Cycle Loire Valley 
A Royal Affair
No other region captures the beauty and the magnificence of Renaissance France quite like the Loire Valley. An ideal trip for beginners and a perfect introduction to adventure travel.
Trip at a Glance
- Start & End Location Tours
- Trip Length: 8 full days / 7 nights
- Activity level: Beginner
- Daily Ride Length: 25-50Km (15-35 miles)
- Price: $3,499 per person
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Departure Dates:
September 18, 2010
Dates don't work? Book a custom tour
About the Area
There is no other region that captures the beauty and the magnificence of Renaissance France quite like the Loire Valley. The river itself is one of the last “savage” rivers of Europe: heralded by writers and poets, it is France’s longest river and its valley one of the most intriguing. The Loire opens up new avenues of discovery and exploration through her people and her culture. This exceptional itinerary in the Loire valley couples gastronomy, history, architecture and cycling in an exquisite recipe of the perfect trip.
Cultural Highlights
Visits to three of the Loires most beautiful Castles: Amboise, Chambord and Azay-le-Rideau; Wine tasting in Vouvray and Chinon; Goat cheese tasting in Amboise; French lessons the easy way.
The Journey
Day 1-2 What better location to begin a cycling vacation than in, Tours?
The group will convene at the train station around noon, and continue along a short walking tour uncovering the hidden bistros and squares, before having a light lunch in town. Raw oysters and a sweet Muscadet Sur Lie will open the taste buds, as the guide opens the ears to the adventure which shall unfold. At the Maison d’à Coté, the menu is always full of the choicest fresh vegetables from the morning’s market as well as delicious fish and beef dishes. The gem along the second day's ride is the popular Chateâu de Chambord Hotel:Hotel: La Maison d’à Coté (www.lamaisondacote.fr)
Day 3-4 Cheverney and Villesavin - Chaumont-sur-Loire and Amboise
A savory Sancerre with local fromage de chèvre in the early afternoon before moving ahead to visit the gardens of the Chateau de Chaumont-sur-Loire - home of the International Garden Festival. An evening discussion with Mme. Henriot-Potin will put into perspective the original culinary styles of the region and shed more light on the fresh and organic produce abounding in the Loire. Her laughter and warm heart are typical of the Loire valley residents and make for a memorable evening. Hotel: Le Manoir les Minimes (www.manoirlesminimes.com)
Day 5-6 Travel through a glorious past
Stepping back from the Renaissance castles into pre-Roman villages, the archeological sites at Cherré give insight to what the upper valleys gave to the Gallo-Roman tribes. Head back to the Loire Valley with a focus on its literary representation in some famous works: Petrarch recalled on the interior of the Château du Lude as Rabelais is remembered in his accolades of the Cabernet Franc of Chinon. A region so rich in sensory experience that its praises have been sung for hundreds of years. Hotel: Le Tortinière (www.tortiniere.com)
Day 7-8 A medieval ramble to Chinon
The Fontevraud-l’Abbaye is an impressive success in the religious world and is just as impressive architecturally. A picnic lunch of asparagus and fresh artichokes and a cool local Saumur white to drink in the moment, marks the midway point before the final destination: Tours. In this remarkable old city, dine on grilled fish dishes and sip sweet Muscadet ending the evening in one of the most impressively restored medieval cities in all of the Loire. Hotel: Hotel Diderot (www.hoteldiderot.com)
Book this tourWhat’s Included
The security, support and personal service of 2 experienced guides. (1 guide on hiking trip or trips with 4 or fewer people)
All accommodations. Pomegranate selects hotels and inns that deliver more than stars on a plaque. Our limited group size allows us to offer smaller more intimate accommodations, often in family run boutique hotels.
All breakfasts, whether continental at the hotel or a country fresh breakfast prepared by us.
Most dinners, except one or two on your own, featuring carefully selected menus to immerse guests in the local delicacies and seasonal dishes. Dinner(s) on your own will be clearly noted, so you may enjoy a particular town as you wish.
The use of a touring or road bicycle, tuned and personally fitted for you, complete with handlebar bag, water bottles and GPS.
Support vehicle and baggage transfers.
Private guided historical tours, walking tours and other cultural activities as detailed on your journey.
All snacks and drinks along the ride, including fresh fruit as available and sports drink mix for electrolyte levels. We also provide one or more picnic lunches on our tours.
Wine tastings and tours, featuring complimentary wine for our guests. Alcoholic beverages during dinner are at the discretion of our guests.
All maps, detailed route notes and other trip directions.
Custom pre-trip travelogue including all you need to arrive safely, prepare for your journey and recommendations on your pre/post trip needs.
We cover all gratuities and taxes. Tipping the guides is at the guests' discretion but is typically between one to two hundred Euros per guide per guest.
Helmets are available upon request. We strongly advise that guests who are regular cyclists bring their own helmet, and ideally their own pedals and seat for optimal comfort - our guides will install as needed of course.
Reservations and Payment Terms
A deposit of $500 per person is due upon trip reservation (US funds). This is a 'Lifetime Deposit' and may be applied to another tour should you have to cancel (less administrative fee) Payment in full is required 60 days prior to trip start date.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
- 90 Days prior to Tour start date - Full refund less $100 per person administrative fee
- 89-60 Days prior to start date - loss of $500 deposit (see Lifetime Deposit policy)
- 59-30 Days prior to Tour start date - 50% refund of trip price
- Less than 30 days - no refund (though you may apply your payment to a trip at a future date if you cancel outside of the 30 day window, less admin fee).
As we cannot make exceptions to this policy, we recommend you purchase trip cancellation insurance to cover you in the event of any emergency. Guests will be required to sign a ‘Release of Liability’ Assumption of all Risks, and Arbitration” form prior to your trip.