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One way bike rental in Loire

Posted by (Florida, USA) on

Planning a trip for mid September to early October this year.

Rick mentions one group of bike shops in the Loire where you can pick up a bicycle at one shop and drop it at another. I'm thinking of picking up in Saumur and dropping in Tours maybe four or five days later after riding and touring some chateaux. It looks like the "comfort bike" is the best choice. Anyone have experience renting bikes in Loire? Good experiences, bad experiences, things to know, etc?

Ideally I'm looking for maximum flexibility, changing pickup locations/days based on local weather. The plan is to have a rental car, drop it and trade for a bike, then train from Tours to Chartes for a look around, then into Paris for the remainder of my trip. If, worse case scenario, it's raining the entire time, I'd probably fall back to just keeping the rental car until I go to the train.

Thanks,

Brad

Posted by
11 posts

I did a two and a half day ride two years ago through Détours de Loire (http://www.locationdevelos.com/). Really easy company to work with. I speak French, but everyone who works there speaks English and are very helpful. Prices are very similar to what you will get elsewhere in France. If you are going to do some of the Chateau's, make sure to stop at the Tourist Information Booth in Saumur and pick up tickets beforehand so you don't have to wait in lines. Make sure to stop at some of the smaller vineyards and I found that going off actual trail provided some lifelong memories that I never would have had otherwise. Also, make sure to try La Loire wine, Vouvray. Easily one of the best I had while down there!

Have a great trip!

Posted by
12172 posts

Thanks, I contacted the company by email. They got right back to me. They will be around in late September so I expect to rent a bike through them.

Now I'm trying to decide between a normal bike and electric bike. I like the idea of getting places a little quicker but worry I might not be able to recharge the bike along the way and end up stuck peddling a heavier bike.

Posted by
11 posts

It all depends on how far you plan on biking. I did 70+ miles in two days on a cruiser... Not the best idea, but there aren't that many hills and its pretty easy to get from place to place. I don't think it matters as long you can stop in places to charge. If you are going to the Chateau's, you should be able to charge the electric bike there, but you may want to check on that before getting an electric.

Posted by
12172 posts

I'll ask the bike shop about recharging. If I could recharge at most stops, it would be more than enough.

I'm thinking the electric bike as a way to reduce some riding hours and maybe save a day. I can ride a lot of miles when I need to but I wanted to keep the riding light. If someone tags along who isn't a great rider, I don't want to kill them. I also think if I keep the legs easy, it gives me the option to hang out places longer and relax - not in a hurry to get going because I've got a lot of miles to complete.

As always, I like to keep as much flexibility as possible in my plan.

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