Loire Valley by bike

The Loire Valley Cycling Route
Distance
about 900 km (559 miles)
Country
France
Difficulty
Easy
Type of trip
Cycling route

La Loire à Vélo is a signed cycle route that follows the Loire for about 900 km, from Cuffy near Nevers to Saint-Brevin-les-Pins on the Atlantic, opposite Saint-Nazaire. That figure includes about 270 km of variants and loops; the main line from Nevers to the sea is about 630 km. It’s the westernmost section of EuroVelo 6, which carries on east to the Black Sea, and it’s signed in both directions with the Loire à Vélo logo and the EuroVelo 6 number. Between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes-sur-Loire it runs through the stretch of the valley that UNESCO listed as a World Heritage Site in 2000.

It’s flat: the highest point is 185 m. About 37% is on dedicated cycle paths and the rest on small roads with very little traffic, so France Vélo Tourisme rates it suitable for beginners. The prevailing wind is from the west, which is why they suggest starting at the sea and riding upstream if you’re new to this. There are railway stations all along the river, Nevers has its own station, and from Saint-Brevin you can ride 40 km to Pornic station or cross to Saint-Nazaire. Cycling over the Saint-Nazaire bridge isn’t recommended; a bike shuttle and a bus line with bike space run across it, so check times before you go.

Highlights along the way

  1. Château de Chambord: built for Francis I from 1519 to 1547, with 440 rooms and a double-spiral staircase. It’s away from the river, so it’s a detour from the main line.
  2. Amboise: the royal Château d’Amboise, and 500 m from it the Clos Lucé, where Leonardo da Vinci lived from 1516 until he died there on 2 May 1519.
  3. Saumur: home of the Cadre Noir, the corps of riding instructors at France’s national riding school, who also perform in public.
  4. Montlouis-sur-Loire to Villandry: the section through Tours, mostly on dedicated cycle paths, which France Vélo Tourisme recommends for families and first-timers.
  5. The estuary: the last stretch from Paimboeuf to Saint-Brevin-les-Pins runs along the widening Loire to the ocean.

Distance

About 900 km of signed route from Cuffy to Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, counting the variants and loops. The main line from Nevers to the sea is about 630 km; EuroVelo gives 840 km for Nevers to Saint-Brevin.

Best time to go

May to September is the main season, when the extra bike-friendly trains run between Orléans, Tours, Nantes and Le Croisic and the Saint-Nazaire bridge shuttle operates; check this year’s dates on the Loire à Vélo site. You can ride all year, but heavy rain from about December to February can flood the riverside paths.

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