Loire Valley Cycling
Tour code: LV Tour style: Classic Explore Tour comfort: Standard Cycle grade: Easy
DURATION DAYS 8
TOUR
£585 £789
FRANCE Villandry Gardens Ussé
From/To Lille
TOUR ONLY
TRAIN INCLUSIVE
D8 D8
AYS AYS
CHENONCEAUX
Château de Chenonceau
AMBOISE Tours Montrichard AZAY-LE-RIDEAU
Fontevraud Abbey
0 km
CHINON 20 km
Loire Valley Cycling LV Tour essentials Cycling among the chateaux and castles of the Loire Valley, in northern France
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 Chenonceax to Chinon: we explore the medieval château perched on an island in Azay-le-Rideau, visit Leonardo da Vinci’s fi nal home at Clos Lucé and discover the elegant Fontevraud Abbey in Anjou.
8 day tour itinerary
Day 1 Join tour 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 fi nal home of Leonardo da Vinci. Days 4/5 Gardens of the Loire Cycle south to the elegant town of Azayle-le-Rideau. Explore its château rising out of the Indre River; or visit the
28
pristine gardens of Villandry. Days 6/7 Medieval Chinon Follow the Loire to the Vienne River. Pass Château d’Ussé, Charles of Montepulciano and Montichiello 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 Tour ends Chinon.
Please go online for our full detailed tour notes.
DAILY DISTANCES
Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7
Optional Rides 35km
30/40km 54km 38km 35km 43km
Accommodation: 7 nights hotels. Meals: 7 breakfasts are included. Tour staff: Explore Tour Leader/driver. Included Bike: We provide Trek T10 Navigator hybrid bikes – see tour 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.
Planned tour dates
2013 Tour only dates 06 Jul - 13 Jul 10 Aug - 17 Aug
2014 Tour only dates 05 Jul - 12 Jul
13 Jul - 20 Jul 12 Jul - 19 Jul 09 Aug - 16 Aug 16 Aug - 23 Aug
Flexible travel options We have a range of fl exible travel options available, please call our sales team for more details.
For more information and to book, go online at
www.explore.co.uk
Europe - France
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Loire
Indre
Vienne
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