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ITINERARY
"The whole experience was great. It was a thrill to be in France," David S. Sheboygan WI
Day 1 Arrive and overnight in Blois
Day 2 Overnight in Blois
Day 3 & 4 Overnights in Cheverny
Day 5 & 6 Overnights in Amboise
Day 7 & 8 Overnights in Azay le Rideau
Day 9 & 10 Overnights in Chinon
Day 11 & 12 Transfer by motorcoach to Paris with overnights in Paris
Day 13 Return home
Bonjour! Your European bicycle journey begins as you arrive in Blois.
As you read this itinerary, please keep in mind that this is just a suggested route, with a maximum mileage about 45 miles/72 kilometers, (please note that all distances are approximate). Re
member one kilometer (km) = .62 mile. You may decide to cycle more than the daily mileage with additional side trips of your choosing. Easy cycling ability level.
Days 1 & 2 Paris to Blois
Bienvenue to France! Your first introduction into the French culture begins in the beautiful town of Blois, in the Loire Valley. We will spend our first two nights here to give you plenty of time to become accustomed to your French bike, and to get acquainted with the French way of life. Our overnight accommodations in Blois will be at modest a two star hotel.
Blois sits on the banks of the Loire River, and once was a powerful feudal stronghold in the late 12th century. Blois rose to glory under Louis XII; the town remained at the center of French royal and political life for much of the next century. During the 16th century, Blois served as the second capitol of France.
The famous Chateau de Blois, which still totally dominates the city, was home to French Kings Louis XII, Francois I, and Henri III. It was here that the stabbing of the ambitious, duke of Guise was committed. King Henri III thought that the duke was his biggest rival therefore threatening his position to maintain the throne. One day King Henri summonsed the Duke to visit him in his bedroom just “to talk”. But alas, no talking did ensue. Instead, the Duke of Guise was killed, by twenty of King Henri’s bodyguards.
Days 3 &4 Blois to Cour-Cheverny 34 km/21 miles
You will begin your French cycling adventure, biking down the magnificent tree-lined lanes en-route to the town of Chambord. More than 400 years old, Château de Chambord
is one of the largest chateaus in the Loire. The castle has 13 staircases, 365 fireplaces, 440 rooms; castle stables can hold 1,200 horses. The grounds incorporate 13,750 acres of land surrounded by 20 miles of walls (initially built to keep the King's hunting quarry within the boundaries of the grounds). Château de Chambord was originally designed as a hunting lodge for 25 year-old, King Francois I. Ironically, though, Francois spent only forty-two days at the chateau during his thirty-two year reign as king (1519 –1547). Leonardo da Vinci also left his mark here when he visited while it was still under construction. Chambord's unusual double-helix staircase is attributed to him.
Today Château de Chambord is well known for their Equestrian show. Put on by the riding school of the Maréchal de Saxe, they present an excellently executed exhibition that traces “the history of the horse,” at Chambord.
From Chambord you will continue on to the small overnight town of Cour-Cheverny. Small villages along this region are filled with small bakeries and pastry shops. From wonderful, mouth-watering pastries, to the distinctive taste of French baguettes; you will discover a life style that only France can provide. Our next overnight hotel is in Cour-Cheverny a cozy two star hotel. A group dinner will be provided at the hotel on the second night of our stay. From the hotel, it is a very short bicycle ride or 10 minute walk to the nearby chateau in the town of Cheverny.
Château de Cheverny was built purely as a hunting lodge and stately residence. It has no defensive elements, such as large turrets towers or fear-provoking entrances, but it is fully decorated with extremely elaborate furnishings. Château de Cheverny boasts a seventh century decor with exquisite tapestries, an extremely ornate grandfather clock, and oddly enough a Louis XIV commode. Today, the Château de Cheverny is also home to some 90-hound dogs that are utilized for hunting. Each dog has a name, and is extremely well trained. The two full-time dog trainers know each of the 90 dogs very well and implement enormous control in their discipline. Each day at 5:00 PM, you can watch the “feeding of the dogs”, (La soupe des chiens). None of the dogs will attempt to eat until the master gives the “ok” cue. Incredible!
Days 5 & 6 Cour-Cheverny to, Amboise 38km/23 miles 
Our next destination is the town of Amboise, which straddles the widest part of the Loire River. En-route to Amboise traveling northwest, you can visit the feudal château of Château de Chaumont-sur-Loirewhich is perched high on a hill above the town of Chaumont on the Loire River. You must walk about 200 meters uphill to reach the château, but it is well worth the climb just to experience the view from the beautiful château grounds. Built on the remainders of an old feudal fortress, the Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire, looks like it is still ready for battle today. The gate of entry has a double drawbridge encased by two enormous turrets equipped with machicolated parapets. Ironically, the castle built for battle, never engaged one: so, the exterior remains in pristine condition.
While visiting the Chaumont-sur-Loire Château, you may also want to explore the largest flower show in France, called the Festival International des Jardins (the International Festival of Gardens). This is a spectacular festival, which attracts thousands of people, and features 30 beautiful and imaginative show gardens, artistically created in and around the idyllic setting of the chateau. Permanent flower attractions include Grand Serre, a huge hothouse containing a permanent collection of orchids, and the Experimental Garden and the Misty Valley. Misty Valley is a wild gully sculpted from a former ice-pit, which you may cross on foot by a suspended wooden bridge. Beneath the bridge tumbles a 20-metre cascade of water through a valley of tree ferns, irises, maples, peonies and herbaceous plants.
In Amboise, we will spend two nights at a three star hotel situated on the riverbank. Here you will be able to visit the Chateau d’ Amboise, which still belongs to a direct descent of Frances last royal line. Near the outskirts of the city is the beautiful manor house Chateau du Clos-Luce, which was the final residence of Leonardo da Vinci. While spending his last three years atLe Clos-Luceit is believed Leonardo formulated the plans for the magnificent double staircase at Chateau de Chambord. 40 models, including a helicopter and a tank, a swing bridge, and a flying machine, derived from Leonardo’s technical drawings are available for viewing in the basement of the chateau.
In the forest of Ambrose, (southwest of the city) you can visit a unique Chinese-style pagoda. Pagode de Chanteloup is more than 140 feet high, built in seven stories, with each level smaller than the preceding one and linked together with a steep spiral staircase. If you choose to make climb to the top, you will experience exceptional views of the Loire Valley.
From Amboise it is a comfortable ride to other nearby towns you may like to
explore. The town of Chenonceau, has the lovely Chateau de Chenonceau. The chateau sits perched over the Cher River, with elegant formal gardens and huge wooded grounds surrounding it. In the mid-fifteen century, Francois Clouet (King Henri II’s life-long mistress) created the magnificent gardens, as well as a bridge that extended the chateau across the river to the adjacent riverbank. During World War II, the Château de Chenonceau was once a safe passageway between the territory of free and occupied France. Amazingly, it survived a 1944-bombing raid, with only the chapel receiving damage and therefore rebuilt.
East of Chenonceau following the River Cher, you can pass through the village of Chissay, where you can visit a distillery (Distillerie Fraisor)famous for producing Fraise d'Or, a liqueur made from local strawberries.
Just a few miles further on the Cher River downstream from Chenonceau is Montrichard. This is a laid-back market town, filled with old medieval half-timbered homes and renaissance buildings dating back to the 15th century. The majestic ruins of Montrichard Chateau (called the Keep) overlook the riverside town on the left bank of the peaceful flowing Cher River. This is the site of "Le Donjon des Aigles" (The Dungeon of Eagles) a park for birds-of-prey at the ruins of the old castle. Each day (weather dependent), expert handlers give demonstrations of the ancient art of falconry with eagles, condors, hawks, falcons, owls, and vultures.
In Montrichard, take a fascinating visit through a maze of 15 km (9.3 miles) of underground wine galleries at Les Caves Monmousseau. Learn about the fascinating evolution of wine processing, with a wine tasting to follow.
Visit Les Caves Champignonnières des Roches, (the Cellars of Mushroom Beds), and learn the technical and culinary
explanation for the various varieties of mushrooms grown in this region, with a delicious mushroom tasting to follow. Explore La Ville Souterraineanincredible underground-carved city. A talented sculptor and many stonemasons carved out a very realistic detailed metropolis. Although the city is small and lowly lit, your cave tour guide will point out, with light, all of its dazzling intricacies. As you bike through this area of the Cher River, remember to keep your eyes open for the Troglodyte cave homes.
Days 7 & 8 Amboise to Azay le Rideau 72 km/45 miles
Cycling in the Loire Valley is easy and carefree as you make your way to your next overnight destination, a small romantic village residing along the banks of the Indre River, called Azay le Rideau.
You will be spending two nights in Azay le Rideau at a beautiful two star hotel. Château de Azay le Rideau was originally built in 1518 as a medieval stronghold on an island in the river Indre. The terrace and the promenade that encircles the château, was once a gun-lined boulevard to defend the stronghold from invaders. Gilles Berthelot, a rich treasurer who was in the service of King François I, originally built the château.
Today Château de Azay le Rideau resides on peaceful lake surrounded by an English style park. Inside you’ll find a collection of French and Flemish tapestries from the 16th and 17th centuries. At twilight, you will marvel at the enchanting "son et lumière," (sound and light show) on the Azay le Rideau grounds (included in your trip). This son et lumiere show is a romantic spectacle using modern day equipment (lasers, projectors) and music to beautifully illustrate themes tracing the history of the châteaux.
Azay le Rideau is the perfect distance from other points of interest: Chateau de Villandry is most famous for its magnificent Renaissance style gardens. Eight full-time gardeners, working from 16th century designs, skillfully plant (and weed) roughly 250,000 vegetable and flower plants every year, by hand. The garden is on three different levels. The top level is a water-garden, edged with ancient lime trees; in the
middle (alongside the chateau) is a spectacular flower garden; and the lower level is the world’s largest ornamental kitchen garden. Unlike other castles with moats to protect them, the function of water here is to link different sections of the property together. The supply begins in the water-garden, flowing down through the ornamental gardens, the vegetable gardens, eventually passing near the buildings in a channel-like form. Constructed in 1536 between the Cher and Loire rivers, Villandry is one of the first magnificent castles to demonstrate French architecture. A Spanish scholar named Joachim Carvallo, dedicated his life in the early 1900’s to Villandry’s restoration and the re-creation of its magnificent gardens.
To the north of Azay you can visit the feudal Chateau of Langeais, one of the few chateaus-structures in the Loire Valley where the exterior has remained unaltered for centuries. Langeais has the classic feudal exterior with sinister-looking outer walls, a drawbridge, towers, contrasted by an elegant interior courtyard and furnished with 16th century tapestries, paintings and furniture.
Days 9 & 10 Azay le Rideau to Chinon 31 km/19 miles
You will pedal on the narrow and quiet two lane country roads of rural France, with the town of Chinon as your final destination. On the edge of the huge forest of Chinon, stands the majestic Chateau d’ Usse also known as the Sleeping
Beauty Castle. The French claim that this beautiful structure with its countless gleaming white turrets, inspired the 17th century French author Charles Perrault to write the fairy tale, The Sleeping Beauty.
It was built in the mid 1400's, with many roofs, turrets, and dormer windows and chimneys. The combination of blue roofs and white stone-walls make it especially beautiful, sets against the green forested backdrop of the Forest of Chinon. Outside, the châteaux, the walls maybe sturdy and fortified, but within the walls you have a vast open space filled gardens and a courtyard. The entire building stands above terraced gardens with a beautiful view of the valley below. One of the best-known structures at Usse is the chapel located on the edge of the forest. It was built in the early 1500’s and is a well renowned example of Gothic to Renaissance architecture. It has a sculpted facade with shells, rose windows and arabesques on the outside walls.
In Chinon, we will spend two nights at a charming two star hotel built in
the fifteen century located just a few meters from the town center and chateaux. Explore the narrow streets of the medieval town of Chinon. It was here that Joan of Arc began her transformation from peasant girl to a warrior-saint. Château de Chinon stands high on a cliff over looking the Vienne River. Even though most of the château lies in ruins, (at one time it was actually three chateau’s-in-one) it is still a very impressive structure over 400 meters long. The town of Chinon, with it old, intact, cobblestone streets seems to send you back in time.
For nearly 900 years, Abbaye de Fontevraud a huge monastery complex for both men and women was the richest and most important monastery of France. Governed by an aristocratic abbess, the Abbaye de Fontevraud housed five separate communities of priests, nun’s, lepers, invalids and lay sisters. After the French revolution, it was a prison until 1965. Fontevraud is now home to the Cultural Centre for the West of France. As with many monasteries, Fontevraud is surrounded by gardens; orchards, cemeteries from the Middle Ages, simple gardens, flower gardens, herb gardens abundant with herbs and spices, and Renaissance flower gardens. During the summer, the vaults of the Abbey resound with concerts of Gregorian chants.
Days 11 & 12 Au revoir to the Loire Valley and onto Paris
Discover the romantic architecture and all the sights that Paris, “The City Of Lights” has in store for you. We will motor coach to Paris. While in Paris, you’ll be staying in a two star Parisian style hotel, nestled within one of the coziest, friendliest, neighborhoods in the city. You will be within walking distance to wonderful outdoor markets, romantic sidewalk cafes, the majestic Seine River, the famous Eiffel Tower (5 blocks away), and numerous world-renowned museums, and we’ll all have the opportunity to be front row for the finish of the Tour De France on the famous Champs Elysées near the Arc de Triomphe!
Day 13 (Farwell France)
You bid farewell to France, as fond memories of the
Loire Valley and Paris whirl through your mind. You’ve made new friends and experienced the French way of life, by bicycle. Now you prepare to board your return flight back to the states, you’re going home! Bon voyage…
Best experience: "What made this trek through the Loire Valley such a fantastic experience was undoubtedly the professional, attention-to-detail, can-do attitude of the two organizers. We're hard-pressed to name one best experience. We were most impressed with the little things Kathy and Eric did to ensure we all had a good time and safe experience." Rick and Sally H., Westland MI
"All things considered, this tour met and exceeded all my expectations," Steve W. Bloomer WI
