Day 1 sees the group meet at the Folkestone, U.K. EuroTunnel port ready to board the short 35-minute crossing into France, before we turn west alongside the beautiful north coast roads and past numerous key historic Normandy landing sites of World War 2, stopping for the occasional mark of respect and photographs.

We eventually head south to the West of Paris and into the Loire Valley region, a spectacular area of France with numerous idyllic smaller rivers feeding the main river Loire, where on this first night we'll stay at a modern riverside Chateau situated in Orleans - the original namesake of New Orleans in the U.S., and situated directly on and overlooking the Loire river. 

Day 2 sees the tour push further south as we head toward one of the most magnificent chateaus in France - the Chateau de Chambord, where we stop for a brief visit and for photographs of this amazing residence, before getting more road time through beautiful central and southern France, and arriving into our permanent chateau of residence just outside of Bourdeaux for the following 4-days and 5-nights.

The evening takes advantage of the award-winning food and wine at the magnificent chateau with the in-house dining team for our complimentary welcome meal. 

Day 3 is a chateau rest day, and tour participants are free to utilise the beautiful chateau, it's 3 hectares of private grounds directly on the River Dordogne, its outside swimming pool and sun loungers, or its orangerie or outside terrace to slowly drink wine and to take snacks and lunch throughout the day. 

The chateau also offers in-house cooking lessons from the award-winning chef. 

The evening can be spent eating, drinking, and socialising in the chateau with the group, or participants can be given advice on local restaurants as needed. 

Day 4 starts the first day of our ride outs, and a beautiful and local 120-mile loop takes us on some magnificent local roads and to the world UNESCO heritage site of Saint-Emilon, an extremely beautiful medieval town with its unique narrow streets, wine-making history and wine shops, and surrounding hillside vineyards.

The evening can be spent eating, drinking, and socialising in the chateau with the group, or participants can be given advice on local restaurants as needed. 

Day 5 takes a further ride-out into a wider loop of beautiful southern France, but also taking a visit to the abandoned town of Oradour-sur-Glane, frozen in time as a memorial to the day that the Nazis entered the town and massacred its entire population of 642 men, women, and children in a single day in 1944.

The evening can be spent eating, drinking, and socialising in the chateau with the group, or participants can be given advice on local restaurants as needed. 

Day 6 takes the group on a short ride into Bourdeaux, where we can remain together as a group or split as wanted to tour and to enjoy this magnificent city. 

Bourdeaux is steeped in world-renowned wine-making history, and so a rucksack to carry a few bottles back is always recommended.

The evening can be spent eating, drinking, and socialising in the chateau with the group, or participants can be given advice on local restaurants as needed. 

Day 7 sees the sad departure from the chateau, and marks our first day of riding north. 

However, we don't let the day waste and we enjoy a rewarding journey up the eastern side of France through some amazing national parks and on some of the best tarmac in France. 

The late-afternoon brings us into Bourges, where we finish our chateau week by staying at another fantastic chateau property, and where we take the opportunity of the final evening to head into beautiful Bourges for our complimentary departure meal, and to swap stories of the previous weeks fun and great riding. 

Day 8 finishes with the final push north to Calais, where after boarding, we say our final goodbyes with hand-shakes and hugs as the EuroTunnel brings us back into Folkestone and away for our respective homebound journeys.