Loire Valley

The ideal time to travel is May, June or September, when everything is open, the days are long, and the principal sites are less crowded than in the peak season of July and August. In the winter low season between November and February, many hotels and restaurants close, but you get the charming chateaux almost to yourself, and warming log fires are lit in those of Chambord and Amboise.

Most international flights arrive at Paris Charles de Gaulle (260km from Tours). Some budget airlines fly to Tours airport in the heart of the region or Nantes (about 100km from Angers).

It’s also easy from Paris by train, with frequent high-speed TGVs to Tours (1 hour 15 minutes) and Angers (1 hour 35 minutes); slower regional trains stop at smaller stations. By car from Paris it’s 237km (2 hours), or 260km from Caen port.

Although the main centres can be reached by train, you need a car to make the most of the area, with all the main car hire companies at Tours station.

Cycling is the other best option, with more than 800km of well-marked, car-free trails running the length of the Loire River and its tributaries, supported by bike-friendly hotels and facilities. Bike-carrying TER regional trains run near the central section of the Loire à Vélo bike route.

A good road network means it’s easy to explore the whole region from one reasonably central base. Tours is the geographical centre, but it’s not a great place to stay (poor hotels, traffic jams). Small historic towns and villages, like Amboise, Saumur, Chinon or Azay-le-Rideau, offer a feeling of the local lifestyle and provide a good base for touring the region.

Another good option are the historic chateaux sprinkled across the countryside, many of them converted into hotels. A stay provides a unique glimpse of the grand country house lifestyle, complete with sumptuous rooms and grounds.