Loire Valley Bon Marché Family Bike Tour
- Region: France
- Destination: Loire
- Duration: 6 Days / 5 Nights
- Level: Occasional Rider
- Price From: $4495
- Single Supplement: $ 900
| limited space | ||
| Jul 14 - Jul 19, 2013 | $4495 | Call to book |
| Call for family discount. | ||
| Jul 6 - Jul 11, 2014 | $4595 | Book Now |
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Visit the breathtaking Loire Valley châteaux, including Chenonceau and Cheverney, and learn about their royal residents in the Middle Ages. Explore the Clos Lucé, da Vinci’s former home, and its garden full of life-size models of his many inventions. Cycle over historic bridges spanning the Loire and Cher rivers and through vineyards, choosing itineraries that match your ability level. Forge priceless family memories on this cycling vacation, riding through villages, relaxing beside hotel pools, and spending a fun afternoon at a challenging ropes course. Discover local specialties as you dine in award-winning restaurants and stay in relaxed hotels and châteaux that are comfortable for you and the whole family.
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Tour by Day
Day One: Château Cheverny and its Vineyards
Your guides will greet you at the Blois train station and whisk you off to Cheverny. After lunch we’ll explore the château grounds before a bike-fitting and safety talk. Next is a visit of the sixteenth-century Château de Cheverny, filled with original artwork, tapestries, and period furniture, before we embark along the Loire River. Don’t miss the pack of hunting dogs as they bound outside for their exercise. We can bike or transfer back to our beautiful hotel hidden away in the woods above the Loire River. Tonight, the hotel’s two-Michelin-starred chef will spoil us with regional specialties!
Meals: Light Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Chaumont, Candé sur Beuvron, Cheverny, Cour Cheverny
Accomplished: 10 miles / 16 km
Day Two: Fantasy Forest and the Feel of France
Today’s adventure starts at the Château Chaumont sur Loire, where our young friends will get to explore this magical château once inhabited by Catherine de Médicis. Participate in a hands-on art class with the resident artist in his own studio. We’ll enjoy lunch at one of the three restaurants in the famous gardens before heading to our next destination: the Fantasy Forest. Fun activities like slacklining, a ropes course, an orienteering race, mini-golf, and spelunking await us. Ride back to the hotel or hop in the van. Tonight we’ll head into town for dinner at one of our favorite authentic Loire restaurants.
Destinations: Chaumont sur Loire, the Fantasy Forest
Distance cycled: 13.5 miles / 21.7 km
Day Three: Amboise, Through da Vinci’s Eyes
Enjoy a morning ride through a panorama of farmland and the towns of Pocé-sur-Cisse and Limeray. We’ll arrive in Amboise and enjoy a gourmet picnic lunch with local wine and cheese on the grounds of the Manoir St. Thomas, our home for the night. Visit the Clos Lucé, a museum with replicas of Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions displayed outdoors as an interactive playground. After, do a little shopping in town or spin off to a great local white wine producer to learn about the refined Montlouis-sur-Loire appellation from Olivier, a fifth-generation winemaker. Return to Amboise through the vineyards. Enjoy dinner on your own tonight in enchanting Amboise.
Destinations: Onzain, Pocé-sur-Cisse, Limeray, Nazelles- Négron, Amboise
Accomplished: 15 miles / 24 km
Day Four: The Enchanted Castle of Chenonceau
Cycle to Château de Chenonceau for a tour of the castle and its gardens. Chenonceau is home to a vast collection of Renaissance furniture and sixteenth-and seventeenth-century tapestries and artwork. Children will enjoy the fun iPod tour. Wander the expansive grounds, pet the donkeys at the farm, and navigate the hedge labyrinth before our river excursion on the Cher. Afterward we’ll ride to Bléré and savor a gourmet picnic by the Indre River before cycling to Montlouis-sur-Loire for two nights at our next château. Enjoy a pizza dinner in town tonight, or take a hot air balloon ride!
Destinations: Amboise, Chenonceaux, Cormery, Bléré, Montlouis-sur-Loire
Accomplished: 21.75 miles / 35 km
Day Five: A Day in Tours
A delicious breakfast rich with fresh fruit, yogurts, bread, pastries, and cheeses will prepare us for an active day in the city of Tours. Today we’ll peruse the masterpieces at the Musée des Beaux Arts and visit the gothic cathedral. Stroll around on your own to enjoy some shopping. Once we’ve had our fill of the city life we’ll shuttle back to the hotel for an exciting fencing demonstration and a little sparring. Relax by the pool this afternoon, soaking in the beauty of the Loire, before one last night of culinary delights.
Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Montlouis-sur-Loire, Tours
Day Six: Au Revoir
After breakfast and perhaps a stroll through the castle’s grounds, say goodbye to the Loire Valley and the city of Tours however you see fit. We’ll see you off at the St. Pierre Des Corps TGV train station where you head on to your next destination.
Meal: Breakfast
