France the slow way - à vélo

Richard Peace, author of an informative new cycling guidebook, shares his Gallic freewheeling knowledge with Voyage readers and explains why it's more than a good idea to get on your bike. Plus you can cash in on an exclusive money-saving special offer

Undoubtedly, many visitors are drawn to France for its simple pleasures: great food, bars in idyllic settings and beautifully-kept villages, towns, cities and countryside.

And to keep things simple, one of the best ways to enjoy it all is cycling - taking in all the charm, sights and atmosphere whilst rolling along smoothly-surfaced traffic-free routes that wend their way through some of the country's most spectacular areas. Add in countless miles of what have to be some of the quietest roads in western Europe, a good dollop of respect from the motor traffic you do occasionally meet, and a fair sprinkling of the everpopular village cafes, and you can only come to one inevitable conclusion: this is the ideal way to explore France.

Cycling in France is for everyone!

But then again, isn't cycling in France just for lycra-clad Tour de France types? Absolutely not. Whilst sporty, racer-mounted groups are still an extremely common sight throughout France, especially on sunny weekends, there are countless 'voies vertes' populated largely by family and leisure riders, just out for relaxation and gentle exercise in often magnificent surroundings.

These 'voies vertes' are a relatively recent phenomenon. Greenways (translated literally), they are traffic-free corridors, often along former railways or canal towpaths and river valleys. Ranging in length from just a few miles to networks of over 100 miles, many voies vertes are linked by very quiet minor roads and tracks to form signed long-distance véloroutes (cycle routes) - ideal for those wanting a two-wheeled adventure of several days, or in some cases several weeks. Of course, you can tackle smaller sections of véloroutes and voies vertes as day rides too.

Both types of route are promoted by the French organisation AF3V, contact details for which are given at the end of this article.

And it's not just the great routes that make French cycling such a pleasure. Those ubiquitous bars and cafes and greater provision of accommodation for all depths of pocket mean that you are unlikely to ever find yourself stranded on a cycling trip, without food or somewhere to sleep.

Cycle safely in France

What about all those British tales of hairy near misses at the hands of French traffic? Well, after clocking up thousands of miles cycling on French roads, I can safely say that French motorists accord cyclists far more respect, time and space when overtaking them than do their British counterparts. Of course, if you are going to head into city centres you'll often (but not always) have heavy traffic to contend with. However, once away from urban centres you have a network of D and C roads that are far less trafficked than their UK counterparts.

If all this has whetted your appetite, you'll be wondering just where to head for. Having spent a large chunk of the last two years cycling throughout France to research a new guidebook on the subject (tough work, I know), I'm convinced there's no finer route than 'Loire à Vélo' - possibly the most popular leisure cycle route in France, and within easy striking distance of the ports served by Brittany Ferries.

Just how often do you get the chance to cycle through a World Heritage Site on a well-signed, well surfaced cycle route? The section of the Loire à Vélo route between Angers and Orléans is château country par excellence, the hallowed names of these fantastic architectural fancies just tripping off the tongue - Chambord, Chinon, Villandry, Azay-le-Rideau - all linked by a safe, easy cycle route along what has been described as 'France's last wild river'.

My own mammoth bike tour through here arrived at the Loire via a Brittany Ferries crossing to Cherbourg. Voies vertes run for much of the length of the Cotentin peninsula and I used these thankfully flat routes to admire the early spring landscapes of the rolling green Normandy countryside.

South of Cherbourg I joined the Voie Verte du Cotentin that links the small villages of Cambernon and Rocheville via a very well compacted sand and earth track (so bikes with wider 'touring' style tyres are recommended, as opposed to racers).

Further minor roads and voies vertes took me all the way to Angers via Vire, Laval and Mayenne (and the Mayenne valley itself, home to a lovely voie verte) on my journey south.

Cycling through Angers

Above all else Angers is known for two enormous tapestries - one medieval, one modern. The former recounts the apocalyptic events as told in the Bible and is kept in the city's own huge and forbidding château. The modern tapestry, Le Chant du Monde, is housed in what was once a medieval hospital. In contrast to these magnificently profound masterpieces, the centre of Anjou is lively, pretty and full of more frivolous entertainments including bars, restaurants, museums and a web of old streets around the cathedral of St Maurice.

Back in the saddle you follow the signed route along the river to Saumur, where further signs guide you above the château for a breathtaking view over the valley. Even if you do no other part of this route, you shouldn't miss the Saumur to Tours section - 55 miles of minor roads and tracks through vineyards and tiny villages with houses built into dusty, yellow cliffs overlooking the valley. Parnay, Turquant and Montsoreau are outstanding examples.

Fine châteaux too are to be seen on this stretch, including Montsoreau, Chinon and Rigny-Ussé. The approach to Tours' outskirts is entirely traffic-free, as is the riverside exit, but allow yourself a generous amount of time to wander through the lovely old town at your leisure.

Another outstanding section of route lies between Blois and Orléans and, like Tours itself, both make good bases from which to explore the surrounding areas. East across the river from Blois' ancient centre lies a network of signed bike routes leading through an old hunting forest to the massive Disneylandesque outline of Château Chambord, the statistics of which are jaw-dropping: 440 rooms, 365 chimneys and more than 80 staircases.

The walled forest surrounding it is home to wild boar and red deer. By contrast, other château in the area are small country hideaways but each has its own style and attractions. Fourgèressur- Bièvre is small, ancient, fortified and has lovely gardens. At Cheverney you can get a close look at the estate's pack of hunting hounds, whilst Villesavin is surely the most eccentric with its huge dovecote, carriage museum and collection of different breeds of donkey.

All this makes for several days' easy riding along the area's tiny roads and tracks. Beaugency and Meung-sur-Loire, about halfway between Blois and Orléans, are pretty and prim Loire towns with a great deal of charm but it's Orléans that grabs the superlatives with its enormous cathedral, graceful Place du Martroi (graced by a Joan of Arc statue) and a lovely section of trafficfree riverside riding right next to the city. To the south-west of Orléans lies a largely depopulated area of green, marshy land known as the Sologne. If you are after peace and quiet you'll find it on the signed routes here, plus the chance to spot such ornithological rarities as bittern and short-toed eagle. These quiet road routes are most easily accessible from Meung-sur-Loire.

For more cycling adventure try Canal-de-la-Sauldre, an earth towpath route, with Lamotte-Beuvron at its western end claiming the distinction of inventing Tarte Tatin (a rather special version of apple tart) with the village's Hôtel Tatin still serving it all day long.

Come on, be honest - what more incentive than this do you need to get you in the saddle? AF3V - The French Cycle Route Organisation For information visit www.af3v.org