Itinerary of the Loire à Vélo in Touraine

Stopover in Amboise

Take time to explore this pretty Loire town: with its three châteaux, its traders and restaurants, the Oscar & Suzette guinguette, the canoes on the Loire and the hot-air balloons in the sky, it’s THE tourist town par excellence. The escape game Les Secrets d’Amboise will have you exploring the town, unless you opt for the hike “Entre terres royales et eaux sauvages” (7.1 km) or the orienteering courses at the étang de Varenne-sur-Chandon !

Stay, for example, at the Ile d’Or campsite and its adjoining swimming pool, Les Pâtis campsite, or in the family rooms at La Maison Rabelais and Clos d’Amboise.

Château du Clos Lucé - Parc Leonardo da Vinci

Tour of Leonardo da Vinci’s house. New! His restored studios! Explore Renaissance rooms, murals by his students and 40 models of his fabulous machines. Introductory journey on...

Amboise

Château Royal d'Amboise

The medieval fortress became a royal residence during the reigns of King Charles VIII and François I. Its renown attracted artists such as Leonardo da Vinci who is buried in...

Amboise

Domaine Royal de Château Gaillard

The royal domain of Chateau Gaillard is the paradise lost of the Renaissance period in Amboise. Amazed by the italian cities, palaces and villas, young french king Charles...

Amboise

Centre Aquatique du Val d'Amboise

The Centre Aquatique du Val d'Amboise offers 4 aquafitness activities with different intensities: Aquagym; Aquabike; Aquajump; Aquatraining.

Amboise

Conservatoire de la Confiserie

A museum and a factory! Discover a unique collection of 19th century machines still producing a large range of candies from all over France.

Amboise

Aquarium de Touraine

How about a fabulous journey through the richness of the world's waters? Through its themed rooms with original decorations, the Aquarium of Touraine takes you on a surprising...

Amboise

Loire Aventure, balades libres ou guidées à bord de canoës Canadiens

Take a trip on the Loire (upstream from Amboise) with or without guide. Hire of top-of-the-range Canadian style canoes and kayak. Organisation of multi-day nature adventures,...

Amboise

Caves Ambacia

Visit the famous caves to enjoy special events, taste and buy some of the finest vintages of Touraine and Loire Valley wines. Themed tasting sessions. Gastronomic tours of...

Amboise

La voie royale - Circuit n°47

A cradle of the French Renaissance, this land of traditions has been marked by the passage of French kings and queens. Along this route that borders the Cher and the Loire,...

Amboise

Balloonrevolution - Evenementciel

Discover Loire Valley from hot a air balloon. Tailor- made tours for groups and individuals. All year round.

Amboise

New: the Loire à Vélo pass!

Proposed by the Tours and Orléans Tourist Offices, the Loire à Vélo pass (24h: €59 / 48h: €105 / 72h: €135) gives you exclusive offers and preferential rates for bike hire, tours, restaurants… Travel smart!

Information and booking

Between Amboise and Tours

Admire the beautiful plots of vines before reaching Montlouis-sur-Loire, home to the château de la Bourdaisière. While it is known for its tomato conservatory (700 varieties to discover in fine weather, particularly at the tomato bar!), its large park is also home to artworks as well as a fine exhibition on anatomy on Deyrolles plates. Also discover the world of caves troglodytes by pushing open the door of the Maison Laudacius. The audio tour is particularly educational and… grape juice is available for children to taste. There’s also plenty of time to recharge your batteries and take a stroll around the Ile de Bondésir and the Ile de la Métairie, two beautiful natural areas that are ideal for a picnic!

Sleep at the Terrcamps campsite in Montlouis, or in a 4-person suite at the Westotel in La-Ville-aux-Dames.

The Accueil Vélo label

Accommodation, restaurants, leisure sites… check out all the “bike friendly” offers! 😉

Bike home

Other cycle routes

The Cœur de France à Vélo (towards Bourges) and Saint-Jacques à Vélo (towards Poitiers) routes also pass through Tours. Good to know… !

©Tours by bike|ADT Touraine - JC Coutand

Stopover in Tours

After putting down the bikes, stroll through the bustling streets of the town centre, giving in to the temptation of an ice cream or a drink on a sunny terrace. Following the Loire riverside path (5.8km), you can pause in particular at Tours sur plage, a beautiful nature spot on the right bank. The game “L’enquête tourangelle” is another excellent way to discover the city, with the added fun dimension. Have you got your sea legs? Climb aboard a traditional boat from the Boutavant company for an unusual outing. Another possibility: the natural history museum and its regularly renewed exhibitions, adapted to young audiences.

Spend the night at The People Hostel, L’Artist Hôtel, Onlycamp Tours – Saint-Avertin campsite or the Mignardière campsite. The latter is very close to Gadawi Park, for tree-top adventure enthusiasts… 😉

Towards Villandry then Azay-le-Rideau or Langeais

After Tours and the Plaine de la Gloriette, head along the Cher towards Savonnières, with a campsite that welcomes many cycle tourists every year. If you’re a family, the Cent Marches trail (5.7km) and the petrifying caves are two reasons to stop here, with cycle loop no. 14 (13km) also tempting you to extend your stay. Immediately afterwards, you have a rendezvous with some of the Loire Valley’s must-sees: the château and gardens of Villandry, then the château of Azay-le-Rideau (which you can reach by paddle!) or that of Langeais (1-hour guided tour with Anne de Bretagne, fun park, booklet-game for the visit…). The Château de l’Islette, the troglodytic Goupillières valley and the Indre-Loire hiking trail also offer great options.

Stay at the Le Sabot or Loire & Châteaux campsites, take refuge in the fisherman’s hut at Bréhémont, or opt for the family rooms at the Hôtel Biencourt.

Stopover in Chinon

Nearly after the Château d’Ussé, a branch of the route plunges due south towards Huismes (where you can discover the Haute Couture gardens) and then Chinon, City of Art and History. Stroll through the pretty medieval streets, take a break on a terrace, then set off to explore the royal fortress of Chinon. Ludic, a monument game takes young and old through the siege of the fortress in 1205!

From the beach facing the fortress, embark on a traditional boat or jump into a canoe to sail on the Vienne River. Another option: take advantage of your bikes to spin along the voie verte towards the Château du Rivau and then Richelieu, Petite Cité de Caractère and town of the famous Cardinal. And when you think of Chinon, you think of vignobles: discover them on the educational trail at the Pierre & Bertrand Couly estate, which also offers rides on a gyropod or electric scooter. Unless you want to dive into the caves troglodytes Monplaisir or M. Plouzeau!

Opt for the Ile Auger campsite or the family rooms at the Lion d’Or or the Rive Sud hotel!

Practice

Short of equipment? As well as electrically-assisted bikes, bike hire companies can provide accessories such as children’s trailers for families. If you want to travel light, baggage transfer services (Bagafrance…) from one accommodation to another make your adventure even more comfortable. Last but not least, the sites you visit offer a system of lockers for your luggage, and the city of Tours has secure cycle parking facilities.