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La Croix Blanche - Fontevraud
Charming historic hotel & restaurant
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Cycling the Loire Valley - La Loire à Vélo

For relaxing Loire Valley cycling holidays

 

La Loire à Vélo – biking holidays in the valley of the kings


Visit the Loire the slow way – cycling it with friends and family. A sustainable way to discover at leisure the cycle paths of the Loire by bike (in French called La Loire à Vélo) which will provide a relaxing trip along this majestic river. Relax and enjoy the scenery, typical towns, discover Loire Valley wines and vineyards as well as the authentic French atmosphere. Hop on, hop off - there is so much to see and discover here!

A typical cycling holiday will take you downstream in stretches of 25 to 50 km per day, leaving plenty of time for sightseeing too. All routes are well sign posted and are suitable for beginners and children too. Most routes follow the river, being the lowest point of the region of course. The slopes of the river where the vineyards are, may require a bit of climbing but never more than 1 or 2 on a scale of 5.
The stretch between Tours and Angers is the most popular one, with a concentration of tourist sites, hotels and restaurants between Tours and Angers. Fontevraud is right in the heart of this! La Loire à Vélo has created a special detour for the town of Fontevraud and its world famous abbey with the effigies of Eleonor of Aquitaine and Richard the Lionheart.

We will be delighted to extend a warm welcome, we can help in planning your itinerary and arrange luggage transfers, pic-nics and yes, maybe a puncture or a relaxing massage too. After a day of cycling you’ll appreciate our renovated pool, enjoy a drink on our flowered terrace or dine at leisure in our informal French restaurant. After a good night’s sleep you are ready to hop on your bike again!
 

Accueil Vélo

This organisation regroups 450 hotels, restaurants, bike rental companies and other useful companies in the region We are proud to have obtained this quality label. A warm welcome and everything else you may require while you bike the Loire valley!

Special package: room, buffet breakfast, dinner, use of outdoor pool, wifi and car park, cycle routes 75€ pp

Hotel La Croix Blanche is a charming historic coaching inn transformed into a comfortable three star hotel located on the Loire by bike route and right opposite the royal abbey of Fontevraud.

We provide:
  • comfortable accommodation in single, double, twin and family rooms
  • a cosy restaurant with good home cooked French cuisine and flowered terraces
  • heated outdoor heated pool open from the end of May to the end of September
  • secure bicycle garage and car park with cctv, possibility to park the car while you cycle for the week (fee)
  • ebike & bicycle rental 
  • pumps and bicycle repair kit on site 
  • you can borrow our helmets, back packs, yellow jackets and can hose down your bike on site 
  • we provide the daily local weather forecast 
  • possibility to order our delicious pic-nic
  • our guests can buy 'quick entrance tickets' to the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud 
  • the hotel can wash and dry your clothes (surcharge)
  • we can book a relaxing massage for you (off site, surcharge) 
  • a number of guide books, cycling maps, and itineraires at your disposal
  • we arrange luggage transfers 
  • our town has a minimarket, pharmacy, souvenir shop, bakery, market on Wednesday
We are sure that you will enjoy the Loire by bicycle as much as the 1 million cyclists who stay every year!
The (western) Loire Valley will delight you with nature, culture and gastronomy!

Since 2010 we have also been welcoming cyclists for the St Malo to Nice bicycle route. Fontevraud is on the third day and our hotel has been selected by the autors of the book and their official tour operator.

Some guests cycle all the way from the Atlantic to the Black sea as cycle paths are interconnected (Eurovelo 6) but just a couple of days of cycling will give you a good idea of what the Loire by bike is all about!
 

Some statistics:

  • La Loire à Vélo is one of the finest, most relaxed cycle routes in France
  • 900km  of cycle paths fully sign posted, official guide books and all local itineraires available online
  • across two regions (called 'region Centre' and 'region Pays de la Loire'), crossing 6 departments (Cher, Loiret, Loir-et-Cher, Indre-et-Loire, Maine-et-Loire, Loire-Atlantique) and 6 larger cities (Orléans, Blois, Tours, Saumur, Angers, Nantes).
Created from 1995 onwards, this huge project has become the biggest of France’s cycle routes. It has cost more than €52 million and attracts over 1 million cyclists a year.
60% of all La Loire a Vélo holiday makers are French, with mainly other European nationalities making up for the remaining 40%:  cyclists from the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK and Germany are joined by Americans, Canadians and Australians. 
 

Accueil Vélo

Hostellerie La Croix Blanche is a member of ‘Accueil Vélo’: a certified quality welcome for cyclists. This group of over 450 tourism professionals, all based close to the Loire à Vélo routes, will be delighted to provide specialist services and equipment.
 

Major cycling events in Anjou et Touraine

28-30th of June 2024 - Anjou Vélo Vintage
23th of June 2024 - La Fête du Vélo en Anjou
 

There are connections with other regions too:

  • special cycle route to Centerparcs Le Bois aux Daims (17km) possibility to get tickets for their  swimming paradise)
  • prolong your trip or do a round trip to include other areas such as Loire-Atlantique, Sarthe, Mayenne, Vendée, Touraine, Indre & Loire
  • Eurovélo 6
  • Vélo Francette - from Normandy to the Atlantic coast
  • Vélodyssée
  • Vallée du Loir (which is NOT the Loire Valley!)
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