Loire Valley road biking from the chateaux to the sea
From Orleans to the Atlantic Ocean by road bike
© Fabien Leduc - Abicyclette Voyages
Highlights
Real road bike oriented stages
The most beautiful castles of the Loire Valley
An excellent mix of sport, culture & gastronomy
A beautiful track "From castles to the ocean"
From Orleans to the Atlantic Ocean on a road bike
Take on the challenge: The Loire Valley from Orleans to the sea in one week on a road bike!
Starting from Orléans, explore the most impressive part of the Loire Valley and its European cycling route. 6 itinerant stages with an average of 100 km per day to enjoy the rolling roads, castles and vineyards of the Loire Valley.
The roads of the Loire Valley lend themselves perfectly to beautiful outings with friends or as a couple. You have the opportunity to balance out your stops by visiting the most famous castles of the Loire by bike route: Chambord, Blois, Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, etc.
You also cover the entire Loire Valley vineyard by bike. The appellations Chenin, Vouvray, Montlouis, Chinon, Saumur, Muscadet will no longer hold any secrets for you! What will your favorite grape variety be? Chenin, Sauvignon?
Evenings stages are planned in cities allowing you to take full advantage of the Touraine cuisine.
Expert From ORLEANS to AMBOISE 110km 313m 
The stage begins in Orleans with the crossing of the Loire to reach the banks of one of its tributaries: the Loiret. Around the confluence, it is a rich agricultural plain that you cross. Then on the banks of the river, you reach Meung-sur-Loire and Beaugency. Cross these 2 beautiful villages with their medieval castle. It is a river of relaxing and serene strength that you follow. It shows the path to follow towards the chateau of Chambord and then the royal castle of Blois then to,Chaumont sur Loire, a impressive chateau above the Loire river with its famous gardens festival. Your final destination is Amboise.
From AMBOISE to AZAY LE RIDEAU 89km 416m
Starting from Amboise, you ride to Chenonceaux where a first stop is needed to discover its castle. Then, you enter the vineyards of Touraine, Montlouis sur Loire. On the banks of the Loire, you can also see the first cellars and troglodyte houses. This is the opportunity to taste some AOC Touraine wines, or simply to discover the trades. Your path will then take you to discover the old town of Tours. Take the time to discover the wooden houses of the 15th century, still present here; they deliver beautiful pieces of history … On the banks of the Cher you continue west to discover the exhilaration of colors and the beauty of the gardens of Villandry Castle before reaching Azay le rideau a few kilometers further.
From AZAY LE RIDEAU to LES PONTS DE CE 115km 586m
The Indre then the Vienne guide you to the border of Chinon to join the Loire in the village of Candes-St-Martin. Candes-Saint-Martin and Montsoreau, members of the Most beautiful villages of France, are dazzling places. The tufa stone of Touraine offers a luminous structure. You then reach Saumur, by the banks of the Loire, where a discovery of the city is essential! Its castle and its streets are marked by their intimate relationship with the Loire. Your stage ends at Les Ponts de Cé, on the banks of the Loire.
From LES PONTS DE CE to NANTES 101km 361m
At the start of your day, the Coteaux de Savennières and the Coteaux du Layon line up your route. This stage allows you to enjoy small roads on the levees of the Loire and beautiful views of the islands including the island of Chalonnes that you cross by bike. Cross Ancenis then a partly shaded greenway provides a smooth arrival in Nantes.
From NANTES to PORNIC 90km 270m
From Nantes to the ocean, you ride along the majestic Loire estuary, by the maritime canal, ports and open-air art gallery with the contemporary exhibition, “Estuaire” . In Saint-Brévin-les-Pins, contemplate the dunes and fine sand beaches and continue your ride by the sea until Pornic, its castle and its old port.
- For a few more km 102km 307m
Continue along the coast to the Pointe Saint Gildas lighthouse before reaching Pornic.
PORNIC
End of stay after breakfast. Have a safe journey home!
Comfort Range
Our quality standard at Abicyclette. This type of accommodation includes 2 and 3 stars hotels. Depending on the itinerary, you might spend some nights in approved guesthouses. You enjoy a double bedroom with private bathroom and toilet and adapted welcome for you and your bikes.
Starting from 1065€/participant in Self Guided option | See detailed prices
Essential Range
You want to enjoy your itinerary without anything fancy. Our ”essential” range offers a simple accommodation for a good night’s rest in a simple hotel, guesthouse, rest house or hostel.
Quote on request | Contact us
Privilege Range
Opt for total comfort in charming 3 and 4 star hotels which offer all the services you need and a special welcome for you and your bikes.
Quote on request | Contact us
Price includes
- Accommodation: 6 nights in a Double room
- 6 breakfasts
- Luggage transfer
- Phone assistance 24/7
- Access to our exclusive travel application to follow your route, inform you about places of interest, restaurants, facilitate your assistance in case of emergency, find all your travel documents and our practical advice.
- Application fee
- Taxes
- The itinerary trackable on the following supports:
- Loan of a Bicycle GPS uploaded with full itinerary of the trip
- Cycling practical guide including restaurant recommendations for lunch & dinner and topo maps
- Day 1 : A personalized greeting with our team at the beginning of the trip to receive your travel documents
Price does not include
- bike rental (see option)
- Breakfast on day 1
- Lunches
- Dinners not included in "Price includes"
- Drinks, visits & other personal expenses
Homemade and fully tested itineraries
- Routes selected for their cycling and touristic interest entirely tested and away from traffic
- Accomodations selected for their hospitality, atmosphere, services and quality meals
- A flexible organisation to suit you needs and wishes: You choose the date you want to you leave on! We check the availability of each accomodation to make sure it is possible.
Close assistance
- One of our guides greets you on your first day. He will hand out all the needed documents for the trip (hotel vouchers, maps of the area,GPS, practical guide), get you settled on your bikes (for rental bikes).
- Phone assistance, you can reach the Abicyclette team whenever you need
- A Luggage transfer service which respects your hours of rest (we pick them up after 10:00 and deliver them before 16:00)
Follow your itinerary anyway you like – modern, practical, traditional
- We loan you a GPS so that you can easily follow your itinerary without having to look for your way around (bike support included)
- A practical cycling guide with all the useful information (addresses, highlights for the day, topo maps, and touristic information)
You can also
- Rent a high end quality bike for real comfort, cycling pleasure and reliability a long trip requires.
- Suscribe to a Cancelation or Multi Risk insurance policy which cover you in case something unexpected comes up.
On our guided tours (for groups on demand), we accompany you every step of the way
- One of our state qualified instructor and professional cycling guide accompanies you every step of the way
- Full board (all meals covered unless asked otherwise)
- A picnic buffet set up for lunch with a wide choice of fresh and local produce
We offer a high-end bike rental service. Our bikes are suited for road and gravel road long-distance cycling. Fully equipped and highly reliable, they are faithful travel companions.
Road bikeTREK DOMANE S4 Carbon frame We only provide flat pedals! Bring your own pedals ! Supplied equipment per bike
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Getting here
Departure city : ORLEANS
Coming by car
- at 1h45 from PARIS
- at 4h30 from BORDEAUX
- at 4h15 from LYON
Parking*
- Parking Cathédrale – ORLEANS
- Parking Cheval Rouge – ORLEANS
- Parking Carmes – ORLEANS
Coming by train
- Orléans train station - 1h30 from Paris
Coming by plane
- Orléans airport
- Paris Charles de Gaulle airport
Arrival city : PORNIC
Coming by car
- at 4h30 from PARIS
- at 3h from BORDEAUX
- at 6h from LYON
Coming by train
- Pornic train station - 4h30 from Paris
- Nantes train station - 2h30 from Paris
Coming by plane
- Nantes airport
*Parking: Since many of our clients travel by train or plane, we do not include parking in our packages. In addition, many accommodations don’t have the capacity to park a vehicle for the duration of your cycling vacation. So if you’re planning to arrive by car, we suggest you check parking options when you make your reservation. If you reserve a parking space at the first or last accommodation of your stay, you must pay the accommodation provider on site.
* Abicyclette Voyages accompanies you on demand, including transportation solutions.
How to get back to the starting point
- By train from Pornic to Orléans in 4h15
- Return by car in 4h00 to your starting point
- Private shuttle: see detailed fares or contact us
Recommended equipment
Bike
- Roadbike, 25/28 tires, chain ring compact or triple, 10/28 to 12/32 cassette
- Automatic pedals
Clothing and equipment
- Helmet
- Cycling Bib shorts : 2 min.
- 1 pair of Legs Warmer
- 1 pair of Arms Warmer
- Short sleeve jerseys
- Long sleeve jerseys
- Base layer (short or long) (merino or synthetic)
- Sport socks
- Thermal jacket
- Wind Jacket
- Rain proof jacket
- 1 or 2 pairs of gloves
- 1 pair of cycling shoes
- 1 pair of sunglasses
- 2 cycling bottles (1 is including with rental bike)
- 1 bike lock (including with rental bike)
Bike maintenance
- Emergency repair kit : 1 or 2 tubes, patches, pump, tire levers, drift chain and quick couplers, derailleur hanger, multi-tool
- Daily use kit : Foot pump, cloth, oil, brake pads, spare tire
Other
- Suitcase ( for transporting personal effects in luggage transfer)
- Change of clothes for the evening
- Warm jacket for the evening
- Jersey and towel
- Set of Toiletries
- Mobile phone and charger
Duration 7 days and 6 nights
Level Expert
Departure date From March 15th to October 31st
Destination
Loire Valley
See detailed prices
Personalized service 
Leisure , 
ORLEANS
Arrival on your own and check in to your hotel. Orientation with our guide today. Take time to explore Orleans and the banks of the Loire river.
Meeting with our local guide
Before your first ride, meet our local guide at your departure point. This is the perfect time to catch up on the latest practical advice, find out about the addresses and experiences you shouldn’t miss, answer any questions you may have, make the final adjustments to your bike and get your trip off to the best possible start.