Cycling road trips

As all cycling enthusiasts know, bike trips are not only fun, they're a great way to discover the countryside. Two of the best areas for cycling are the Perche and the Route de Blé, in the Beauce.

No matter what your skill level, there is a biking adventure waiting for you in the Eure et Loir. The Perche with its tree-lined lanes and distinctive rolling landscape offers challenges and greenery, While the Route de Blé running through the golden fields of the Beauce, has both wide flat country roads and a few good hills!

And the great advantage of the Eure et Loir is the sheer number of quiet country roads, linking the most scenic sites and villages.

Here are a few ways to enjoy cycling in the Eure et Loir:

1. Ask the tourist office about the five cyclible routes leaving from the town of Chartres and towards: Nogent-le-Rotrou, Châteaudun, Dreux and Illiers-Combray.

2. Join local cycling amateurs for the "Route du Cidre," a one-day course that covers 3 circuits of 50, 80 and 100 km, every year on Ascension Thursday (May).

3. The Tourist Office of the Eure et Loir has put together several great vacation packages for cyclists wanting to discover either the Perche or the Beauce. Choose to have your luggage "follow you" for added liberty and peace of mind.

• For information on the 4-day "Cycling along the Route de Blé" package vacation
• For information on a variety of "Cycling in the Perche" package vacations