Castles of the Loire

Overview

Biking in the Loire Valley region has proven to be a haven for cyclists time and again, and it is rightly referred to as Royal Châteaux Country. The fertile landscape is generously peppered with grandiose châteaux (more than 300!) amid lush vineyards and rolling green hills. Along the “Loire à Vélo” or the “Pays des Châteaux” cycle paths, this itinerary allows you to reach the most prestigious châteaux of the Loire Valley! This is an easy to moderate self-guided hotel tour that is predominantly flat but with some hilly terrain and average daily distances of about 28 miles a day. Some days can be shortened. Electric bicycles available upon request. Closest international airport to your tour start is Paris Charles De Gaulle International Airport (CDG). From the CDG airport: From the TGV station, you can access train to St Pierre des Corps where you will transfer to an intercity train to Blois. Train travel from/to Blois from the airport is approximately 2½ to 3½ hours depending on connections. If you are arriving at another airport, please let us know and we can send you arrival information from Orly Airport, Beauvais Airport, or Tours airport. From Paris Center: From Paris Austerlitz station, you can take a train to Blois. From Blois station by taxi to mooring location, cost is approximately €10. Please note that TGV travel requires advance reservation. You can visit the SNCF website for more information and to book. Please check local conditions before arrival. Once Spring arrives in the Loire Valley, the days begin to get longer and the temperatures rise steadily to up around 68°F/20°C. You can have misty starts to the morning clearing away quickly to give very pleasant days and nights. There will be occasional days of rain but rarely for long periods. This is also a good time to visit as there are fewer tourists around! Late spring and into summer brings dependable weather with long dry spells with average daily temperatures around 75°/24°C. July temperatures peak as high as 82°/28°C dropping to 72°/22°C as September approaches. On average, there are 11 days of rainfall during this period. Perhaps not as warm as those in the far south of France, but a far more comfortable heat. Book the Chateaux Package which includes entrance fees to the mentioned sites. See day to day itinerary and pricing. This tour is run by Loire Valley Travel. We value the strong relationship we have with our local partners and the services we provide. We are not a broker. We do not inflate tour prices. We are simply travelers helping travelers.

Daily Ride Schedule

Accommodation & Services

Accommodation

Hotel

What's Included