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Route Rating Level 1 to Level 4

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RESERVE THIS TRIP!

Casual Inns
  • $3,498 pp dbl. occ.
  • (+$450 for sgl. occ.)

Reserve early for the best available price. More Info

TRIP NOTES

All meals included except 2 lunches and 1 dinner.

Cancellation Policy

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Meet / Depart

Tours, France

Special Interest

Culture & History, Fine Wine & Cuisine, Romance &/or Honeymoon

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Call: 800-462-2848
or 510-527-1555
Fax: 510-527-1444
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801 Cedar St.
Berkeley, CA 94710

Business Hours:
7 days a week
from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific Time

Or contact your travel agent

Loire Valley Biking

Among the Chateaux in the Royal Garden of France

Just southwest of Paris is a refined domain, where magnificent châteaux sleep on the banks of slowly moving rivers and vineyards stretch alongside gently rolling sunflower fields and forested lanes. Explore this elegant corner of France by bicycle and you’ll be richly rewarded. Pedal through lush farmland and sheltering woods, spin alongside famous vineyards and sun-drenched fields and visit fairy-tale castles whose walls harbor secrets of political intrigue and sinful soirées. Welcoming accommodations, tasty regional cuisine and acclaimed wines all add a flourish to this expérience nonpareil.

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Days 1-2 chinon

Meet in Tours Visit Fontevraud’s medieval Benedictine abbey before heading out on your bike along a rolling route through the beautiful French countryside Pedal through the Chinon Forest to Château Ussé, a 15th-century castle believed to have inspired Charles Perrault’s famous story Château de la Belle au bois Dormant ("Sleeping Beauty") Explore Château de Chinon, where Joan of Arc first met Charles VII in 1429 Savor a private wine tasting with one of the hotel’s owners.

Day 3 Montlouis-sur-Loire

Embark on a leisurely ride to Azay-le-Rideau, set on the banks of the Indre River, and enjoy a bountiful picnic lunch Take a self-guided tour of the town’s château, considered one of the most magnificent in France, before continuing to our hotel.

Days 4-6 Chissay-en-Touraine

Visit Clos Lucé, the house where Leonardo da Vinci spent the final four years of his life Join a local guide for a private tour of Château de Chenonceau, one of the most glamorous of France’s châteaux  Spanning the Cher River, the château presents lavish gardens and an interior adorned with richly woven tapestries that hint at this landmark’s opulent past Pedal along rolling hills to Château de Nitray, built in the 15th and 16th centuries, where we stop for a tour and lunch Take one final spin through France’s farmland and forests.

Guest Trip Reviews

I appreciated the real backroads we traveled on and felt each day as if we were moving through postcards. Lovely.
Lisa Orselli - Littleriver, CA

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For 30 years, Backroads has been perfecting the art of active travel. We are the Loire Valley tour experts. For biking tours in Europe France, trust our in-depth connections. To see all our Europe France biking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning Europe France walking and hiking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning Europe France multisport tours click here.

Loire Valley Biking

ELEGANT SIMPLICITY: Casual Inns

Hotel Diderot

Chinon (2 nights): Built in the 15th century, this family-run hotel exudes friendliness and warmth and is conveniently located within walking distance of the town center.

Chateau de la Bourdaisiere

Montlouis-sur-Loire (1 night): Nestled on 140 acres in the heart of the Loire Valley, this 16th-century castle welcomes you with a beautiful outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts and comfortable guest rooms.

Chateau de Chissay

Chissay-en-Touraine (2 nights): This former royal residence, surrounded by a park and forest, features delightful rooms and an outdoor swimming pool.

Loire Valley Biking Loire Valley Biking

Hotel Diderot

You are viewing the Classic Casual Inns version of this trip.
View the Classic Premiere Inns Itineraries.

View the Family Premiere Inns , Family Casual Inns Itineraries.

Loire Valley Biking

Route Rating

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

Day 1
  • Level 2 1 Route Option Available
  • 22 miles
Day 2
  • Levels 1 to 4 3 Route Options Available
  • 17, 37, 48 miles
Day 3
  • Levels 2 to 4 3 Route Options Available
  • 23, 37, 51 miles
Day 4
  • Levels 2 to 4 3 Route Options Available
  • 25, 39, 50 miles
Day 5
  • Levels 1 to 4 3 Route Options Available
  • 15, 29, 53 miles
Day 6
  • Level 1 1 Route Option Available
  • 20 miles
Loire Valley Biking Loire Valley Biking

Trips For All Abilities

Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Activity Level Average Time Average Distance
    Biking Walking
& Hiking
1 2-3
hours
10-20
miles
2-5
miles
2 2-4
hours
21-30
miles
5-7
miles
3 3-5
hours
31-40
miles
7-9
miles
4 4-6
hours
41-55
miles
9-11
miles
5 5-7+
hours
56-75+
miles
11-13+
miles