L22 – In the Loire by bike, from Tours to Nantes

A circuit full of discoveries awaits you between vineyards and exceptional panoramas from Tours to Nantes. The Loire is a queen, the kings loved it!

STANDARD : with accomodation in 2-star hotels

SUPERIOR: with accommodation in 3-star hotels

Hiking

Day 1: Arrival in Tours
Tours is a green city that its inhabitants like to cycle through. It will be very easy for you to discover this ancient city thanks to the numerous cycle tracks. Take the time to visit the old city center and its narrow streets but also the place plume’ famous everywhere in France for its beauty and good life.

Day 2 : Tours – Azay le Rideau – 36 km
Today we propose you the visit of the “French” gardens of Villandry whose fame goes beyond our borders. Take the time to get together and savour the calm and beauty of this place before getting back on the saddle towards the Renaissance castle of Azay-le-Rideau.

Day 3 : Azay le Rideau – Chinon – 39 km
The day begins with a visit to the castle of Azay le Rideau built under Francis I, it has all the charms of the Renaissance!
The Vienne Valley then opens its arms to you, an essential step to discover the castles that make the reputation of our region. You will go today to conquer the 15th century Château de Langeais but also the Château d’Ussé or “Sleeping Beauty Castle”. Your day will end in Chinon where traces of the Middle Ages still reside today.

Day 4 : Chinon – Saumur – 36 km (+ 12 km with the visit of Fontevraud)
The day’s stopover takes you between troglodytes and vineyards through the villages of Candés-sur-Martin (and its magnificent collegiate church) or Montsoreau labelled the most beautiful village in France. We then offer you the visit of the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud founded in 1099 and home to a restaurant classified in the Michelin guide. Take the time to appreciate the serenity of the place before going to Saumur where you will spend the night.

Day 5 : Saumur – Angers – 57 km
Today you will take the track of the Loire by bike which will take you through charming villages on the banks of the Loire and then reach Angers and its imposing castle which contains the famous “Apocalypse” hanging on the initiative of the Duke of Anjou.

Day 6 : Angers – Montjean-sur-Loire – 37 km
It will be a day under the sign of the vineyards! The Coteaux de la Loire and the Aubance reach out to you, take the time to stop in Savennière to taste its famous dry white wine before heading to Montjean-sur-Loire where you will spend the night.

Day 7 : Montjean-sur-Loire – Champtoceaux – 39 km
You will continue your journey along the Loire River to arrive in Champtoceaux, a magnificent village on the border between Anjou and Brittany. Get ready to change universe …

Day 8 : Champtoceaux – Nantes – 32 km
A stage full of colour awaits you today to reach Nantes and its old districts on the banks of the Loire. You will have plenty of time to visit this cosmopolitan city which attracts more and more curious people but also people looking for the sweetness of life.

Day 9: Nantes
End of the tour after breakfast.

Best period

From the beginning of March to November

Services

• 8 nights with breakfasts (in room for 2 people)
• Luggage transport during the cycling stages
• The rental of a VTC bike equipped for 7 days (with 1 helmet) and its repatriation
• Visits to the gardens of Villandry, the château of Azay le Rideau and the Abbey of Fontevraud.
• 1 travel file (per room) including colour maps, detailed itineraries (FR or GB) and tourist documentation
• Tourist taxes
• Hotline support 7 days a week

Lunch, drinks, costs of site visits or transport not detailed in the services and other personal expenses are not included in this price. Cancellation/Assistance insurance is extra.

Access

By train:
Paris Montparnasse Station >> Tours Station (about 1h by TGV).
For more information, consult the SNCF: www.sncf.com

By plane:

From Roissy CDG airport:
– Roissy Charles de Gaulle T.2 Station >> Tours Station (by TGV).
From Orly airport :
– Transfer by taxi to Paris Gare Montparnasse >> Gare de Tours (by TGV).
– Shuttle Bus (Le Bus Direct) : from Orly South or West >> Line 1 >> Montparnasse Station >> Tours Station.

– Shuttle Bus (Orly Bus) : from Orly Sud or Ouest >> Paris centre – stop ‘Denfert Rochereau’ >> Metro line 4 >> Gare Montparnasse >> Gare de Tours.

Difficulty of the hike

Level 2 – Circuit with stages with average mileage (about 50 km) and/or occasional relief.