280 kilometres of river, châteaux and vineyards
The Val de Loire runs from Sully-sur-Loire to Chalonnes — all of it flat enough to actually cover by bike
France's longest wine route, ridden rather than driven
The Val de Loire is the 280-kilometre stretch of the Loire River between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes-sur-Loire, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Along it sit the major châteaux — Chambord, Chenonceau, Amboise, Villandry — spaced within cycling distance of each other on the Loire à Vélo, a largely flat, well-signed route that follows the river's levées and towpaths. The same corridor holds over 50 wine appellations: Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé sauvignon blanc in the east, Vouvray chenin blanc around Tours, Chinon and Bourgueil cabernet franc in the middle, and Muscadet near the Atlantic end.
Things you can do here
Bike rentalTake it ease-seeAvailable inBrézé Candes-Saint-Martin Chinon Doué-en-Anjou Gennes Le Coudray-Macouard Montreuil-Bellay Montsoreau Parnay Saumur Turquant
E-bike rentalTake it ease-seeAvailable inBrézé Candes-Saint-Martin Chinon Doué-en-Anjou Gennes Le Coudray-Macouard Montreuil-Bellay Montsoreau Parnay Saumur Turquant
Hot Air BalloonsFloat above the landscape at sunrise or sunsetChoose where to fly fromAmboise Chenonceaux Chinon Saumur
What people said
★★★★★
Delivered on time at the hotel, and picked up right as we got back. Good communication, good price and decent bikes. Had a great day touring through the area on Tim’s bikes. Would recommend.
Visited in August 2026
Bike rental with SaumurBikeHire, Saumur ★★★★★
Booking (...) 3 electric bikes and accessories for our group was straightforward and went without a hitch. The bikes were very new and a smooth easy ride. We arranged for Tim to come and pick up the bikes and 4 people…
Visited in June 2026
E-bike rental with SaumurBikeHire, Saumur ★★★★★
Excellent service. We hired the bikes one day and had them delivered the next. We could cycle direct from our village and explored a few villages along the Loire which was great. All bikes, 2 x electric and 1 kids were…
Visited in August 2026
Bike rental with SaumurBikeHireTowns
The Loire à Vélo route runs the full length of the valley on flat paths and quiet levée roads — but stages of 40–60 km between major sites can be a long day on a standard bike. ease-see e-bikes remove the fitness barrier, so you arrive at Chenonceau or Chambord without the legs-gone feeling that makes people skip the next château and get on the train instead!
Vineyard riding across 51 appellations
The valley's wine appellations run continuously from east to west — Sancerre, Vouvray, Chinon, Muscadet — and the cycle route passes through or alongside most of them. A full day's riding between wine villages can easily cover 50+ km. ease-see e-bikes mean that distance is manageable for people who want to spend their energy tasting rather than simply pedaling on the road.