Which Tours train station to start my tour?!

[danspeakman]

Hi

My dad and I are travelling to France at the end of May to start a 2 week tour of the Loire. Our ferry docks in Caen, then we get the train to Tours... but notice there are several train stations in Tours. Does anyone have any experience or suggestion of which station is the easiest to leave with touring bikes to head out on to the Loire river?
Many thanks
Dan

[robgul]

Th main Tours city station (i.e. not the TGV one) is quite close to the river (Pont Wilson) - from there either way along the river is OK.

BUT (if it's anything like the train we took from Caen last year) - it may be billed as going to Tours main station but will terminate at St Pierre des Corps (the TGV station) - the route from there is OK bit a bit grimy and industrial.

Which way are you heading from Tours - if it's the west I have a couple of routes as .gpx files that might be useful to get in/out of Tours.

Rob

[robgul]

Th main Tours city station (i.e. not the TGV one) is quite close to the river (Pont Wilson) - from there either way along the river is OK.

BUT (if it's anything like the train we took from Caen last year) - it may be billed as going to Tours main station but will terminate at St Pierre des Corps (the TGV station) - the route from there is OK bit a bit grimy and industrial.

Which way are you heading from Tours - if it's the west I have a couple of routes as .gpx files that might be useful to get in/out of Tours.

Rob

EDIT : You'll be riding along the canal from Ouistreham to Caen for the station - don't have breakfast on the ferry - either at one of the pavement cafes in Oustreham or at the cafe at Pegasus Bridge (or even both!!)

[danspeakman]

Many thanks Rob, really helpful advice.

We are planning to head west to Saumur then south, east, then north and back on to the Loire before returning to Tours. A rectangle of many proportional options depending on how far we feel like cycling and what we see on route!

Thanks again, I’ll chat to my Dad and get back to you if I’ve any more questions!

[Morzedec]

Hello, another vote for Saint-Pierre-des-Corps.

Like all cities the environs around Tours are a little grotty, but you will soon be out and clear.

For information have a look at av3f.com, which shows all the off-road routes in France, with pics as well.

Our house is about 60 km SW of Samur, so if you want further detailed info please e-mail me at leplessis1@outlook.com, and then we can speak privately.

Alternatives to Tours would be Nantes (TGV direct from Lille or Paris), or in the other direction Orleans.

Let me know how far you would like to ride each day, if you will be camping or staying in hotels, and how long you will be riding for, and I'll come up with a route for you - if you like.

Happy days,

[robgul]

Many thanks Rob, really helpful advice.

We are planning to head west to Saumur then south, east, then north and back on to the Loire before returning to Tours. A rectangle of many proportional options depending on how far we feel like cycling and what we see on route!

Thanks again, I’ll chat to my Dad and get back to you if I’ve any more questions!

If you're staying at hotels I can recommend several that are very cycle friendly within the area you mention.

Rob

[Morzedec]

Sorry to semi-hijack this thread, but Rob: hello.

A list of your cycle friendly hotels in this region might be useful to more than this particular poster, so might we have it 'up' for all prospective Loire-ites to see?

Happy days,

[danspeakman]

We’re camping along the way rather than hotels, but welcome any advice! GPX files would also be brill.
My email is speakmandan@gmail.com if it’s easier to send this way.
Thanks again for your advice

[robgul]

Sorry to semi-hijack this thread, but Rob: hello.

A list of your cycle friendly hotels in this region might be useful to more than this particular poster, so might we have it 'up' for all prospective Loire-ites to see?

Happy days,

When I get round to it I'm going to add another couple of sections to my E2E site - with the 8 tours that we've done since 2012 (France, Germany, Belgium) - not strictly E2E but it's a convenient site for now.

Rob

[Morzedec]

Rob, thanks for the post.

Perhaps sadly, I'm not familiar with your E2E site (in the same vein that I'm not familiar with almost everything else even remotely technical), so may I please have a link to it? I'm not really a hotel person (unless I've had a week or more of absolute chucking rain on the campsites) but as even older age approaches some temptation may begin to raise its head.

Happy days,

[robgul]

Rob, thanks for the post.

Perhaps sadly, I'm not familiar with your E2E site (in the same vein that I'm not familiar with almost everything else even remotely technical), so may I please have a link to it? I'm not really a hotel person (unless I've had a week or more of absolute chucking rain on the campsites) but as even older age approaches some temptation may begin to raise its head.

Happy days,

Err, see the sig lines on my posts . . . . just click! BUT it will be a while before I get to add the other stuff (probably April/May)

Rob

[Morzedec]

Oh, all right, Rob, is that what those things at the bottom of the page are for?

YOU might be super technical, but I have problems making a pencil sharpener work.

Too old to learn new tricks, and too old to care - where's me bike?

Happy days,