Self-Guided Cycling
France: The Loire
Cycling The Chateaux Of The Loire
Trip code: C07LO
Average customer rating 4.5 / 5(15 verified reviews)
- Self-Guided Cycling
- 7 nights hotel-to-hotel
- Leisurely
- CO₂ rating 1/5
- Agent supplied app
Trip highlights
Trip details
This gentle and unhurried cycling holiday follows a triangular route through the heart of the great Loire Valley. Highlights include the majestic chateaux of Amboise and Chambord, and the rich Renaissance splendour of Chenonceau. You’ll pass vineyards, sunflowers fields and pretty, sleepy villages, before pedalling gently along shady riverbanks and out through open countryside abundant with wildlife.
What's included
Included
- 7 nights in 3-star and 4-star accommodation
- All breakfasts
- Bike fitting and briefing at the start of your holiday
- Navigation app
- Bike hire included
- Luggage transfers between hotels
Not included
- Flights
- Travel insurance
Hand-picked for the route, hire included
Scott, Sub Sport 20 or equivalent. Your bike hire is included in the price of your holiday and comes equipped with the relevant essentials, plus rear pannier, phone holder and handlebar bag.
Travel options
Our travel specialists can arrange flights, rail and transfers to this holiday from wherever you are. Call us to plan your journey. +44 1606 720099
Itinerary
Day 1 · —Arrival in Blois
Explore the cobbled streets, arcaded squares and impressive chateau of this pretty riverside town before dinner.
You stay at Hotel Novotel
Hotel Novotel
Blois
- Air conditioning
- Hairdryers
- Minibar
- Safe
- Swimming pool
- Tea & coffee
- Television
- Wifi access
Located 5-minutes from the historic town centre of Blois, the Hotel Novotel is in the heart of the administrative zone. Opposite the Halle aux Grains, and is only 15 minutes by foot from the Château de Blois and Maison de la Magie, making it a perfect base for sightseeing.
Completely renovated in 2018, each room at the Novotel Blois Centre Val de Loire is modern and comfortable.
Day 2 · 42km/26.1miBlois to Amboise
Cycle through nice tiny villages to Chaumont-sur-Loire and its spectacular chateau, which hosts the International Garden Festival (May-Oct). Then continue on the ‘Loire a Velo’ cycling tracks before arriving at the charming town of Amboise where the greatest Kings of France lived.
You stay at Hotel Bellevue
Hotel Bellevue
Amboise
- Air conditioning
- American Express
- Hairdryers
- Mastercard
- Minibar
- Safe
- Shops
- Television
- Visa cards
- Wifi access
Situated in the centre of Amboise in the Centre region, this hotel is just 50 m from Château d’Amboise. It offers a terrace and a lounge bar and restaurant.
Each of the soundproofed guest rooms at Hotel Bellevue is equipped with a flat-screen TV and free WiFi access. They also include a private bathroom with a shower or a bathtub.
Breakfast including fresh fruit, bread and cakes is served in the spacious breakfast room or on the terrace on sunny mornings. Eggs, bacon and sausages are also provided. Drinks can be enjoyed in the hotel’s bar.
Day 3 · 45km/28.0miAt Amboise
Visit the flamboyant Royal Palace and the elegant Clos Luce, a C15 manor house where Leonardo da Vinci lived and worked for the last few years of his life. His workshops house 40 giant models of some of his most spectacular creations, the first plane, helicopter and tank, and the beautifully landscaped gardens bring life to his botanical drawings and geographical designs.
Alternatively cycle to wine capital, Vouvray, famous for their fine white wines and explore the troglodyte caves en route. Here you’ll find wine tasting possibilities and the option to visit Chateau de Valmer where King Charles VII once stayed.
You stay at Hotel Bellevue
Hotel Bellevue
Amboise
- Air conditioning
- American Express
- Hairdryers
- Mastercard
- Minibar
- Safe
- Shops
- Television
- Visa cards
- Wifi access
Situated in the centre of Amboise in the Centre region, this hotel is just 50 m from Château d’Amboise. It offers a terrace and a lounge bar and restaurant.
Each of the soundproofed guest rooms at Hotel Bellevue is equipped with a flat-screen TV and free WiFi access. They also include a private bathroom with a shower or a bathtub.
Breakfast including fresh fruit, bread and cakes is served in the spacious breakfast room or on the terrace on sunny mornings. Eggs, bacon and sausages are also provided. Drinks can be enjoyed in the hotel’s bar.
Day 4 · 44km/27.3miAmboise to Chenonceaux
Gentle pedalling through the vineyards of Montlouis sur Loire will bring you to the superb Chateau de Chenonceau with its famous arches majestically spanning the river. Described by Flaubert as floating ‘on air and water’, it’s arguably the most beautiful of all the Loire landmarks. This chateau was the scene of a famous rivalry in French history: that of Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici.
Enjoy a walk in the heart of the Diane de Poitiers’s garden, then the Catherine de Medici’s one. Take a breath, under the shadow of one of the huge park trees, at the rhythm of the river murmur which will tell you stories about these 2 rival women.
You stay at Hotel La Roseraie
Hotel La Roseraie
Chenonceaux
- Air conditioning
- American Express
- Hairdryers
- Mastercard
- Safe
- Swimming pool
- Television
- Wifi access
Ideally situated in the centre of Chenonceaux and just a 400m from the chateau, the Hotel La Roseraie, built in the 18th century offers comfortable rooms and a wonderful place to relax after a day walking or sightseeing with its garden and pool.
Day 5 · 40km/24.9mi or 54km/33.6miChenonceaux to Chitenay
Ride along the peaceful riverbanks of the Cher to the medieval town of Montrichard. Leaving the Cher Valley and enter the vineyards of Touraine via the Château de Fougères-sur-Bièvre a small fortified castle which perfectly illustrates the local building arts of the 15th century.
You stay at Auberge du Centre
Auberge du Centre
Chitenay
- American Express
- Hairdryers
- Mastercard
- Swimming pool
- Television
- Wifi access
Tucked away in the elegant little village of Chitenay is the lovely ivy-clad Auberge du Centre, run by the charming Martinet family. Dinner is served either in the pretty dining room, or on the terrace.
The hotel has a pleasant terrace overlooking its pretty gardens and swimming pool (pool towels are provided; ask at reception), which are a real treat on a summer’s day, as well as an attractive sitting area inside, complete with wooden beams and comfy chairs.
Access to the Spa area is payable locally at 15€ per person per day. Access is free to those staying in a ‘Balneo’ room.
Day 6 · 47km/29.2miAt Chitenay
Relax on the terrace overlooking the pool or cycle to the Château in Beauregard famous for its Portrait Gallery. Then continue your excursion to the rich and mysterious ‘Sologne’ with magnificent landscapes: beautiful forests sheltering game, ponds at every crossroads and small private châteaux hidden behind their vineyards or groves.
You stay at Auberge du Centre
Auberge du Centre
Chitenay
- American Express
- Hairdryers
- Mastercard
- Swimming pool
- Television
- Wifi access
Tucked away in the elegant little village of Chitenay is the lovely ivy-clad Auberge du Centre, run by the charming Martinet family. Dinner is served either in the pretty dining room, or on the terrace.
The hotel has a pleasant terrace overlooking its pretty gardens and swimming pool (pool towels are provided; ask at reception), which are a real treat on a summer’s day, as well as an attractive sitting area inside, complete with wooden beams and comfy chairs.
Access to the Spa area is payable locally at 15€ per person per day. Access is free to those staying in a ‘Balneo’ room.
Day 7 · 40km/24.9mi or 50km/31.1miChitenay to Blois
Discover the famous sumptuously furnished Chateau of Cheverny. Inhabited by the same family for over 6 centuries, the Chateau, its gardens, its labyrinth and its Tintin exhibition will give you an unforgettable experience. Then, continue to the prestigious and largest Chateau de Chambord, a real masterpiece of French Renaissance period with its 440 rooms, built during the reign of Francis the 1st. Then, ride along the Loire riverbank before arriving in Blois.
You stay at Hotel Novotel
Hotel Novotel
Blois
- Air conditioning
- Hairdryers
- Minibar
- Safe
- Swimming pool
- Tea & coffee
- Television
- Wifi access
Located 5-minutes from the historic town centre of Blois, the Hotel Novotel is in the heart of the administrative zone. Opposite the Halle aux Grains, and is only 15 minutes by foot from the Château de Blois and Maison de la Magie, making it a perfect base for sightseeing.
Completely renovated in 2018, each room at the Novotel Blois Centre Val de Loire is modern and comfortable.
Day 8 · —Leave Blois
Extending your holiday
Hotel Novotel
Blois
- Air conditioning
- Hairdryers
- Minibar
- Safe
- Swimming pool
- Tea & coffee
- Television
- Wifi access
Located 5-minutes from the historic town centre of Blois, the Hotel Novotel is in the heart of the administrative zone. Opposite the Halle aux Grains, and is only 15 minutes by foot from the Château de Blois and Maison de la Magie, making it a perfect base for sightseeing.
Completely renovated in 2018, each room at the Novotel Blois Centre Val de Loire is modern and comfortable.
What our travellers say
Item 1 of 1
Positive impact
Carbon score for this trip
8.0
Kg CO₂e
per person, per night
Relative to other Headwater trips
We measure emissions from the parts of the holiday we organise — including accommodation, in-trip transport, meals and activities — and express them as CO₂e per person, per night. Our label doesn’t include your travel to and from the start of the trip. As a Certified B Corp, Headwater is committed to reducing this figure and to positively impacting local communities, the local environment and our staff. Learn more
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