When Time is Short But You Need a Real Break, our Loire Star Cycling Holiday in France Can Deliver

If you're looking for a shorter holiday this year, or simply want an alternative type of minibreak, our Loire Star cycling holiday in France offers a real sense of getting away from it all and giving your mind a complete rest from the normal routine.

For those looking for a short break, holidays in the UK are one option of course – and we offer a range of 2 and 3 night cycling holidays in Suffolk and Norfolk for those who prefer something closer to home. But did you know that some of our cycling holidays in France can be just as quick to get to while offering a genuine change of scene?

Our Loire Star tour is available as a 3 or 4 night break, involving either 2 or 3 days of cycling. The tour is named after the 7 circular routes available, all fanning out from the charming village of Chitenay where you will be staying each night. Each day you choose one of the routes, depending on how far you fancy cycling, returning to base for dinner and 3 star hotel accommodation.

Cycle Breaks – See a map of the Loire Star tour here.

If you've never considered cycling holidays in France as a possibility for a short break before, here are just a few reasons to think about our Loire Star tour:

Short travel time – The flight time from Stansted to Tours is just 1h 20min, which is only slightly more than flying Stansted to Glasgow and about the time from London to Norwich by road or rail. Once landed at Tours airport, a train will take you to Blois in about half an hour, followed by a short taxi ride into Chitenay.

Organisation done for you – Organising your own cycling holiday can take time to plan, not to mention arranging cycle hire or getting your own bike ready and transporting it. We supply the bikes, all maintained and ready to go. All the Loire Star routes have already been researched and described in detailed route notes and map provided on arrival – all you have to do is follow the guidance in the notes.

3 star accommodation – Your accommodation is arranged for you in advance as part of the booking, so you don't have to worry about calling a hotel in France or trawling through French websites. We have personally visited each and every one of the hotels and B&B's on all our UK and European cycling holidays to ensure it meets the standards we would expect for our customers – and the Auberge du Centre in Chitenay is no exception. This stunning château-style hotel with extensive gardens and central location makes a fantastic base for any holiday. The Loire Star tour includes breakfast and dinner here as part of the price, and there is even a pool to help you cool off after your day's cycling.

Variety – A 3 or 4 night tour offers 2 or 3 days of cycling, with a choice of routes each day. The routes on offer take in a wide variety of different sights from rivers to châteaux to forests – so you will always have something new to look at it. Routes vary in length from 9 miles to 31 miles. So you can choose a longer route and make a day of it, or choose a shorter one, polish it off by lunchtime and enjoy the spectacular gardens or relax by the pool in the afternoon. With so much variety built in, you can easily pack in more activity on a short cycling holiday in France than some beach or villa holidays offer in a fortnight.

Different food – Nothing makes the brain really "get" that it has travelled than eating different types and styles of food, especially when the menu is in a different language. If this sounds a bit risky, don't worry, as dinner at the Auberge is in the capable hands of chef Gilles Martinet and we have arranged for you to be guided through the best of French cuisine as your stay progresses via the Menu du Jour, Menu Superior, Menu Terroir (focusing on local and regional dishes) and finally Menu Gastronomique – all included in the price.

Switch off – On a traditional holiday by the beach or pool, but with not much else to do, it can be hard to switch off your brain from thinking about the concerns of work or home. A cycling holiday, even a short one, gives your brain other things to think about from the moment you arrive – like following your route map, taking in ever-changing scenery and thinking about where you'd like to stop for lunch. You mind simply won't have time to linger on your life back home, giving you that all important downtime you need to get the most benefit from your break.

Cycling Holidays France – Find out more about our Loire Star tour.