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Loire Valley

A cycling week from Tours to Saumur: our favorite in the Loire

Follow the cycling paths of "Loire à vélo" and discover the prestigious situation Saumur vineyards, the magnificent castles of the Loire Valley and the cave houses.

Reviews (41) :
4.75 / 5
Reference L0702
  • Itinerant trip
  • 8 days
  • Easy
  • from april to october
  • Minimum age 1 year
GPSGPS-app available
959€ / pers.
  • Itinerary
  • Encounter the breathtaking beauties of the Loire valley by riding on the “Loire à vélo” route between Tours and Saumur. Meandering between the Loire valley and the Vienne valley, the route goes on little country roads passing by the most prestigious castles in Loire such as Villandry, Azay-le-Rideau or Ussé, the castle of the Sleeping Beauty. You will not only admire the changing colors of the Loire River, the traditional boats swinging between the sand banks, but also the vineyards of Chinon and Saumur or the Fontevraud Abbey. You will also see many cave houses all along the way. Give in to the magic of a cycling holiday in Loire.

    DAY 1

     
     

    Tours

    Discover the charming old neighborhood in Tours boasting many half-timbered houses. Stroll around and visit Saint-Gatien cathedral, the Wilson bridge and Plumereau square.

    DAY 2

     
     

    Tours - Azay

    Bike
    35/57km
    You wind on the cycling path along the Loire to leave Tours and reach the château de Villandry with its beautiful French gardens. Enjoy the banks of the Loire Valley before riding up through forests towards the château d’Azay-le-Rideau.
       

    Château de Villandry 2h

    Château de Villandry, now a Unesco World Heritage site, is one of the last Loire Valley châteaux to have been built during the Renaissance. It was originally a medieval fortress. Take a break from your cycling tour and discover its unique history as you visit the gardens and château.
    9,00 € / teen
    13,00 € / adult

    DAY 3

     
     

    Day-trip to Saché

    Bike
    27km
    You can either enjoy a rest day in Azay-le-Rideau to quietly visit the castle or explore the surrounding villages on beautiful country roads. You start by learning all about the wickerwork in Villaines-les-Rochers, then go through Saché and its castle, famous for regularly hosting the French writer Honoré de Balzac. Then, you ride down to Pont-de-Ruan, village at the confluence of several rivers that flow into the Indre. You can visit the miller’s house in order to discover the history of the mills of the village.

    DAY 4

     
     

    Azay - Chinon

    Bike
    35km
    Keep on cycling on « Loire à vélo » and ride on the dike to get to the château d’Ussé which inspired the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. You enter into Chinon overlooking the old town. Enjoy the labyrinth of medieval narrow streets when you ride down the Vienne River.

    DAY 5

     
     

    Day-trip to the Chinon vineyards

    Bike
    36km
    You can choose to spend your day chilling in the medieval town and visiting the fortress, or choose to ride your bike in the surrounding vineyards and hills. If so, don’t miss the former house of the French writer Rabelais which is called “La Devinière”. Don’t forget to stop in one of the local wine cellars to taste the Chinon wines.

    DAY 6

     
     

    Chinon - Fontevraud

    Bike
    27km
    Choose between canoeing or biking
    TWO OPTIONS :

    You can choose to exchange your bicycle for a canoe and float along the Vienne River to Montsoreau and finish your day by bike to Fontevraud, or continue cycling to Fontevraud and visit its beautiful abbey.
       

    OPTION 1 : Canoe ride to Montsoreau and cycling to Fontevraud 4h

    Enjoy a canoe ride to discover the beauty of the Loire valley from the river side. You arrive in the gorgeous small village of Candes-Saint-Martin built with freestone. Keep on to Montsoreau which is one of the "Loveliest Villages in France" built around its castle. You land right next to the castle, take your bike back and continue cycling to Fontevraud (10 km).(From 6 years old and able to swim. Meeting at the departure point at 8:45 AM. If you are not able or if you do not want to do this activity, you will keep on with your bike to Fontevraud). Available from April 22nd to September 30rd.
    Included

    OPTION 2 : Biking to Fontevraud 3h

    Ride first along the Vienne river through the beautiful white freestone villages of Candes-Saint-Martin and Montsoreau. Keep on the hills to Fontevraud which is worth visiting for its magnificent abbey which shelters the tombs of Richard the Lionheart and Eleanor of Aquitaine.
    Included

    DAY 7

     
     

    Fontevraud - Saumur

    Bike
    22km
    Today’s route alternates between cave houses and vineyards. Then, you can choose to ride along the Loire or through the hills. Both paths lead to the village of Souzay-Champigny where you ride among beautiful cave houses. Stop by to taste the wines of Saumur. At the end of this charming route, you discover the city of Saumur and its castle with impressive dungeons.

    DAY 8

     
     

    Departure from Saumur

    Discover the charming old neighborhood of Saumur and the imposing castle over the city. This city is the capital of equestrian art and a main spot of French cuisine and in the center of a very rich wine region
  • Accommodation
  • Category A

    You’ll enjoy staying in these clean and cozy 2-Star hotels that give you a pleasant rest after your day of biking. Breakfast is included when you spend the night in these friendly and family-run hotels.
    * Example of the type of accommodation

    Category B

    You’ll get a good night’s sleep when you stay in these 3-Star hotels or Bed and Breakfasts. All properties have been selected for their cleanliness, style and friendliness of the staff. A hearty breakfast is included!
    * Example of the type of accommodation

    Category C

    You’ll have a wider selection of accommodations when you choosing this 3/4-Star category. Some nights you’ll stay in guaints hotels, and other times you might be in a charming Bed and Breakfast. Enjoy the "vie de chateau" atmosphere in an exceptional environment. Properties are selected for their high standards and impeccable service. Don’t forget...breakfast is included!
    * Example of the type of accommodation
  • Bikes, luggage and documents
  • Bikes

    On your arrival day, we provide you with:

    • a touring bike adjusted to your size or a tandem
    • equipped : front rack pack with an integrated file compartment, saddlebag, helmet (on demand), reflective vest, repairing toolkit with patches etc.

    We also provide you with the appropriate equipment for your children : baby seat, bike trailer or trailer bike depending on their age and size.

    Electric bikes are also available for adults (+1m55).

    You can of course also bring your own bikes, in this case a reduction will be applied (see the Tarif tab)


    Luggage

    Our services include luggage transport in order to let you enjoy your trip comfortably and without stress :
    • We transport your luggage from one accommodation to the next using a private vehicle.
    • Your luggage is directly delivered in your accommodation before you arrive.
    • We provide a saddlebag for the things you shall need during the day.

    Our word of advice : as we know from experience, we strongly recommend you to avoid wearing a backpack during your cycling trip.
    If you expect to arrive at the next accommodation before 5 p.m., we recommend that you take an extra set of clothes with you in your bicycle bag.


    Travel documents

    A cycling holiday is the best way to explore a region and discover its culture, landscapes and local traditions.

    Your tour is self-guided to give you the freedom to ride at your own pace. You will be provided all the information you need to enjoy the itinerary and its points of interests.

    We can provide you with travel documents in paper format (for a supplement of €15 for printing and postage), which include:
    • a roadbook with maps that we drew at the easiest scale to follow on a bike
    • a roadbook with step-by-step description giving the direction to follow at each intersection and highlighting the points of interest

    Example of a map and of a step-by-step description


    Our GPS App

    For this trip, you can also use our smartphone app featuring GPS guidance (without extra fee).

    You will find in the app all the information given in the map and step-by-step roadbooks. You will be located on the itinerary with the GPS device of your phone. The route and directions to follow will be both viewable on the screen of your phone and announced aloud. As you ride along the itinerary, you will be given information about visits, restaurants, services and useful alerts on the way.

    -> You need to have a smartphone and download Le Velo Voyageur app on your Apple or Android store before the trip. All details concerning the downloading and the use of the application will be given after we have confirmed the booking and the balance is paid. Once the trip is downloaded, the GPS guidance can be used off-line.
  • Practical information
  • To get to departure point:

    • By plane: flight to Paris or Tours.
    • By train: you need to get to Tours Centre. You can take inter-regional trains from Paris-


    To get back to starting point:

    Regional trains take you back to your starting point if you wish. They are accessible without booking in advance and bicycles are free. You have to buy your ticket on spot (full rate 12€/adult). There are several trains per day. You will find the timetable in your travel documents.

    We can also organise a transfer in a private vehicule on demand.


    Meeting time:

    The first day is an arrival day without cycling. You arrive whenever you want depending on from where you come. Please note that rooms are usually available in the middle of the afternoon depending on your accommodation. We thank you to advise us if you plan to arrive late.

    .
  • Reviews
  •   Memory of the trip  

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    41 bike travelers reviews 4.75 / 5

    Williams Loire trip

    On the 2024-06-03 by William
    This was a great trip. And the itinerary was extremely well organized. Thank you

    Carefree cycling along the Loire

    On the 2024-04-17 by Steve
    My wife and I very much enjoyed our week cycling along the Loire. The scenery and chateaux were wonderful. The accommodation, food and drink excellent. All the logistic arrangements worked perfectly and everyone was friendly and helpful. There was quite a bit of spring flooding along the river banks and we had fun improvising routes around without difficulty.

    Du sport et de la culture: un cocktail idéal

    On the 2023-09-27 by PIERRE
    Le circuit est très bien organisé dans l'ensemble avec un niveau de difficulté correspondant à nos attentes, avec des vélos de qualité, des hôtels typiques correspondant à la catégorie choisie ou supérieure, des restaurants en général de bonne qualité, un personnel attentionné. Les vélos étaient quasi neufs, munis de 30 vitesses et bien entretenus. Le transport des bagages entre les hôtels est particulièrement bien organisé. Bref un séjour que nous recommanderons. Merci à vous pour le soin que vous portez à la composition d'un tel parcours.

    une semaine en famille inoubliable

    On the 2023-08-11 by AUDREY
    Nous avons adoré ! … les paysages, les châteaux, les sites, les activités, les hôtels, la Loire, les rencontres …Pas un seul jour ne s’est passé sans que nous n’ayons eu un nouveau coups de cœur. Tout était réuni pour une semaine magique en famille ! sans oublier l’organisation qui était au top ! un grand merci à toute l’équipe du Velovoyageur !

    Genussradeln pur

    On the 2023-07-04 by Uschi
    Ein wunderschöne Radtour für Genussradler. Schöne Hotels und Restaurants, Freundliche Mitarbeiter die schnell und zügig auf Reklamation eingehen und sie zügig zu unserer vollendeten Zufriedenheit beseitigt. Die Tagesetappen nicht so lang, somit bleibt viel Zeit für die Besichtigungen. Rundum eine gelungene Reise.

    Wounderful Loiretrip

    On the 2023-06-10 by Anna
    - Good and quick communication with "leVelo voyageur" - Good organisation and variety of accommodations inclusive the breakfasts - Bikes and equipment in an excellent condition - Fine choice of the route and the proposels for sightseeings

    Great time cycling in the Loire Valley

    On the 2022-08-05 by Ton and Kirsteen
    We were a group of 2 adults, 2 kids (9 and 10years old) and 1 grandmother who just completed the Tours to Saumur cycle holiday. We all found it a fantastic experience and one we really want to repeat. The cycle route was so nice, passing numerous castles and vineyards and we enjoyed all the lovely, picturesque littles towns we stayed in. Everything was superbly arranged by Le Velo Voyageur for which we were really grateful.

    très belle expérience

    On the 2022-07-06 by Claude
    je recommande sans réserve

    Entre Tours et Saumur

    On the 2019-09-16 by Benoît
    Très beau parcours avec une multitude de choses à découvrir dans la région.

    Tour to Samuar

    On the 2019-06-26 by Warren
    Our trip was absolutely fantastic. The route was really well sign_posted and there was so much to see and do each day. We stopped at some lovely restaurants along the route and our accommodation was of a really good standard. Everyone was very helpful and we had a great time and will certainly come back to do some more trips with velo voyageur.

    A cycling week from Tours to Saumur

    On the 2019-05-20 by Debra
    Extremely enjoyable and quite the cultural immersion for a pair of Aussie retirees. Distances and sightseeing were well balanced.

    Top quality experience with a Top quality company.

    On the 2018-10-09 by Kay
    We had an amazing trip.We are fit but in our 70's so were a little apprehensive. When we arrived at our lovely accommodation we were given our maps and documents.The following morning we picked up our bikes and were on our way.The bikes are in excellent condition so there was no trouble with our transportation.The distance between each village was great, and spending mostly two nights in each place made it relaxing.Our accommodation was delightful and very quaint.The cycling was fantastic,but we will let you discover that,as there are so many surprising days on this adventure.Thank you for taking us on this journey.

    Great experience

    On the 2018-07-30 by Vicki
    A thoroughly enjoyable trip where we challenged ourselves to move out of our comfort zone by doing an activity which we had not done before. Riding in your home country occasionally is a very different experience to riding longer distances each day in a foreign country. A very pleasing outvome and highly recommended.

    Loire Tour 2018

    On the 2018-07-19 by John
    This was a throughly enjoyable experience. All arrangements made for us were up to and often exceeded our expectations. The itinerary was excellent taking us through beautiful countryside and interesting sites. The bikes we were given were fully equipped and very comfortable. Directions and maps were clear and easy to follow. The paths and roads are well signed.

    Séjour Tours - Saumur

    On the 2018-07-19 by Francine
    Nous sommes des québécois et cette façon de voyager nous a permis de découvrir quelques villes de la France, d'une agréable façon.

    An enjoyable holiday

    On the 2018-06-23 by
    This was an excellent holiday.

    Im Herzen Frankreichs

    On the 2018-05-05 by Hans-Peter
    Vorbehaltlose Empfehlung für alle, die an Kultur und Gastlichkeit Frankreichs interessiert sind

    Loire-Reise

    On the 2017-09-11 by Kerstin Witt
    Wir haben eine wunderschöne Loire-Fahrrad-Tour von Alzay l'Rideou bis Ancenis genossen. Eine Kanufahrt war in die Fahrradtour mit aufgenommen. Die Fahrräder waren hervorragend ausgestattet und das Kartenmaterial war sehr gut, so dass es keine Schwierigkeiten gab, die Strecken zu fahren. Der Schwierigkeitsgrad war wie offeriert. Unsere Unterkünfte waren alle hervorragend. Wir haben uns jeden Tag auf die neue Unterkunft am Abend gefreut. Die Reise hat uns allen (5 Personen) sehr viel Spaß gemacht und ist auf jeden Fall weiter zu empfehlen.

    Super séjour bien organise à refàire

    On the 2017-07-31 by CLAUDE
    Très beau parcours tout est bien organisé et le rythme parcours vélo / visites bien dose et agreable

    Brian

    On the 2017-07-18 by brian
    Great

    La Loire cycling

    On the 2017-06-14 by Kevin and Robyn
    Great trip, well organised, excellent touring, sites, food and wine.

    Doulce Touraine

    On the 2017-05-05 by Jean-Claude
    Superbe parcours très agréable

    A perfect vacation

    On the 2016-09-26 by M and M
    We will be talking about our cycling trip from Tours to Saumur for years to come! Everything was taken care of for us. All we had to do is get on the bikes (which were great) and ride. We were both sad when we had to turn the bikes back in. Can't wait to book our next trip!

    Loire Valley - a great ride

    On the 2016-09-24 by Rowan
    We really enjoyed this eight day cycle in the Loire Valley. The itinerary was well balanced with interesting landscape and cycle routes. The map books were excellent along with the cycles provided. Apart from the accommodation at Hotel Plantagenet in Chinon all the rest were excellent. This was our second trip with Velo Voyageur and on both occasions we have found them very good to deal with.

    Lovely family tour

    On the 2016-07-13 by Elisabeth
    We had a wonderful week with cycling along and near the Loire. It was very nice with some options on the route (long and short), and also the possibility of taking one day off when we had two nights in the same hotel. The option with the canoe was also a success. It was the first time we travelled with Le Vélo Voyager, and we were very impressed with friendly service and help up front, and everything was perfect organized. We travelled with a child (9 years old), and we had all a very nice "Tour da France"!

    No hesitation !

    On the 2016-06-27 by Mihail
    excellent organization, no weak points, no problems.

    La Loire à Vélo, un régal !

    On the 2016-06-08 by ANNICK
    Comme en 2014, entre Blois et Amboise, nous avons été enchantées par notre périple de cette année entre Tours et Saumur. Une organisation au top, des itinéraires très agréables évitant au maximum la moindre petite route ; la région est vraiment faite pour les cyclotouristes et les pistes cyclables sont partout ! Les hébergements étaient très accueillants et réparateurs ! Les vélos de grande qualité étaient parfaitement équipés. Nous plébiscitons Le Vélo Voyageur !! Un grand merci et à dans deux ans !

    Maggra

    On the 2016-05-22 by Maggra
    * Very good bikes and paniers. A trouble free ride. * Excellent hotels. * Faultless baggage and bike deliveries. * Lots of interest and variety along the route. * Velo Voyageur pre-tour organisation impressive. * A few mysteries in the directions but we never got lost. * Well done Velo Voyageur

    Just the right mix of sport, pleasure (wine) and culture

    On the 2015-09-16 by Christian, Dorte, Jakob and Anton
    We had a gorgeous holiday with velovoyageur. Everything was well organised with a lot of love to detail like the travel documents, the chosen places to stay (lovely family rooms, very tasty and large, breakfasts one was looking forward to). We were very pleased with the quality of the bikes and the equipment, everything was nearly new and we had no problems at all during the trip. Most of the rides were off the main path which left us cycling on our own most of the week which was extremely relaxing and peaceful. The length and difficulty of the daily trips were just perfect for a family with kids. Though some bits were hilly the boys (8 and11) managed well, there was not a day they moaned. We arrived in the new place around 4 pm and after a shower and a little rest we had enough energy to explore the towns and surroundings/cultural sites. The canoe trip was a great change after a few days of cycling though it was harder than we thought. We will definitely plan another holiday with velovoyageur. Thanks for planning such a lovely week!

    Claire

    On the 2015-09-14 by Claire
    La prestation est d'un très bon niveau. Le transport des bagages est très appréciables, la réactivité en cas de crevaison était excellente et la sélection des hôtels de charmes très agréable. Organisme à recommander !

    La Loire en Vélo

    On the 2015-08-30 by didier
    première expérience de vacances en vélo, parcours intéressant. visites suggérées (châteaux) appréciées, par contre visites vinicoles ( particulièrement cave de La Herpinière sans intérêts) étape en canoë entre Chinon et Montsoreau très sympa.

    luc

    On the 2015-08-30 by Luc
    J'aurai une remarque à vous faire était-il indispensable de prendre des hôtels 3 étoiles ? Surtout en vélo c'est la décontraction . Il serait plus sage de faire un peu plus simple surtout la dernière nuit nous avons eu une grande chambre a deux grands lits, à part ça tout était parfait.

    Québéquois a la découverte de la loire

    On the 2014-09-28 by Manon et Robert
    Nous avons vraiment apprécié notre séjour a vélo dans ce magnifique coin de pays.La beauté des villages et l`architecture nous a vraiment enchanté. Nous avons eu du beau temps en prime !! Un vrai coup de coeur. Manon et Robert

    Super!

    On the 2014-08-15 by Laurence
    Bonjour, J'ai été très satisfaite de mon séjour. Tout était très bien organisé et correspondait parfaitement à mes attentes. Les itinéraires étaient bien faits et bien balisés. Je recommanderai ce style de vacances à mes amis. Merci à vous. Mme PILLOT

    Bravo Vélo Voyageur !

    On the 2014-08-05 by Camille
    Des vacances en plein air, des découvertes et aucune prise de tête pour l'organisation ! Des vraies vacances, accessibles à tous, même aux non-entraînés !

    La Loire à vélo

    On the 2014-07-31 by Yves
    Très beau parcours, bonne organisation, séjour des plus agréables. Merci.

    Magnifique tour!

    On the 2014-07-18 by Nils
    C'est un tour de vélos que je conseille à tout le monde! Tous c'est passé comme sur des roulettes! Le vélo voyageur a fait un superbe boulot. Nous nous sommes régalés dans la vallée de la Loire: dégustations de vins, châteaux, visites de villes, cyclisme, simplement parfait!

    Berges de Loire et châteaux

    On the 2014-05-05 by C&J
    Les étapes sont équilibrées, on a encore de l'énergie pour visiter les châteaux, jardins et villages troglodytes. Bon choix d'hôtels et de petits restos du soir. L'organisation est parfaite et bien pensée, on sent que c'est du vécu. Grand merci à Eugénie et Bérangère , nous rêvons déjà de repartir.

    Zauberhafte Radreise im Loiretal

    On the 2014-04-22 by Hedi und Janne
    Es war eine herrliche Radreise in einer wunderbaren Landschaft, sehr schönen Hotels, gutem Essen, ausführlichem und gutem Kartenmaterial, wonach wir alles gefunden haben, guten zusätzlichen Besichtigungstipps. Wir haben unser Ziel immer erreicht, die Steigungen waren auch für mich "Ältere"(fahre zu Hause nur selten und wenn, dann nur bei schönem Wetter) zu schaffen. Wir haben jeden Tag ein Schloss besichtigt - am besten hat uns auf unserer Route "Villandry" gefallen. Wir fanden es auch schön, so allein zu reisen und Ziele, Pausen etc. selbst bestimmen zu können. Vielen Dank für die Ausarbeitung und wir reisen bestimmt noch einmal mit Vélo Voyageur.

    Quand pédaler nous enchante...

    On the 2013-05-20 by Tulipe72
    Excellent séjour au bord de la Loire, original et varié ! Peu sportifs, nous avons apprécié les trajets en vélo sur un terrain plat et dans un environnement enchanteur, à l'abri de la circulation. Les étapes proposées sont riches en visites et découvertes ! C'est sûr, nous retournerons pédaler lors de nos prochaines vacances !

    Expérience inoubliable en famille

    On the 2012-12-11 by Donatienne
    Expérience inoubliable en famille! Très bien organisée, très bien adapté à des enfants au delà de 6 ans. Mix très agérable entre visite culturelle et balade à vélo. Au rythme de l'eau et du vélo.
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