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To the Loire and Back

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A fantastic ride south to the Loire, and back again, with easy travel options out and back. Experience the joys of the Loir, Sarthe and Loire, see some famous chateaux and enjoy some wonderful cuisine and comfortable hotels with our trademark support and cake and coffee stops throughout. The route follows quiet roads throughout with hardly any traffic and wonderful views. A fantastic way to spend a week awheel!

Normandy and its half timbered houses and Calvados
The lesser known but beautiful Loir river
Solesmes and its famous abbey on the banks of the Sarthe
Saumur and Azay le Rideau on the Loire
Beautiful Vendome with its historic centre
Pegasus Bridge on the return to Ouistreham
Easy hassle free travel with no need for a car - ride off the ferry at the start and back onto it at the finish
7 nights hotel accommodation, 8 days riding

Your Next Adventure Awaits

What you need to know...

Start Location
Ouistreham, Normandy, France

Finish Location
Ouistreham, Normandy, France

Country/Region
North West France

Grading
Difficult

Shortest Day
40 miles

Longest Day
77 miles

Total Days
8

Total Miles
485 miles

Departure Dates & Prices

There are no available dates at this moment.
Please choose an alternative Tour or check back soon.

Itinerary

Day 1

Many people come over the day before so that they can get a good night's sleep in Ouistreham before setting off the next day. Alternatively you can come over on the overnight ferry and start immediately you set foot in France.

After breakfast and briefing, we take the obligotary departure photograph in Ouistreham and set of on our journey south! Skirting east of Caen, we stop for coffee in a wonderful old village full of half-timbered houses and this is the first chance you will get to experience of our famous coffee stops. Ground coffee, loose-leaf tea and home made cakes will be produced for your enjoyment and consumption, before setting you on your way again through wonderful verdant and lush Normandy. Apples, cider and cream are everywhere in this landscape which is wonderfully rural and very pretty. The second half of the day is hillier as we ride to a famous spa town with its lake and casino. (77 miles, dinner included)

Day 2

Some wonderfully quiet roads today heading south through gently undulating countryside with forests and old villages along the way. There are some fantastic views before arriving at the Sarthe, a beautiful lesser known river, and our superb hotel in an ancient town on its banks. The abbey of Solesmes is nearby and we will undoubtedly enjoy tonight's dinner as the food is always greatly enjoyed by our riders. (71 miles, breakfast and dinner included).

Day 3

From the Sarthe we are still in quiet country but the road surfaces will surprise you with their high quality, even in the middle of nowhere! Not taxing in terms of climbing, we cross the Loir today on route to the similarly named but better known Loire, where the beautiful chateau at Saumur awaits your arrival, standing sentinel over the river as it has for centuries. (61 miles, breakfast included).

Day 4

Wine lovers will recognise some of the names we pass today, starting with a mildly undulating route through the vineyards, but not too taxing. Fontevraud is a wonderful place to stop, burial place of Richard the Lionheart, then we sweep down to the river and follow quiet lanes and cycle paths to visit the magnificent Rigny Usse, used as a template for Sleeping Beauty's castle. It's a good place for lunch, before continuing on to the perfect pocket sized chateau at Azay and our comfortable hotel. (42 miles, breakfast and dinner included).

Day 5

After our day along the Loire yesterday it's time to start heading home. The roads continue to be quiet with the majority not having white lines and yet still well-surfaced. We are aiming for Vendome, a beautiful town with an historic centre. (68 miles, breakfast included).

Day 6

The countryside starts to revert to a typical Norman landscape, with orchards reappearing and lush green fields - June is a favourite time of ours to visit Normandy as it is so beautiful. Most of the day is spent in the national park of the Perche and is thus guaranteed to be unspoilt vistas and historic villages - indeed, our 16th century hotel lies in just such an environment. (68 miles, breakfast and dinner included).

Day 7

The countryside today continues to impress and the cycling is wonderful as we pass quiet farmsteads and half timbered houses for which the region is known, We also pass some famous cheese producers and if time allows will certainly recommend a visit to one. We finish in Lisieux with its famous basilica. (60 miles, breakfast and dinner included).

Day 8

A straightforward and almost flat run back to Ouistreham will leave time to visit Pegasus Bridge of D Day fame and to photograph the picturesque village of Beuvron on our route; a great end to your holiday! (40 miles, breakfast included).

Some Tour Photos...

Cycling to the Loire and back

Cycling to the Loire and back 1

Rigny Usse chateau

Saumur

Travel Information

Travel out and back from Portsmouth to Ouistreham on the Brittany Ferries service either by day or night, to suit. On the first day we start after the overnight ferry has arrived, and for the return we will get you back in time to get the mid afternoon departure back to Portsmouth.

Click here for our Travel Information page.