Family cycling holidays and fairytale castles of the Loire Valley

For this first day, you will discover the royal city of Blois, its gardens, its monumental staircases, the streets lined with half-timbered houses, the house of magic with its dragons which punctuate the hours and of course, the royal castle. 

At nightfall, let yourself be tempted by the magnificent sound and light projected on the 4 facades of the castle. Much better than books to captivate the youngest and revise the history of France! 

A great introduction before setting off on the paths of the Loire Valley and its history.

You begin your cycling journey by leaving Blois via the banks of the Loire and a beautiful cycle path which will allow the whole family to get their bearings by bike in complete safety. Take a few breaks to watch the birds on the beaches and sandbanks or try your hand at a few ricochets on the water with the children!

Then head for the most majestic of the Loire castles: Chambord. Take advantage of the lawns for a picnic and take a few hours to visit the castle. Here children are kings and numerous activities enhance their visit. In the footsteps of Francis 1^er, climb the sumptuous staircase with its two intertwined banisters and have fun going up to the terraces without ever crossing paths. Stroll on the terraces among the richly decorated fireplaces and turrets to enjoy a 360° view of the park and the forest. 

You reach the Solognot village of Bracieux via the Boulogne forest.

Today you are traveling through the multiple landscapes of wine-growing Sologne: vineyards, wooded areas,  cultivated fields and meadows. 

In Cheverny discover a new castle which will delight the whole family with its richly furnished interior and its architecture which inspired Hergé to create the Château de Moulinsart. A permanent exhibition offers a fun dive into the world of Tintin.

Along the way, the small castles of Villesavin and Troussay, the smallest castle in the Loire, invite you to take a break. 

A 10 kilometer extension offers a circuit in Sologne through the Cheverny forest.

Follow the courses of the Beuvron and the Cosson to the Loire then follow the river on a beautiful shaded cycle path which leads straight to the Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire. 

Get off your bike for a few hours, take the time to have a picnic on the banks of the Loire. Then let yourself be amazed and surprised by the castle, worthy of a fairy tale, and by its famous International Garden Festival where each year around thirty landscape artists from all over the world present original and poetic creations around a theme always renewed.

To reach Amboise, you alternate between the cycle paths along the Loire and the small roads of the AOC Touraine-Amboise vineyard on the overhanging hillside. The arrival at Amboise from the heights is spectacular. A few pedal strokes from the city center, you can see the Chanteloup pagoda, the Royal Domain of Château-Gaillard or, to the delight of the youngest, the mini-castle park. 

Amboise is a lively little town on the banks of the Loire where it is good to stroll at the end of the day and sit on one of the terraces at the foot of the castle.

Day without cycling to take the time to visit Amboise: the royal castle, a mix of medieval and yet Renaissance fortress, its remarkable gardens and their panorama of the Loire Valley, Clos Lucé, last home of Leonardo da Vinci and the models giants of his incredible inventions. 

Extension of bike rental possible for the day.