Tours > Cycling Tours > Loire Valley Tours > Western Loire

Western Loire Bike Tour

This Loire Valley Cycling Tour was created to take you to another part of the region not covered by other trips, and do it at a reasonable rate. The tranquil waters of the Loire, Indre, and Cher rivers flow into one in the heart of this scenic region known for its vineyards, orchards, and magnificent castles. The flat-to-rolling terrain is perfect for cycling and is filled with trees and colors.

For many visitors, the Loire Valley conjures images from the fairy tales of childhood. This tour starts in Joue les Tours at the edge of Tours, an important cultural town with historical sites to explore. The cycling will take you to chateaux that are open to visit such as Azay le Rideau, Langeais, Chinon, Usse, and Saumur. You will also cycle through some important wine regions such as Chinon, and have the chance to explore some well known gardens such as Villandry. All the best of the Loire Valley by bicycle! Blog Articles about the Loire Region:

Loire Valley Wine | 5 Things You Didn't Know About the Loire | 5 Foods to Try in the Loire Region | 3 Must Visit Towns in the Loire | 5 Reaons to Cycle in the Loire Valley!

Tour Details


Maps & Profiles

NOTE: Please click on the profile image to see the complete profile in true relief; the thumbnail version below is automatically made small and this distorts the actual relief of the terrain.

Day-2 Day-3 Day-4  

LOIRE_Western_Tours-Azay le Rideau short

LOIRE_Western_Azay-Chinon short

LOIRE_Western_Chinon-Saumur short

  

LOIRE_Trip map_Western Loire

Total Distance:117 km
Total Uphill: 660 m
Total Downhill: 683 m

Itinerary

Click on a day to see that days itinerary.

DAY 1 DAY 2

Day 2 - Ride To Azay le Rideau: 36 or 48 km Your first ride will take you to Savonnieres and then to the famous gardens of Villandry, which were designed to be in complete harmony with the Renaissance architecture of the chateau. Then you will continue to Azay-le-Rideau, your final destination for today, famous for its Chateau on the Indre River, originally built in the Middle Ages to protect the passage from the road going from Tours to Chinon. Night in a nice 3* hotel in the center of town, and dinner included. (B,D)

Le Grand Monarque

3

Azay Le Rideau

In the heart of the Valley of the Kings, where the Touraine is the most authentic, sits Le Grand Mon...

DAY 3

Day 3 is Chateaux Day! 34 or 45 km Today the itinerary will take you through more Medieval Chateaux. First stop in Langeais, where the Chateau was the temporary lair of lawless armed bands during the Hundred Years War. After this Chateau, continue to a different theme, Chateau of Usse, a fairytale castle which is reputed to have inspired the story of Sleeping Beauty! Finally, you will head to Chinon where you spend the night and where you can taste some of the local wine, made famous in the writings of Francois Rabelais. Night in a small hotel in the center of town, dinner on your own. (B) Read about chateaux on this trip

Hotel Diderot

2

Chinon

The two star Hotel Diderot is like arriving at a friend’s house ... the charm of an authent...

DAY 4

Day 4 to Saumur. 34 or 46 km You can take your time in the morning to visit Chinon a little bit more in case you didn’t have time to visit the Fortress, or the Joan of Arc Museum, or even the Wine Museum! Then, start your ride to Saumur, with a stop at the Abbey of Fontevraud, one of the most beautiful and largest abbeys in Europe. Visitors come to admire its size as well as its diversity in architecture. Continue to Saumur, with its magnificent Chateau overlooking the River. But if you’re interested in wine, you’ll be delighted: the Saumur Brut is the most famous wine of the region but there are other less known wines that are just as nice, almost one to suit every taste! Night in the center of town, and dinner on your own. (B)

Anne d'Anjou

3

Saumur

On the Loire river banks, near the historic center town, beneath the Castle which gave immortal fame...

DAY 5

Departure day. Departure after breakfast, or additional nights can be arranged if you need more time to visit. (B)

Extra Days

Add Ons: A classic add-on is to pickup a car and drive to Mont St Michel, Normandy, and back to Paris. We can arrange cars, hotels, and suggest driving routes.



General Tour Information

Western Loire Cycling Tour
4 Nights / 5 Days

Dates
Tour departs any day, subject to hotel availability. April through October.

Level - Average riding 40 km/day.
Level 1-2: easy to moderate riding with mostly flat terrain and average days around 40km. (1-2)

Details - Arrival city is Tours/Joue les Tours, which accessible via train from Paris to St Pierre des Corps. 1hour by TGV.

Book a Hotel in Loire Valley
What is self-guided touring?

Misc Info
Triples and larger rooms are hard to secure, booking in advance required.

Optional Services:

Travel insurance, Paris museum & metro passes, Paris day tours, Lido shows, and other services. Cell phone rental and luggage storage services.

Note: prices subject to change based upon currency fluctuations. See Booking Terms and Conditions.

What's Included

gps and road book for cycling tours in france

The Trip Includes
 Hotels shown are superior 3 star hotels including 1 chateau hotel and 1 two star hotel, all breakfasts, 2 dinners, daily bag transfer, arrival orientation, road book with detailed maps and directions, GPS - 1 per 2 persons, site/visit information, emergency support. We also provide travel planning to add Paris hotels, car rentals, France hotels, trains, airport transfers, trains, and more.

To learn more about the road books and GPS units we included, visit this link: GPS & Road Book Details

For hotels included in this tour, please see the Itinerary tab; each hotel is shown for each day.

BASIC Hotel version - 2 star hotels, Hotel du Manoir, Hotel des Chateaux, Hotel Diderot, Anne d'Anjou. see price in the Price tab.
Additional Nights Saumur: TBD - please inquire

Tour Rates

Price

- Standard Hotel Version 2&3 star hotels

Double Occupancy

866 &euros;/person

Triple Occupancy

788 €/person

Single supplements with 2 or more travelers: 146 €

Solo Supplement:

390 €

- Basic Hotels 2 star hotels

Double Occupancy

735 €/person

Triple Occupancy

619 €/person

Single supplements with 2 or more travelers: 97 €

Solo Supplement:

366 €

***Bike Rentals are available for a supplement of 95 euros, please see the Bike Rental tab for all details about the bikes we offer.

(convert from euros)

Photos & Videos

Virtual Tour

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Bike Info

Bike Rentals:
bike rental discover france cycling tours Scott Sportster P3/P4 & P40 hybrid rentals - the best rental bike available in the region!
Bike Equipment: Scott Sportster P3/P4 or P40 hybrid; see details on this page including a virtual photo tour, specs and all information.

Rental Rate: 95 euros/bike for the duration of the tour. This includes all the gear shown as well as bike delivery, set up, and bike return. Every bike is given an inspection by our mechanics in the bike shop before they go out again. Pedals with or without straps available. Clients can bring their own Clipless pedals to be changed over.



Scott Sportster P3/P4 & P40 hybrids; see link for full details and picture. Helmets and add on materials included in the rental rate of 95 euros.

Click here for more info on Loire Valley



You are important to us; so we make you thoroughly prepared and include:
Pre-trip travel documents: you will receive extensive information as a customer prior to your departure, see below. Upon confirmation of your tour we will send you some general information about preparations including passport info, training tips, and reading lists, cell phone rental, travel insurance, and more!

Upon final payment, we will send to you a complete list of documentation by email including Hotel List, contact numbers, itineraries, a packing list, regional information about sites, culture, regional specialities, important towns and historical sites, general France travel information, bike travel tips, vouchers, train travel tips, language phrases, holiday info, tour details, culture and customs tips, and much, much more!

Other Tours: Travel for this region
Loire Valley Biking Tours
Loire Valley Walking Tours

Bicycle Tour Regions
Alsace Burgundy Dordogne/SW Loire Valley Rhone-Alpes
Brittany Champagne Languedoc Normandy Provence