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Follow the Loire to the Atlantic coast

Wildly romantic to the sea

As one of the last unregulated rivers in Europe, the wild, romantic Loire flows through gently undulating terrain towards the Atlantic Ocean. Following its course along the Loire cycle path from Orléans to Saint Nazaire, it guides the culture-loving cyclist past magnificent castles and blooming gardens back into the glorious past of France – and into a royal cycling pleasure. You can look forward to one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, enjoy the sweet life à la française and admire impressive natural spectacles.
France
Easy to moderate
  • 10 Days / 9 Nights
  • Self-guided tour
Meike Engling
Meike Engling
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Itinerary

Individual arrival in Orléans. Located at the northernmost point of the course of the river Loire, this city is an ideal starting point for your cycling trip.

Shortly after Beaugency, you decide whether to cycle along the shorter route on the north bank, the official Loire cycle path, or choose the longer route on the south bank with a detour to Chambord Castle. Here, the "Domaine de Chambord" extends as far as the eye can see. You can see the walls of this largest and most splendid residence of the Loire, the eternal legacy of a faithless king, shining through the trees already from a distance.

A wonderful day of cycling with fascinating views of the golden shimmering sand banks of the Loire and the characteristic rock dwellings of this region awaits you. The most regal of all Loire castles awaits you halfway along the route: Amboise castle. It housed five kings and a Roman emperor. A 16th century genius attracts attention as well – Leonardo da Vinci, who spent his last years here in Amboise. His manor house can be visited here as well. Onward journey along the banks of the Loire to Tours.

The tributary of the Loire, the Cher, leads you straight to Villandry castle with its terraced gardens. Of course, you cannot miss a visit to these famous gardens. Shady promenades, flowery arbours, fountains and the artistically laid out vegetable garden will astonish every visitor. A few kilometers further on, you change back to the banks of the Loire, and the next castle already awaits you: Langeais. The view from the defense tower (this castle was only used for military purposes) has the river and the entire surrounding area unfold below you. Passing through small villages and taking by-roads, you approach your  destination Chinon, which impresses visitors with its mighty castle.

You leave Chinon with its mediaeval streets and follow the Vienne to Candes-St-Martin. An enjoyable walk through the village to the highest point of the hill offers an impressive view of the confluence of the two rivers Vienne and Loire. You should not miss out on a further panoramic view of the wide Loire Valley from Saumur Castle. Immerse yourself in the vineyards on the southern bank of the Loire after that and cycle towards your next big stop, Angers. If the stage seems too exhausting for you, there are alternate travel options by train from Saumur.

Take a little time to explore the small, vibrant university town of Angers before briefly following the Maine, the last significant tributary of the Loire, to its confluence into the Loire at La Pointe-Bouchemaine. We continue along at the foot of a slate granite massif to Savennières with the oldest church in the region. Some of the most splendid wines of the Loire Valley grow here, fruity, dry white wines – a visit to a winemaker seems like a great idea. Don't miss visiting Béhuard, the only village in the Loire. Béhuard is located on one of the numerous islands that make up the Loire. From La Poissonnière, your journey will take you via dikes into the former Loire ports of Saint-Florent-le-Vieil or Ingrandes-sur-Loire. High above the old town, a famous vantage point beckons in St.-Florent-le-Vieil.

Another day along the Loire through ever-changing landscapes is next. The valley narrows noticeably today, the Loire now finally enters Brittany and squeezes through slate and granite rocks to Nantes. The bike path changes from one river bank to the other several times while some smaller inclines have to be mastered – which in turn give you beautiful views. Your journey leads you past horticultural farms where field salad, carrots and lilies of the valley are produced on a grand scale. The Loire "escorts" you to the center of the historic capital of Brittany, Nantes. Although it is still about 50 km to the estuary of the Loire into the Atlantic, the influence of the sea is already noticeable and visible here.

The river is now getting wider, the landscape increasingly serene. The journey continues downstream through small villages to the seaside resort of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, nestled between the estuary of the Loire and the Atlantic Ocean. The impressive – but unfortunately also very busy – 3.5 km long bridge is all that separates you from Saint Nazaire, which is why we have included a shared transfer to the destination hotel for its crossing. Saint Nazaire ranks among the most impressive cities in the Loire delta. Visit the Atlantic Shipyard, one of the largest shipbuilding companies in the world, or the submarine bunker which is also passable by bike.

At the end of your trip, you can relax and unwind and choose from various tour suggestions to suit your mood and desires.


a) Tour along the coast with bays and seaside resorts to the coastal resort of La Baule. Back to St. Nazaire through the back country or via the medieval town of Guérande.


b) Bicycle tour along the coast via La Baule to Batz-sur-Mer and the fishing port of Le Croisic. Return journey to St. Nazaire by train.


c) Tour of the Brière moorland where you will have the opportunity to take a boat tour through the canals of this very special landscape.

An extensive recreational bike trip along the Loire has thus come to an end. You would like to take the opportunity and relax for a few more days on the Atlantic Ocean?

The route

You cycle on small filed paths and side roads with light traffic. On some short connecting parts of the route one has to count with heavy traffic. The daily stages are mostly flat to slightly hilly. This is a bike tour that guarantees eventful holiday fun for a normal constitution.

Prices and events

All data for 2023 at a glance
Place of arrival: Orléans
  Season 1
01.04.2023 - 14.04.2023
30.09.2023 - 07.10.2023

Arrival Thursday
Season 2
15.04.2023 - 12.05.2023
09.09.2023 - 29.09.2023

Arrival Thursday
Season 3
13.05.2023 - 08.09.2023

Arrival Thursday
Loire Cycle Path: Orléans - Saint Nazaire, 10 days, FR-LOROS-10X
Base price
1,129.00
1,189.00
1,239.00
Surcharge single room 499.00 499.00 499.00
Season 1
Apr 1, 2023 - Apr 14, 2023
Sep 30, 2023 - Oct 7, 2023
Arrival Thursday
Season 2
Apr 15, 2023 - May 12, 2023
Sep 9, 2023 - Sep 29, 2023
Arrival Thursday
Season 3
May 13, 2023 - Sep 8, 2023
Arrival Thursday
Loire Cycle Path: Orléans - Saint Nazaire, 10 days, FR-LOROS-10X
Base price
Surcharge single room
1,129.00
499.00
1,189.00
499.00
1,239.00
499.00
Season 1
Apr 1, 2023 - Apr 14, 2023
Sep 30, 2023 - Oct 7, 2023
Season 2
Apr 15, 2023 - May 12, 2023
Sep 9, 2023 - Sep 29, 2023
Season 3
May 13, 2023 - Sep 8, 2023
Orléans
Double room p. P.
Surcharge single room
Saint Nazaire
Double room p. P.
Surcharge single room
85.00
65.00
65.00
45.00
85.00
65.00
65.00
45.00
85.00
65.00
65.00
45.00
Additional nights
Place of arrival: Orléans
  Season 1
Apr 1, 2023 - Apr 14, 2023
Sep 30, 2023 - Oct 7, 2023

Arrival Thursday
Season 2
Apr 15, 2023 - May 12, 2023
Sep 9, 2023 - Sep 29, 2023

Arrival Thursday
Season 3
May 13, 2023 - Sep 8, 2023

Arrival Thursday
Orléans
Double room p. P. 85.00 85.00 85.00
Surcharge single room 65.00 65.00 65.00
Saint Nazaire
Double room p. P. 65.00 65.00 65.00
Surcharge single room 45.00 45.00 45.00
Filter
21-gear unisex incl. rental bike insurance
21-gear gents incl. rental bike insurance
rental bike PLUS incl. rental bike insurance
Electric bike incl. rental bike insurance
109.00
109.00
175.00
259.00
Prices per person in EUR

Services & Extras

Services

Included:

  • 9 Overnights in hotels of the booked category incl. breakfast buffet or extended breakfast
  • Luggage transfer from hotel to hotel
  • At best elaborated route with maps (GE,EN,FR)
  • Detailed travel documents with maps 1x per room (GE,EN,FR)
  • GPS-Tracks on request available
  • For rental bikes, rental bike insurance
  • 7-days-service-hotline

 

Not included:

  • Arrival and departure
  • Costs for parking
  • City tax
  • Transfers
  • Optional sightseeings
  • City maps
  • Repairs of own bike
  • Travel Insurances
  • Costs of the private requirements

 

Extras

Arrival / Parking / Departure

  • Orléans, Tours or St Nazaire train station
  • Airport Paris
  • Garage approx. € 7,- / day in Orléans
  • Hotel garage for approx. € 50,- / week in Tours. No reservation possible/necessary.
  • On weekends, continuous train connections with free bike transport from St. Nazaire via Tours to Orléans.
  • Return transfer by minibus to Tours or Orléans every Saturday morning, cost per person to Tours € 95,- or Orléans € 119,-, for own bike additional € 29,-, reservation required, payable in advance.
Hotels

French hotel classification

 

Category X: Overnight stays in quality hotels of the 2*/3* category. All rooms with shower/bath and WC.

 

Important notes

Further important information according to the package travel law can be found here!

This tour has 1 more variation

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