The Loire is a wild and beautiful river.
Its cycle route covers 900 km!
A superb route along its banks and around the castles. It is one of the most beautiful cycling routes in France, and in the world.
Here are all our tips to make the most of the Loire Valley by bike.
This guide is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
7 planning tips
Starting points for the Loire à vélo
Arrival stations
The Loire is well served from Paris and other major French cities. Depending on which sections of the Loire à vélo itinerary you want to cycle through, the main stations to arrive at are:
- Nantes (2h by TGV from Paris or via the airport)
- Angers (1h30 by TGV from Paris)
- Tours (1h15 by TGV from Paris)
- Blois (1h30 by regional train from Paris)
- Orléans (1h15 by regional train from Paris)
- Nevers (2h by regional train from Paris)
Finding long-term parking by car
If you come by car (your own or a rental), the motorway network covers the entire route without difficulty. It's best to find a parking lot a short distance from the starting point. Here's our list of the main long-term parking lots, some of which are free along the route:
- Nevers: Parking Saint Arigle - Indigo underground downtown (Free white spaces limited to 5 days max)
- Beaulieu-sur-Loire: Place d'Armes (free)
- Bonny-sur-Loire: Parking des bords de la Cheuille (free)
- Châtillon-sur-Loire: Place du Champ de Foire (free)
- Gien: Free parking at the château-museum + paid parking at the Centre Anne de Beaujeu
- Orléans: 9 pay parking lots managed by Orléans Gestion, at €36/week (€40 for Fleury-les-Aubrais station).
- Beaugency: Parking du Mail, 170 spaces free of charge, but prior request to the Tourist Office is required for long stays (they pass on to the municipal police).
- Tours: Only paying Indigo parking lots (no long-term free parking): Vinci Gare, Nationale, Anatole France, Champ Girault, Halles Vieux Tours - rates between €75 and €100/week
- Saint-Nazaire: Appart'City (paying, non-residents accepted) + free parking on declaration to the municipal police (tel. 02 40 64 45 17).
WHERE TO STAY IN THE Loire Valley
Our independent picks for the accommodation of your dreams:
When to go
The landscapes are beautiful all year round.
However, the weather is best suited to cycling between April and October.
In July and August, the cycle paths are much more crowded, especially around the most beautiful Loire castles. But note that it's hotter, so watch out for the heat!
June and September are our favorite months.
But if you're not afraid of lower temperatures, in October the autumn landscapes are well worth the detour.
OUR TIPS FOR RENTING A CAR IN Loire
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars - one of the best rated sites.
- Choose a fairly compact car (many villages have narrowed the road).
- Think aboutfull insurance (parking in big cities is really tight).
- There is a lot of demand, book it early.
How long to stay
There are plenty of beautiful sections, so it's easy to go for just a few days or several weeks.
The main sections are up the river:
- Loire estuary: 95 km
- Nantes to Angers: 105 km
- Angers to Saumur: 65 km
- Saumur to Tours: 100 km
- Tours to Blois: 78 km
- Blois to Orléans: 73 km
- Orléans to Nevers: 230 km
To really enjoy the trip, we recommend a minimum of 5 days.
And to make the whole trip: if you plan on 40 km a day, with 900 km of track that's 22 days. But that's without counting all the detours to see the castles!
How many routes to plan each day
It all depends on your level, whether you have children, and how many castles you want to visit.
For beginners, it is advisable not to exceed 40 km per day.
If you want to visit and enjoy a lot, we recommend 25 to 35 km per day.
A LITTLE MORE patience
All the photos, maps, information, good addresses to make your stay in the Loire Valley a success, will soon be gathered in a single ebook!
What's your budget?
The daily budget varies greatly according to your travel style:
- Tight budget (camping, gîtes d'étape): allow around €50 to €70 per day per person, including accommodation, meals and some entrance fees.
- Intermediate budget (2-3 star hotels, restaurants): between €80 and €120 per day per person.
- Comfort budget (charming hotels, gastronomy): €150 and over per day per person.
Don't forget to budget for separate entrance fees to the castles: you should generally expect to pay between €10 and €15 per adult per site. You can also choose the Châteaux de la Loire pass, which allows you to visit several châteaux!
Anticipate accommodation bookings
There's a good choice of hotels and accommodation along the Loire à vélo circuit. Some have the "Accueil Vélo" label. But the Loire castles are very popular and the best hotels fill up quickly.
So remember to book early.
See our favorite Loire accommodations.
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Equipping and preparing your bike
Well-thought-out equipment makes all the difference between a smooth trip and a nightmare. In our opinion, these are the essentials.
Which bike to choose
- For a multi-day trip, a mountain bike is a must: choose a model with a comfortable saddle, integrated lighting, a sturdy luggage rack and a transmission with at least 21 gears.
- The electrically-assisted bicycle (VAE) is perfectly suited to the Loire à Vélo's highly accessible terrain. It is becoming increasingly popular with families, senior citizens and anyone who wants to pedal without hurrying. Charging stations are available all along the route.
- Are you coming without your own bike? Accueil Vélo-labeled rental companies are located all along the itinerary, sometimes with the option of dropping off the bike in a town other than the starting point.
- Before setting off, have your bike serviced by a bike shop: adjust it to your body shape, check tire pressure, brakes and horn.
- A handlebar bag is ideal for your map or topo-guide. For luggage, opt for bicycle panniers rather than a backpack. After a few hours in the saddle, the difference is clearly noticeable.
- Slip a minimal repair kit into your panniers: patches, two inner tubes per bike, multi-purpose tool and a pump with a fitting adapted to your valves.
- A sturdy lock is essential whenever you leave your bike in town or in front of a tourist attraction.
Equipment and clothing
- When it comes to clothing, think functional: comfortable pedaling clothes, appropriate footwear and a warm layer for the evenings. A hat or cap, sunglasses and sun protection complete the basic package.
- A windbreaker and a breathable raincoat are essential, because even in summer, the Loire can be surprising.
- Over several days, cycling shorts, gloves and shoes make a real difference to comfort and pain prevention.
- Helmets are not required by law for adults, but wearing one is a matter of course. For children under 12, however, it is compulsory.
- Always keep water on hand and a few energy snacks to get you through the stretches without refuelling.
- A small first-aid kit (bandages, antiseptic, painkiller) can be very useful on the road.
- Travel light: every extra kilo is felt in the legs
HAVE FUN WITH THESE activities
Finding your way right from the start: Loire à Vélo maps
The route is very well signposted, but having a navigation aid is a real comfort. You have several options:
- The official Loire à Vélo topo-guide, available in bookshops and Tourist Offices.
- GPX tracks downloadable free of charge from loireavelo.fr, compatible with most smartphones and GPS bikes.
- A bike navigation application (Komoot, Strava, Ride with GPS...) to track your progress in real time and keep a record of each stage.
- The official map of the Loire à vélo here
Here's our map of the Loire from Nevers to Nantes:
Steps, sections and must-haves
The 18 stages and sections
The Loire à Vélo is divided into 18 official stages. You can chain them from start to finish, or choose the ones that suit you best, depending on the time you have available.
The Loire à Vélo route has 18 stages/sections. Our favorites so far are:
- From Amboise to Blois with the Château and Gardens of Chaumont-sur-Loire and a detour to Chenonceau
- The hillsides of Sancerre
- Saumur to Tours with the confluence of the Vienne at Candes-Saint-Martin
Here are all the steps and sections, along with the most important things to see at each stage:
- Saint-Nazaire → Saint-Brevin-les-Pins (~15 km) - Saint-Nazaire bridge, shipyards, estuary beaches
- Saint-Brevin-les-Pins → Nantes (~60 km) - The wild estuary, the Serpent d'Océan, the Grande Brière marshes
- Nantes → Ancenis (~55 km) - Machines de l'Ile, Château des Ducs de Bretagne, historic center of Nantes
- Ancenis → Angers (~55 km) - The Muscadet vineyards, the medieval town of Ancenis
- Angers → Saumur (~65 km) - Château d'Angers and its Apocalypse tapestry, Terra Botanica, the vineyards of Anjou wines
- Saumur → Montsoreau (~20 km) - Saumur castle, mushroom cellars (Ackermann, Louis de Grenelle), Royal Abbey of Fontevraud
- Montsoreau → Chinon (~20 km) - The village and château of Montsoreau, the château of Chinon, the troglodyte village of Rochemenier
- Montsoreau / Chinon → Tours (~55 km) - The Vienne/Loire confluence at Candes-Saint-Martin, Chinon vineyards, Villandry castle and gardens
- Tours → Amboise (~35 km) - Old Tours, Touraine aquarium, Amboise castle
- Amboise → Blois (~43 km) - Le Clos Lucé and the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci, the Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire, a detour to Chenonceau
- Blois → Beaugency (~40 km) - The royal castle of Blois, Château de Chambord (detour), the Sologne countryside
- Beaugency → Orléans (~35 km) - Beaugency keep, Château de Meung-sur-Loire, Sainte-Croix d'Orléans cathedral
- Orléans → Sully-sur-Loire (~50 km) - The Loire district in Orléans, Châteauneuf-sur-Loire, Sully-sur-Loire castle
- Sully-sur-Loire → Gien (~25 km) - Gien castle-museum, Gien earthenware factory
- Gien → Briare (~20 km) - Landscapes of the Loire Valley, Briare canal bridge, Giennois ponds
- Briare → Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire (~40 km) - Briare canal bridge, Sancerre hillsides, cellar tasting
- Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire → La Charité-sur-Loire (~30 km) - Pouilly-Fumé vineyards, La Charité-sur-Loire collegiate church, wine-growing landscapes
- La Charité-sur-Loire → Nevers (~25 km) - Saint-Cyr de Nevers cathedral, Nevers earthenware, Saint-Gildard convent
Details of each stage and GPS tracks are available on the official Loire à Vélo website.
Castles not to be missed
On the course
- Château de Chambord
- The Royal Château of Blois
- The Royal Château of Amboise
- The Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire and its gardens
- The Castle of Sully-sur-Loire
- Château d'Angers
- Château de Saumur
- The Royal Fortress of Chinon
- The Château de Langeais
Detour (less than 15 km from the route)
- Chenonceau Castle
- The Château de Villandry and gardens
- Le Château du Rivau
- Château de Brézé
- Château d'Ussé
- Château de Serrant
DON'T MISS THE BEST CASTLES IN the Loire Valley
- The most beautiful castles of the Loire Valley
- The most beautiful gardens
- Where to stay in the Loire castles: unforgettable hotels!
- The best Loire castles to visit with your family
- Castles you can visit with a dog
- Chambord or Chenonceau: our comparison
- itineraries: weekend - 3 days - 4 days - 5 days - 1 week
- Castles around Blois, around Amboise, around Saumur, around Tours, around Angers and around Nantes.
- or our list of over 100 Loire castles
Troglodyte sites
Between Saumur and Tours, tuffeau, the soft, light-colored limestone that gives the Loire castles their distinctive hue, has been quarried for centuries to build entire villages and cellars. The result is a fascinating subterranean world, unique in Europe, which you'll encounter along the way. Here are our favorite troglodyte sites:
- The Troglodyte Village of Rochemenier (near Doué-la-Fontaine): a hamlet entirely excavated in the rock, with its houses, chapels and barns of yesteryear. Very well preserved, it transports visitors into the rural life of another era. Our dedicated article here.
- Château de Brézé (near Saumur): one of France's most unusual fortresses, with a network of galleries and dry moats carved directly into the rock. An extraordinary monument. Our dedicated article here.
- Le Saut aux Loups (Montsoreau): a troglodytic mushroom cellar where button mushrooms are still grown in the galleries - and can be tasted on site. An experience as original as it is delicious.
Find our selection of the best troglodyte sites here.
Food and wine
Cycling along the Loire also means crossing one of France's finest larders. The rhythm of cycling is a natural invitation to stop, discover and enjoy. A cellar here, a market there, a riverside restaurant beyond.
Loire Valley wines
France's third-largest AOC vineyard, the Loire Valley accompanies the itinerary from one end to the other. A succession of wineries and tasting cellars, often directly accessible by bike:
- Muscadet (around Nantes): dry, salty white, perfect for oysters and seafood from the estuary.
- Anjou and Saumur: a wide range of wines, from dry white to sweet, including Anjou rosé and the elegant Saumur-Champigny red.
- Chinon and Bourgueil: gourmet reds based on Cabernet Franc, with the light perfume of violets and red fruit that makes them so distinctive.
- Vouvray and Montlouis: Chenin blanc at its best - from dry to sweet to remarkable sparkling. Some are among France's finest whites.
- Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé: at the top of the itinerary, exceptional Sauvignon Blancs to be tasted facing the terraced vineyards.
Read our article on the wine route here.
Specialities not to be missed
- Rillettes: the rivalry between Tours and Le Mans is well known, but no matter which side you're on, on a nice slice of farmhouse bread, it's always a success.
- Fouace: a traditional Loire Valley brioche with a soft crumb, sometimes topped with cream or fruit. A delicacy to be tried in local bakeries.
- Button mushrooms: cultivated since the 19th century in the cellars dug around Saumur, they are still produced here and well deserve their reputation.
- Tarte Tatin: born in Lamotte-Beuvron, Loir-et-Cher. It's impossible to pass by without stopping for a slice.
- Fish from the Loire: pike-perch, pike, shad... With beurre blanc from Nantes, these recipes perfectly illustrate the cuisine of the river in all its finesse.
Read our article on the best restaurants in the Loire here (coming soon).
Organizing your travel
Organized bike tours
Prefer to leave without worrying about logistics? Many service providers offer guided excursions or turnkey packages along the Loire à Vélo. Accommodation booked, luggage transported from stage to stage, itinerary prepared. In our opinion, it's the ideal way to make the most of your trip without any organizational constraints.
Find out more about cycling excursions here, or about the turnkey packages offered by the official Loire à vélo website here.
Le Train Vélo Loire
In summer, the Train Vélo Loire is an excellent solution: specially equipped carriages welcome cyclists and bicycles on the Orléans - Saint-Nazaire line. Prices and opening times here.
Repatriating your bike
If you do the itinerary in one direction only, the return journey with the bike requires a little organization. Specialized bicycle and passenger transport professionals operate along the entire route. A particularly practical solution for groups. You'll find a list of approved service providers on the official website. For simple shipping, colisport.fr/bike offers bike delivery anywhere in France.
Luggage transport from stage to stage
It's one of the great comforts of touring: every morning, a service provider collects your luggage from your accommodation and drops it off at the next one. You pedal light, with only the essentials in your saddlebags. This service is a real life-changer, especially for families and long-distance travellers. Find out more about baggage transfer service providers on the official website.
It's time to book!
Compare everything: companies, prices, schedules and availability.
Practical tips on the road
The "Accueil Vélo" label: a guarantee of quality
All along the route, hotels, restaurants and service providers displaying the Accueil Vélo label are committed to meeting the specific needs of cyclists: locked bicycle parking, clothes drying facilities, early breakfast, breakdown kits, and good advice on the stage to come. A reliable benchmark when choosing your nights. More info on the official website here.
The Loire à Vélo is one of Europe's best organized cycle routes. The signposting is complete and regular, and service areas with tools and inflation facilities are scattered along the route, while the range of services for cyclists, including rental companies, adapted accommodation and restaurants, is particularly dense.
The itinerary alternates between greenways entirely separated from motorized traffic and low-traffic shared roads. Greenway sections, particularly suitable for families and beginners, can be found between Saumur and Tours or around Blois. On shared-road sections, traffic generally remains calm, but remain vigilant, especially with children.
Weather and traffic info
The summer season, from April to October, generally offers good pedaling conditions. But Loire weather can be fickle. Check the forecast before each stage to adapt your outfits and equipment. After periods of heavy rain, some sections may be temporarily difficult to access.
Before you leave, consult the Info Circulation page on the official website: it provides real-time information on the road's practicability.
Swimming in the Loire
Despite the heat and the temptation, never swim in the river outside specially designated areas: the currents of the Loire are treacherous and have caused numerous accidents. For safe swimming, look out for supervised sites.
Emergency numbers
- Fire department: 112 from a cell phone, 18 from a landline
- Gendarmerie: 17
- SAMU : 15
Where to find out more
All along the route, the Tourist Offices are your best allies: local documentation, recommendations for activities or alternative routes, refreshment stops... Most also provide water points, sanitary facilities and secure bicycle parking.
Visit the official Loire à Vélo website here.
The Loire à Vélo for families
Gentle relief, safe routes, must-see sites at every stage: the Loire à Vélo is made for families. With a little organization, it's an unforgettable adventure for young and old!
Our tips for your family vacation
- Above all, be realistic about everyone's abilities: the age of the children and the physical condition of the whole family should guide the choice of distances. Between 20 and 30 km a day is the ideal pace for making progress without rushing, and keeping your energy for sightseeing.
- Priority should be given to greenway sections, separated from motorized traffic, especially the sections around Saumur-Tours and Blois.
- A trip to the bike shop before setting off is a must: check brakes, tire pressure on all bikes, and repair kit in panniers.
- Every rider must be on a bike that fits. For toddlers, a trailer or "third wheel" is much more comfortable and much more fun than a simple baby seat. Accueil Vélo rental companies offer solutions to suit all family configurations.
- Stow everything in securely stowed panniers, as backpacks quickly become heavy and uncomfortable over long distances.
- Helmets are compulsory for all children under 12. Take time at the start of each stage to remind your children of the traffic rules.
- Water and sweet snacks are essential to keep the whole troop energized.
- For the return journey, plan ahead: take the train or use a bike transport service to avoid an exhausting end to your trip.
Must-see activities and sites with children
The Loire à Vélo is packed with stages that will make children's eyes light up:
- The Machines de l'Ile in Nantes: immense mechanical creatures
- Terra Botanica in Angers: Europe's only theme park devoted entirely to the plant world
- The Beaugency Labyrinth: a 4-hectare cornfield with puzzles, actors and inflatables.
- The Troglodyte Village of Rochemenier near Saumur
- The Château du Clos Lucé in Amboise: Leonardo da Vinci's last home, filled with models and inventions
- Mini Châteaux Park near Amboise
- Mont-Bazon fortress: a reconstructed medieval village
- The Doué-la-Fontaine Biopark near Saumur
More castle ideas for kids here.
PLAN YOUR TRIP IN
Loire Valley
The castles of the Loire Valley
Other places to explore
Practice
