Alternatively, you can travel by regional trains that carry cycles to St Malo (via Nantes and Rennes), from where daily ferry services sail to Portsmouth (Brittany Ferries, www.brittany-ferries.co.uk) and Poole via the Channel Islands (Condor Ferries, www.condorferries.co.uk).
Navigation
Maps
There is no specific cycling map that covers the whole route. From the source to Digoin (Stages 1–7) it is necessary to rely on the maps in this book or use general road and leisure maps. The most suitable road maps are:
Michelin (1:150,000)
331 Ardèche, Haute Loire
327 Loire, Rhône
IGN (1:100,000)
156 Le Puy-en-Velay, Privas
149 Lyon, St Étienne
141 Moulins, Vichy
Below Digoin (Stage 8 onwards) the route is excellently mapped by the first four sheets of the definitive series of 1:100,000 strip maps of EuroVélo 6, published by Huber Kartographie. These can be purchased separately or as a set of six with two additional maps showing the route of EV6 through eastern France to Basle.
Huber Kartographie, La Loire à Vélo (1:100,000)
sheet 4 Belleville-sur-Loire – Paray-le-Monial
sheet 3 Blois – Belleville-sur-Loire
sheet 2 Angers – Blois
sheet 1 Atlantique – Angers
Various online maps are available to download, at a scale of your choice. Particularly useful is Open Street Map, www.openstreetmap.org, which has a cycle route option showing the routes of both La Loire à Vélo and EV6. There are specific websites dedicated to Loire à Vélo and EV6 which include definitive route maps and details about accommodation and refreshments, points of interest, tourist offices and cycle shops. These can be found at www.cycling-loire.com and www.eurovelo6-france.com
Waymarking
The first four stages from Gerbier de Jonc to Aurec approximately follow a regional cycle route waymarked as ‘Vivez la Loire Sauvage’ (VLS). There is no waymarking between Aurec and Digoin (Stages 5–7). After Digoin, EuroVélo route 6 (EV6) is followed, and at Cuffy near Nevers (Stage 11) this is joined by a French national route waymarked as La Loire à Vélo (LV). Although these two routes then run together to St Brevin-les-Pins opposite St Nazaire, waymarking is predominantly ‘Loire à Vélo’. Route development and waymarking vary between départements. In the introduction to each stage an indication is given of the predominant waymarks followed.
The first part of the route before Nevers often follows local roads. These are numbered as départmental roads (D roads). However, the numbering system can be confusing. Responsibility for roads in France has been devolved from national to local government, with responsibility for many former routes nationales (N roads) being transferred to local départements. This has resulted in most being renumbered as D roads. As départements have different systems of numbering, D road numbers often change when crossing département boundaries.
| Summary of cycle routes followed | ||
| VLS | Vivez la Loire Sauvage | Stages 1–4 |
| EV6 | EuroVélo 6 | Stages 8–10 |
| LV | Loire à Vélo | Stages 11–26 |
Clockwise from top (etc): Vivez la Loire Sauvage waymark; La Loire en Bourgogne waymark; Combined Loire à Vélo and EV6 waymark; Provisional Loire à Vélo waymark
Guidebooks
There are three published guidebooks, but all three only cover Stages 11–26 between Nevers and St Nazaire. Chamina Edition publish La Loire à Vélo in French with strip maps at 1:100,000. Ouest-France publish Loire à Vélo Trail by Michel Bonduelle, originally in French with an English translation first published in 2010. In German, Esterbauer Bikeline publish a Radtourenbuch und Karte (cycle tour guidebook with maps) with maps at 1:75,000.
There are a number of general touring guides to the Loire, including those from Michelin Green Guides (Château of the Loire) and Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Travel (Loire Valley).
Most of these maps and guidebooks are available from leading bookshops including Stanfords, London and The Map Shop, Upton-upon-Severn. Relevant maps are widely available en route.
Accommodation
Hotels, guest houses and bed & breakfast
For most of the route there is a wide variety of accommodation. The stage descriptions identify places known to have accommodation, but they are not exhaustive. Hotels vary from expensive five-star properties to modest local establishments and usually offer a full meal service. Guest houses and bed & breakfast accommodation, known as chambres d’hôte in French, generally offer only breakfast. Tourist information offices will often telephone for you and make local reservations. After hours, some tourist offices display a sign outside showing local establishments with vacancies. Booking ahead is seldom necessary, except on popular stages in high season, although it is advisable to start looking for accommodation after 1600. Most properties are cycle-friendly and will find you a secure overnight place for your pride and joy. Accueil Vélo (cyclists welcome) is a national quality mark displayed by establishments within 5km of the route that welcome cyclists and provide facilities including overnight cycle storage.
Prices for accommodation in France are similar to, or slightly cheaper than, prices in the UK.
Many hotels and guest houses display Cyclists Welcome signs
Youth hostels and gîtes d’étape
There are five official youth hostels on or near the route and these are listed in Appendix D. In addition there are independent backpackers’ hostels in some of the larger towns and cities. To use an official youth hostel you need to be a member of an association affiliated to Hostelling International (YHA in England, SYHA in Scotland). Unlike British hostels, most European hostels do not have self-catering facilities but do provide good value hot meals. Hostels get very busy, particularly during school holidays, and booking is advised through www.hihostels.com. Details of independent hostels can be found at www.hostelbookers.com
Gîtes d’étape are hostels and rural refuges in France, mainly for walkers. They are mostly found in mountain areas, although there are some along the Loire Valley, particularly in Ardèche. Full details of all French gîtes d’étape can be found at www.gites-refuges.com. Do not confuse these with Gîtes de France, which are rural properties rented as weekly holiday homes.
Most accommodation has secure storage for cycles, like this cycle garage in Gien (Stage 14)
Camping
If you are prepared to carry all the necessary equipment, camping is the cheapest way of cycling