Chateaux of the Loire Cycling 8 Days

7 days/6 nights with 5 of days cycling

Start any date between May 1 and October 31

We recommend you to start your tour on a wednesday to see the market held in Amboise every Friday

This Tour cannot start on a Thursday or Friday for the Classic accomodation level

Easy / Moderate 20-40+ miles daily

Terrain: 3 days are mostly flat, 2 days are moderately rolling

Classic Accommodation: US$1580

Luxe Accommodation: US$2580

Single suppl. classic: US$445
Single suppl. Luxe: US$640

6 nights hotels.
All breakfasts and 1 dinner
Use of a top quality 21-speed hybrid bike complete with handlebar bag, pump, and all the necessary accessories for changing flats. We recommend that you bring your own helmet for safety and hygiene reasons
Detailed route instructions and map
Area Manager available throughout the tour

New Bicycles!

Our bicycles in the Loire Valley are the high-performance Cannondale Quick Speed 2.

For those arriving via Paris, most international flights arrive at Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport.

The easiest way to reach Tours is via a train from the Montparnasse station (trains take a little more than 1 hour).

You can book trains by calling Rail Europe at 1-800-387-6782 or visiting their web site at www.raileurope.com

The easiest way to reach the hotel in Tours is by taxi and these can be found on arrival outside the train station.

France

Chateaux of the Loire Cycling 7 Days
Only 1 hour south of Paris lies a region that since the Renaissance has been a favorite of kings and the aristocracy; the Loire River valley is dotted with fine chateaux, vineyards, and some of the most beautiful (and gentle) cycling routes in France. This tour visits the most magnificent chateaux, the extraordinary gardens of Villandry, but also leaves time to explore the subtler aspects of a region that has much to offer.

Chateaux of the Loire Cycling 8 Days Day 1
Arrive in Tours. Take some time to wander in the old town center, filled with 18th-century monuments, public gardens, and cafés...

Day 2
Our area manager will meet you after breakfast and give you the bikes and a briefing for the tour. Amboise. Starting from Tours, you'll ride east along a quiet road winding through vineyards to Amboise, with its impressive castle and charming village. Leonardo da Vinci lived here and you have the opportunity to visit the museum in his former home. (Distance: 33.2 km or 72.8 km)

Day 3
Amboise. you'll cycle forested roads to Chenanceaux where you can enjoy a visit of one of the most magnificent chateau in France. Finish the day with wine tasting or alternatively, a visit to a chocolate maker with a tempting degustation selection. (Distance: 35 km)

Day 4 Chateaux of the Loire Cycling 8 Days
Veigne. The ride is quite beautiful with a morning stop at another chateau, this one owned by the Prince of Broglie. Chateau de la Bourdaisiere was built by Francois I for Marie Gaudin, one of his mistresses. Today, the chateau raison d’etre are tomato gardens and over 500 varieties can be found here. A tour of the rooms and property will reveal secrets of its colorful past. In Veigne you will stay at a former mill that has been turned into a charming hotel, with a restaurant that is outstanding. (Distance: 42 km) P.S. A century option on this day will offer a chance to ride to the gardens of Villandry.

Day 5
Chinon. Following one of the tributaries of the Loire, you'll enjoy some of the best riding in the region, stopping to visit Chateau de Sache, where the writer Balzac resided. In Azay-le-Rideau you'll visit the impressive chateau that is the 'jewel of the Loire Valley'. (Distance:52 km)

Day 6

Chinon. On your last day of cycling there are options to cycle past popular vineyards with wine tastings along quiet cycling roads; you can also choose a longer option to Richelieu. Back in Chinon, enjoy a tour of the Chateau du Milieu in the medieval town. (Distance: 40 km)

Day 7
Departure at your leisure from Chinon Train Station.

"This tour was pretty easy and beautiful. The routes Randonnée chooses are great - small quiet back roads. The self-guided tours are great, this was my second one. Amboise and Azay Le Rideau hotels were outstanding."

- A. Hoffman

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