Loire à Vélo

Where it is & how to get there

• Start points: Popular sections start in Blois, Amboise, Tours and Saumur, all reachable by train from Paris.
• Bike rental: Rental networks offer bikes and e-bikes with one-way drop-off between towns.
• Trains: Regional TER trains along the Loire carry bikes, handy for shortening a stage.

The story of the Loire à Vélo

The Loire à Vélo is a signposted cycle route of about 900 km along France's longest river, from Cuffy in the centre of France to Saint-Brevin-les-Pins on the Atlantic. It is part of the EuroVelo 6 route that crosses Europe from the Atlantic to the Black Sea.

Much of it follows quiet roads and riverside paths through the Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes-sur-Loire, listed by UNESCO in 2000 as a cultural landscape. Cyclists can link Chambord, Blois, Amboise, Tours, Villandry and Saumur at their own pace.

Best time to visit

Tips before you go

• Rent bikes in Tours or Amboise. Some rentals let you drop off in another town.
• Choose hotels with the "Accueil Vélo" label: they offer secure bike storage and help for cyclists.
• A good beginner stage is Blois to Amboise (about 45 km) or Amboise to Tours (about 25 km).

What's around the Loire à Vélo

• Château de VillandryFamous for its Renaissance vegetable and ornamental gardens.
• ToursLively city with a medieval old town.
• BloisRoyal château and a good start point.
• SaumurChâteau, riding school and cave dwellings.

Questions travellers ask