Loire Family Cycling: From Blois to Amboise

Day 1: Arrival in Blois
You will arrive in the charming town of Blois, where paved streets punctuated with staircases climb toward a royal château that traces the evolution of French architecture from the Middle Ages to the 17th century. The evening is yours to explore.

Day 2: Blois – Bracieux (30 km; +135 m)
The route will lead you to the prestigious Chambord estate, a masterpiece of French Renaissance style boasting no fewer than 440 rooms, built during the reign of Francis I. You will then continue to Bracieux, a pretty little Sologne village that has preserved its magnificent 16th-century covered market.

Day 3: Excursion to Baignade Naturelle du Grand Chambord and Cheverny (29 km; +155 m)
A bike excursion will take you to the Château de Cheverny, remarkable for its sumptuously furnished apartments — the very castle that inspired Hergé's Marlinspike Hall in the Adventures of Tintin. You will then ride to a natural bathing pool near Chambord, an open-air organic swimming pool surrounded by wilderness, open from late June to the end of August.

Day 4: Bracieux – Chitenay (35 km; +170 m)
You will ride along the small routes of the Sologne, between forests and ponds, discovering beautiful tiny manor houses such as the Château de Troussay, a charming Renaissance manor. A stop at a local wine producer for a glass of Cour Cheverny Blanc will make the day complete.

Day 5: Chitenay – Chaumont-sur-Loire (28 km; +135 m)
You will cross the vineyards of Cheverny to reach the Château de Fougères-sur-Bièvre, a small fortified castle illustrating the local building arts of the 15th century. The stage will end in Chaumont-sur-Loire, whose château proudly dominates the town and the river. Between late May and mid-October, the extraordinary Festival des Jardins garden festival awaits.

Day 6: Chaumont-sur-Loire – Amboise (21 km; +160 m)
For the final cycling day, you will follow the Loire à Vélo tracks to the charming town of Amboise with its royal château, where the greatest kings of France once lived. The Manoir du Clos Lucé, Leonardo da Vinci's last home, shelters an astonishing collection of models representing his fabulous inventions.

Day 7: Departure from Amboise