Chateau to Chateau family cycling tour in the Loire

Planet

Okay, so you’re on a cycling holiday… but you are not just an observer; in fact you’re playing a role in the environmental, local and social development in the region you are visiting.
Consider this: during your journey, you set out to encounter the Châteaux de la Loire by using a means of transport - a bicycle - which is among the most ecological that exist. You will cycle along specifically and safely designed itineraries created by the regional authorities to promote soft transport that reduces the carbon footprint of tourism. And all along the way, you will enjoy the numerous forest domains you ride through, always close to nature, yet at the same time learning and understanding much more about the historical environment.

The people who run the restaurants you eat in take care to propose meals elaborated with local products, thus ensuring menus of quality whilst reducing the often hidden ecological impact of transporting foodstuffs from afar.

Furthermore, we have selected excellent accommodation for the beginning and end of your holiday also because it is close to railway stations or public transport hubs, still with the aim of reducing the carbon footprint.

In our very own office we have developed software which considerably reduces power consumption and paper use. We work with the company that specialises in recycling old computers and cartridges at the end of their usefulness.

What about supplies? Well, we think ‘fair-trade’ here, too. For example we work in partnership with Lygo who have our travel pouches made in Dakar, who thus create new jobs whilst using profits to support local projects in Senegal.

People

Holidaying with us means taking the time to explore a region, feel its pulse. Far from the usual tourist fast-fare, we propose a gourmet appreciation of authentic France.

In all our holidays, we make sure that we are working with partners in small-scale structures to help develop the local economy and usefully reduce the number of intermediaries.

We ourselves are a small family travel agency maintaining a close relationship with all our working partners. That’s one of the reasons our holidaymakers are welcomed so warmly and in such a personal way throughout their stay. In each region, local people have got to know us, which is one of the factors that ensures that each holiday is a rich and unique experience.

Everyone involved in our holidays is passionately interested in their region and their environment. They will always take pleasure in helping you to explore their heritage, their gastronomy, and their terroir – as explained above ! You will find that the only silly question is the one you don’t ask … all others are greeted with a smile and a willing, informative reply.

The establishments we deal with are always on a very human scale, with far fewer rooms and an altogether different approach than the big hotel chains. Simply because we think the heartfelt welcome you feel in a rural guesthouse, the discovery of a tasty local dish, or the exploration among friends and family of the history and culture of a place is something real, sincere and wonderful.

On a practical note, we do all we can to facilitate local bike hire in order to improve the service we offer to our holidaymakers and - and it’s a big and - try to make sure that the economic advantages of our activities go towards local communities.