Loire Valley Biking: Premiere Inns

On the first day of the trip, meet your Backroads Trip Leaders (the folks wearing Backroads T-shirts) at 10:30 a.m. at the front entrance of the St-Pierre-des-Corps train station just outside of Tours. Please arrive dressed in your biking clothes with your rain gear handy, or have your gear packed in a small separate bag so you can change before the ride.

Shuttle to Crissay-sur-Manse 1¼ Hours

Château de Marçay Route 17 Miles

Bienvenue to the Loire Valley! After meeting we shuttle to the town of Crissay-sur-Manse, where we get acquainted over lunch at a restaurant. Afterward your Backroads Trip Leaders fit your bike and give a brief talk on biking techniques and safety. Then you’re off to explore Crissay’s broad farm fields and rolling vineyards on a warm-up ride, passing over the meandering Vienne River toward bustling L’Île Bouchard. Continue to our 15thcentury home for the night, Château de Marçay, whose towers, turrets and period furnishings complement modernday luxuries such as a heated pool.

This evening we gather for a welcome reception before sitting down to a delicious meal in the dining room, which looks out on the French countryside.

Lodging: Château de Marçay

Your first full day of riding follows a peaceful route through rolling hills and orchards on the way to Château d’Ussé, the 15th-century fairy-tale castle that inspired Charles Perrault’s classic Sleeping Beauty. Take the self-guided tour to discover what lies behind its walls. Then hop back on your bike and head to Azay-le-Rideau, a riverside town renowned for one of the most magnificent châteaux in France. As if  floating on the tranquil surface of the Indre River (a tributary of the Loire), Château d’Azay-le-Rideau strikes an imposing figure with its decorative turrets and ornamented machicolations. The interior is equally splendid, with a grand staircase, beautifully restored period furniture, tapestries and family portraits. You’re on your own for lunch at one of Azay-leRideau’s charming cafés, or  perhaps fill your bike bag with local delicacies for a picnic by the river.

Afterward, shuttle (or bike if you’re feeling energetic) to Montbazon and Château d’Artigny, our home for the next two nights. Renovated by famed perfumer François Coty, Château d’Artigny embodies all the grace and extravagance of the Loire Valley. You’ll feel as if you’ve stepped into a lavish soirée as you view the trompe l’oeil scenes of Coty and his party guests painted on the ceiling of the circular ballroom. Other opulent touches include refrigerated vaults once used to store Madame Coty’s fur coats. These vaults remain in use today, although they now safeguard the chef’s fresh fruits and vegetables. Tonight a local guide joins us for a lively talk on the region’s culture and history, including a preview of some of the fascinating châteaux we’ll soon visit. Afterward we gather in the dining room for a classic French feast.

Lodging: Château d’Artigny

Biking Options: 

Château d’Ussé Route: 16 Miles* 

Azay-le-Rideau Route: 26 Miles* 

Château d’Artigny Route: 44 Miles  

*with shuttle

After breakfast we hop in the saddle for a ride through villages and fields of wheat and sunflowers to the town of Saché. Our destination is the 16th-century Château de Saché, where Honoré de Balzac stayed while he wrote La  Comédie Humaine,  a collection of interlinked novels and stories that present a panorama of French life in the years after the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815. The château now houses the Balzac Museum, which recreates the 19thcentury rooms of this home and displays some of his work. More recently, sculptor Alexander Calder spent time in the area, and one of his stabiles remains in the town square.

Back on your bike, continue through the Forêt de Villandry to the town of Villandry. Stop to visit its 16th-century castle, surrounded by some of France’s most exquisite gardens. The Château de Villandry was acquired in the early 1900s by Joachim de Carvallo, who restored the gardens to their original Renaissance grandeur. Today, Carvallo’s grandson tends the grounds, and though it is a labor of love, he has been known to say, “The gardens cost my children a good education and caused my wife a nervous breakdown.” The spectacular patchwork of greenery includes a water garden ( jardin d’eau) within a circle of lime trees; an ornamental garden ( jardin d’ornament), where yew, boxwood and flowers are planted in symbolic patterns; and the kitchen garden ( jardin potager), with its decorative geometric beds.

After relaxing over a picnic lunch on the château’s grounds, the afternoon is yours. Take a spin through the countryside back to the hotel, or shuttle back for a dip in the pool or perhaps a game of tennis. This evening we’re treated to another delectable meal in the dining room.

Lodging: Château d’Artigny

Biking Options: 

Saché Route: 20 Miles* 

Artigny Loop: 33 Miles 

Sorigny Route: 50 Miles  

*with shuttle

We start the day with a pleasant ride—peppered with a few undulating hills to keep it interesting!—through farmland and sleepy villages to the town of Cormery. Continue to Château de Nitray, where our hosts invite us into their 16th-century manor house and treat us to a wine tasting and catered lunch. From here, continue on to the most famous of Loire Valley châteaux: Château de Chenonceau. A local guide gives us a private tour of this graceful Renaissance castle, which spans the Cher River and boasts vast gardens, galleries, magnificent fireplaces, 16th-century Flemish tapestries, and paintings by Rubens and Rigaud. In the chapel, a bas-relief of Madonna and Child hangs amid two centuries of graffiti-carved walls. Catherine de’Medici and Diane de Poitiers were among the women who reigned here. Each wife, mistress and queen added personal touches to the elaborately decorated château, and it became known as the “Château of Six Women.”

After the tour, you can pedal or shuttle to Le Choiseul, our charming hotel for the next two nights. You’re sure to enjoy your stay at this elegant manor house, ideally situated in Amboise, a delightful town on the banks of the Loire River. You’re on your own for dinner to sample country specialties at one of the many restaurants or cafés in town.

Lodging: Le Choiseul

Biking Options:

Château de Nitray Route: 16 Miles*

Chenonceau Route: 27 Miles*

Le Choiseul Route: 36 Miles

*with shuttle

This morning’s route begins with a climb to Clos Lucé, the house where Leonardo da Vinci spent the final four years of his life. Its museum contains designs and models conceived by da Vinci, including an airplane, helicopter, parachute, and turning bridge. From here ride past troglodyte dwellings, community gardens and vineyards to the village of Vouvray, famous for chenin blanc grapes. According to legend, Saint Martin of Tours planted the village’s first grape vine on a hill overlooking his abbey in A.D. 372. By the 8th century wines from this region had become so popular that monasteries and cathedral chapters competed over them. A vintner treats us to a private tour of his Vouvray cave before a gourmet Backroads spread.

When you’re ready, grab a seat in the van or continue on bike past manicured vineyards and farms of wheat, corn and sunflowers. Spend the afternoon browsing Amboise’s shops, exploring its fortified château, strolling along the river or people-watching at a café on the main thoroughfare.

Tonight we toast our final evening together over a celebratory meal in Le Choiseul’s restaurant.

Lodging: Le  Choiseul  

Biking Options:

Chez Jarry Route: 14 Miles*

Vouvray Loop: 30 Miles

Le Vieux Joué Route: 38 Miles

*with shuttle

Feel free to take one last spin through the countryside, savoring the tranquil lanes, fresh scents and a few interspersed hills. Otherwise, you’re welcome to sleep in and enjoy a leisurely breakfast and last-minute souvenir shopping in town. After lunch, a private coach takes us back to the St-Pierre-des-Corps train station outside of Tours, where our trip ends.

Amboise Cool-Down Loop 13 Miles

Shuttle to St-Pierre-des-Corps 40 Minutes