loire Valley CyCling
Bountiful vineyards, fruit orchards and delightful villages all explain why the beautiful Loire Valley is known as ‘The Garden of France’. On this relaxed ride we follow quiet country roads from Chenonceau to Chinon: we explore the medieval château perched on an island in Azay-le-Rideau, visit Leonardo da Vinci’s final home at Clos Lucé and discover the elegant Fontevraud Abbey in Anjou.
Easy grade
ITINERARY
Day 1 Eurostar to Lille and local train to Chenonceaux. Day 2 Chenonceaux From the river Cher there are optional rides to the 17th century château of Gué-Péan with its unusual blue roof; or to one of the local vineyards. Day 3 Amboise Cycle to the beautiful château at Chenonceaux – built on the River Cher. Ride north to Amboise. There is a chance to visit Clos Lucé – the final house of Leonardo da Vinci. Days 4/5 Gardens of the Loire Cycle south to the elegant town of Azay- le-Rideau. Explore its château rising out of the Indre River; or visit the pristine gardens of Villandry. Days 6/7 Medieval Chinon Follow the Loire to the Vienne River. Pass Château d’Ussé, Charles
Loire Valley Cycling Ref LV
From/To Lille
Villandry Gardens
Ussé
Fontevraud Abbey
km 050 AZAY-LE-RIDEAU CHINON Tours AMBOISE CHENONCEAUX
Château de Chenonceau
Montrichard FR ANCE
Perrault’s inspiration for ‘Sleeping Beauty’. Free time to roam the winding medieval streets of Chinon, cycle to Fontevraud Abbey or follow a wine trail to sample local grape varieties. Day 8 Taxi, local train and Eurostar to London.
For detailed information visit
www.explore.co.uk/tours/lv
DETAILS
Cycle grade EASY Comfort
Accommodation and Meals: 7 nights hotels. 7 breakfasts are included.
Included Bike: We provide Trek T10 Navigator hybrid bikes – see trip notes for details.
Route and Terrain: On this tour we cycle 235 km over six days (an average of 39 km per day) with further optional rides available. Two of the cycling days are circular routes and therefore optional. We cycle mainly on tarmac country lanes and gravel tracks. There is vehicle back up for emergencies. We have graded the route as easy.
Group Size: Generally 10 to 14. TOUR DATES
The Loire Valley Cycling tour runs in the following months:
Jan
May Sep
Feb
Jun Oct
Mar
Jul Nov
Apr Aug Dec
For full details of the dates and prices visit
explore.co.uk/tours/lv
TOUR ONLY – 8 DAYS Tour price without train from £665
or call our experts on 0844 875 1894 Ref: LV
inclusive from
£873 8 dayS
cycling among the chateaux and castles of the Loire Valley, in northern France
flight
CyCling through Switzerland flight
Baroque architecture, beautiful lakes and Swiss villages are all part of this gentle cycling tour through the Aare Valley. We ride along riverbanks and through rolling countryside to 16th century chateaux and ancient walled towns. Against the backdrop of the Jura Mountains we cycle from Solothurn, Switzerland’s most beautiful baroque city, to the lakeside town of Neuchatel.
Gentle
riverbank and lakeside
cycling among the soaring mountains of Switzerland, graded easy
ITINERARY
Day 1 Fly to Geneva. Travel by train to Solothurn. Day 2 Solothurn Explore this beautiful baroque town. Ride along the banks of the Aare River through typical Swiss villages to Wangan. Discover the baroque castle and gardens of Schloss Waldegg. Return to Solothurn. Day 3 Solothurn to Murten On the way to Murten see Switzerland’s largest vegetable garden. Optional visit to a butterfly sanctuary. Day 4 Murtensee Lake A free day to explore the charming medieval town. There is the option to ride around the lake, take a swim or visit a vineyard. Day 5 Yverdon Les Bains Cycle through the town of Avenches, founded by Emperor Augustus in the 1st century. Enjoy lunch on the shores of the lake and continue on to the spa town of Yverdon les Bains. Day 6 Grandson Ride along the shores of the lake through Grandson to Neuchatel. Day 7 Neuchatel A free day to explore this historic castle town. Take an optional train ride through the Areuse gorge; visit a vineyard or explore the asphalt mines. Day 8 Train to Geneva. Fly to the UK.
Cycling through Switzerland Ref CSW
SOLOTHURN FRANCE Lyss NEUCHATEL
Optional ride
Grandson Fleurier Boudry
YVERDON LES BAINS
Geneva airport 030 Train from/to Avenches Payerne Estraveyer le Lac
SWITZERLA ND km
For detailed information visit
www.explore.co.uk/tours/csw
MURTEN Buren Aarberg Bern
Optional visit
TOUR ONLY – 8 DAYS Tour price without flights from £799
Wengen on Aare
DETAILS
Cycle grade EASY Comfort
Accommodation and Meals: 7 nights hotels. 7 breakfasts are included.
Included Bike: We provide Trek T10 Navigator hybrid bikes – see trip notes for details.
Route and Terrain: On this tour we cycle 182 km over four days (an average of 45 km a day) with further optional rides available. This tour is ideal for beginner cyclists as the terrain is either flat or gently undulating on tarmac and gravel paths. There is vehicle back up for emergencies. We have graded the route as easy.
Group Size: Generally 10 to 16. TOUR DATES
The Cycling through Switzerland tour runs in the following months:
Jan
May Sep
Feb
Jun Oct
Mar
Jul Nov
Apr Aug Dec
For full details of the dates and prices visit
explore.co.uk/tours/csw
Ref: CSW
inclusive from
£988 8 dayS
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