France Castles of the Loire Valley Blois Bike Tour 2019 Individual Self-Guided 7 days / 6 nights Douce France or Jardin de France : this is what this region is called by the people of the Loire. Take a bike tour through this vibrant cultural landscape, which reflects a harmonious way of life where man has found his rightful place in nature. The Loire offers some unique encounters, a real chance to rediscover nature. If you travel to the heart of the Loire region, you will pass châteaux and abbeys, historic cities to typical villages, where all around you the Loire stone colors the landscape, with the white of the tufa stone and the black of the slate. To help you discover the richness of this living stone, the royal river, like a magic key, will open up the grand gates of the famous châteaux: Chenonceaux, a sumptuous bridge on the river Cher, Chaumont, a delicate fortress in the forest, Blois, where French history took place, Amboise, treasuring the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci, Chambord, with its 380 chimneys and 406 rooms, representing the apotheosis of the Loire Castles. With this tour you will have the chance to discover this region during some easy and relaxing bike tours, on a flat itinerary, following secondary roads in the forests or along the river Loire and its tributaries.
Itinerary Day to Day Day 1: Blois Individual arrival in Blois. Hotel check in and free time to visit the town. Day 2: Blois Chambord Blois 38-42 km After crossing the Loire and the Sologne countryside, you enter the park of the chateau of Chambord, 4,500 hectares of forest inhabited by deer and wild boars. Visit of the magnificent castle which was built by François I on a project by Leonardo da Vinci. Return to the hotel through the forest of Boulogne. Day 3: Blois Chaumont Amboise 53 km Following the river Loire you arrive at the castle of Chaumont, which was built on a cliff overlooking the Loire by Pierre d'amboise. It was then purchased by Catherine de Medici: she sent Diana of Poitiers there for revenge and kept for her Chenonceau. Always following the river Loire you arrive in Amboise, a picturesque town on the left of the river. Here, you can visit the royal castle, which stands on a rocky outcrop overlooking the city. Day 4: Amboise Chenonceau Amboise 34 km From the valley of the river Loire to the valley of the river Cher: through the Forest of Amboise you will reach the castle of Chenonceau, so-called "of the two queens", Diana and Catherine. This is certainly the most beautiful and the most visited castle, with its magnificent arches over the river. After another nice ride along the Cher we come back to Amboise. Visit to the Clos-Luce, home of Leonardo da Vinci. In the museum inside the house are several models of his inventions. Full scale models are set up in the park allowing you to interact and to experience directly these fabulous machines.
Day 5: Amboise - Tours 29 km From Amboise, along the river Loire, you cycle through the famous vineyards of Vouvray, between the tufa cliffs that overlook the river. You will arrive in Tours, the most important city in the region. Visit of the old town, of the cathedral and of place Plumereau. Day 6: Tours Villandry Tours 42 km From Tours along the river Cher you reach the castle of Villandry, famous for its "jardin potagers". The famous gardens of Villandry are the most beautiful example of French Renaissance architecture, built under the influence of Italian gardeners. You go back to Tours on a nice cycle path. Day 7: End of services after breakfast.
Route Technical Characteristics: Route Profile: Easy. Mostly plain, only a couple of very short ascents (you can always afford them on foot). This tour is suitable for everyone, suggested as first bike tour. The daily stages are from 31 to 52 km per day, which means 3 to 4 hours of cycling each day. Roads are 70% asphalted roads and 30% white country roads. Distance: 186-200 km Travel Season: Departures daily from May 15 - July 13 and August 18 - September 30, 2019 Sunday departures July 14 - August 18
Price per Person: Category B Category A Double Occupancy Room 460.00 670.00 Supplement single room 190.00 270.00 Children 0 8 years old* 275.00 free Children 9 15 years old* 275.00 290.00 3 rd bed adult 345.00 400.00 Supplement Half Board --- 160.00 Supplement Half Board 0-8 years old --- 80.00 Bike Rental Hybrid 85.00 E-Bike Rental 190.00 Child Bike/trailer/tailgator/cammellino rental 75.00 Hybrid Bike Insurance 25.00 E-Bike Insurance 50.00 Printed Road Book 15.00 *in 3rd/4th bed in a room with minimum 2 adults paying the full price Accommodation: Category A: 2 nights in 4* hotel and 4 nights in 3* hotel Category B: 2* hotels Included: Accommodation in hotel of the selected category in double room with private facilities 6x breakfast (Day 2 through Day 7) Luggage transport (1 luggage per person max 20 Kg) Informative material Tour App, downloaded on your smartphone the tour map and itinerary, with points of interest, services and GPS position, tracks can also be used offline Service hotline Not Included: Lunches and dinners Drinks City tax Extras in general and everything not specified
Bike rental: Aluminum bikes (men and women) with 21 speeds, free wheel, 1 big pannier bag, water bottle, GPS with tracks of the itinerary. Assisting people in realizing their touring dreams worldwide is our passion. www.okcycletours.com THIS IS A PARTNER TOUR FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT OK Cycle & Adventure Tours Inc. 666 Kirkwood Ave - Suite B102 Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1Z 5X9 Toll Free 1-888-621-6818 Local 613-702-5350 TICO Ontario Registration No: 50022848