Cycle Route in the Loire Valley- A Complete Guide

When it comes to cycling, France just gets it right. Races like the Tour de France have made it the most well known country for cycling. When people look at cycling holidays in France, they often think of the legendary climbs of the Alps and the famous finish of the Arc du Triumph in Paris. Many people don’t think of the Loire Valley, but it is a hidden gem and has one of the best cycling routes in the whole of France, the La Loire à Vélo cycle route. In this article, we’re going to be telling you about the section from Blois to Angers, which is one of the best with so much to see.

Where Is The Loire Valley

The Loire Valley is situated in the western section of France and is about an hour and a half away from Paris on the direct train services. Train tickets are similar prices to the UK and easy to buy at the station. Tours is in the area and this is known as one of the major cities of the Loireю.

It is also known as the Garden of France because of all the lush greenery and beauty of the region. The international garden festival of Chaumont Sur Loire is a great example of how incredible this region is. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site so everything is well maintained and tourist offices are common to find and ticket prices are very good value for money.

Is The Loire Valley Good For Cycling?

The Loire Valley is an excellent place for cycling. It offers so much in the way of scenery, stunning architecture and flat, traffic free cycle paths. The La Loire à Vélo is the most incredible bike route that runs along side this great wild river. As far as bike trail goes, it doesn’t get much better.

You get to go through beautiful medieval towns, past giant castles, enjoy excellent food and drink, and enjoy quiet cycling roads and bike paths that are smooth and easy to follow as it runs alongside the Loire river.

What’s In The Loire Valley?

If you’re looking for excellent food and wine, spectacular architecture, excellent guest houses, an incredible amount of wineries, and a lot of history, the Loire Valley is the place to go.

It’s full of incredible Chateaux, including the famous Chateau de Chambord, which Leonardo da Vinci helped design and was the setting for the latest beauty and the beast movie. The gardens of the Chateau were recently refurbished at a cost of €3.5m!

Is Cycling From Blois To Angers Easy?

It’s about 200 kilometres and we recommend taking 3 to 4 days to ride the route, with stays in Amboise, Tours and Saumur.

The route is mainly flat with a few rolling hills, but certainly something that is manageable for most. There are many places to stop for great lunches and cafe stops and we recommend doing the trip over a few days and stopping lots to take in the local area and get the most out of your holiday.

The Start, Blois To Amboise

Starting just before the beautiful town of Blois, the route heads through the town where you can enjoy a morning coffee and onto the Loire a Velo cycle route, which sits alongside the river.

As you follow the river Loire, you will soon come to Amboise, which is known for not only being very beautiful, but it accommodates the Clos Lucé Manor, where Leonardo da Vinci lived. Once home to the French Royal Courts (the Loire is known as the Valley of Kings), Amboise is certainly worth staying overnight on your route.

If you have some extra time and want to come off route, the incredible Chateau de Chenonceau is just ten miles south and worth the detour to see it. It stands beautifully on the river and is just incredible to look at. We highly recommend going inside for the tour as it is not just great to see but full of the most amazing painting and architecture.

If you don’t fancy the detour and want to see something special on the route, we can highly recommend the Royal Chateau de Amboise. It was a place of residence for French Kings from the 15th to 19th century and houses incredible grounds and gardens. Even Leonardo da Vinci’s tomb is preserved here at the Chateau.

Amboise To Tours

Cycling out of Amboise, the route will get quieter until the next major stop on the rivers cycling route, which is Tours. As far as destinations go in the area Tours is excellent. You will follow cycle routes, and after a few miles, head inland off the river, where you will pass through small towns. The roads are very quiet, and plenty of places to stop for food before you return to the cycle path by the water.

Tours is known as the garden of France due to its wide-open spaces and 19th-century botanical gardens, which not only have greenhouses but a petting zoo too. The city is full of great cycle paths and easy to navigate. While riding on, we recommend keeping an eye out for the historic buildings and a huge number of places to dine and relax. If you need to replace some calories, you might want to head to the Halles de Tours. Billed as the “Belly of Tours,” the local market has incredible local produce to try, and if you like cheese, you are in for a treat.

Tours To Angers

After you leave Tours the next major stop is Saumur, right by the river. Here you will find the Château de Saumur. This castle isn’t just beautiful, but it has a museum displaying archaeological finds. If you don’t fancy that, you have the cavalry museum, which houses hundreds of tanks, uniforms, and weapons. It’s an excellent place if you want to learn about the French army’s equipment.

The last push on the bike will continue the pedalling alongside the river all the way to Angers which is your final destination. The road is lovely and quiet, and the tarmac is smooth and fast. Angers in previous years was a stronghold for northwest France and is full of rich history, incredible architecture, and endless museums to visit. On our route, you will pass Angers and come in from the west. This cycling route is much quieter and gives you much more to look at. We recommend spending more than a day here as there’s so much to explore within the beautiful city streets. If you want to from here you can continue to Loire Atlantique out on to the coast and even see the Saint Nazaire.

Is Cycling From Orleans To Blois Easy?

In total, it is about 40 miles with a climbing elevation of 1200ft. It isn’t too difficult and it’s a perfect route for families and for cyclists who prefer to ride away from roads.

You can ride almost 70% of the Loire a Velo on dedicated bike paths and so if you visit the region with children, or just generally want to stay clear of traffic, you can enjoy a worry free ride alongside the imposing Loire river. Most cyclists will stop overnight in Beaugency but if you want to ride longer distances, there are plenty of options for hiring an electric bike which will have enough range to take you practically the whole way. In total, expect it to take 4-5 hours for a beginner and 3-4 for an amateur cyclist.

The Start, Orleans

Your ride will start at the home of the Joan of Arc festival and one of France’s most beautiful cities. Although a lot of Orleans was hit in World War 2, it still stands strong with a rich history and beautiful architecture.

The city owes its development to the export from the river trading and was a central hub for many traders in the past who would frequently journey here. Orleans is the capital of the Centre Val de Loire region. It is one of the oldest cities in France and offers historical tourism, which is a very authentic experience, especially when it comes to learning about French history.

Cycling out of the city centre, following the river, you are going to come out of the busy city and head south down to the first town of the Mount Sur Loire. It was the site of the battle of the Mount Sur Loire in 1429 but now sits quietly. The main attraction here is the Château Meung Sur Loire, a castle overlooking the town that is incredible to go and look at.

Chateau Chambord

We have included a detour on our route, which is to Chateau Chambord, which we mentioned earlier. The Chateau is one of the most famous globally because of its French Renaissance architecture. It was originally built to be a hunting lodge and spent more than 28 years of construction as it was being altered considerably.

The original design is attributed to none other than Leonardo da Vinci. He even spent his final days in the area before he passed away. We highly recommend going for a guided tour of the incredible castle and learning some of its incredible history. Another thing to check out is the gardens and the royal stable. They even offer a wine tasting and lunch package if you are interested in appreciating some more of the culture.

Beaugency

Although beautiful, we have to move on, and you will continue following the river on quiet paths all the way down to Beaugency.

When you get to Beaugency, you find more gorgeous chateaux and plenty to go and check out, but if you don’t fancy that, you might go to the automotive museum to look at classic cars instead. This museum is not your typical car show and is full of weird and wonderful vehicles.

Blois

Although there is plenty to see, the journey must continue, and you are going to keep following the river. You will have a couple of bridge crossings, and we recommend these to get the best photos. After a short while, you will get to Blois.

Blois is an incredible city and one that must be explored. Starting at the city centre, you have the late Gothic Blois Cathedral towers, which covers the cobbled main square. Behind the Cathedral, you will find the Blois gardens. It is very well kept and has some beautiful views of the Loire alongside ponds and fountains. We can’t talk about Blois without mentioning the incredible castle. It is located in the city centre and towers over much of Blois.

We highly recommend tickets to the inside, and if you go from April to September, you are in for an amazing surprise as at 10pm most nights, the light show on the castle is incredible. The town is very lively and full of beautiful narrow streets. You will find incredible local cuisine and amazing coffee and wine on exploring. We highly recommend taking this bike tour and taking your time to explore in the process.

Other French Cycling Routes

For more information about other exciting cycling experiences we offer, visit our France cycling holidays page.