A tour of the Loire Valley by bicycle is a wonderful way to see this beautiful area of France. We enjoyed 2 ½  weeks of cycling and sightseeing there in June.  Air France got our bicycles and us safely to Paris. We went by train to Chartres and then pedaled through the region visiting chateaux, medieval towns, and ancient churches. The area is mostly flat farmland with fields of wheat, corn, sunflowers, apple orchards, and grape vineyards. The back roads are in excellent condition with very little traffic. Many of the roads paralleled the river and made for very pleasant riding. We stayed in bed and breakfasts or small hotels, enjoying wonderful meals in every place we visited. Our route took us down the Loire River to Angers and then back up the Loir River to Chartres - total mileage 440 miles. The weather was cool, perfect for cycling.  The French people were warm and very hospitable to cyclists.

We did much of our planning using Don LaVange's internet site (http://users.ids.net/~tandem/loire.htm). Books we used include France by Bike by Karen and Terry Whitehill, Biking Through Europe by Dennis and Tina Jaffe, and Michelin's Chateaux of the Loire.   The Anjou Bike Center has bike rentals, maps and itineraries, and accommodations in the Loire Valley. We found that doing our own planning and traveling on our own was an adventure we enjoyed, but  if you feel more comfortable traveling with a group on an organized tour, we suggest you look at DiscoverFrance.com and their discounts for club members.

Books on Cycling in France:

• Cycling Along the Waterways of France (Bicycle Books) by Tony Roberts 

• Cycling France: The Best Bike Tours in All of Gaul by Jerry H. Simpson 

• Cycling in France (Ulysses Green Escapes Series) by Carole Saint-Laurent 

• France by Bike : 14 Tours Geared for Discovery (By Bike) by Karen Whitehill

• Lonely Planet Cycling France (Cycling Guides) by Sally Dillon, et al