By rail
Tours or Blois, ~1 h 15 min by TGV from Paris
Europe · France
Loire Valley, France
Fairy-tale châteaux and vineyards
Getting there
By air
Paris (CDG), ~2.5 h by road
Best time to visit
April to October — the gardens are at their best
Don't miss
Chambord
Chenonceau
Amboise
Villandry
Things to do
Cycling between the châteaux
Wine tastings
Hot-air balloon rides
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Calips · CC BY-SA 3.0
What to pack
Cycling-friendly clothes
A quieter corner
The troglodyte villages carved into the cliffs
Questions travellers ask
Which châteaux should I visit in the Loire Valley?
Chambord, Chenonceau, Amboise and Villandry. Try cycling between the châteaux.
When are the Loire Valley's gardens at their best?
April to October. Pack cycling-friendly clothes.
Can I reach the Loire Valley by train from Paris?
Yes, the TGV reaches Tours or Blois in about 1 hour 15 minutes from Paris. By road from Paris (CDG), it's about 2.5 hours.
What else is there to do in the Loire Valley?
Go to wine tastings, take a hot-air balloon ride, and visit the troglodyte villages carved into the cliffs. Try the goat's cheese with a glass of Vouvray wine.
About Loire Valley
- Riverside
Where it is
The Loire Valley follows France's longest river through the centre-west of the country; its most famous stretch, listed by UNESCO, runs for about 280 km between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes-sur-Loire, past Orléans, Blois, Amboise, Tours, Saumur and Angers.
History
In 1429 Joan of Arc lifted the English siege of Orléans, and after the Hundred Years' War the French kings made the Loire their favourite home. In the 15th and 16th centuries they and their courtiers built Renaissance châteaux such as Chambord and Chenonceau, Francis I invited Leonardo da Vinci to Amboise, and in 2000 the valley became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
People
People in the valley speak French, and its orchards, market gardens and vineyards earned it the name Garden of France. Winemakers produce everything from Muscadet near the Atlantic to Sancerre upstream, goat's cheeses such as Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine are local favourites, and some families still live in troglodyte homes cut into the soft tuffeau cliffs.
Known for
- Château de Chambord
- Château de Chenonceau, spanning the River Cher
- Amboise and Leonardo's Clos Lucé
- The gardens of Villandry
- Loire wines such as Sancerre, Vouvray and Muscadet
Did you know?
Leonardo da Vinci spent his last years at the Clos Lucé manor in Amboise as the guest of King Francis I, and he died there in 1519.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.