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Day 1 |
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Start your tour by exploring Blois, with its cobblestone streets and meandering walkways. Cross the long stone bridge in the center of town for great views. Your highlight will be visiting Blois Castle, with intricate architectural details and manicured gardens
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Day 2 |
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Blois - castle of Chambord - Cheverny
2 route options
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Blois - castle of Chambord - Cheverny
2 route options
Enter chateau de Chambord’s magnificent forest and take a peek at the sculpted salamanders engraved on the walls of Loire’s most extravagant castle. Enjoy the shade of the hundred years old trees, then ride along the Cosson creek to the “château de Cheverny”. This should bring up some memories, if you ever read Tintin: it was the inspiration for Moulinsart castle. In Chambord forest, you can make a detour through Neuvy to discover the Sologne country land and its many ponds.
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Chocolate factory
1h
At the end of the guided visit you will enjoy different kinds of chocolates.
The factory is closed on mondays, except on july and august, Dogs not allowed.
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Included
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Day 3 |
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Cheverny - Amboise
2 route options
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Cheverny - Amboise
2 route options
Stroll inside the château de Beauregard with its gallery of 327 portraits of famous European leaders that forged history between the 14th and the 17th century. Or choose to ride through vineyards before arriving in front of the drawbridge of Fougères-sur-Bièvre stronghold. Follow the toues (traditional boats) along the Loire to Chaumont-sur-Loire. This place is famous for its fairy-tale castle but also for its International Garden Festival which displays talented creations. Ride directly to the beautiful city of Amboise and let the medieval atmosphere of this city seduce you. Discover the architecture of the “château d’Amboise”, which is iconic of the transition period from Gothic and Renaissance architecture.
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Day 4 |
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Amboise - Tours passing the castle of Chenonceaux
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Amboise - Tours passing the castle of Chenonceaux
Begin your day with an loop to the castle of Chenonceau. Through the forest and along the river’s banks you reach one of the most iconic châteaux de la Loire, the “chateau de Chenonceau” overlooking the Cher river. To reach Tours old town and its half-timbered houses, you ride along the Cher river.
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Day 5 |
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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. 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.
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Day 6 |
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Chinon - Saumur
2 route options
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Chinon - Saumur
2 route options
You continue to ride along the Vienne River and enjoy the view on the wild Loire banks. You arrive in the gorgeous small village of Candes-Saint-Martin built with freestone. You can stop to admire the XIIth century foundation church. Keep on to Montsoreau which is one of the “Loveliest Villages in France” built around its castle. From there, you have the option to 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. Otherwise ride straight to Saumur. On your yay you admire the cave house villages and stop to taste Saumur wines in the numerous wine cellars. Discover Saumur and its castle with impressive dungeons at the end of this idyllic ride.
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Day 7 |
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You exit Saumur and ride along peacefully the Loire through peaceful villages with a rich heritage. Do not miss the medieval churches in the villages on your way. In Treves, you can see the famous 30m high tower, the last remnant of a fortress built in the 15th century! Before reaching Gennes, ride through a forest and along a pond, which offers one of the most beautiful areas of the Loire to picnic and relax. Then, you cross the Loire and the Loiret in Ponts-de-Cé and ride down the Loire to the confluence of the Maine. Finally, Angers appears with its castle, its fortress and its lively streets.
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Day 8 |
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You discover the living city of Angers before going back.
The regional train takes you back to your starting point or you can extend your stay if you wish.
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Bikes
On your arrival day, we provide you with:
- a touring bike adjusted to your size or a tandem
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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
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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.