Directions to bicycle the Loire River Valley, France, and the Châteaux of the Loire:

Part III—Point-to-point Bike Itinerary to cycle tour from the Atlantic to the Loire Headwaters

With information on cycling from the Atlantic to Budapest

Bike Rating: Very Good

For general information on the Loire Valley, including its geography, history,weather and main tourist sights, please refer to Part I of this article—General Information.

For information on organizing your own bike trip, including accommodations, bicycle renting, and train transportation, as well as recommended circuits of 3 to 8 days near Tours and Blois please refer to Part II of this Article.

Please follow this link for an explanation of the author's traffic ratings.

Option E, Loire Valley Long Point-to-point Itinerary:

Start: La Baule (or at Nantes or Angers).
End: Tours, Blois, Orleans, Nevers, Roanne, Le Puy-en-Velay or beyond.

Distance: From La Baule, with a Brittany day ride, to Orleans you'll ride about 530 kilometers—320 miles. Possible extensions up to 1,500 miles.

You are a serious biker, or a group of serious bikers, and you would like to follow the Loire River on a longer trip, passing through several different regions of France, or even beyond. Which direction should you do it in? In summer at least, you should probably follow the sense of the itinerary and ride upriver. The grade is unnoticeable (less than 1/10 of a percent) (except far upstream) and you will have the prevailing winds at your back. On the other hand, there is much to be said for finishing a tour at the beach in La Baule***, and, for early spring trips, the good weather usually occurs when (cold) winds from blow from east to west.

Needless to say, obtain maps, and plot your route ahead of time.

Notes:

La Loire à Vélo: French authorities are supposed to be working to create a long-distance, signposted, bike-friendly bike route along the Loire, inspired by the Danube bike route in Austria. Called "La Loire à Vélo" (the Loire by bike), it is supposed to utilize minor highways and newly created bike paths, with connections to major tourist sights. Work is supposed to be completed by 2006. The author, in late March of 2002 saw few indications that work on this route was underway. Now in this 2005 update, at least maps of sections from Angers to Tours exist. These can be found, in French, at http://loire-a-velo.fr.

Cross Europe Route: An across-Europe bike route is supposed to follow the Loire as far as Digoin and then cross Burgandy, Jura, to Basel (Switzerland), from which it will follow the Rhine and the Danube, through Germany, Austria, and Hungary to Budapest. The total biking distance from the Atlantic to Budapest, without side trips, is roughly 1,500 miles (2,500 kilometers). Inspired by this concept, yet to be realized, the author, from the general description found on the Internet of the planned European route, and from the study of maps, has come up with an itinerary that achieves the Atlantic to Budapest goal:.

Follow the Loire River Valley as far as Digoin—620 kilometers (370 miles) up the Loire. From Digoin, the author suggests you follow his itinerary described in this link ; it crosses France mainly along, and nearby, canals. (Crossing France further to the north saves two hundred miles; however, such a route encounters many hills, and takes longer.)

The Loire bicycling itinerary, being quite long, is divided into several subsections.

Sections of the Itinerary:

The Atlantic and Lower Loire Valley:
The Chateaux Region of the Loire:
The Loire from Orleans to Digoin:
Follow this Link to Cross Europe:
The Upper Loire above Digoin:

The names, and photographs of the best châteaux, may be found in Part I of this article.

Clicking on any photo enlarges it. Clicking on a red bar provides an even larger version.

The Atlantic and Lower Loire Valley:

Arrive by train in La Baule***, a Victorian seaside town with a wide, beach. You may need to ship your bike ahead by three business days. Another solution is to buy a "housse" (see information in the beginning of Part I of the article or in Bicycle Touring in Europe, Part 3.

You may wonder why the author has included La Baule—a town that isn't on the Loire—in this itinerary. The answer is that La Baule is only 8 miles (14 kilometers) from the mouth of the Loire, in the direction the Loire flows; that it feels entirely different than anywhere on the Loire itself; that it provides a wide choice of lodging and restaurants, which is not true at the actual mouth of the river; and that the author personally much enjoys the town and surrounding villages.

Please see the description of La Baule*** under "Best Towns and Cities" in part one of this article. There are two luxurious hotels, and many others, as well as a one star restaurant. You have a choice of 25 campgrounds nearby. The author recommends you stay two nights, and bike the tourist circuit described under La Baule in "Best Towns and Cities".

To commence your trip eastward from La Baule***, you could follow minor roads north of the major highway (N171) and along the Briere, via Montoit-de-Bretagne, directly to Donges, bypassing Saint Nazaire and the mouth of the Loire estuary. The author preferred to ride, and suggests, the following route:

Ride in the eastbound bike lane, the entire length of the beach in La Baule (while admiring the view). In Pornichet, there is no point in continuing along the shore on D292, which is hilly, and shielded from ocean views. Therefore follow the bike path along side D92, which is a left turn at the end of the esplanade. (The author, who rode rather along D292, picked up a bike path coming from the west along D92, which he followed into Saint Nazaire, so he believes it is the same same one that he saw along the road leaving Pornichet.)

In Saint Nazaire*, the bike path ends at a park along the water with some interesting fishing nets on booms. You have your first view of the Loire, and the lengthy Saint Nazaire Bridge. Saint Nazaire does have some hotels and a campground.

Ride east along the shore. You could turn left and ride through the town, but the author highly enjoyed (albeit on a weekend, with very light traffic) riding through the naval yards. To do so, cross a drawbridge; the road turns left (north); turn left again, and immediately right; you cross another drawbridge (good views of submarine base and of St. Nazaire bridge); a third drawbridge shortly appears on your right; cross it; the road turns north. You can now follow this road north until it ends at a main street back in the town.

Turn right (east). Follow this road a few blocks to the main highway leading to the Loire Bridge, which you definitely don't want to take. You turn left at the circle, curve right to pass under the highway, and curve right again to join highway D100, with a wide shoulder. Traffic was very light when the author rode here, but on a weekday it might be moderate or heavy.

When the bike path starts up, unless the traffic is very heavy, you might want to stay on the much faster and smoother road. Just before the bridge over the railroad track, be sure to get on the bike path. After the bridge this turns right and leads down to some tiny country lanes. Do not cross over the track: turn left just before it and follow the tiny lane. In about 0.5 kilometers, turn right on a lane that leads to Donges (1 campground).

The fastest route is probably to stay on D100 as it bypasses the town of Donges. The author enjoyed passing through Donges: to do so, after bypassing a couple of left turns, do turn left . If you ride by the church and continue east, with a left jog, on tiny roads, you will eventually emerge at D100 near the village of la Mègretais. Turn left. In a couple of kilometers, at la Morrais, you will be able to turn right across the rail tracks. Follow little roads to Lavau-sur-Loire, Bouée, and then by D93 to Saint Etienne-de-Montluc, which is a town with some hotels and a campground. In the region, there are also hotels and a campground at Santenay.

From Saint Etienne-de-Montluc, the main road is D17, and at the Y, left on D101. But this may have moderate traffic. So you can follow the little road north of this to Pociou. In any event, you want to turn south towards Couëron, not on D81 but on D26, which is a couple of kilometers further east. If you went through Poiciou you will be on the right road. Take a left at Moye towards La Siniere and Saint Herblain and follow (from D75 on) an excellent bike lane, all the way into Nantes (about 55 kilometers from Saint Nazaire by these back roads).

Should you wish to stay in modern, plain, very inexpensive hotels (20-30 Euro per night), or should the hotels in Nantes be full when you call ahead, you will find a few of these hotels just north oft the intersection of D75 and D201. Bicycle lanes run along D75; the detour north is about a kilometer.

Nantes*** is a large city of 250,000 inhabitants, and a major port. It has a large selection of hotels and restaurants. There is also a youth hostel and a campground, accessible by bike lanes. The tourist office, just off your route through town, on the left in a square old building across from a plaza, can provide biking maps and directions.. The ducal palace and the cathedral are two of the most important sights.

Assuming you are not detouring to a hotel in Nantes, here is how to bike through the city: The bike route you have followed into town arrives at the Loire River in the heart of the city. The bike lane, as well as the road and the tracks curve left, heading northeast, leaving the river. You should do the same. If you follow the tram tracks, you will see the tourist office just on your left. In 400 yards (meters) you will come to the medieval château** on your left. Turn left before the edifice, then right over the drawbridge. Visiting the ramparts is free.

When you are ready to leave Nantes, just at the far end of the château (and before the railroad station) take a right turn leading up onto a bridge (bike lane). Don't make the mistake of branching right opposite the château, and riding under the bridge to the station. Cross the bridge, and as soon as you can do so, make a U-turn. Ride back toward the bridge in the bike lane on the other side of the street, branching right just before the bridge, until you reach the tracks. Turn right, a bike lane starts up, and you curve right along the far side of a boat basin. Where the highway comes in from a bridge on your right, you cross, turn left and follow the bike path out of town.

Where the roadway ends at a traffic circle, and the bike lane turn lefts, you do not. You stay straight onto a little street, and in a short distance reach a meandering bike and pedestrian lane, inaccessible to automobiles, alongside the Loire. This provides delightful riding.

You continue on this bike-pedestrian path for about 12 kilometers to the town of Maures. For the last kilometer you ride on the main road (very light traffic). The continuation road along the railroad tracks in the same direction is suitable only for mountain bikes...

You could choose to avoid Nantes altogether, by bypassing it to the North: Before Saint Etienne-de-Montluc, turn left on D49 and follow this through Vigneux-de-Bretagne to Sucé-sur-Edre (one star restaurant). You could choose to overnight southwest of Sucé, in Orvault, a Nantes suburb, which has a hotel with a one star restaurant; or in Sucé there are a few rooms above the Cordon Bleu restaurant. To continue,, from Sucé-sur-Erde follow D37 until it comes to the Loire. Turn left onto the bike-pedestrian path, and follow to Maure, about 4-5 kilometers. However, I see no reason to bypass Nantes, because the town is interesting, and because the wide bike lanes provide protection from traffic.

From Maures, cross the bridge to the south side of the Loire. Turn left on D751, which had very light traffic when the author rode there. The first 6 kilometers are flat, then the road becomes very hilly for 5 kilometers to Champtoceaux*. Champtoceaux has a fine site, a nice promenade with views, several hotels, a campground, and a Michelin one star restaurant.

After Champtoceaux, D751 stays hilly for 21 kilometers (until St. Florent le Vieil—light traffic). Take D210 for 15 kilometers along the Loire on a levee to Montjean-sur-Loire for a change of view, very light traffic, and flat riding, even though it is 2 kilometers longer. The terrain becomes rolling to Chalones-sur-Loire (9 kilometers). Around the town the traffic can be light to moderate, though elsewhere it is light. There is a campground. You leave town on D751 by crossing a long bridge and curving around a hill.

I recommend a short detour here: Just before the bridge over the train track, a road Ys right and leads uphill through charming countryside with very light traffic. By bearing left, in a few kilometers you rejoin the highway, which has risen to the same level. The terrain is rolling to Murs Erigné (22 kilometers form Chalonnes-sur-Loire—light traffic until Rochefort-sur Loire, then light to moderate traffic). You could perhaps avoid some hills and traffic by taking D132 at Béhuard, but a local resident advised the author otherwise.) Turn left here toward Les Ponts-de-Ce.

To bypass Angers, turn right on D132 just before the river and then follow D751 (shorter, hilly, somewhat heavier traffic) or D132 again to Gennes (hotel—24 to 27 kilometers).

The Châteaux Region of the Loire:

To bike into Angers*** from Les Ponts-de-Ce, stay straight ahead over several bridges (moderate traffic). When the road is about to enter a major four lane highway ahead, veer right onto Rue de Ponts-de-Ce, which parallels the main highway. Follow this (light traffic) until it intersects at a very small angle with another street. Bear right (sign "Centre Ville", i.e., Center of the Town). Follow this street (Rue Rablais) passing two streets on your right, and then bear left (sign "Centre Ville"—moderate traffic). You are in the heart of the city. If you don't know where you are staying, the tourist office is behind the Château*** .

Angers*** (many hotels and a campground across the Maine river) is a charming city with incredible textile treasures. The Château, described under "Best Chateaux", contains the Apocalypse Tapestry, the oldest, largest, and in some ways the best tapestry in the world— a great masterpiece in the author's opinion. It is 15 feet high and runs the length of a football field. (Note: The much older wonderful "tapestry" in Bayeux is not a tapestry at all but an embroidery.) Many other wonderful tapestries are on display in another part of the castle. If you like art, the author highly recommends spending two hours in the Château seeing these unbelievable and ancient tapestries. The old-town and shopping areas of Angers are quaint.

To leave Angers, simply take the main road that runs by the Château in a southeastward direction. The traffic on this main road (which becomes D952) at about 9:30 in the morning was light to moderate. It would probably be heavy in the evening rush hour. After Sorges, the traffic was light plus. Cross to the south bank of the Loire at Saint Mathurins-sur-Loire (campgrounds), about 19 kilometers from the Château of Angers.

Traffic on D232 to Gennes was very light (10 kilometers—flat). There are hotels at Gennes and a one-star restaurant and a campground across the river at les Rosiers-sur-Loire. (Hotels are also found ahead at Chênehutte, St. Martin-de-la-Place, Saumur,and Fontevraud—the latter also has a one-star restaurant.) Fifteen kilometers from Gennes lies Saumur**(see "Best Towns". The town has considerable charm, the château is imposing, and there are other sights as well. To reach the center of town, bear left at the Y ). Traffic becomes moderate, from about 5 kilometers before to about 10 kilometers after Saumur. If going to Fontevraud, you can probably avoid the traffic on D751 after Saumur by taking D145 through the forest.

The Abbey of Fontvraud** (described under "Best Châteaux"), the largest in France, lies 15 kilometers from Saumur. The author found it well worth the 9 kilometer total detour.

Twenty kilometers from Fontevraud lies Chinon** (a "Best Town"), on the Vienne River, a charming town with many sights including its famous château** — a medieval fortress. There are several moderate hotels and a one star restaurant. Nearby, in Marçay, there is a 15th century château hotel, also with a one star restaurant, and in Beaumont-en-Véron there is another 15th century chateau hotel.

For detailed directions and information in this part of the Loire region, please refer to all of the Loop Tours in Part II of this article <link to Loop option D>. By all means, spend several days in this region of the Loire Valley. The following paragraphs merely summarize some possible routings.

Nearby Chinon, only 12 kilometers away, lies Ussé** with its chateau**. Take D16 and D7 or cross through the forest. Around Chinon, the terrain is rolling. However a high ridge starts up at the château, which you can avoid if you circle the town to the west.

By following D751 through the forest for a total of 21 kilometers, you now come to Azay-le-Rideau*** (hotels, campground), famous for its castle, on the Indre River. As the road is bumpy and traffic is light to moderate, but with many trucks, if you have the time you might well prefer to ride north on back roads to D7, to visit the Ussé château** (18 kilometers) and the famous, geometric Villandry gardens*** (21 more kilometers—hotel), before turning south for 11 kilometers to Azay-le-Rideau***.

If you don't stay in Azay-le-Rideau, you could continue along the Indre for 22 kilometers to Montbazon, which has a five star chateau hotel (swimming and tennis) with a one star restaurant; and also a Michelin two star rated restaurant. The chateau hotel is probably the main tourist sight in the town.

From Montbazon you could continue another 40 kilometers to Loches**, with a medieval chateau and interesting upper town, and a few modest hotels. The author did not rank this château or town among the very best, but he did like it very much. To continue from Loches to Chenonceau***, you will actually have to ride up a long hill! You pass through rolling country for some 30 kilometers until you return to the Loire valley. Or, you could go to Chenonceau*** directly from Montbazon.

Your alternative is to visit the city of Tours**. Tours has many sights, and a fancy hotel with a ** restaurant, as well as other hotels at all levels. In Tours you will want to see the cathedral and its quarter. There are other top hotels and restaurants outside the city.

You might continue in the Indre valley to Montrichard*, 8 kilometers away, a charming town with two château hotels, and then ride to Blois*** via Chevernay*** (about 50 kilometers), or you could first visit Amboise**, a charming town with a château** and a good view. Amboise has a choice of hotels and a one star restaurant. It is 11 kilometers from Chenonceau to Amboise, and 36 kilometers from Amboise to Blois.

(Long distance riders might want to follow the Cher River from Montrichard* to Bourges*** , whose cathedral has fabulous stained glass windows (hotels, 60 miles, 100 k), and then continue on by D15 and D100 (34 miles, 56 k) to the Allier River and Apremont, eventually arriving back at the Loire as described later in the article. This "shortcut" route is 76 miles (127 kilometers) shorter than the Loire River route.

Blois*** (hotels) is a very interesting town, with a fabulous chateau***, and it is well worth a visit. If you should choose to bypass Blois, or if you wish to stay outside the city, there are hotels and a starred restaurant in Cour-Cheverny (on D765 due southeast from Blois). Cheverny*** is a wonderful château. A bit further in Bracieux, there is a very modest hotel, and a superlative one-star restaurant. At Chambord there is one hotel.

Another château you should not miss is Chambord***, 21 kilometers from Blois and 45 kilometers from Orleans*. After your visit to Chambord***, you will have covered the most famous sights of the Loire valley. If you are returning to Paris, you may take a train at Blois***, Beaugency* or Meung*, or continue to the station in Orléans*.

To bike from Chambord*** to Orléans, follow D112 to Muides (this is not well signed north of the château). Then follow D951 (light to moderate traffic) to Orléans, a total of about 45 kilometers. Just before the river at Orléans there is a little road to the right that parallels the river and avoids some traffic. Orléans* has a monumental city center, many modest hotels and one star restaurant. Trains, some of which carry assembled bikes, run to Paris in 70 minutes.

If bypassing Orléans, from St. Hilaire take D14. You will pass next to the Floral Gardens of la Source**. There are hotels in Olivet and la Source.

The Loire from Orleans to Digoin:

Cross to the south side of the Loire River on a bike path that follows near the railway track. To avoid traffic, branch onto D126. You might want to visit the Floral Park of the Source**, when you pass nearby. At Saint Cyr-en-Val, follow D14 eastwards. About 48 kilometers from Orléans, you arrive in Sully-sur-Loire. If you wish to see the Romanesque basilica of St.-Benoit-sur-Loire**, constructed between 1067 and 1218, cross the Loire at Sully-sur-Loire and backtrack northeast on D60 for 7 kilometers. After your visit, return to Sully-sur-Loire.

Now follow D951 to Gien*(23 kilometers). Gien has hotels, a campground, and restaurants as well as a Château that houses the enjoyable International Museum of Hunting**. From the terrace near the château, there is a great view over the town and the Loire.

From now on, stay always on the east side of the Loire to avoid most traffic. In the author's experience, traffic on the rest of this itinerary was always very light or light, except in large towns.

From Gien you follow D951 and then D955 south (rolling terrain). There is a hotel at Châtillon-sur-Loire and an inn at Lére. To arrive at the perched town of Sancerre* (hotels—44 kilometers), you must ride (or walk!) your bike steeply up a hill. Sincere has well-known white wines, and fine views.

After Sancerre*, after a 24 kilometer ride on D920, you might want to stop at la Charite-sur-Loire*, a thirteenth century basilica (hotel). It could be amusing, along the way, to ride an extra 3 or 4 kilometers on the "island" between the canal and the Loire on D206 and D187. From Charite-sur-Loire follow D45 to Cours-les-Barres (about 19 kilometers). Now you need to choose between several alternatives:

Shortest route—Follow D12, D920 and D40 for 12 kilometers (in moderate traffic) to the city of Nevers* (hotels, campground, *restaurant, see the cathedral**).

Leave Nevers* by the N7 bridge, and branch left onto D13. At le Fourneau, stay straight on D116 to Decize (39 kilometers) ,and then straight through Lamenay-sur-Loire, now on D15. From here 5 kilometers brings you to Gannay-sur-Loire, where you turn left on D30 on which you cross the Loire, then bear right on D196 to Cronat, and then turn south on a back road to Place-des-Levées, nearby Serre and for about 2 kilometers on the main road (D973) into Bourbon-Lancy (hotels, campgrounds—approximately 78 kilometers from Nevers.

From here 23 kilometers of a very hilly back road (D251), or 31 kilometers on the main highway (D979—check for traffic) brings you to Digoin. Digoin has hotels and a campground.The total distance from Cours-les-Barres is 113 to 121 kilometers.

Alternative 1—Bypass Nevers by the shortest route: Continue south on D43 from Cours-les-Barres to D976 (7.5 kilometers). Now cross the Allier River and turn south on D134 and back roads to Magny-Cours (14 kilometers from D134) where there is a one-star restaurant with rooms, and a hotel. From Magny-Cours you follow back roads southeastward to D13 at le Fourneau (another 14 kilometers). From here you continue on the shortest route described above. This routing adds 5 kilometers to the shortest route.

Alternative 2—Alternative 1 with a side trip to Apremont-sur-Allier: The author personally gives a ** rating to Apremont-sur-Allier—a beautifully manicured village of great charm in the midst of lovely gardens—and would detour in decent weather if he made the trip again . To visit, from the intersection of D976 continue south for 4.5 kilometers. When the visit is over, return by the same route and follow Alternative 1. This routings adds 9 kilometers to Alternative 1.

Alternative 3—Bypass Nevers to Apremont-sur-Allier, and continue south along the Allier River to Moulins, before turning east to Digoin: From Apremont-sur-Allier, follow D45 and D101. There is a hotel at La Veurdre, 20 kilometers to the south. Continue another 35 kilometers via D45 and D101 to Moulins* on the Allier river (hotels and a campground). Sights include the Cathedral with its triptych and stained glass windows, and a Museum of Archaeology.

From Moulins, cross eastward, back towards the Loire, on D12 to Thiel-sur-Alcolin. If you note light traffic on the national highway N1079, you may wish to take this, as it is flatter and shorter (56 kilometers total -- (inn and campground in Dompiere-sur-Bresbe). If it is too busy, continue as follows: take D164 to Saint Poursain-sur-Bresbe, then D296 to Saligny-sur-Roudon, then D165 to Les Henry, then bike to Les Robin, then D59 to the National highway N79, and follow this into Digoin (about 65 kilometers - hotels, campground). Depending upon the exact routings taken, this alternative adds perhaps 10 or 20 kilometers to the shortest route.

Alternatives 4 and 5—First visit Nevers, then detour back to Apremont-sur-Allier, and then either come back through Magny-Cours as in Alternative 2, or continue south via Moulins as per alternative 3. You leave Nevers by N7, turrn west on D796, and turn south on D45, reaching Apremont-sur-Allier in 17 kilometers. This routing adds 15 more kilometers to the the extra ones in Alternatives 2 and 3.

To ride from Digoin to Burgandy, Jura, Alsace, Switzerland, Germany, Austria or Hungary, click on this link.

Follow this Link to Cross Europe:

The Upper Loire above Digoin:

South of Digoin there is no evident place to stay until Roanne (52 kilometers by main road, 60 kilometers or more by back roads to the west of the Loire). Roanne has no special sights, but it does have a famous, expensive Michelin three star restaurant in a lovely hotel, as well as a one star restaurant, and a selection of other hotels.

From Roanne, you can choose to follow the easier route via D53 and D8 (hotels in St. Germain Laval—traffic unknown) to Montbrison (59 kilometers); or to take the hilly but beautiful Loire gorges — east bank to Pinay, then west bank to Nervieux, then D5 to Montbrison (56 kilometers - hotels, campground).

From Montbrison, it is 15 kilometers on D8 to Bonson (some minimal rooms) (hotels available 6 kilometers east in Andrézieu-Boutheon, or 5 kilometers west in St. Marcellin-en-Forez).

Enter the Loire gorges on D108; there are some long hills, and a great viewpoint near Chambles* (campground). At the intersection with D3 (37 kilometers from Montbrison), back at river level, you can detour east on D3 into the town of Firminy (Hotels; 40kilometers from Montbrison). Train service to Lyon and Paris is available from the nearby city of St. Etienne).

Now continue south from the intersection with D3, in the Gorges, on D46, where you'll be riding continually, but slowly, uphill. There are some rooms in Aurec-sur-Loire (in 7 kilometers) and a few more rooms in Beauzac and Bransac (31 kilometers from D3). From here it is 47 kilometers to the next town with hotels, Le Puy-en-Velay***, although you probably could find somewhere to stay if you have to. If you are camping, there are 2 campgrounds at Retournac (44 kilometers from D3). Do set up your plans to reach Le Puy, and plan to stay for two nights.

Le Puy***, at an elevation of 2,000 feet, is the start of the most famous French route of the pilgrimage of Saint Jacques of Compostelle. <Link to Saint Jacques of Compostelle Biking Itinerary>. While the new town of Le Puy has no particular charm, the medieval quarter is special, with a wonderful Romanesque cathedral***. There are other attractive churches, several viewpoints, and also a chapel perched upon a pinnacle. For an overall photo see this link: http://www.ot-lepuyenvelay.fr/. For hazy but still usable photos see: http://www.marie_le_puy-en-velay.fr.

From Le Puy there may be connecting train service, carrying assembled bikes, to Paris, or employ a bike bage called in French, a housse.

Alternatively, although the author has never tried it, surely you could continue south on back roads, following the swerves of the Loire, to Coucouron (at 3,700 feet), and leaving the Loire watershed, reach Pradelles (campground) and Langogne (74 kilometers—hotels), or reach Langogne directly (in only 42 kilometers) by following the main highway (hotels also in Arlempdes and Coucouron; campground at Solignac-sur-Loire).

You could continue from here on south on D906, biking in the mountains. In 99 kilometers of mainly down hill, but some times uphill riding, you'd arrive at Alès on the edge of Provence! From Alès, why not follow D324, D24 and D907 for 50 kilometers to Nimes***? <Link to How to Bike Provence>.

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