Loire Valley - Advice sought plus possible companion ....

[fatblokish]

This is a good map, with camp sites etc listed.
http://www.cycling-loire.com/cyclin...e?lat=47.45037944422677&lng=2.888488749999965

 

[DiddlyDodds]

Cheers. Will look out for the restaurant.

The wife has just pointed out to me that France is full of great restaurants and it was 5 years ago when I was there last....

 

[yello]

The wife has just pointed out to me that France is full of great restaurants.

It's full of restaurants, that's for sure, so it depends on your definition of great. If you mean great as in affordable (or cheap even) then it's certainly true. You can get a perfectly decent lunch for sod all in just about every town... but don't expect gourmet cuisine. Your typical cheap French set lunch (menu du jour) is effectively a worker's lunch. People are eating out for lunch pretty much every day, so it has to be affordable. I've seen 3 course set menu lunches for as little as €11 or €12. So, be realistic, for that price you're not going to get anything special! And there won't be much choice, sometimes none at all. You get what you're given. Don't get me wrong, it'll be good and certainly better than you'd probably cook for yourself over your camp stove, and you'll leave feeling replete but don't expect to be in culinary heaven!

You don't get 3 star restaurants in every town - you do get good value ones though.

 

[fatblokish]

Here's some good info on trains...
http://www.ctc.org.uk/article/cycling-guide/how-to-take-your-bike-on-holiday-to-france-rail

 

[frank9755]

As others say, campsites are good. I'd go for the municipal ones, which most towns have. They tend to be a bit out of the centre so it is worth buying food for the evening before going to the site (more important in hillier areas!). Normally clean, with good showers, and very friendly. Cost is very reasonable, maybe €4-10. I've never been turned away but good advice to get there at a reasonable time.

Some people like the Loire. Personally it's not my favourite bit of France. It's pretty but I found it got a bit same-y, after a few days, riding along mostly flat roads beside a river. I'd rather do the bit you are getting the train for, with the Loire as a destination, but you might like it.

I've used pages torn from a road atlas in France. But, the Loire a velo maps are pretty good for that area.

West to East is more likely to have a tail wind. If you want to get to Paris afterwards it makes sense to do it that way.

Good luck!