The Loire Valley by Bike in 5 Days: Chambord, Chenonceau and Villandry

Between 19 and 44 km: about 44 km on day one (to Chambord and back), 42 km on day two, 36 km on day three, 30 km on day four and 19 km on the last morning. Almost all of it follows the Loire à Vélo route, on cycle paths and quiet lanes along the river. The only real slopes are the climbs out of the valley towards Chenonceau. On an e-bike, that means two to three hours of riding a day, with the visits in between.

No. You need to be at ease on a bike for a couple of hours, nothing more: the e-bike flattens the slopes and takes the strain out of the headwind along the Loire. Each bike is adjusted to its rider on the first morning, and the rental company shows you how it works before you set off.

A little. Based on 4 travellers, count €1,440 per person. Based on 2, it comes to €1,560 per person, and based on 6, €1,410: the bikes, the hotels and the admissions are per person, and only the guide at Chambord and the tasting are shared. Three or five travellers works perfectly well, and we adjust the quote. These prices are per adult, and the "from" price shown corresponds to a base of 4.

You leave your bags at reception in the morning, and they are waiting at the next hotel when you arrive. Count one suitcase per person. On the last day, a van collects them at the hotel in Tours, meets you in Villandry and takes you to the train with them.

A private guide takes you round Chambord for two hours, and that visit is in the price. The other châteaux are visited at your own pace, with the admissions already booked in your name and, at Amboise, the HistoPad included in the ticket. If you would like a cycling guide to ride with you for a day or for the whole trip, or a guide at Chenonceau, we add one as an option.

A stage can always be shortened: the train runs along the Loire for much of the route, and a taxi can collect riders and bikes where it does not go. Tell us and we arrange it during the trip. The visits do not change, and the luggage moves on in any case.

Yes, if they ride confidently. Depending on the rental company, e-bikes are rented from around 14, and children’s bikes, seats and trailers exist for younger ones. Tell us the children’s ages and heights, and we check the bikes and shorten the longer days if needed.

May to September, when the rental season, the long evenings and the gardens all line up. The garden festival at Chaumont runs from late April to early November, and Villandry is at its best from May to September. April and early October still work with shorter days. We confirm what is open on your dates when we send the quote.

Easily: the trip starts and ends with a train from Paris, so it slots in after a few days there. From Tours, direct TGVs reach Bordeaux in about two hours, and Mont-Saint-Michel can be reached by train via Rennes. If part of your group would rather not ride, the Loire châteaux trip covers the same places by car or with a driver.