/ Redazione / to cycle bike paths travel by bike
The Loire Valley by bicycle
Enchantée! This is what the Loire looks like, with all the nicknames that say so much about its legendary beauty: Vallée des Rois (Valley of the Kings) and Jardin de France (Garden of France).
Proud, noble, overflowing with wonders that UNESCO wanted to include in the World Heritage Site in 2000, voilà la Loire à vélo! But what makes this route one of the most beloved?
A few numbers
There are 840 km of one of the longest bicycle routes ever, just like the river it follows. It is considered by many to be Europe’s last great wild river because of its ever-changing environments, its variety of plants and animals, and its legendary, uncontrollable and dreaded floods.
The starting point of the cycle path is at Cuffy in central France, the ending point at Saint-Brévin-les-Pins on the so-called Loire-Atlantique. Both directions have signage indicating that it can also be traveled in the opposite direction.
The bikeway has had bike counters installed since 2004, and there are currently 16 of them. In 2018 these devices recorded 51,100 passages (not to be confused with unique cyclists) in the Centre-Val de Loire region, i.e. the longest and most popular stretch. A 10 percent increase over 2017!*
It is in the heart of France
The Loire Valley has something in common with Tuscany: it is the cradle of the French Renaissance.
Its position right in the heart of the country, just south of Paris, has always made it easily accessible; an ideal place for the classic “country home” of the high nobility for example. The large plain and the presence of a wide, navigable river then encouraged trade and cultural exchanges; Joan of Arc and Leonardo Da Vinci, among others, passed through here.
An equipped bike path
Flat and well-marked from start to finish, the route alternates between stretches on exclusive bicycle paths and very quiet, low-traffic side roads through rural areas and forests. Some care must be taken only at the entrance to towns.
Facilities for bike travelers are excellent, ranging from larger and smaller hotels and farmhouses, all with a bike-friendly focus, to rental or repair stations along the way.
There is no shortage of an efficient rail network, which allows you to shorten the stages and load your bikes into the dedicated wagons. All along the way you can take the TER, the regional train that connects towns and cities and will also carry your bicycle free of charge.
In the summertime the special Vélo Loire train shuttles between Orléans, Nantes, and the Le Croisic peninsula, accommodating 33 to 83 bicycles, always free of charge.
It is family-friendly
The ease of the route makes it ideal for those who ride child bikes, family tandems, or carry their children on a trailer. Stages can be shortened to make up a route with suitable mileage.
On top of that there is no shortage of fun for the little ones: Leonardo’s atelier in Amboise, with all its inventions, is made especially to spark curiosity. In front of the Château de Blois there is the House of Magic, from where the heads of a golden dragon sprout every half hour, while the terrible labyrinth of Beaugeancy is said to be inhabited by evil monsters.
It is a real network
The Loire is part of the larger design of Eurovelo 6, an endless pedal route that aspires to connect the Atlantic to the Black Sea, encompassing Europe’s most important rivers: the Loire, Rhine and Danube.
Staying on French soil, there is no shortage of possibilities for small and large detours. From the Loire you could take the Vélodyssée, which runs all the way along the Atlantic from Brittany to the French Basque Country; take a ride among the Vendée‘s cycle paths; in Tour veer onto the Camino de Santiago; or detour onto the Vélo Francette in Saumur or Angers, a 600-kilometer route from Normandy to La Rochelle–a great crossroads in short!
And finally, a bit of instruction for use.
How to get there
From Paris it is easy to get to the Loire cities; there are many trains from Gare d’Austerlitz that take you daily to, for example, Orléans in 60-90 minutes.
Take a look at the website of the French railways Ratp.
What bike to use
Whether you choose to ride for 2-3 days or a whole week, a city bike or trekking bike will suffice. Many facilities allow you to rent them on-site, or you can more conveniently rely on a tour operator who will not only provide you with a bike but also take care of getting you from hotel to hotel.
Which castles should I visit?
Here are a few Castles of the Loire not to be missed:
- The amazing Castle of Chambord
- The Castle of Amboise, where Leonardo da Vinci slept
- The Castle of Blois the favorite of the kings of France
- The Castle of Chenonceau with its beautiful gardens
- The Castle of Chaumont, here passed Nostradamus
- The Castle of Ussé Castle, the one of the Sleeping Beauty
All of this tells us that the Loire cycle path is to be done, and some organized cycling trips are ready to be tried: discover all the trips between the Castles of the Loire and bon voyage!
*data from the Centre-Val de Loire Regional Tourism Committee and the Conseils Départementaux d’Indre-et-Loire and the Loiret.