La Loire à Vélo: Nevers to Blois

Suitable for intermediate cyclists. The route mainly follows quiet, safe tarmac roads and a few compacted sand tracks, avoiding busier secondary roads wherever possible.
Daily stages of 28 to 60 km. The entire route is signposted in both directions.

You only carry what you need for the day in a small backpack or pannier, along with your picnic lunch.
Your luggage will be waiting for you at your hotel each evening: luggage is limited to one bag per person (maximum 20 kg). Bags must be left at the hotel reception before 9 am and will be delivered before 6 pm.

From 2 people.

8 days, 7 nights, 6 days of cycling.

Start on a date of your choice from mid-April to mid-October.

A self-guided trip without a guide. We provide a digital travel pack that includes access to our smartphone navigation app, a list of your accommodation, any vouchers required and all the information you need for your trip to run smoothly.

If you wish, we can provide a printed travel pack with maps, a route guide and a travel wallet for a supplement of 35 € per pack. For printed travel packs requested less than 45 days before departure, and for travellers living abroad, the packs will be sent to the first hotel on your route.

Accommodation

Bed and breakfast in a room for two, in 2* and 3* hotels (3 nights) or equivalent accommodation, or in guesthouses. If accommodation is fully booked, we may arrange for you to stay at another hotel of the same standard.

Hotel ratings

In France, increasing numbers of hotels and guesthouses choose not to have an official rating, including establishments that were still rated a year or two ago. This does not mean their quality has declined—far from it. Many guesthouses offer charming accommodation.
If, for example, we describe the comfort level as “3* or equivalent”, this means that the establishment may not have an official rating, but offers a level of comfort comparable to a 3* hotel.

Meals

Breakfasts are included. For picnic supplies and evening meals, the route passes through many villages. This gives you a choice of where to have lunch… a restaurant, the village café, an inn or a picnic.

Please let us know about any food allergies or special dietary requirements when booking; we will do our best to adapt your meals.

Start

On day 1 in Nevers.

Finish

On day 8 after breakfast in Blois.

You can add an extra night before or after your cycling holiday in Nevers or Blois. You can also continue with our FRALV0022 trip from Blois to Angers.

Bike hire

Unfortunately, our bike hire partner no longer serves this section of the Loire. Bike hire is only available for groups hiring 8 bikes.

By train

Arriving in Nevers
From Lyon: TER + Intercités, 1 change in Vichy, around 3 hours 15 minutes

Departing from Blois

You can check timetables and fares on Oui.SNCF

By car

Plan your own route on Via Michelin

Parking your car

Parking is available at the hotel in Nevers.

A number of our trips offer opportunities to swim along the route or at the end of the day. It would be a shame to miss out. However, you alone must decide whether it is appropriate to swim; any swimming is therefore your responsibility and undertaken at your own risk.

Member of Agir pour un Tourisme Responsable (ATR)

Since 2012, Grand Angle has been a member of ATR, the leading association for more responsible tourism. We design our trips – on foot, by bike and on snow – to invite everyone to discover the world differently: with curiosity, respect and kindness.

As a member of the board of directors since 2018, we actively help the sector develop more meaningful practices. In practical terms, we are committed to:

• Transparency in our practices and pricing
• Respect for our partners and local communities
• Protecting the environment on every trip

We also share the values of the Traveller’s Ethical Charter, which encourages everyone to take simple steps to protect the places they visit and foster rewarding encounters.

Travelife Partner

Since 2025, Grand Angle has held Travelife Partner status, an international label that certifies our responsible practices in environmental protection, ethics and sustainable management, both within our company and in our work with partners and the organisation of our trips.

This label, the second level of a rigorous international certification scheme, recognises our practical efforts towards responsible tourism. We are actively working towards the next level, Travelife Certified, in line with our sustainability policy

For cycling

• Cycling shorts or tights, depending on the season
• Cycling gloves
• Helmet (provided with bike hire)
• Sunglasses (for protection from the sun, wind and midges)
• Windproof jacket
• T-shirts or cycling jerseys

Note: synthetic technical clothing performs very well. Merino wool clothing is now also available; it performs very well, is comfortable to wear and has the advantage of not developing sweat odours (brands include Icebreaker, Ruka, etc.)!
As a general rule, avoid cotton, which makes you cold when wet.

For your lunchtime picnic

• Plastic bowl or plate
• Cutlery (spoon, fork, knife)

Protection from sun and rain

• Sunscreen and sunglasses
• Hat, cap or bucket hat (helmet)
• A windproof jacket
• A rain poncho or a Gore-Tex jacket

After the day’s activities

• A jumper or fleece
• Comfortable walking trousers
• A pair of shorts
• A tracksuit or a change of clothes
• A lightweight, long-sleeved cotton shirt
• A pair of running-style trainers for the evening
• Spare clothes and underwear
• Toiletry bag
• A small first-aid kit: personal medication, Elastoplast, Bio-Gaze or “2nd skin” dressings, gauze, antiseptic, arnica granules and aspirin for minor aches and injuries…

• If your bike does not have a pannier, bring a comfortable small 40-litre backpack with a waist belt to carry your personal belongings and picnic during the day. If you have a luggage rack, you can secure your bag to it with bungee cords. Rental bikes come with a pannier for your belongings. Bring a small backpack as well, so you can easily carry your belongings when you stop to visit places along the way.
• A bag for luggage transfers: a backpack or travel bag in good condition.

Country: France
Capital: Paris

Documents

Travellers, including children, must carry a national identity card or passport (EU nationals).

Useful addresses

Nevers Tourism
Palais Ducal
1 rue Sabatier, BP818
58008 NEVERS CEDEX
Tel: +333 86684600

Opening hours
1 October – 30 April: Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00–12:30 and 14:00–17:30
2 May – 30 September: Monday to Saturday, 08:30–18:30; Sundays and public holidays, 10:00–13:00 and 15:00–18:00

Orléans Loire Valley Tourism
23, place du Martroi
45056 Orléans cedex
Tel: +332 38240505

Opening hours
April – September: Monday to Sunday and public holidays, 09:00–19:00
October – March: Monday to Thursday, 10:00–18:00; Friday and Saturday, 10:00–18:30; Sundays and public holidays, 10:00–18:00

Blois Chambord Tourist Office

5 Rue de la Voûte du Château
41000 BLOIS
Tel: +332 54904141

Dialling code for calling France from abroad: +33.

No time difference. GMT +1.

IGN Top100 map: no. 127 Orléans Blois and no. 135 Nevers Autun.