Cycling Holidays - Leisurely Loire Valley

Leisurely Loire Valley

France

From £669 P/P

This tour heads out from Orléans along a stretch of the Loire to Saumur. Castles and villages provide frequent interludes to the cycling, which is on the valley lowlands and never exceeds 60km a day, best done at a gentle trundling pace to admire the views.

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Itinerary
Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Orleans

Orleans. Independent arrival in Orleans, one of the great medieval cities of France - homeland of Joan of Arc.

Day 2: Orleans to Beaugency/St. Dye (30/50km).

You pedal along the Loire alternating cycle paths with back roads. After a visit to Meung-sur-Loire you arrive at the Chateau Dunois, with the beautiful medieval centre of Beaugency. A land full of water and culture will lead the way to the beautiful town of St. Dyé, an ancient river harbour.

Day 3: Beaugency/St. Dye to Blois (70/50km)

From the huge park surrounding Chambord Castle today’s trip continues at the border of the forest of Boulogne. On the other side of the Loire crowded with a wonderful bridge, you can already see the profile of Blois and its castle, the steeples of the abbey and the Cathedral of St. Louis standing out.

Day 4: Blois to Amboise (45 km)

After a visit to the city of Blois and its impressive castle, you will pedal through the forests to the town of Onzain.

Here it is possible to visit the castle of Chaumont built on the top of a hill overlooking the river. In Amboise you cannot miss the house where Leonardo da Vinci spent the last years of his life.

Day 5: Amboise to Tours (55 km)

After the visit of the city of Blois and its impres- sive castle, you pedal along the Loire river. Here you can visit the castle of Chaumont built on the top of a hill overlooking the river. In Amboise you cannot miss the house where Leonardo da Vinci spent the last years of his life.

Day 6: Tours to Chinon (60 km)

Pedalling between the Loire and the Cher rivers you arrive at Villandry Castle, well known for its gardens. Following the Loire river, you’ll reach the city Langeais where you can stop for a break. Before arriving in Chinon you will visit Ussé, where you can admire the castle of the Sleeping Beauty.

Day 7: Chinon to Saumur (35 km)

The tour continues along country roads beyond the confluence of the rivers Loire and Vienne, where you’ll get to Savigny en Vèron and the wonderful village of Candes St-Martin. A few kilometres away you’ll see the castle of Montsoreau from
which you can enjoy the landscape over the Fontevraud Abbey. At the end of the stage you will visit Saumur, considered the "Pearl of Anjou".

Day 8: Saumur

Departure after breakfast

Route Overview

On this tour you cycle through the wonderful Loire Valley. This cycle trip is not very demanding, though sometimes there are some hilly sections. The daily stages are not very long – always about 50 kms – mostly in the lowlands. The itinerary is mainly on cycle paths or paved roads with little traffic.

Starting point of the cycling holiday: Orleans

Easy to Moderate: some days flat, others with some hills. Suitable for everyone with some cycling experience and a few physical condition.

Route Map (For guidance only):

Routes maybe subject to change or alteration. All route notes, maps and day-by-day information will be given to you upon arrival at the first hotel or at the welcome meeting. GPS/GPX Files are available for most our the cycling holidays we offer. Please ask us for details.

Route Profile:

Brief itinerary:	Route Profile
Day 2: Orléans - Beaugency/St.Dyé (30/50 km, vertical up 40/80 m)	Today’s ride will follow the shores of the Loire and after having traversed the countryside and through small villages. The variety and the low traffic roads make it a very nice and easy trip with a lot of possibilities to enjoy your breaks.

Day 3: Beaugency/St.Dyé - Blois (50/30 km, vertical up 180/140 m)	It is an exciting and very beautiful ride, with as only difficulty the unpaved roads, which however allow you to enjoy fully the peace and quiet and no traffic at all.

Day 4: Blois - Amboise (45 km, vertical up 260 m)	The first part of the stage rides along the left side of the Loire. In the second part we leave the river towards some short climb in Chailles, Mosnes and near Amboise.

Day 5: Amboise - Tours (54 km, vertical up 290 m)	It is a most beautiful itinerary, varied and with as only difficulty the exit from the city of Amboise as far as the fork towards Chenonceaux: a straight stretch in the middle of the woods where cars speed up. In the morning some slopes are uphill to reach Chenonceaux, but afterwards you will have a flat ride. There is not a lot of traffic because you will be cycling along the Cher almost all the time on dirt roads. Only near Veretz you will finally find asphalted roads and have to face the last slope uphill of the day (500m long).

Day 6: Tours - Chinon (60 km, vertical up 280 m)	You continue cycling along the Loire - a more difficult stretch on a cobbled road for 500m - near the city of Langeais. In Château de Ussè you will face the only slopes of the day.

Day 7: Chinon - Saumur (35 km, vertical up 190 m)	The first part of the cycle tour is on level roads and easy, always on quiet cycle tracks or small country roads. Past Candes St.Martin it becomes harder: several slopes, some of them very steep, alternated with level roads.

Getting There

Getting There

We recommend flying to Tours, Angers or one of the Paris region airports to reach the starting point of this cycling holiday.

Flights are available with a number of airlines from the UK to your required airport or you can travel to the start using alternative methods such as rail or road.

We recommend using Skyscanner to find the best flight prices by date or Voyages SNCF for European rail travel. There is customer car parking available at most hotels for a supplement. Please contact us for more details.

Please use local transport to arrive at the starting point or call us on 0800 755 5385 for more specific travel advice.

You do not need to go back to the starting point of the cycling holiday as all hire bikes are left at the final hotel.

Important: Please book your flights only after the cycling holiday has been confirmed by invoice or email. Flights and transfers are not included in the advertised holiday price.
What’s Included?
What’s Included?

The Leisurely Loire cycling holiday includes the daily transfer of luggage to the next hotel and local support if required.

Included Services (Subject to confirmation)
- 7 nights accommodation (B&B)
- Breakfast
- Bike hire
- Luggage transfers
- Detailed route notes & maps
- 24hr hotline assistance service
- Welcome meeting
Not Included
- Flights to/from the start and finish
- Evening meals (unless stated)
- Local daily taxes (Payable at the hotel)
- Helmets
- Water Bottles
- Travel Insurance
- Bike Insurance (unless stated)
- Transfers (unless included)
Bike Hire

Bike Hire

About the bikes

Tough, stable and reliable, specially designed for you to saddle up for several days on the trot. Girolibero bikes are citybikes with an aluminium frame and kitted with responsive brakes and gears. Plus: mudguards, trip computers, comfort gel saddles, flat-palmed grips, Schwalbe Marathon anti-puncture tyres.

27-gear Unisex Citybike

A low entry unisex frame, ideal for an upright but relaxed riding position. The number of gears varies by destination. In Italy, for instance, standard bikes have 27 gears, while in northern Europe they are generally fitted with 7 gears and a pedal brake (although bikes with more gears and conventional breaks can sometimes be requested).

27-gear Men's Citybike

Citybike with men's frame. The design and number of gears varies from country to country. As with unisex bikes, for example, bikes for our Italian tours have 21/24 gears, while in northern Europe they are usually fitted with 7 gears and a pedal brake (although bikes with more gears and conventional breaks can sometimes be requested).

Electric Bike Upgrades

Why not upgrade your cycling experience to an E-Bike (Electric Bike)? Using a power assisted bike is a great way to go on a cycling holiday and will help you smooth out inclines or longer days in the saddle. Each E-Bike features an LCD display, removable batteries for easy charging and assistance up to 25 km/h with a range of around 120 km for each full charge depending on usage.

E-Bike upgrade prices vary per tour, but if you require any more information about bike hire and electric bikes, please get in-touch with us on +44 (0) 800 755 5385.

Bosch Active Line

Low-entry frame
Bosch batteries Power Packs of top safety and long life (36 V - 13,4 Ah Capacity - 500 Wh available power).
Bosch motor Active Line, located centrally (250 Watt, engine torque 50 Nm).
Gears: Shimano Deore 9-speed.
Range: approx 90 km (flat terrain, average speed).

When you make a booking with us, we take your height(s) and the appropriate bike size is matched up accordingly. Helmets are not provided and you will need to bring your own to use. We always recommend wearing a helmet when on your cycling holiday.

Hotels

This cycling holiday stays in good quality hotels with private facilities carefully selected for their proximity to your cycle route and comfort. If you wish to know specific information about the hotel facilities, Wi-Fi and upgrades used on the holidays, please contact us on +44 (0) 800 7555385 for more information.

Please note that the hotel list is subject to change and should be used as a guide only. We will confirm the exact hotels prior to arrival.

LEISURELY LOIRE VALLEY	SAMPLE HOTEL LIST (Cat A)	SAMPLE HOTEL LIST (Cat B)
ORLEANS	Orleans Parc Hotel	Orleans Parc Hotel
SAINT DYE SUR LOIRE	Le Manoir De Bel Air	Hotel De La Sologne Beaugency
BLOIS	Novotel Blois Centre Val de Loire	Hotel Anne De Bretagne Blois
AMBOISE	Novotel Amboise	Hotel Restaurant La Brèche Amboise
TOURS	Le Grand Hotel Tours	Hotel Criden
CHINON	Hotel Diderot Chinon	Hotel Le Plantagenet Chinon
SAUMUR	Hotel Adagio Saumur	Hotel Kyriad Saumur

You will receive your final hotel list approximately 4 weeks prior to your arrival date detailing the hotels used on your cycling holiday. If you wish to know more about the hotels prior to completing a booking form, please contact our Customer Services team via email or by phone.

Date & Prices

You can find out more about this cycling holiday by completing a Contact Form or call 0800 755 5385 to speak to one of the team.

2019 Cycling Holiday Prices:

Season	Date Band	Arrival Day
Season 1:	20.04. to 04.05.2019 \|08.09 to 21.09.2019	Saturdays and Sundays
Season 2:	05.05. to 28.06.2019 \| 19.08. to 07.09.2019	Saturdays and Sundays
Season 3:	29.06. to 18.08.2019	Saturdays and Sundays

Category A Information:

Season	Prices per person including bike hire
Season 1:	£759
Season 2:	£829
Season 3:	£849
Single Room Supplement:	£209
Electric Bike Upgrade:	£109

Category B Information:

Season	Prices per person including bike hire
Season 1:	£669
Season 2:	£739
Season 3:	£749
Single Room Supplement:	£199
Electric Bike Upgrade:	£109

Hotel Category Descriptions:

Category Type	Accommodation Overview
Category A:	Mostly 3 star hotels and 2 star hotels
Category B:	Mostly 2 star hotels and 3 star hotels

EXTRA NIGHT PER PERSON PER NIGHT PRICES (YOU WILL STAY IN THE SAME HOTEL AS PER THE CYCLE TOUR):

Location	Price DBL/BB	Single Supplement Price SGL/BB
Orleans:	£59	£85
Saumur (Cat A):	£69	£100
Saumur (Cat B):	£59	£85

Reference:FR020

Date From	Date To
20 April 2019	21 September 2019

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