A family cycling trip along the Loire

Easter's here and the weather's fine: it's been decided that this holiday will be our first experience of cycling as a family. For a ‘first’, we're going for the easy option: we've opted for a Grand Angle trip (with a few adaptations); I've booked the same hotels and luggage transport, so we can ride light and not worry about the evening stage.
 

With children aged 4 and 2, the destination and the length of the stages are important factors to take into account.
 

For the destination, I chose the Loire à Vélo between Blois and Saumur: a well-known, well-marked route, mostly on cycle paths, but also with a real attraction for children: the châteaux, and not just any châteaux! As with all good things, don't overdo it: one castle a day is more than enough.
 

To divide up the stages, I started from a Grand Angle trip, the Loire from Blois to Angers, which I modified slightly, to add a few extra nights: in Blois, to make a return trip to the Château de Chambord, and in Amboise, to go and see the Château de Chenonceau (unfortunately the weather didn't allow us to do this). I also shortened the end of the trip, to finish in Saumur.
 

We're setting off with the same equipment we used on the Ile de Ré last year: 2 mountain bikes and 1 child's bike with a removable tow bar, so we can let the little one ride, but also link the child's bike to my bike when we get tired, or on tricky sections (entering or leaving town). The youngest is currently in the baby seat.
 

So we've limited the stages to around forty kilometres a day: with children, that's more than enough! Without a tow bar, I think we'll have to make do with stages of 25-30 kilometres.
 

Here's a brief summary of our trip
 

Day 1: Arrival in Blois: a little logistical ‘manipulation’ to leave the car at the end of the route in Saumur in a large free car park, and return to Blois by train.
 

D2 : First day of cycling: we start with a loop from Blois to the most famous of the Loire châteaux: Chambord (40 km AR). It's a great way to get your legs under you, culminating in a visit to this exceptional château!

Day 3: Blois - Amboise 46km, a long stage - almost too long for the children: as a result, we didn't take the time to visit any castles, not even the pretty gardens of the Château de Chaumont, which was a shame! But the trail along the Loire is very pleasant. The children and I watched the gabarres, the typical boats of the Loire.

Day 4: A day's visit to Amboise, a walk and the Château d'Amboise: a visit with a tablet for the children and older visitors, to make the visit more fun and lively. We would have liked to go to Chenonceau, but the day before was tiring for the children and the weather wasn't very pleasant.

Day 5: Amboise - Tours (28km): a short, pleasant stage, between vineyards and the Loire. And a big break in the park on Île de la Métairie, upstream from Tours.

Arriving in the afternoon also gives you the chance to take a stroll around the beautiful city of Tours, and why not have a drink in the famous Place Plum'.
Day 6: Tours - Langeais (31 km): Today's programme included a big picnic break and a visit to the Château de Villandry, with its exceptional gardens. We drove 20km to Villandry, from where we won't be leaving until mid-afternoon, after the visit.

D7: Langeais - Chinon (30 km), with a lunch break at Château d'Ussé. A great castle to discover with the whole family! This is the castle of Sleeping Beauty, and part of the tour is organised around this theme, with even a little quiz for the kids.

Day 8: Chinon - Saumur: a strange 35km stage, on very small roads used only by cyclists, I think... we finished in the rain and with a puncture, the only one of the trip. We took a serene, panoramic picnic break at the viewpoint at Candes St Martin, after 20km: you just can't get enough of watching the Loire flow by...

We arrived in Saumur after 8 beautiful days, and that's something to celebrate!

We'll be leaving Saumur with a wealth of memories and plans for future trips. From this first family experience, we have created a new holiday perfectly suited to families who, like us, want to experience an enriching adventure that creates strong bonds: The Loire Valley Castles as a family, from Amboise to Saumur. Cycling holidays with the whole family are really great: ‘If you try it, you'll keep coming back’!