Loire Valley tour - any recommendations for side-trips?

Trojan

Hi folks,

I'm off to Loire Valley for a camping tour

I've been there before and I know quite a few of the places along the river.

I'm looking for any recommendations of places - nice towns/chateaux/vineyards/cool stuff to visit that are within a day or two cycle of the river.

Any and all suggestions appreciated



Cheers,
Alastair.

Planet X

Tank Museum Saumur, been there twice, excellent.

http://www.museedesblindes.fr/

feck sake lads

trojan can you give a bit more info on that tour
how are you getting there.
camping all the way.
idea of cost.
how many miles a day.
how are you getting back home.
basically ll the usual stuff sounds like a lovely tour,
last time i tried france we had to abandon the tour because of rain:(
but one day i would love to get back.
do you have a route by any chance.
cheers.

ednwireland

http://www.chateau-amboise.com/en/index.php

or even better take car, fill with wine, come home

Trojan

Planet X wrote: »

Tank Museum Saumur, been there twice, excellent.

http://www.museedesblindes.fr/

Awesome, been through Saumur hadn't seen it.

feck sake lads wrote: »

trojan can you give a bit more info on that tour
how are you getting there.
camping all the way.
idea of cost.
how many miles a day.
how are you getting back home.
basically ll the usual stuff sounds like a lovely tour,
last time i tried france we had to abandon the tour because of rain:(
but one day i would love to get back.
do you have a route by any chance.
cheers.

Flying to Nantes Ryanair, 590 all in for 2 x return with 2 bikes and check-in luggage. AerLingus to Rennes is another option, as is flight to Paris with train down.

Costs while there: ~€30/day each for food, drinks + camping

If it rains, we take a train somewhere it's not raining

Last time my numbers were:

940km total
15 days cycling
63km/day average
~40kg gear on bike

Hope that helps

ednwireland wrote: »

http://www.chateau-amboise.com/en/index.php

or even better take car, fill with wine, come home

Amboise is amazing, particularly the daVinci museu.

Not on for taking the car though, the whole point is to get a bit of exercise and fresh air

Doctor Bob

A few quick things that spring to mind:

Nantes is a fabulous city. I hope you're planning on exploring it a bit if you haven't before. In particular, there's a little fishing village on the other side of the river called Trentemoult, accessible by the Navibus, with a few nice riverside bars and restaurants. (If all goes according to plan, I will be retiring there in ~30 years.)

Angers is also worth a look. I was there ~20 years ago on a language exchange, so my memory is hazy, but the catherdal and chateau stand out. It also has Lac de Maine, which might be worth looking at for camping.

West of Nantes is Europe's longest beach (allegedly) at La Baule, but it might be mobbed in high Summer and may be off your route if you're heading east from Nantes.

The highlight of my teenage trip, though, was a troglodyte village. I'm not sure exactly where it was, but it seems there are quite a few examples dotted around the region: http://www.experienceloire.com/troglodytes.htm

As for chateaux, I'd recommend the Chateau de Sully-sur-Loire, but I think that's it in your OP photo so you've obviously been already. The only other one I've been to is Saumur, mentioned above. Not mentioned, though, is the Abbey at Fontevraud, near Saumur, which is certainly worth a detour if you haven't been before.

Hmmm, just writing this list is giving me notions... It really is a beautiful part of the world. If you think of it, throw up a few pics when you get back.

All I can recommend is wine, cheese and bread.

Trojan

Doctor Bob wrote: »

Hmmm, just writing this list is giving me notions... It really is a beautiful part of the world. If you think of it, throw up a few pics when you get back.

Awesome post - thank you!

And thanks for all the rest of the suggestions - will post up how we got on here after - cheers!

Idleater

Dónal wrote: »

All I can recommend is wine, cheese and bread.

Last year we took the car (and I chucked the bike in the boot) and basically followed the euro velodrome to Sancerre and back. Though I think the wine festival weekend is in June, there are many fantastic vineyards along the route. My personal favourite is Vouvray, but you will pass through Samur, Chinon, Giennois and a few other"opposite side of the river lesser known appellations".
The cycle routes bring you through the troglodyte villages and some beautiful rolling vineyards and forests.
We had no problems finding spaces in the municipal campsites and the only thing that "annoyed" me with the tourist offices was that they only dealt with their domain and had no maps of the villages even if you were on the border.
Hope you enjoy the holiday, it's really nice there.

dewindygap

Hi Trojan. Hope I'm not too late with this. Last year we spent a week cycling in Normandy and then on to Paris heading for the Loire so we hit it travelling east to west. We came to the river via the Briare Canal (not to be recommended as the track was very overgrown) but on the way we spent a night in Montargis, the 'Venice' of France' and what a gem of a town, about a good days cycle from Briare. Also on that route is a little village called 'Rogny les sept ecluses' worth a visit just to see the seven stepped locks, some feat of engineering.
We are heading back again next week for a month, flying into Rennes and cycling down to Nantes and this time heading west to east hopefully with the wind on our backs this time. After Nevers we hope to spend 2 weeks around Burgandy, three designated routes around there, Canal du Nivernais, Canal du Centre and Canal du Bourgogne plus the Voies des Vignes.
Enjoy

feck sake lads

Ah lads stick a photo up of your route this is driving me mental :D

dewindygap

@ feck sake lads : I hope this works as I have never tried it before. It might take time to fully load for you.
http://www.a-trip.com/tracks/view/111144
http://www.a-trip.com/tracks/view/111148

feck sake lads

hah very clever indeed looks like a great tour.thanks.;)

dermiek

@Trojan (OP)

Jammy Git.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Through Blois, stop at Mer to buy a picnic, into Foret de Chambord, have picnic and wine, visit Chambord, drink more wine, fall off bike. Or continue to Cheverny, see that castle, then drink more wine and fall off bike.

JustAThought

We went " camping" with car but ended up staying in all these fabulous family owned chateau! found them by book saver went around ; SNAF ( I think!) bookshops have great local gite , chateau & campsite books ; if your French is anyway ok you can find great basic info in them.
I do recall lots of hopping from shop to shop doing winetasters : ) & falling " home" into footlights beds for a song after!
The tourist sights/ chateau were quite far apart thou ; we found the car v handy ; these damn aristocrats & their thousand acre gardens!

Planet X

Unfortunately alot of advise seems to be getting out of it on wine. Sad really.

Idleater

Planet X wrote: »

Unfortunately alot of advise seems to be getting out of it on wine. Sad really.

I forgot to mention that each area has their own pastry / biscuit. Compare and contrast :-)