Loire Valley Bike Tour: Chateaux, Wine & Beyond

What you get on this adventure:

• • An experienced, local bike guide with extensive knowledge of the area
  • Six days of biking
  • Seven nights of 3-star & 4-star accommodations in double/twin rooms*
  • Breakfasts, dinners, and packed lunches as indicated in the itinerary
  • Luggage transfers
  • Visits to the Château de Chenonceau, Château d’Ussé and Clos Lucé
  • Tourist taxes

What’s not included:

• • Transportation to Blois and from Angers
  • Drinks
  • Entrance fees to tourist attractions and castles not mentioned above
  • Bike and biking gear (can be rented)
  • Trip insurance

*Your guides can help you organize an additional night in a hotel in Blois or Angers after the tour. If you would like that, feel free to let them know before the trip.

This trip is an easy to moderate cycling adventure that is possible for most moderately experienced cyclists. You need to be able to manage an average physical activity level each day for 6 consecutive days. The itinerary mainly follows bike paths and small paved roads. It avoids main roads with heavier car traffic as often as possible.

You will be cycling stages of 28 to 61km/17.4 to 37.9 mi per day which accounts to about 2 to 5 hours of cycling daily. If you can manage this, you should be good to go!

Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:

Clothing:

• • Cycling Shoes – sport shoes that are comfortable for cycling
  • Socks – Sport-specific padded socks, one pair for every day of the trip. No cotton
  • Sun hat – wide-brimmed hat or baseball cap/bandana combo
  • Cycling gloves – padded gloves meant specifically for cycling
  • Cycling shirts – non-cotton, breathable short sleeve and/or long-sleeve shirts (Note: long sleeve shirts provide better sun protection)
  • Cycling pants & shorts – nylon pants and shorts, zip-offs or leggings
  • Windbreaker – a lightweight wind-resistant jacket or pullover
  • Warm top – mid-weight wicking sweater or pullover such as merino wool, fleece, or polypropylene
  • Insulating jacket – down-fill or synthetic-fill insulated “puffy” jacket or warm, lightweight fleece jacket (Note: This item may not be needed in summer months)
  • Rain gear – waterproof jacket and pants or high-quality poncho, breathable fabric such as Gore-Tex® or coated nylon. For the pants, look for side zippers that will easily allow them to be pulled over footwear
  • Casual clothing & footwear – comfortable clothes and shoes to wear in the evening after activities

Cycling gear:

• • Saddlebag
  • Personal luggage – small duffel bag, suitcase, or backpack for extra items and casual clothes
  • Cycling helmet – comfortable fitting, with rain cover
  • Hydration system – 2+ L capacity, water bottles or bladder/hose system
  • Extra water bottle
  • Headlamp – preferably with an LED bulb that works with AA or AAA batteries
  • Picnic/lunch kit – knife, plate/bowl, a box with a closeable lid, utensils, etc.
  • Phone & charger – a local SIM card or international plan may be needed
  • Small power bank – optional, but recommended
  • Map or phone holder for handlebars
  • Waterproof travel case or pouch – used to keep important documents & phones safe from weather/water
  • Sunglasses, sunscreen, & lip balm
  • First aid kit
  • Personal toilet paper kit
  • Toiletries
  • Contact lenses & glasses – bring a back-up pair
  • Prescription medication – with an emergency backup supply
  • Money – some local currency, often smaller local businesses do not accept credit cards and/or prefer cash. Some public restrooms require small amounts of cash to use.

Optional items:

• • Backpack – a small-sized comfortable pack with a waterproof cover
  • Travel power adapter – Voltage in France is 230 V / 50 Hz, E-type plugs
  • Support braces – joint braces that may be currently needed or from past injuries
  • Sleep mask & ear plugs
  • Bug repellent
  • Quick drying towel or bandana(s)

If you choose to rent a bike from your guides, the cycling helmet, saddlebag, and a handlebar phone holder will come included with the bike.

Your guides emphasize that you should not bring cotton hiking or cycling clothes. Synthetic clothing is very efficient in drying quickly. Merino wool material clothing is also efficient in drying quickly, is comfortable to wear, and has the advantage of not developing a bad odor after use.

Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.

Group sizes and pricing

• • For this group adventure, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 12:1.
  • It takes a minimum of 6 people for this tour to operate. The maximum group size is set at 12 participants.

Min. age requirements

• • If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
  • Minors younger than 18 but older than 14 may be permitted to join the trip on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.
  • Minors under 14 years of age cannot participate in this tour.

If your group has riders under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

To get to Blois, France, the starting point of the tour, most people fly into Paris International Airport. From there, the easiest way to get to Blois is by taking the train from Paris Austerlitz train station to Blois, which will take you less than an hour and a half.

Alternatively, you can rent a car or take a bus there.

You will meet your guides in Blois at the check-in of your hotel around 3pm. More details on the hotel will be provided by your guide.

We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance.

With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more. Travel insurance covers canceled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans.

If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!