Loire Valley 5-Day Challenging

Loire Valley
5-Day Challenging

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Overview

  • Tour DifficultyChallenging
  • Tour Duration5 Days / 4 Nights
  • Daily Saddle Time4+ Hours
  • Daily Elevation512 m (1725 feet)
  • Daily Distance93 km (58 miles)
  • Total Distance280 kms (174 miles)
  • StartTours, France
  • FinishNantes, France
  • Local AirportsParis or Tours
  • Tour SeasonMar 1 - Oct 31
  • Food & DrinkYes
  • History & CultureYes
  • Electric BikeYes
  • Gravel BikingYes
  • Solo TravellersYes

Overview

  • Tour DifficultyChallenging
  • Tour Duration5 Days / 4 Nights
  • Daily Saddle Time4+ Hours
  • Daily Elevation512 m (1725 feet)
  • Daily Distance93 km (58 miles)
  • Total Distance280 kms (174 miles)
  • StartTours, France
  • FinishNantes, France

Highlights

  • Tours: Begin in this lively city at the heart of the Loire Valley, known for its charming old town, vibrant squares, and beautiful Saint-Gatien Cathedral.
  • Villandry: Be enchanted by the Château de Villandry's spectacular formal gardens, a highlight for nature and art enthusiasts alike.
  • Garden of France: A wine enthusiasts paradise, sample your way through the appellations of Cheverny, Touraine, Bourgueil & more.
  • Angers: A historic city renowned for its impressive Château d’Angers, which houses the extraordinary Apocalypse Tapestry, and its vibrant cultural scene.
  • Nantes: Conclude your journey in this vibrant city, where historic landmarks like the Château des Ducs de Bretagne meet modern attractions such as the innovative Machines of the Isle, creating a unique cultural experience.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Tours

Your journey begins in Tours, a vibrant city at the heart of the Loire Valley. Spend the day exploring the charming old town with its half-timbered houses and lively squares. Visit the Saint-Gatien Cathedral or relax in the tranquil gardens of the Musée des Beaux-Arts. Tours’ welcoming atmosphere and vibrant culinary scene provide a perfect start to your cycling adventure.

Day 2: Tours - Chinon

Distance: 72 kms (45 miles) / Elevation Gain: 223 m (752 feet) / Saddle Time: 3.5+ hours

Today’s ride takes you deeper into the Loire Valley’s wine country. The terrain features rolling hills interspersed with flat sections, offering a scenic mix of vineyards, forests, and small villages. The route meanders along quiet country roads, with plenty of opportunities to stop and enjoy the surroundings. You arrive in Chinon, a town dominated by its impressive medieval fortress. Its cobbled streets, riverside setting, and reputation for excellent wines make it a perfect place to relax and enjoy the local culture.

Day 3: Chinon - Angers

Distance: 100 kms (62 miles) / Elevation Gain: 932 m (3140 feet) / Saddle Time: 4.5+ hours

The ride to Angers follows the Loire River, with terrain that alternates between flat riverside paths and gentle inclines. You pass through charming villages and quiet farmland, with the river as a constant companion. Angers offers a blend of history and culture, with highlights including the Château d’Angers and its extraordinary Apocalypse Tapestry. The city’s lively center is ideal for an evening stroll or a meal in one of its many excellent restaurants.

Day 4: Angers - Nantes

Distance: 108 kms (67 miles) / Elevation Gain: 380 m (1281 feet) / Saddle Time: 4.5+ hours

Your final cycling day is mostly flat, following well-maintained trails along the Loire River and through picturesque countryside. The route passes through small villages and open landscapes before reaching the vibrant city of Nantes. Known for its creative spirit, Nantes is home to the Château des Ducs de Bretagne and the famous Machines of the Isle. The mix of modern attractions and historic landmarks makes it a dynamic and rewarding end to your cycling journey.

Day 5: Depart from Nantes

Spend your final day exploring the sights of Nantes. Visit the Machines of the Isle, where you can see incredible mechanical creations like the Giant Elephant. Wander through the historic Bouffay district, with its narrow streets and lively atmosphere, or relax along the Erdre River. As you depart, you’ll leave with memories of a scenic, culturally rich adventure through the Loire Valley.

Map

Accommodation

All our accommodation selections are in-house reviewed. We partner with family-owned, charming guesthouses and hotels where you can relax and recharge. Below are some sample accommodations on our Loire Valley tours. Depending on availability, the accommodation you stay at may vary but will always be of a similar standard.

Tours: LABE Hotel

A relaxed, no-holds-barred place, LABE Hôtel aims to be a caring place, where exchanges, interactions and encounters are given pride of place. A lifestyle hotel with 41 rooms and suites, including 2 for disabled guests, with a relaxed ambience and a friendly atmosphere to make you feel at home. A year’s work has transformed the hotel into a unique and original place that is sure to impress. Each room is unique, with different sizes, decorations and configurations to satisfy all visiting guests.

Chinon: Au Relais Saint Maurice

Within touching distance Chinon fortress, this bed and breakfast captures Loire Valley heritage like no other. The building of Au Relais Saint Maurice dates back as far as the 13th century and every effort to maintain it’s rich history has been made. With its sun soaked terrace, enjoy a fantastic breakfast stocked with local produce, served by the owner Maurice himself.

FAQ

What Is the cycle like?

This tour is in our Challenging difficulty grading. Consisting of a blend of cycle lanes, quiet country roads and forest trails. You’ll spend most of the ride following the Loire river (EuroVelo 6) and passing through the surrounding towns. This means that the route is largely flat, with some slightly steeper ascents to overcome in the latter half of the tour. The biggest challenges faced are the distances of up to 108 km (67 miles). The longest days are towards the end of your tour, so you’ll have time to build up to the bigger distances.

We offer hybrid and gravel bikes for this route. If you are having doubts about your fitness levels, we also offer electric bikes on this tour.

Is this tour for me?

This Loire Valley tour is a fantastic blend of sightseeing and cycling challenge. If you enjoy clocking up serious mileage in a tranquil setting, with the occasional rest break at captivating landmarks, this tour may be the one for you.

It is a perfect route for those who are seasoned bike tourers or train long distance at home. The route attracts large amounts of cyclists from all over the world, giving the perfect opportunity to connect with fellow riders too.

Tour includes

  • 4 nights accommodation in charming guesthouses and hotels.
  • A hearty breakfast each morning
  • Luggage transfers between accommodations
  • Detailed itinerary, GPX files and printable maps of your route
  • Tips on local attractions, history & evening meals
  • On call support before and during your tour

Tour excludes

  • Flights and transfers to and from the trail heads
  • Lunches & Dinners
  • Insurance
  • Bike rental (Selected on checkout)

The Bikes

You have a choice of bringing your own bike or renting your tour bike through us during booking. For the Loire Valley, the bikes available are quality electric, hybrid or gravel bikes. If an electric bike is chosen, it will bring the daily saddle time down by approximately 1 hour. *We offer hybrid bikes but highly recommend choosing a Gravel bike to maintain a higher average speed during your tour.

We only partner with the best bike suppliers for all our destinations so you’ll be guaranteed well maintained, premium brand bikes such as Cube, Trek or KTM.

All bike rentals come with helmet, lock and repair kit. A network of mechanics are on call in case of any mechanical issues faced while on tour.

What Is The Climate Like?

We offer tours in Loire from March – October. At the start of the tour season, the average temperatures in Orleans are approximately 9 °C (47 °F). This is the quietest times of the season to miss queues at landmarks and also the driest time of the year. Temperatures peak at 26 °C (79 °F) in July & August. Temperatures as high as 35 °C (95 °F) have been recorded, but these are quite rare. Please see image below for reference.

As you will be cycling through a valley, you’ll encounter micro climates where the weather can suddenly shift. It is recommended to have emergency wet gear packed at all times while riding. Precipitation in this region is typically infrequent but heavy in nature.

Is The Tour Easy To Navigate?

We include detailed navigation instructions and GPX files for your ride. Our navigation app is easy to use and we give a detailed instructional video on how to use it. If you are having any difficulty, we are on call at all times to assist you.

There is frequent marked signage on the routes to keep you on course, as well as many fellow cyclists on the route to steer you in the right direction.

What If There Is An Issue On Tour?

Included in your tour, is 24/7 message and video support. If you have an issue with navigation, bike breakdown, accommodation, medical, etc, we are at the touch of a button away at all times.

We have an extensive network of suppliers along the route, who will resolve the problem as swiftly as possible.

More FAQ

If you haven’t found the answer you’re looking for above, visit our general FAQ page for more information or simply reach out to us with the “Ask A Question” button on the side.

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Price

Loire Valley 5-Day Challenging

From$786
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Tour Includes


3* or 4* Accommodation Throughout

Breakfast Each Morning

Luggage Transfer

Itinerary & Navigation Documentation

Tips & Local Insights

24-Hour Support

From$786
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