Responsible tourism in Touraine: slow & nature travel

Ecotourism A car-free holiday?

Yes, it’s possible! Thanks to the excellent rail links in Touraine. Just 5 minutes from Tours by rail shuttle, Saint-Pierre-des-Corps TGV station is linked to Nantes, Bordeaux, Paris, Lille, Strasbourg and Lyon.

From Tours station, you have several options:
– Stay in Tours and discover the surrounding area by day on the Regional Express Train(Chinon and its Royal Fortress, Chenonceau Castle, Amboise Castle and Clos Lucé, Loches and its Royal City, Langeais Castle, etc.) or hire a bike to visit the gardens of Villandry, Valmer, Saint-Cosme, La Bourdaisière, etc.
– Stay elsewhere in Touraine(Amboise, Loches, Chinon…), and take the TER to your accommodation.
– Opt for a touring holiday, on foot or by bike.

REMI regional transport network

Car-free holidays

Taxi

Book a taxi from Tours/Saint-Pierre-des-Corps station to your accommodation via GIE Taxis Tours.

Like Loire Valley Lodges, the concierge service at some hotels can take care of the booking.

Cycling and slow tourism Travel responsibly!

Let yourself be tempted by La Loire à Vélo, one of the very first cycle routes in France. The flatness of the route, the mild weather conditions and the large number of“Accueil Vélo” accommodation establishments mean that every year cyclists from France and abroad come to discover the unique landscapes of the Val de Loire, 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 routes. Even if you choose to stay in the same accommodation, a network of 65 cycle routes and bike hire companies will satisfy your desire for day or half-day outings. This is the case, for example, around Bourgueil, Chinon, Loches, Chenonceaux and Amboise, or around the Parc de Fierbois and Huttopia Village campsites.

Our favourites low-carbon

Ecotourism at the slow pace of walking

Another option, just as eco-responsible: explore Touraine on foot. Nearly 6,000 kilometres of way-marked footpaths make for great adventure! Alongside the Petites Randonnées, follow the signposts of the GR®3 or the Camino de Santiago de Compostela (the Tours route) for an itinerant holiday lasting several days, a far cry from mass tourism. As with cycling, the gentle terrain of our region means you’ll be able to test your mettle with confidence for a first experience. Other long-distance footpaths include the GR®41 in the Cher valley (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 rivers (Chinon, Descartes, La Roche Posay, Angles-sur-Anglin).

Eco-responsible accommodation

Among the offers linked to responsible tourism in Touraine, choose, for example, accommodation bearing the “Clef Verte” label. Other examples include

the eco-responsible approach of Loire Valley Lodges,
the Gîte de la Touche, Bohème de Loire and Troglo-Gîte Pierre de Lumière, which carry the Gites de France Gite Panda label.
Village Vacances La Saulaie, which has ISO 14001 certification for its environmental management.

Green Key accommodation

In the garden

Many châteaux have banned all plant protection products from their gardens, and are LPO refuges or conservatories for biodiversity: Le Rivau, Villandry, Amboise, Valmer, La Bourdaisière. Some of them also have beehives, so you can treat yourself to honey from the châteaux of the Loire !

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Close to nature

As well as minimising your ecological footprint, take a green holiday and recharge your batteries in nature. Relax in the peace and quiet of a river, canoe, paddle or traditional boat. With paddle in hand, savour the pleasure of passing under the arches of the Château de Chenonceau, or exploring the Loire, Indre or Creuse rivers. A number of professionals offer combined cycling and canoeing trips, with Chinon Loisirs Activités Nature even adding a tasting session in a wine cellar.

Other options includehorse-riding, forest therapy and a trip on an electric scooter, all in slow motion!

Protecting the environment

When canoeing or paddling, be sure to follow the professionals’ instructions. Bear in mind that migratory birds are present on the banks of the Loire in spring and summer. Terns in particular lay and bury their eggs in the sandbanks. To preserve this natural cycle, avoid going ashore and preserve their peace and quiet. While some canoe hire companies organise trips lasting several days, including bivouacs, the locations chosen should take this into account.

@tourainevaldeloire Stay in #bivouac along the #Cher 🛶 With Canoë Company, enjoy a #nature escapade to meet the species that inhabit the Cher! 🦢 Discover the @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, a number of areas benefit from special recognition or protection. Some twentysensitive 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.

Within the Loire Anjou Touraine Regional Nature Park, local authorities are pursuing proactive policies to preserve a natural and cultural heritage of great value. Take advantage of the many guided outings organised to discover the fauna and flora of this area, as well as skills such as wickerwork.

Finally, 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 special attention, with a view to passing them on to future generations.

©Le village jardin de Chédigny|ADT Touraine / Jean-Christophe Coutand

Towns and villages

During your stay in Touraine, opt for the Petites Cités de Caractère and Stations Vertes labels. Both of these labels include sustainable development criteria in their charters.

Petites Cités de Caractère: Beaulieu-lès-Loches, Luynes, Richelieu and Rochecorbon.
Green Resorts: Château-la-Vallière, Chemillé-sur-Indrois, Richelieu and Yzeures-sur-Creuse.

Naturally, towns and villages in bloom with at least 4 petals are making special efforts to promote biodiversity. Tours and Chédigny in particular!