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Family cycling in the Loire Valley: a week on two wheels with a toddler
In May 2019, we spent a week cycling the Loire à Vélo, France’s most popular cycling route, with our daughter Adriana — not quite 3 years old at the time. It wasn’t our first family cycling trip; we’d already done Italy and Austria. But this one stood out, for reasons that had less to do with the castles than with the ride itself.
This isn’t a rundown of the most beautiful châteaux, or a mile-by-mile account of the route. It’s a set of practical notes for families considering this trip for the first time.
Cycling along the Loire is a different kind of experience: yes, the castles are remarkable, but what stays with you is riding alongside a river this alive with activity — barges, fishermen, small riverside towns. And getting lost isn’t really a risk. The route is well marked, with maps and road books that make it easy to follow, even with a toddler in the child seat.
Will my child fit in the seat or trailer all day?
We traveled with our daughter, who was almost 3 at the time. We rented a child trailer, which turned out to be one of our best decisions: it shielded her from sun and rain, and doubled as a spot for naps mid-ride. We also tried a rear-mounted bike seat, which she preferred when she wanted to see everything around her — from that vantage point, she had a constant stream of questions about everything we passed. The same setup works well for younger children, too.
From about age 5 or 6, kids can start pedaling on their own. The daily distances in the roadbook are short and broken up by frequent stops, which makes them manageable even for beginners. For children too young to ride solo but ready to pedal, a family tandem or a “follow-me” tandem (which attaches to an adult’s bike) is a good option. Older children and teenagers can simply ride a regular bike sized to their height.
See the bikes in detail.
What if it rains?
We cycled through a fairly damp May, with the sky switching between clouds, rain, and bursts of sunshine. Putting on and taking off our rain jackets became routine — check out our guide on what to wear when cycling in the rain for what actually works. Finishing a stage at the end of an uncertain-weather day felt like its own small reward.
On days of heavier rain, there’s a Plan B: local trains along the route allow bike transport, so you can cover a stage by train instead. Some stages are also circular, which means that on a bad-weather day you can skip the bike altogether, explore the town center on foot, or use public transport to see the sights. Girolibero often points travelers toward towns where getting around without a bike is just as easy.
What about flat tires and other problems?
One advantage of booking an organized trip: the rental bikes are well maintained and in good working order. The bike path along the Loire is also well kept, so flats are rare. If one does happen, you’ll have a repair kit and a service number on hand, and for anything more serious, local assistance from the tour operator (based right in the Loire Valley) is a phone call away.
You can also bring your own bike, of course — just have it checked over by a mechanic before you leave, and make sure it’s in good shape for a week of daily riding.
Where do you eat during the day?
You’ll learn on day one that a cycling holiday doesn’t really have three meals — it has many more. After breakfast at the hotel, the first stop is almost always a boulangerie or an épicerie, the local bakery or small grocery store. Pack what you find into your bike panniers, and you’ve got a snack ready to go.
Visiting the castle of the day works up an appetite — staircases, sprawling gardens, long avenues, the occasional maze. So you duck into a bar, or sit down at the village bistro, and a hot meal gives you the energy to finish the stage.
Then, closer to the hotel, the bike path follows the river, and a guinguette — a small riverside bar, often with a little beach and a playground — has just set out its tables and chairs. It’s hard not to stop for a drink.
Back at the hotel, ready for a well-earned rest, our daughter had her own take: “The shower made me hungry.”
A map of “our places”
We cycled for a week between Blois, Amboise, and Tours — an itinerary slightly modified from Girolibero’s classic tour, at our request. This map shows the stops we made along the way, in case they’re useful for planning your own route.
One more tip, for families flying into Paris like we did: if you have time to kill near Gare d’Austerlitz, the Jardin des Plantes is right nearby, with its botanical gardens, a horse carousel, and a playground. It’s also home to the National Museum of Natural History, with a dinosaur skeleton gallery that’s usually a hit with kids.
The video account of the trip
Check out Girolibero’s bike tour for families in the Loire Valley.1 Travel tips
