Orléans to Saumur

Introduction
Loire France
The Loire Valley, also known as “garden of France”, is a charming land of vineyards, flowers and rolling green hills, which will enchant you with its more than two hundred castles and luxuriant natural landscapes. It will be like riding in a fairy tale, in a picturesque countryside dotted with romantic châteaux, providing regular interludes to the cycling. While you marvel at this medieval splendor, don’t forget to try the region’s sumptuous cuisine and famous wines, for a true royal holiday experience!

Accomodation


Accommodations
We choose all the hotels mindful of your comfort as well as the proximity to cycling paths and any relevant local sites.

Hotel categories:
- mainly 3* hotels, with some 2* hotels (standard)
- mainly 4* hotels, with some 3* hotels (upgrade)

No matter the hotel category, all rooms have en suite facilities.  In some 2* hotels there may be some cases of accommodation without air conditioning.

When you book the tour please specify the type of room requested:
•double room is a room with one double bed
•twin room is a room with two single beds
•triple room is usually a room with one double bed and a single bed or a rollaway.


Meals
Breakfast is included every day. Breakfast is taken in hotels and usually includes a varied buffet.

If you have booked the half-board option, service includes 6 (or 4 for the shorter trip) dinners. Upon arrival in the hotel please inform the reception that you have booked half-board, so that they can tell you where the restaurant is located.
The dinner in Tours is never included.

Beverages are not included and have to be paid on the spot.

Diets and Allergies
If you are vegetarian, gluten-intolerant, allergic to some specific ingredients/substances or if you suffer from any other kind of allergies please indicate it at the moment of booking. We will pass the information to the hotels, but we cannot guarantee that all dietary requests will be met. Sometimes it is difficult to find particular food, for example gluten-free food, so we suggest you to bring some own snacks as a small supply.

Riding

Activity Level
Some days the itinerary will be flat, others it will present some hills. Suitable for everyone in good physical condition and with some cycling experience.

Local law
In France the wearing of bicycle helmets is not compulsory for adults, but for your own safety we recommend you to wear it. The helmet is mandatory for children under 12 years, both if cycling or just passenger.
Cyclists have to wear a reflective vest when cycling out of the towns within 30 mins after sunset to 30 mins before sunrise as well as in tunnels.

Rental bikes
Our bikes are available in different sizes and frames:
- Touring bike 27-gear Shimano Deore
- Touring bike 7-gear Shimano Nexus with back-pedal brake
- E-bike 9-gear Shimano

If you want to do the tour with your own bike, before you depart we suggest to check that all parts of the bike are functioning properly. A cycle computer is necessary to follow the road book. We also highly recommend you to bring a repair kit because the emergency number in case of breakdown cannot be used if you are using your own bike. Don’t forget to bring a padlock and always lock your bike.

Features:
•aluminium frame
•mudguard
•rear rack
•comfort gel saddle
•anti-puncture Schwalbe tyres
•ergonomic bicycle grips
•Speed Lifter system (only for city bikes)

All rented adult bikes are equipped with:
•1 cycle computer 
•1 Ortlieb one-sided saddlebag
•1 front bar bag or 1 map holder
•1 water bottle (0.75 l)
•1 repair kit per room: 1 spare inner tube, glue, patch, a pump, 2 allen keys and tyre levers
•1 combination bike lock

At the moment of booking you can also rent helmets suitable for head circumferences from 54 to 61. All our helmets have a certification mark according to the DIN EN 1078 (CE) European norm.

We supply you with some useful material to help you follow the itinerary as well as some tourist information about places and cities you will meet in your holiday.

Accompanying material
The Information Pack (one per room) includes:
- final hotel list: due to overbooking or organizational needs your hotel list may be changed just before your arrival
- luggage labels to be fixed at each piece of baggage, which has to be carried
- hotel vouchers to be given to the reception of each hotel on your arrival

Mechanical problems
During the tour, if the bicycles should have any type of technical problem that prevents you from continuing, please contact us at the emergency numbers and try to describe the occurred issue. We’ll try to solve as soon as possible the problem. As you are riding unaccompanied, it is wise to know at least how to repair or change an inner tube before setting off on your bike. We remind you that we offer no assistance in case of flat tire.
In case of mechanical problems please:
1. Call the emergency phone number
2. Communicate your name and which tour you are on
3. Let us know your position (total distance of the stage) based on the description of the roadbook
4. Give us your mobile phone number

In relation to your location and to the damage of the bike we can:
- ask you to wait there in order to provide a change of the bike
- Send you to a mechanical shop nearby. We will estimate the damage with the mechanic. The charge will be refunded only after our authorization and on presentation of the receipt. In case of puncture no intervention or assistance is foreseen. Customers will be given a proper puncture reparation kit, which will enable them to intervene directly and solve the problem.

Itinerary

Sample Itinerary - subject to changes

Total length: 275 km (Possibility to shorten the itinerary by taking the train: day 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)
Total vertical up: 1.240 m
Terrain: 91% tarmac, 9% unpaved

On this tour you cycle through the wonderful Loire Valley. This cycle trip is not very demanding, though sometimes there are some hilly sections. The daily stages are not very long – always about 50 kms – mostly in the lowlands. The itinerary is mainly on cycle paths or paved roads with little traffic.

Note: Due to organizational reasons, weather conditions or provisions issued by local authorities, the itinerary may be subject to some changes before and/or during the holiday.
Along the way you may find temporary deviations (for example road works) which cannot be foreseen; in this case each rider can decide autonomously how to deal with these stretches.

Day 1: Arrival
Individual arrival in Orléans, homeland of Joan of Arc.
Meals included: Dinner
Overnight in Orléans

Day 2: Orléans to St. Dyé
You pedal along the Loire alternating cycle paths with back roads. After a visit to the Cathedral of Clery St. André you arrive at the Chateau Dunois with the beautiful medieval center of Beaugency. A land full of water and culture will lead the way to the beautiful town of St. Dyé, an ancient river harbour.
Today’s ride will follow the shores of the Loire and after having traversed the beautiful city of Orléans you will continue along lovely cycle paths in the countryside and through small villages. The variety and the low traffic roads make it a very nice and easy trip with a lot of possibilities to enjoy your breaks.
Cycling 30-50 km (elevation gain: 40-80 m)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight in St. Dyé or Beaugency
 
Day 3: St. Dyé to Blois
From the huge park surrounding Chambord Castle today’s trip continues at the border of the forest of Boulogne. On the other side of the Loire crowded with a wonderful bridge, you can already see the profile of Blois and its castle, the steeples of the abbey and the Cathedral of St. Louis standing out.
It is an exciting and very beautiful ride, with as only difficulty the unpaved roads, which however allow you to enjoy fully the peace and quiet and no traffic at all.
Cycling 30-50 km (elevation gain: 140-180 m)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight in Blois

Day 4: Blois to Amboise
After the visit of the city of Blois and its impressive castle, you pedal along the Loire river. Here you can visit the castle of Chaumont built on the top of a hill overlooking the river. In Amboise you cannot miss the house where Leonardo da Vinci spent the last years of his life.
The first part of the stage rides along the left side of the Loire. In the second part we leave the river towards some short climb in Chailles, Mosnes and near Amboise.
Cycling 45 km (elevation gain: 260 m)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight in Amboise

Day 5: Amboise to Tours
After crossing forest of Amboise you arrive in Chenonceaux, known as the castle of the three ladies. You continue along the river Cher up to the city of Tours. You may also decide to stop for a visit at the castle of Nitray with its famous wine cellars.
It is a most beautiful itinerary, varied and with as only difficulty the exit from the city of Amboise as far as the fork towards Chenonceaux: a straight stretch in the middle of the woods where cars speed up. In the morning some slopes are uphill to reach Chenonceaux, but afterwards you will have a flat ride. There is not a lot of traffic because you will be cycling along the Cher almost all the time on dirt roads. Only near Veretz you will finally find asphalted
roads and have to face the last slope uphill of the day (500m long).
Cycling 55 km (elevation gain: 290 m)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight in Tours

Day 6: Tours to Chinon
Pedalling between the Loire and the Cher rivers you arrive at Villandry Castle, well known for its gardens. Following the Loire river, you’ll reach the city Langeais where you can stop for a break. Before arriving in Chinon you will visit Ussé, where you can admire the castle of the Sleeping Beauty.
You continue cycling along the Loire - a more difficult stretch on a cobbled road for 500m - near the city of Langeais. In Château de Ussè you will face the only slopes of the day.
Cycling 60 km (elevation gain: 280 m)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight in Chinon

Day 7: Chinon to Saumur
The tour continues along country roads beyond the confluence of the rivers Loire and Vienne, where you’ll get to Savigny en Vèron and the wonderful village of Candes St-Martin. A few Kilometres away you’ll see the castle of Montsoreau from which you can enjoy the landscape over the Fontevraud Abbey. At the end of the stage you will visit Saumur, considered the “Pearl of Anjou”.
The first part of the cycle tour is on level roads and easy, always on quiet cycle tracks or small country roads. Past Candes St.Martin it becomes harder: several slopes, some of them very steep, alternated with level roads.
Cycling 35 km (elevation gain: 190 m)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight in Saumur

Day 8: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
Meals included: Breakfast


How to shorten the stages:
There is a good train service offering bicycle transport. This low cost option will allow you to reach the next city in the case of rain or bad weather, or if you prefer to visit a city at your own pace instead of cycling. Trains with bicycle compartments are all regional trains and are indicated with a bicycle symbol on the carriage and also on the timetables on display in the station.
For further information on timetables and prices you can consult www.sncf.com.

All the towns of the tour are connected with the train.
If one day you don’t want to cycle, you can skip the stage by taking the train.
Please note that not every stage is served by a direct train connection. It could sometimes be necessary to make a train change.

If you want to shorten the itinerary by taking the train, you can do it every day except on day 7.

Day 2: Orléans - Beaugency / St. Dyé
For the clients who overnight in Beaugency, it is possible only to skip the entire stage by taking the train from Orléans to Beaugency. For the clients who overnight in St. Dyé, it is possible to shorten the stage from Orléans to Beaugency or to Mer.

Day 3: Beaugency / St. Dyé - Blois
For the clients who overnight in Beaugency, it is possible to shorten the stage from Beaugency to Mer. For the clients who overnight in St. Dyé, it is possible only to skip the stage by taking the train in Mer.

Day 4: Blois - Amboise
It is possible to shorten the stage from Blois to Onzain or from Onzain to Amboise.

Day 5: Amboise - Tours
It is possible to shorten the stage from Chenonceaux to Tours.

Day 6: Tours - Chinon
It is possible to shorten the stage from Tours to Langeais. If you make the variation to the castle of Azay Le Rideau, it is possible to shorten the stage from Tours to Azay Le Rideau or from Azay Le Rideau to Chinon.

Rates and Dates for Orléans to Saumur

Dates Note: Custom departure dates can be arranged for groups of 5 pax or more

Other Info
Meeting: Orléans
Airport: Tours Val de Loire
Transfer: --

Climate:
                                                Tours area