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Tours to Angers
6 days − Self Guided
Quality Hotels & Country Retreats
From
€ 1235
Bike the Loire Valley, it is a wonder.
The Loire is a lovely area to discover by bicycle with its beautiful castles, enchanting villages and of course, delicious wine.
Start your experience from Tours, capital of the castles, with its wooden houses of the 15th century. Cycling west along the Indre River, traverse the ancient footsteps, Romans, Visigoths and older with Neolithic burial sites and deity praising menhirs. Millenniums of history in a few short miles every day!
Your Loire Valley bike trip, cannot miss Chinon with its incredible 12th century fortress. From Saumur Castle, cycle through the Loire-Anjou-Touraine Regional Nature Park. This area has six PDOs (Protected Designation of Origin), offering wine tastings in the coolness of troglodyte cellars. Try these delicious French wines on your bike trip, but go easy!
Continue on cycle paths alongside the Loire and visit the country that inspired the writers Ronsard, Rabelais and Balzac, ending in Angers, with its sturdy castle walls and home of the famous orange inspired Cointreau!
It is a beautiful world of castles, vineyards, idyllic scenery and of course amazing French cuisine.
Enjoy the pedal!
Dates
1 Mar 2024 to 31 Oct 2024
1 Mar 2025 to 31 Oct 2025
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TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
- Cycle through French vineyards and taste the Wine!
- Visit the châteaux of Azay and Fontevraud Abbey
- This Loire Valley Bike trip enjoys, Chinon, an impressive spot
- Bike the landscape of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine and Balzac
- Enjoy passing through typical enchanting French villages
- Delight in Angers and its famous orange delicacy, Cointreau
CC Advantage
A picture perfect route that takes in the best of this region
Enjoy your CC Loire Valley history book in your package
An easy going cycle allowing time to enjoy the best of the Loire
Thanks for making this bike trip the perfect blend of riding and sightseeing. Now I know why people talk so highly of the Loire Valley. Thanks again Maggi.
Route Map
itinerary
Day 1. Tours
Start your Loire Valley cycle trip exploring this beautiful city Tours, one of the largest in the Centre-Val de Loire region. Once a Gallic-Roman settlement, today a university town and a traditional gateway for exploring the chateaux of the Loire Valley region, with its impressive Gothic Cathedral and many tempting cafes and boutiques. Take time to enjoy the old and vibrant quarters of this city and especially the “Place Plumereau”, where its timbered homes encircle the square.
Option: Start further East along the Loire by riding the Loire Valley Castles trip first from Orléans to Tours.
Start your Loire Valley cycle trip exploring this beautiful city Tours, one of the largest in the Centre-Val de Loire region. Once a Gallic-Roman settlement, today a university town and a traditional gateway for exploring the chateaux of the Loire Valley region, with its impressive Gothic Cathedral and many tempting cafes and boutiques. Take time to enjoy the old and vibrant quarters of this city and especially the “Place Plumereau”, where its timbered homes encircle the square.Day 2. Tours to Azay-Le-Rideau
Ride: 45 km
Cycle towards Savonnières, and enjoy its fascinating Petrifying Grottoes. There, the waters, high in calcium carbonate, have carved the stones “bas-reliefs” tirelessly through the ages. Discover a fascinating world of underground lakes and sparkling creations of all types.
Villandry and its famous Gardens, are next on your Loire cycle trip. They are unique, fragrant and composed of gorgeous flowering terraces, a joy to see for anyone who loves gardening! Finally arrive in Azay le Rideau, with its Renaissance chateau, built spanning the Indre River under the patronage of King Francis the First. An icon of French tradition and innovative Italian décor.
See more
Day 3. Azay-Le-Rideau to Chinon
Ride: 35 km
Be sure to stock up on pâtisserie products before leaving Azay-le-Rideau. There is no better cycling fuel!A day of wonderfully varied cycling in the Loire – this ride has it all: vineyards, castles, boulangeries…You will start the day with a relatively long stretch on slightly busier roads, however you will soon return to the tranquillity of country lanes and cycle paths.Pass by Ussé’s famous ‘Sleeping Beauty’ chateau and gardens, a castle in which sprung the fairy tale by Perrault. Next cycle on to Chinon dominated by its castle and renown for its red wines. Rabelais loved them and you will too! It is a handsome town with a castle resting above the river. Its sturdy walls turn a rich ochre in the sunset.It is the only private great Loire castle to have been lived in by the same family for more than two centuries.Enjoy an unforgettable experience here!
Day 4. Chinon to Saumur
Ride: 36 km or 48 km
Today’s trip will delight you with the diversity of its landscapes and its historical heritage takes you on the banks of the Loire and through hillside vineyards. Pass through the interesting villages and towns of the area such as Montsoreau (with its formidable chateau in which characters of Alexandre Dumas´ book “La Dame de Montsoreau” assassinate a man – a true story). Continue along cycling by cave cellars and vineyards before reaching lovely town of Saumur. It is a fascinating and wealthy regal place with a wide variety of architectural styles spanning all centuries. Its old quarter harbours a 12th century church with lovely 15th century wooden carvings and the close by 5,000 year Bagneux dolmen is one of Europe´s most important. Samur chateau is the most famous and its depiction on the well known medieval prayer book “Les Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry” will be seen on many a postcard here.
Here, you will be able to ride to Fontevraud abbey, a must see for architecture buffs, as it is one of Europe’s largest medieval monasteries and is where Eleanor of Aquitane spent her final days. The route mainly takes you on cycling paths and unveils the secrets of chenin and cabernet franc, local grape varieties used for the AOC Saumur Champigny. Mmmm Delicious!
Day 5. Saumur to Angers
Ride: 57 km
On this last day, cycle along the Loire River and pass through the vineyards of Anjou, in which grow, delicious dry and sweet red, rosé and white wines.This unforgettable French bike trip, offers so many Loire delights, with its river islands, bird life, vine-covered slopes around Saumur and subterranean caves (used for mushroom-growing), and the lovely Authion River, you will be sad to stop cycling!Angers is a special place to end and its white walled Chateau, moat and gatehouses are once again a treat to wander. Here the visions of the impressive Apocalypse Tapestries aretreasures alone worth the visit as is the cute little museum de Cointreau (which the distillery here still produces millions of litres of!)
Day 6. Onward Travels
Say “au revoir” to your bicycles and this lovely city, heading home with memories of castles, chateaux, Cabernet and of course charming cycle touring.
Merci and à bientôt!
Trip details
Tour Style
Leisure Tour – Self Guided
Bikes – Hybrid or e-bike
Group Size – 1+
Tours, Azay-Le-Rideau, Chinon, Saumur, Angers
Riding Level
Easy – distances are a daily average of 35km. The terrain is mainly flat with a couple of small hills. Good surfaced roads on quiet country routes (busier near the bigger cities). Suitable for hybrid-touring bikes.
Accommodation
5 Nights
Historic and comfortable 3 star hotels and some historic ones
Food
All 5 breakfasts
Extras Included
- Luggage delivered to your next hotel
- Emergency support and contact details
- Pre-tour pack
- Tour guidebook, Bidon, Tee & Helmet bag
Extras Not Included
- Lunch and dinners
- Visits to monuments
- Bike Rental – Ebike Scott e-Sub Active or similar (190€) or Hybrid Scott Sport or similar (135€) – Helmets are not provided
- Transfer to the starting point and of own bikes
- Single supplement – 385€
Other extras to tempt
Châteaux Visit, Entrance to: Château d’Azay Le Rideau, Château de Villandry (gardens + chateau), Fontevraud Abbey, 1 wine tasting in Chinon: 60€ per person.
Jersey: Receive a Cycling Country custom designed Loire Valley Cycling Jersey, 50€
Extra nights in Orléans or Tours
Getting here
Tours and Angers are both connected by good bus and train connections.
From Paris Montparnasse station – Tours train station (about 1h)
To Tours from Angers – Angers St Laud train station to Tours train station (about 1h)
To Paris from Angers – Angers St Laud train station to Paris Montparnasse station (about 1:40h)
Lodgings
Good quality hotels to relax after a wonderful day cycling in the Loire Valley region. The hotels are all set in convenient places and close to sights. Lay your head and dream again of all the things you have seen that day.
Enjoy a priviledged welcome to such an exceptional place in the heart of Saumur. Exceptional for walls history, for the spectacular setting made up of the Loire and the Château de Saumur. It is listed as a historic monument, as was built back in 1774, and is finely decorated with designs by Percier and Fontaine, architects of the Emperor. Get impressed by its majestic staircase.Reviews
We had a lovely trip around the Loire valley. Thanks, Maggi
Joanne – Vancouver, Canada, May 2022
We had a great time! Everything was very well organised and the hotels were just what we were looking for. The routes were all great. We loved the whole region, to be honest with you! So thanks very much!
Jane – Worcester, England, June 2019
Well, the fantastic scenery around the Loire river was so impressive. The hotels were comfortable to relax in and get the peace we needed. We will be back for sure! Thanks Cycling Country!
Will Rooks – USA, April 2018
Testimonials from previous cyclists are always available and we enjoy receiving the feedback after tours. It helps us improve our services and offer you an even better experience. Please feel free to contact us if you would like a reference to talk to. Others have also posted reviews on the independent travel website 
.
DATES & RATES
TOURS TO ANGERS, LOIRE VALLEY FRANCE
6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS
€ 1,280
SINGLE SUPP. FROM € 445
Choose your date: Any date between 1 March and 31 October given availability
Extend your trip in France along the Loire!
Start this tour in Orléans and cycle to Tours first on our sister Loire Valley Castles self guided bike tour.
A fantastic Loire Valley cycling trip! Contact us for discounts.
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