by Buzet-sur-Baïse)
• At The Scandibérique EuroVelo 3 in fact sharing a stretch of route from the commune, or parish, of Larderet (by Buzet-sur-Baïse) up to Barbaste
• To the south, at the level of Galan, with the V81 (or Véloroute du Piémont Pyrénéen)