The three Loire Valley bike tours from Orléans to Tours, Tours to Angers and Angers to Le Croisic can be taken individually or one after the other. Starting in Orléans, the routes travel west all the way to Le Croisic on the Atlantic Ocean.
Tours to Angers route includes Villandry with its famous gardens, a Renaissance château in Azay Le Rideau, the 15th château in Langeais, the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ château in Ussé, the abbey of Fontevraud, the vineyards of Anjou, and the château in Angers.
Angers to Le Croisic route includes the vineyards at Anjou, the rivers Loire and Layon, Champtoceaux in its magnificent setting, Nantes, and the beaches of St. Brévin and Le Croisic.
And this specific itinerary, lets you cycle the Loire through the historic town of Orléans, the flowered city of Beaugency, the Château of Chambord (see Château Country bike tour), the Château of Blois, the Château of Chaumont, and ‘Clos Luce.’
Highlights:
Château of Chambord: the most popular Château of the Loire Valley
Beauty of the forests and vineyards of Touraine Mesland
Electric bicycle rental (4 days):£21$47€25$38NOK235kr217$28Extra day hybrid touring bike rental: £13$28€15$23NOK141kr130$17Extra day electric bicycle rental: £21$47€25$38NOK235kr217$28
(Tandems, child bikes, child trailer, and child seat are available for this tour. Ask us.)
Extra nights, Orleans
Standard
Superior
Deluxe
Twin/double
£52$115€61$92NOK574kr530$69
£71$156€83$125NOK782kr721$94
£112$249€132$199NOK1243kr1147$149
Single supplement:
£38$85€45$68NOK424kr391$51
£51$113€60$90NOK565kr522$68
£72$160€85$128NOK800kr739$96
Extra nights, Tours
Standard
Superior
Deluxe
Twin/double
£52$115€61$92NOK574kr530$69
£56$124€66$99NOK622kr574$75
£84$186€99$149NOK932kr861$112
Single supplement
£30$66€35$53NOK330kr304$40
£34$75€40$60NOK377kr348$45
£68$151€80$121NOK753kr695$90
Chateaux package: £47$104€55$83NOK518kr478$62
Château de Meung sur Loire
Park Leonardo Da Vinci in Amboise
Domaine de Chambord (château + gardens)
Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire (château + Garden Festival)
Transfers: Paris CDG to Orleans (1 to 4 people): £195$433€230$347NOK2166kr1999$260
Groups of 5 or more, please ask. Tours to Paris CDG (1 to 4 people): £297$659€350$527NOK3296kr3042$396
Groups of 5 or more, please ask.
Electric bicycle rental (4 days): SCOTT 9 speed e-sub Active, universal frame, equipped with 2 rear panniers, 1 handlebar bag with map holder, 1 repair kit, 1 pump, 1 lock, 1 counter & helmet: £34$75€40$60NOK377kr348$45Extra day hybrid touring bike rental: £17$38€20$30NOK188kr174$23Extra day electric bicycle rental: £25$57€30$45NOK283kr261$34
(Tandems, child bikes, child trailer, and child seat are available for this tour. Ask us.)
Extra nights, Orleans
Standard
Superior
Deluxe
Twin/double
£52$115€61$92NOK574kr530$69
£71$156€83$125NOK782kr721$94
£112$249€132$199NOK1243kr1147$149
Single supplement:
£38$85€45$68NOK424kr391$51
£51$113€60$90NOK565kr522$68
£72$160€85$128NOK800kr739$96
Extra nights, Tours
Standard
Superior
Deluxe
Twin/double
£52$115€61$92NOK574kr530$69
£65$145€77$116NOK725kr669$87
£93$207€110$166NOK1036kr956$124
Single supplement
£30$66€35$53NOK330kr304$40
£34$75€40$60NOK377kr348$45
£72$160€85$128NOK800kr739$96
Chateaux package: £51$113€60$90NOK565kr522$68
Château de Meung sur Loire
Park Leonardo Da Vinci in Amboise
Domaine de Chambord (château + gardens)
Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire (château + Garden Festival)
Transfers: Paris CDG to Orleans: 1 to 4 people, sharing costs: £187$414€220$331NOK2072kr1912$2495 to 8 people, sharing costs: £225$499€265$399NOK2495kr2303$299
Tours to Paris CDG: 1 to 4 people, sharing costs: £297$659€350$527NOK3296kr3042$3965 to 8 people, sharing costs: £331$735€390$588NOK3673kr3390$441
From the Paris CDG Terminal 2 Train Station you can take a train to Orleans. Total trip time can take between 3 to 5 hours depending on connections, and costs around €70. Depending on time schedules, you can either take a TGV train from the airport to Orleans or a RER/IC train from the airport to Paris Austerlitz station and then on to Orleans. Tickets for TGV trains need to be reserved in advance. Please note that TGV travel requires advance reservation. You can visit the SNCF website for more information and to book.. From Orleans CenterIt is best to take a taxi to your first hotel. On weekdays, a taxi will cost around €27. Weekends andholidays, a taxi costs approximately €36-50.
Climate
Please check local conditions before your arrival. The climate in the Loire Valley is favorable most of the year, the river often acting as a line of demarcation in France’s weather between the northern climate and the southern. The river has a significant effect on the microclimate of the region, adding a few degrees of temperature. The climate can be cool with springtime frost while wine harvest months may have rain. Summers are hot, however, influences from the Atlantic moderate the temperature with breeze. A good website to visit to research regional weather including average high/low temperatures, average rainfall, and more weather-related information is weatherbase.com.
Recommended
We advise booking the Chateaux package. See Day to Day itinerary and pricing for more details.
Remarks
Electric bicycles available upon request. E-bikes are Scott E sub Active with universal frame, 9 speeds and come equipped with 2 rear panniers, 1 handlebar bag with map holder, 1 repair kit, 1 pump, 1 lock, 1 mileage counter, and helmet. E-bikes have 80 to 100 km autonomy.
DOCUMENTS
Before you travel, please check your country's passport and visa requirements and the passport and visa requirements of the country/countries you plan to visit. For US citizens, the US Department of State website is a good source of information. The Country Information tab in the International Travel section provides details about passport validity, blank passport pages required, etc. For our other international clients, please be sure that you research your own country's travel requirements. It is each traveler's responsibility to ensure proper documentation.
*Important note: Beginning July 1, 2021, additional documentation from the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) will be required to visit any of the 26 Schengen-member countries for tourism, business, medical, or transit. This is an additional check on security rather than a visa.
Where You’ll Stay
There are three levels of accommodations offered. Standard category, 2 and 3 star, Superior Category, 3 and 4 star, and Deluxe Category, 4 star. All rooms with private facilities.
What’s Included
Accommodations for 5 nights
Breakfasts
Hotel to hotel luggage transfer
27-speed Scott Sub Sport 20 hybrid bicycle (men's and women's frames, please specify) equipped with one rear pannier, handlebar bag, odometer, repair kit, lock, and pump (4-day rental)
Easy self-guided hotel tour with 4 days of cycling from 19 to 28 miles per day. Terrain is mostly flat with some rolling hills.
Day-To-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Orléans Day 2: Orléans - Beaugency, 16 mi. (26 km) Day 3: Beaugency - Blois, 29 mi. (46 km) Day 4: Blois - Amboise, 26 mi. (42 km) Day 5: Amboise - Tours, 17 or 19 mi. (27 or 31 km) Day 6: Departure from Tours
All distances are approximate. The itinerary is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances such as weather, route disturbances due to repairs, detours, etc.
Day 1: Arrival in Orlèans Discover Orlèans and its old historical center, situated between the large countryside fields of the Beauce region and the green pastures, ponds, and forests of Sologne region.
Day 2: Orlèans – Beaugency, 16 mi (26 km) Following the wild river banks, you cycle the Loire Valley in peace and serenity through the charming and very flowered city of Beaugency.
Day 3: Beaugency – Blois, 29 mi (46 km) Leaving Beaugency, you bike once again along the river banks passing the prestigious château of Chambord: the most popular Château of the Loire Valley, a masterpiece of the Renaissance period. Cycling the Loire Valley further, you follow the path in the direction of Blois. This charming town presents a rich historical heritage with a château offering a brilliant illustration of the evolution of French architecture from the Middle Ages to the 17th century.
Day 4: Blois – Amboise, 26 mi (42 km) Today you discover the beauty of the forests and vineyards of Touraine Mesland until you reach the chateau of Chaumont. This castle, originally built in the 10th century but then burned to the ground in the 15th century by orders from King Louis XI, was rebuilt later in the 15th century. Enjoy the view overlooking the Loire river before cycling on to Amboise and its royal chateau from the 15th-16th century. A little further down the road you find the last home of Léonardo Da Vinci : Manorhouse of ‘Clos Lucé’.
Day 5: Amboise – Tours, 17 or 19 mi. (27 or 31 km) Today you bike Loire Valley through the vineyards of Montlouis to discover the numerous cellars offering sweet white or sparkling wines. Then, enjoy the lovely chateau birthplace of Gabrielle d’Estrées, the favorite of King Henry IV. Continue to the heart of the city Tours to admire the old quarters sheltering the famous “Place Plumereau” and it’s half-timbered houses.
Day 6: Departure from Tours
Want to book Chateau package? See pricing!
Châteaux de Meung sur Loire
Domaine de Chambord (château and gardens)
Domaine de Chaumont-sur Loire (château and Garden Festival)
Amazing! We've done many organized and self supported tours, but this one by far is our favorite. We combined two 4-day (of riding) tours into one, the Orleans to Tours and Tours to Angers tours, for eight days of riding and a day on each end for coming and going. We chose the lowest level of hotels and all were fine. We don't spend much time in the room anyway, we just need a comfortable bed. The itinerary was perfect, average of 50km a day and usually one chateau visit along the way so at an easy pace we had plenty of time for a morning coffee stop, a few hours at the chateau du jour and lunch, and arrived at the hotel in time to do laundry and head to dinner. The overnight stops were a good mix of big cities (Orleans, Tours) and quaint towns. We didn't take a rest day, but if you're considering it, think about Amboise, a quaint town, rather than the midpoint Tours. Amboise was our favorite town-a good selection of restaurants, a beautiful chateau Read more… reflecting on the rivers, and if you're there on a Sunday, don't miss the local market, "the best in France" according to the guy at our hotel. The route was well marked, the maps they gave us were excellent, and if you have the GPS capability, definitely ask for the GPX tracks because those came in handy more than a few times. My wife upgraded to an e-bike which was absolutely worth it. Although it's mostly a flat course, it made it much more enjoyable for her. And we bought the chateau package which was worth it. It includes the best chateaux to visit, and although it doesn't save you much money, it saves you a lot of time waiting in line to buy a ticket which at some chateaux could be lengthy.
The Loire River Valley tour was spectacular in every way: bikes, scenery, route, trails, signage, difficulty level (which was "easy" and fit our previous experience level), the towns and accommodations.
I really enjoyed my experience in the Loire Valley thanks to the great service Carla, Hennie, and Mary provided. The tour went smoothly, the bicycle was comfortable, the maps were detailed and the whole experience was exactly as it was described here in the website. I chose the 2-3* option and the hotels were clean and nice (for the most part), and the restaurants (all but one) were absolutely delicious!! I would highly recommend tripsite to anyone considering cycling through Loire, and I intend to use them again on my next trip in Europe--BON VOYAGE!
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Tour Reviews
Timothy M. 3 weeks ago Verified Reviewer
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Frank H. 11 months ago Verified Reviewer
The Loire River Valley tour was spectacular in every way: bikes, scenery, route, trails, signage, difficulty level (which was "easy" and fit our previous experience level), the towns and accommodations.
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Stanley Pearson 8 years ago Verified Reviewer
Our group of 12 took this tour in 2010. We combined it to go from Orleans to Angers.
The routes are pleasant and the hisoric sites are aewsome. As usual, Pack and Pedal took care of us in a very first class way.
Stan Pearson
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Wayne Goodman 8 years ago Verified Reviewer
I really enjoyed my experience in the Loire Valley thanks to the great service Carla, Hennie, and Mary provided. The tour went smoothly, the bicycle was comfortable, the maps were detailed and the whole experience was exactly as it was described here in the website. I chose the 2-3* option and the hotels were clean and nice (for the most part), and the restaurants (all but one) were absolutely delicious!! I would highly recommend tripsite to anyone considering cycling through Loire, and I intend to use them again on my next trip in Europe--BON VOYAGE!
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