In Slow mode | Touraine Val de Loire

Car-free holidays

the Saint-Pierre-des-Corps TGV stationis linked to Nantes, Bordeaux, Paris, Lille, Strasbourg and Lyon.

From Tours station, you then have several options:
– Stay in Tours, discovering the surrounding area by day on the Regional Express Train (Chinon and its royal fortress, the Château de Chenonceau, the Château d’Amboise and le Clos Lucé, Loches and its royal city…) or by hiring a bike (the gardens of Villandry, Valmer, Saint-Cosme, and La Bourdaisière, le château de Langeais…).
– Stay elsewhere by also opting for a TER to your drop-off point. Amboise, Loches, Chinon, for example.
– Opt for a itinerant stay, on foot or by bike.

Touraine on the move

Car-free holidays

Good to know

Via GIE Taxis Tours, book your taxi ride between Tours/Saint-Pierre-des-Corps station and your accommodation. Like the Loire Valley Lodges hotel, the concierge service at some hotels can take care of the booking.

02 47 20 30 40

Cycling and slow tourism

Let yourself be tempted by La Loire à Vélo, one of the very first véloroutes in France. The lack of relief, the temperate weather conditions, and the numerous “Accueil Vélo” accommodations delight many French and foreign cycle tourists every year, who come to discover the unique landscapes of the Loire Valley, a Unesco World Heritage site.

Other options: pedal along the Cœur de France à Vélo (Cher à vélo, Canal de Berry), Cyclo Bohème or Saint-Jacques à Vélo. Even if you opt for a single accommodation, a network of 61 cycle loops and the presence of numerous bike hire companies will satisfy your desire for day or half-day rides. This is the case, for example, around Bourgueil, Chinon, Loches, Chenonceaux and Amboise, or around the Parc de Fierbois and Village Huttopia campsites.

©Velos Rigny Usse Tours|ADT Touraine - Jean-Christophe COUTAND MEHEUT

Around roaming Our favourites

Walking and cycling in the vineyards

Take a tour of the vineyards of Touraine, following routes through some of the region’s most famous appellations. In the fresh air, admire the curves of the landscape and...

Cycling in the heart of France

What a pleasure it is to cycle along the water. Accompanied here by birdsong, there by the shimmer of the sun on the surface of the water, pedal quietly as close as possible to...

The southern Touraine greenway

Take a green holiday, through fields and forests: between Descartes and Tournon-saint-Pierre, passing through Preuilly-sur-Claise, 42 kilometres of greenway will satisfy your...

The Loire by bike

Welcome to one of France’s most beautiful cycle routes! In the heart of the Loire Valley countryside, La Loire à Vélo offers you a superb 900km journey, at your own pace....

Ecotourism at the slow pace of walking

Another option, just as eco-responsible: explore Touraine via hiking. Nearly 6,000 kilometres of waymarked trails provide a fantastic adventure playground! Alongside the Petites Randonnées, follow the signposts of the GR®3 or the chemin de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle (the Tours route) for an itinerant holiday lasting several days, a far cry from mass tourism. As with cycling, our region’s mild terrain means you can test yourself serenely for a first experience. Other long-distance hiking trails: the GR 4®1 along the Cher (Tours, Chenonceau, Beauval Zoo, etc.), the GR®46 along the Indre (Azay-le-Rideau, Loches, Châteauroux, etc.) and the GR®48 along the Vienne and Creuse (Chinon, Descartes, La Roche Posay, Angles-sur-Anglin).

Eco-responsible accommodation Restaurants, places to visit...

Among the eco-responsible tourist offers in Touraine, choose, for example, an accommodation bearing the “Clef Verte” label. Also worth mentioning is the eco-responsible approach of Loire Valley Lodges, as well as Village Vacances La Saulaie, which has ISO 14001 certification in connection with its environmental management.

Green Key accommodation

Many châteaux have banned all plant protection products from their gardens, and are LPO refuges or conservatories serving biodiversity: le Rivau, Villandry, Amboise, Valmer, La Bourdaisière. Some are also home to beehives: an opportunity to feast on honey from the Loire châteaux!

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Close to nature

As well as minimising your ecological footprint, take a green holiday to recharge your batteries in nature. Unwind in the peace and quiet of a stream trip in a canoe, paddle or traditional boat. With paddle in hand, savour the pleasure of passing under the arches of the château de Chenonceau, or making headway on the Loire, Indre or Creuse rivers. In fact, more and more professionals are offering a combined bike trip on the outward journey and canoe trip on the return. Chinon Loisirs Activités Nature even adds a tasting session in a wine cellar. Horse riding, forest therapy and electric scooter rides are other options!

Minimise your ecological footprint and enjoy a green holiday to recharge your batteries in nature.

Preserve the environment / When canoeing or paddling, be sure to follow the instructions of professionals. Bear in mind, for example, that migratory birds are present on the banks of the Loire in spring and summer. Terns in particular lay their eggs here and bury them in the sandbanks. To preserve this natural cycle, avoid disembarking and preserve their peace and quiet. In fact, some canoe hire companies organise trips lasting several days, including bivouacs. The places you choose take this into account.

@tourainevaldeloire Stay in #bivouac along the #Cher 🛶 With Canoë Company, enjoy a #nature getaway to meet the species that inhabit the Cher! 🦢 Also discover @chateau.chenonceau as you’ve never seen it before! #fyp #foryou #pourtoi #tourainevaldeloire #loirevalley #patrimoine #castle #canoe #slowtourism #sustainableliving ♬ Paradise – Bazzi

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Discover protected areas

In Touraine, several areas benefit from special recognition or protection. Some twenty sensitive natural areas (ENS) are subject to rigorous environmental management, while welcoming the public via footpaths. At the same time, the ONF meticulously manages the ecosystems of the state-owned forests of Loches and Chinon.

Enjoy within the Parc Naturel Régional Loire Anjou Touraine, built around a natural and cultural heritage of great value. The local authorities are pursuing proactive policies to preserve this atypical living environment. In particular, take advantage of the many guided outings organised to discover the fauna and flora of this territory, as well as skills such as wickerwork.

Lastly, it’s impossible not to mention the Val de Loire’s inclusion on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, as a cultural landscape, “the work of man and nature”. The hillsides planted with vines, the traditional boats moored on the quays, the flora and fauna, the tufa stone houses and châteaux… all these elements are the focus of particular attention, with a view to passing them on to future generations.