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Center Val de Loire à vélo. Indre and Cher by bike.

Price per person

From 830€

Type of stay

Bicycle trip

Location

Blois, Tours - France

Duration

7 days

Difficulty

Departures

Daily from April to October

Capacity

2 people minimum

Reference

Cyclo 42

Your stay

Loire Valley by bike. Indre et Cher à vélo.

Here’s an alternative Loire Valley bike tour, starting from Tours. Come and visit the pretty town center with its half-timbered houses, before cycling along the Loire (naturally!!) and two of its many tributaries, the Indre and Cher, two charming rivers with many surprises in store.

The program features exceptional heritage sites, picturesque villages and delightfully bucolic landscapes! We’ll take you from must-see castles like Azay-le-Rideaux and Chenonceau, to little nuggets off the beaten track, such as the little-known medieval towns of Loches and Montrichard. You’ll also discover the famous Jardins à la Française at Villandry, the village of Montrésor, listed as one of France’s most beautiful villages, and Chédigny, famous for its 800 rose bushes, to name but a few! You’ll spend two nights in the magnificent royal city of Loches, time to stroll through its medieval streets. Finally, you’ll cross the vineyards of Mont-Louis, famous for its “bancs” wines.

The recent development of cycling facilities along these two rivers will make your progress easy and enjoyable. Discover this part of the Loire Valley by bike, in the heart of a remarkable concentration of riches.

A cycling vacation that’s sure to delight nature and heritage lovers in search of peace and quiet. If you’d like to learn all about the history of the monuments along the way, opt for the Château Pack.

You'll enjoy :

2 nights in Loches to enjoy the magnificent medieval town to the full
Cycling routes along the Indre and Cher rivers
Alternating between unmissable and more confidential sites

Back to travel

Daily program

Day 1 - Arrival in Tours

Discover the lively old quarters of Tours, including the famous Place Plumereau with its half-timbered houses, and its splendid Gothic cathedral.

Day 2 - Tours - Azay-le-Rideau

Start by following the Loire à Vélo trails to the famous Jardins à la Française at Villandry, before heading for the Indre Valley and Azay-le-Rideau. Then succumb to the charm of

its romantic Renaissance château, set amidst water and greenery!

Day 3 - Azay-le-Rideau - Loches

A day devoted to the bucolic “Indre à Vélo” trail! Follow the mill route, dotted with pretty residences, to the medieval fortress of Montbazon, home to France’s oldest surviving keep. Continue on to the ancient Benedictine Abbey of Cormery, founded in the 8th century, and then on to Reignac-sur-Indre, where you can see the castle, built in the 15th century. At the end of the route, the superb royal city of Loches awaits you!

Explore its medieval streets and discover the Donjon (a masterpiece of medieval military architecture), the Logis Royal (a jewel of the French Renaissance) and the Collegiate Church of Saint-Ours (a Romanesque splendor housing the recumbent tomb of Agnès Sorel, official favorite of King Charles VII).

Day 4 - Excursion to Montrésor

A trip to the heart of the Indrois Valley to discover the little nuggets of Touraine’s heritage that can’t be ignored! Pedal your way to Montrésor, one of France’s most beautiful villages.

its authenticity. Montrésor is dominated by its surprising castle, with its old-fashioned charm and intimate atmosphere. Stop off at La Chartreuse du Liget to admire its remains, which still bear witness to the importance of this very first Cartusian monastery built in Europe in the 12th century. Nearby, don’t miss the secret Chapelle Saint-Jean-du-Liget, lost at the end of a lane at the edge of the woods! Return to Loches by following the cycle paths through the state forest, home to some astonishing pyramids.

Day 5 - Loches - Chenonceaux

Still on the back roads through the Touraine countryside, a stopover is in order at the pretty village of Chédigny, famous for its 800 rose bushes of 250 different varieties. The village was the first in France to be awarded the “Remarkable Garden” label! Head for Château de Montpoupon, elegantly overlooking a green valley. Superbly furnished, the château invites you into the intimacy of the owners’ family home. Then cross the Touraine AOC vineyards and head down the Cher valley to Château de Chenonceau, which spans the Cher in an exceptional setting. Known as the Château des Dames, Chenonceau was the scene of 2 of France’s most famous rivals: Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Médicis.

Option: Excursion Montrichard and Vallée du Cher (45 km) and extra night at Chenonceaux :

Follow the pleasant banks of the Cher to Montrichard, an authentic medieval village dating from the 11th century, with cobbled streets dotted with half-timbered houses and dominated by its keep. The Cher then takes you to

from troglodyte dwellings to ancient tufa quarries turned wine cellars, mushroom beds… then pedal through the Touraine vineyards to the ruins of the ancient Abbaye d’Aiguevives.

Day 6 - Chenonceaux - Tours. 38 km (or 48 km via Amboise)

Follow the gentle banks of the Cher River, past a succession of pretty estates and small private châteaux, to reach the Château de la Bourdaisière, famous today for its vegetable garden: a conservatory dedicated to tomatoes, with over 650 varieties! Pass through the village of Montlouis-sur-Loire, famous for its fine white wines, to reach the banks of the Loire. The “Loire à Vélo” cycle paths take you peacefully to the center of Tours. You can also visit the royal city of Amboise to discover the Château Royal, home to the greatest Kings of France, and the Parc Leonardo Da Vinci, Leonardo da Vinci’s last home.

Day 7 - Departure

Departure after breakfast.

rates

Price per person

Comfort version: €830
Superior version: €1010
Luxury version: €1,380

Price includes

6 nights’ hotel accommodation with breakfast (double/twin room)
Route book (map and directions)
Luggage transfer at each stage (1 piece of luggage weighing 20kg)
24/7 technical assistance

Supplement

VTC bike rental (helmet not included): €90
Electric bike rental (helmet not included): €180
Half-board package (6 dinners): €275 (comfort) or €290 (superior)
Pack Châteaux: €75

Further information

We take care of transporting your luggage every time you change accommodation, so you can travel light and enjoy your day’s hiking.

Leave your luggage at the reception desk of your accommodation before departure.

At the end of the afternoon, you’ll meet them at the reception desk of your new accommodation or directly in your room.

Luggage accepted per person: 1 suitcase or travel bag (20 kg maximum).

Your travel file corresponds to the documents or files you receive prior to your trip (generally one month before) and/or on arrival at your first accommodation.

It includes :

A welcome letter with key practical information:

Baggage transport times
Details of delivery and collection of rental bikes if required
Your local contact and emergency telephone number(s)
Any additional information

Travel logbook including map with route (at the appropriate scale) and directional, tourist and practical information

Any necessary vouchers to be given to the service provider(s)

On request and depending on the tour:

Download the “Evazio” application onto your smartphone for GPS navigation with visual (reading the route on your smartphone screen) and/or spoken guidance. The application also contains practical and tourist information. Once the trip has been downloaded, no Internet connection is required.
Loan of a GPS device with pre-recorded tracks
Send GPX tracks of each stage for use with your own navigation device

On this tour, we can provide you with a choice of the following, upon reservation:

A VTC bike suited to the tour and the route (UNISEX model)

velo vallee loire gitane

An electric bike adapted to the course (UNISEX)

velo vallee loire scott e sub

With equipment :

Bag 1

Handlebar bag

Repair kit

Anti-theft device

1 rear bag
1 handlebar bag
1 repair kit
1 anti-theft device
1 charger (for electric bike)

For younger children, depending on age and size, we can offer

Children's bikes

Bicycle follower

Follow Me Tandem Loire Valley

Second trailer

A child’s bike
A baby seat
A trailer
A follower bike
A Follow-Me Tandem

The bike is adjusted to your size and delivered to the first accommodation.

At the end of the tour, the bike must be left at the last accommodation with its equipment. We’ll take care of collecting them.

This tour is available in “comfort”, “superior” and “luxury” categories.

Hotel categories :

Comfort: The tour features mainly 2 and 3-star hotels (or equivalent comfort level) and bed & breakfasts.
Superior: The tour features mainly 3- and 4-star hotels (or equivalent level of comfort) and charming bed & breakfasts.
Luxury: The tour features mainly 4- and 5-star hotels (or equivalent level of comfort).

For the duration of your stay, our telephone assistance service is available: