There’s nothing to see in the Loire Valley. Nothing but fairy-tale castles in every shape and size. Imposing towers and pincushion spires. Flying buttresses and astonishingly flawless gardens. Nothing but fertile fields crisscrossed by gracefully meandering rivers. Easygoing routes for younger riders. And lots of pedaling options for the older crowd. Nothing but treats at patisseries, gourmet cuisine and exquisite wines. A visit to Leonardo da Vinci’s house and a fencing lesson just for kids. History comes to life. The Loire Valley - nothing short of the perfect family getaway.

Premiere Inns

Le Choiseul (2 nights): A collection of three beautiful 18th-century manor houses in a peaceful setting along the Loire River. A Small Luxury Hotels of the World member. (pool)

Domaine de la Tortinière (2 nights): We're welcomed by the gracious Olivereau family at this charming 19th-century château with sweeping countryside views. (pool, tennis)    

Château de Marçay (1 night): Turrets and secret passageways attest to the medieval origins of this impressive château, built on the ruins of an 11th-century fortress. (pool)

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

Day 1

• Level 1 1 Route Option Available
• 16 miles
• 0 - 500 feet elevation gain

Day 2

• Levels 1 to 4  4 Route Options Available
• 15, 22, 32, 43 miles
• 0 - 500 feet elevation gain

Day 3

• Levels 1 to 3 3 Route Options Available
• 10, 21, 38 miles
• 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain

Day 4

• Levels 1 to 4  4 Route Options Available
• 13, 22, 36, 52 miles
• 0 - 500 feet elevation gain

Day 5

• Levels 1 to 4 3 Route Options Available
• 15, 26, 41 miles
• 0 - 500 feet elevation gain

Day 6

• Level 1 1 Route Option Available
• 16 miles
• 0 - 500 feet elevation gain

Please note: On this Family Trip, our routes follow gentle terrain with no significant gain or loss in elevation. Liberal van shuttling is incorporated into the itinerary to facilitate our activities and mileage is kept moderate to enable you to spend more time exploring on your own.

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

2012 Dates & Pricing*

FAMILY TRIPS

*Prices may change. Once you book your trip, your price is guaranteed.

Recommended Kids Ages

Minimum Ages:

• Recommended minimum age for the trip: 9 years
• Minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 7 years

General Info on Minimum Ages:

We strongly encourage families to join our Family Trips, designed with kid- and adult-friendly features. Please note that we have a minimum age requirement of 1 year for all Inn trips and 2 years for all Camping trips. Other than that, we do not restrict trips to a minimum age except in the rare case of a hotel age restriction. We do, however, recommend minimum ages based on the following criteria:

• 12+ amount of cultural appreciation, difficulty of activities, routes
• 9+ difficulty of activities/activity age restrictions, routes
• 6+ several longer dinners; routes are difficult for pulling a Burley and therefore not appropriate for younger children; difficulty of activities/activity age restrictions

Please note that a trip may feature an activity with an older age requirement than the minimum age recommendation for the trip. Younger kids are still welcome on the trip and while they will not be able to participate in the activity, the leaders will suggest an alternate activity. For safety reasons, children under 7 may not ride their own bikes and are required to ride on a Piccolo or in a Burley. For certain destinations, children must be 9 or older to ride their own bikes.

Guest Trip Reviews

For our family, Backroads represents a wonderful safety net, letting us try new things and go new places with absolute confidence. We watched our kids make chocolates at a small village chocolatier, sampled a 1995 vintage wine from a local vintner, stayed at wonderful inns, and rode past scenes of incredible beauty. All without having to worry about buying a ticket, making a reservation, or getting lost. It was a wonderful experience.

Miner Raymond - McGregor, Texas

It was an excellent trip with a great mix of fun, culture and activity. And everyone was super friendly and helpful. My kids especially loved it and said, "WE DIDN'T KNOW A TRIP LIKE THIS WAS POSSIBLE!"

Norman Weinstein - New York, NY

Once again Backroads came through with another amazing experience for my family. This trip was terrific. Backroads' recommendation that the Loire Valley would be great for the range of kids (ages 8-17) and biking abilities of our group was right on the mark. The accommodations, amount of biking, scenery/stops along the way and non-biking activities were all fantastic. But what once again made this trip truly special for all of us (adults and kids) was the guides. They were enthusiastic, energetic, fun and incredibly thoughtful. They were always thinking ahead and quickly understood the various personalities of adults and children. When biking, they always knew were to wait with the van to cajole us forward with snacks, smiles and words of encouragement. Thank you Backroads for delivering on the value-added proposition of a private trip!

Jordan Busch - Wayland, MA

This trip was magical. What a fabulous way to experience the Loire. We have four children, ranging in age from five to seventeen, and everyone was completely, unequivocally happy. I smile just thinking of it.

Amy Golian - New Albany, OH