Biking through a Storybook
Visiting the Loire Valley with your kids is akin to a trip through a fairy tale. The backyard to royalty since the Middle Ages, you’ll love the “garden of France” for its verdant forests, impenetrable solitude and centuries-old elegance. The kids will love it for the canoeing, the swordplay (supervised and totally safe, we promise!) and the sprawling fields of sunflowers fit for a romp. Together you’ll love it for the great food, fantastic biking and the luxury château. Everybody wins!
Trip Details
Easygoing to Moderate
Montbazon - Veigné to Tours
6 Days / 5 Nights
Price per person from: $5,695
Single supplement: $900
See departure dates for exact pricing
Choose a Date
Day by Day
Ride along the majestic Loire River to the Castle of Villandry before the kids head off to experience the rope course in St Benoit la Fôret while parents keep riding.
Bike to the Renaissance château of Azay le Rideau for lunch the kids are whisked off to nearby stables, to relive the medieval times when a horse was the only means of transportation.
Kids have a short bike ride before hopping on canoes to drift down the Vienne River towards Chinon. Parents bike to the same city, stopping to enjoy a wine tasting along the way. Lunch will be on board the traditional boat “La Chinonaise.”
Visit the Royal Abbey of Fontévraud and enjoy a spectacular picnic lunch in a privately owned Chapel from the 12thC. Later, kids take an art course by a local artist and everyone enjoys a Michelin-starred dinner.
Adults and kids enjoy a beautiful ride to the “Clos Lucé,” the last home of Leonardo Da Vinci. In the afternoon, while parents keep biking, kids try their hand at fencing with a fully-qualified national fencing master.
Enjoy a farewell breakfast at the hotel in Chinon, then au revoir in St-Pierre-des-Corps for connections to Paris.
Hotels
Domaine de La Tortinière, Montbazon
We not only feel welcomed at the intimate Château La Tortinière, but very special when we’re there—especially since this immaculately restored 18thC castle seems straight out of a fairy tale. The château offers views over a private park in which some rare plants and trees (A 200 years old Lebanese Cedar for example) are hidden. View hotel website »
Château de Marçay, Chinon
Built in the 15thC on the ruins of an 11thC fortress, this calm and serene property was developed into a hotel and restaurant which opened to the public in 1973. Now forming an island of greenery in the Chinon countryside, Château de Marçay offers 33 unique rooms decorated in a haute époque style, with scenic view s of the park, the main courtyard, and the vineyards. View hotel website »
Château d’Artigny, Montbazon
A splendid castle built back in the early 20th century by the famous French perfume creator François Coty. It’s a “Belle Epoque” dream nestled in the middle of a 60 acres park with rich decoration such as “trompe l’oeil” frescoes, marble and remarkable woodwork. It offers a spa, a beautiful outdoor pool and a gastronomic restaurant. View hotel website »
Activity Level
Easygoing to Moderate
This trip is rated Easygoing to Moderate. While most of the riding is on gently rolling terrain, there are occasional hills in and out of the river valleys. The average daily riding distance is 47 km (29 mi.) for adults, with longer and shorter options. Parents may opt to join in on alternative afternoon activities, thus shortening daily rides. The activities on this trip are geared for children 5 years old and up; the younger children may need to use a trailer or child tandem. Most events are appropriate for all ages; where safety considerations exclude smaller children, alternatives will be offered.
Gear
The Bikes
You can't enjoy a great biking trip without a really great bike. On this trip you'll be riding customized Cannondales; there are three models to choose from to ensure you'll have the perfect bike. Click here for a detailed description. We also equip you with handlebar bag, helmet and water bottle.
What's Included
- All hotel accommodation
- All breakfasts, four lunches, four dinners, including wine
- Services of B&R guides and support vans—there are extra vans and guides family trips for more support
- Kids’ supervised activities
- All special events and private tours
- Use of a customized Cannondale bike: a hybrid, a racing bike with drop bars, or a racing bike with flat bars, equipped with handlebar bag and helmet
- Children’s equipment, including tandems, trailers, helmets and bikes (Please note: parents wishing to pull a tandem or trailer must use a hybrid bike)
- Detailed maps, route suggestions and water bottle
- All baggage transportation
- All transportation from rendezvous to drop-off
- All gratuities for baggage, porters and hotel service
At Your Service
We take pride in choosing guides who are not only exceptional travelling companions, but who’ll go far beyond the call of duty to ensure an unforgettable experience.
Accolades
“The trip was perfect! The hotels were luxurious, and our guides were so much fun to be around! They told stories of their trips, and lots of jokes and always cheered me up whenever I felt down. Our guides, Tom and Alice, showed us great places in the Loire Valley and I can’t wait to book another B&R trip!”
— Isabella Gukeisen,
Loire Valley Family Biking 2010
Notes from the Road
- Beaune: Our Medieval JewelA well-preserved medieval jewel in the heart of the Burgundian vineyards, wine is more influential in the history and development of Beaune than any other item or commodity. Strategically situated in the middle of the famous Cote d’Or vineyards, half …
- A Riding Revelation“Wow.” I said it more times than I can remember—and the ride lasted barely two hours. My first-ever B&R biking experience took place, appropriately enough, in Beaune, the heart of Burgundy wine country, our longtime European home. Pedalling an easygo …
- Recipes from the Road: Tarte TatinWhether you’re slurping soup from the best cart in Chiang Mai or staring down a heaping helping of homemade pasta from nonna (someone’s nonna, anyway), partaking of the freshest, most delicious local fare is essential to becoming one with where …
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