Loire a Velo

La Loire a Velo runs about nine hundred kilometres from the upper river near Nevers to the Atlantic, signed throughout in one direction and the other, and it works because the valley is flat: most stages have almost no climbing, using towpaths, levee tops, quiet lanes and dedicated paths. It threads the chateaux directly, so Chambord, Blois, Amboise, Villandry and Saumur can be reached without a car, and it forms part of the EuroVelo 6 route across the continent. Trains along the valley take bicycles, which makes short sections easy to do one way. Bike hire and one-way drop-off are widely available.

What you actually see

• The flat riverside stages - towpaths and levees with little climbing.
• The chateau links - direct access to Chambord, Amboise, Villandry and others.
• The sandbank river - a wide braided Loire with islands and terns.
• The vineyard sections - Vouvray, Chinon and Muscadet country by bike.

When to go

May to October; July and August are hottest and busiest, with accommodation booked well ahead. Spring and September are the best combination of weather and space.

Honest expectations

Shade is limited on levee sections and headwinds from the west are constant if riding upstream. Accommodation in the chateau stretch books out in summer. Some connections between signed sections use ordinary roads.

Nearby

Tours, Blois and Saumur are the usual bases along the route.