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Bicycling is the perfect way to travel to the grand chateaus of France, and our friendly lesbian and gay groups add an extra dimension to the week.
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For two centuries, the kings of France outdid one another as they built palaces and chateaus along the Loire Valley. Our bicycling week begins in Blois, at a chateau constructed over four distinct and romantic periods of French history. We'll enjoy a festive French dinner; those with extra energy can also drop by Blois's gay pub.
Then we begin bicycling. Each day you'll discover the distinct personality of a new chateau, from the grandeur of Amboise to the elegance of Chenonceau (where gay Henri III held drag parties -- a fact omitted from most guidebooks!) and the enchantment of Azay-le-Rideau. Between castles, you'll realize why bicycling is such a perfect way to travel on a vacation in France. Pull over with ease for a quick swim in a solitary woods, or at a café on a cobblestoned street, in a whitewashed village where time seems to have stopped.
- Visit the elegant chateau of Chaumont, towering on cliffs above the Loire River.
- Picnic with the black swans of Chenonceau chateau, once home to Catherine de Medici, perched on stone pillars over the river Cher.
- Stroll the celebrated 3-tiered terraced gardens at Villandry.
- Ride through a troglodyte village near the riverfront town of Azay-le-Rideau.
- On a hot day, get away from it all as we show you our secret swimming spots.
- For selected departures, this tour can be combined with Big Loire, Little Loir, which tours other parts of the same region.
- Join our 2-night extension to Chinon to:
- Pause and dream on the edge of Chinon Forest at Usse, the storybook castle that inspired the legend of Sleeping Beauty.
- Bike past sunflowers, vineyards, and a solitary windmill, to the pastoral abbey at Fontevraud, Eleanor of Aquitaine's final resting place.
- Roam the historic ruins of Chinon, once a Roman stronghold, later the chateau-fort where Joan of Arc changed the course of French history.
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This is the ideal introduction to bicycling in France, with days of 25 to 35 miles over roads that are largely flat. You can keep a leisurely pace, peppered with stops at chateaux and other attractions; for those who want longer cycling routes, we have lots of suggestions.
"I was delighted that I didn't have to plan or organize a thing. Everything was done. All I had to do was show up on time. It was perfect for me."— Donald Southern, Los Angeles, Calif.
"This was my first bike trip. Before we left, I was concerned if I was prepared. The trip was very challenging, but not too difficult. The great food, fun people and beautiful landscape made the miles fly by."— Hirschel McGinnis, Boston, Mass.
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Sept. 2 to 7, 2012: $2,298: A trip for gay men.
Prices are per-person, based on double occupancy. Tours often fill up months before departure. We regularly update our travel schedule to show the status of this and other trips.
So are most of the people who travel with us. You do not need to pay extra to travel by yourself. Prices are per-person, and the single supplement applies only if you'd like a room by yourself. For selected trips, including cruises, we will charge half the single supplement if you request a roommate but we can't match you with someone.
Begins in Blois, France; ends in Azay-le-Rideau or Chinon if on extension.
Comfortable hotels each night;
Services of two tour guides;
All breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 4 dinners with wine included;
Transportation to get luggage (and tired riders!) to destination;
Use of bike;
A wine-tasting;
Map, guidebook, and route suggestions;
On Chinon extension, two additional nights lodging, 2 breakfasts and 1 dinner.
Transportation to and from start/end points;
3 lunches; 1 dinner;
Souvenirs, snacks, admissions;
Gratuities for guides.
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