10 essential tips for traveling to the Loire Valley

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This guide of tips for traveling to the Loire Valley It is aimed at all travelers who want to travel to one of the most incredible areas of France, where you can enjoy charming cities and towns and fairytale castles, where you will seem to go back in time.
Declared a World Heritage Site, the more than fifty castles that dot this French valley, located in the center of France, between the cities of Angers and Orleans, are also famous for their landscapes, surrounded by vineyards, which can be another of the great Reasons for this trip.

Based on our trip to the Loire Valley, where we made a route through the most famous Loire Castles, we leave you the ones that are for us, the 10 essential tips for traveling to the Loire Valley. We start!

1. What is the best time?

Although the best time for a trip to the Loire Valley It could be delimited in the central months of the year, when the sun usually looks and the days are longer, there are several things to keep in mind that they greatly extend the margin of suitable dates to make this trip.

  • High season (July and August): these two months are the most demanded by travelers, since in addition to ensuring good weather, the days are longer and travel days can be used more.
  • Mid season (from April to June and September): next to the previous one, this would be the best time to travel to the Loire Valley, especially if you want to enjoy good weather, tranquility and even tighter prices.
  • Low season (from October to March): this would be the worst time if we value the weather, since the days tend to be more gray, cold and with a chance of rain. In addition to this, in some areas, they usually close stores and castles reduce their visiting hours.

Remember that if you are going to travel in high season or during a holiday, it is highly recommended to book in advance both flights and accommodation and the rental car.


2. Entry requirements

To enter the Loire Valley (France), if you are a Spanish citizen or of the European Union, you only need to have your ID or passport. If you have another nationality, we recommend you carefully review the entry requirements on the Embassy page.
In addition to these documents, it is very important to carry the European Health Card, with which you can receive medical attention if you have any mishap. In addition to this and if you want to have access to the best medical centers in addition to having a repatriation included if necessary, it is highly recommended to hire the best travel insurance for Europe.

We always travel insured with Mondo, with whom we carry a totally adequate insurance to the needs that we will have on the trip. Hiring your insurance here with Mondo, just for being a Street Travelers reader, you have a 5% discount.

3. Security

Traveling to the Loire Valley is safe, whatever route you want to take. Despite this and as a recommendation, we advise you to travel with common sense and take certain precautions to avoid surprises such as watching your belongings in crowded places, trying to leave nothing of value in sight in the car or if you are going out at night in Some city, for an area that you do not know, ask in the accommodation if there are some little recommended neighborhoods.

In addition to this, another of the tips is that you upload to the cloud, before starting the trip to the Loire Valley, all your important documentation such as passport, ID, insurance policy ... etc so that in case of theft or loss, it is a lot Easier to perform any type of procedure.

Loire Valley

4. How to start the trip to the Loire Valley?

The first and most important thing when traveling to the Loire Valley is to consider how many days are necessary to visit the most important cities and also the castles you want to see. In principle, you can make a fairly complete route with 5-7 days, but if you want to go relaxed and your proposal does not include the flight there and you want to drive from Spain, we advise you to have about 7-9 days to go more Quiet and get to know the area better.

In case you want to go by plane, our recommendation is to fly to Paris, from there, rent a car and start touring the Loire Valley, since this is the most comfortable way to know this area of ​​France, thanks to the freedom of movement and schedules that it offers you. You can find the best flights in this flight search engine and rent the car in this car rental search engine of the Loire Valley, where you will find the best options at the best prices.

Once you have these points resolved, the next step will be to reserve the accommodation, especially if you are traveling in high season or during the weekend or holiday. For this we recommend looking at this hotel search engine in the Loire Valley, where you can find the best options.

In case you don't want to do this route by car or want travel to the Loire Valley with a guide in Spanish, we recommend you book one of these excursions:

Chaumont-sur-Loire Castle

5. Route through the Loire Valley

Based on the route we made to travel to the Loire Valley, we leave you the route that we believe is perfect to know the most tourist places, including cities and fairytale castles.
Although we made the journey from Spain by car, if in your case you choose to fly to Paris, you can take this same route starting at the same point as us, the closest to Paris or start at the last and make the route backwards. Keep in mind that all points are located along the Loire River, as you can see on the map that we include at the end of this point.

The first of the days you will go to the town Sully-sur-Loire, where you can visit the Castle of Sully-sur-Loire, one of the least known but at the same time, one of the most beautiful, built at the end of the fourteenth century, We are sure you will love it.
The next day of the trip to the Loire Valley you will enjoy a few hours in the beautiful Orléans and then visit the Chambord Castle, probably one of the best known of the Loire Valley, to end the day in Blois.
The route continues the next day visiting the town of Blois, a city practically destroyed during World War II, which today is practically a reconstruction of those days gone by and which has among its most important places the Château Royal de Blois, the Old town with the Cathedral of San Luís, the Maison des Acrobates and the Gardens of l'Évêché. in addition to a walk through its network of medieval streets, which delight any traveler
After knowing this town, the next point when traveling to the Loire Valley, will be to visit the Cheverny Castle, known by Tintin lovers, since this is the castle that inspired its creator Hergé in the drawing of the Moulinsart castle, and the Castle of Chaumont-sur-Loire, which is for us one of the most beautiful on the route through the Loire Valley.

Visiting the Chenonceau Castle will be the first stop of the next day, which is one of the most famous castles to see in the Loire Valley and we would even dare to say, one of the most impressive castles in the world. In addition, together with Chambord, they are the two most visited castles in the Loire Valley.
After this visit, the route of the day continues visiting Amboise, 20 kilometers from Chenonceau, a town where you can not miss its famous Rue Victor Hugo, one of the arteries of the town, the Royal Castle of Amboise, Le Clos Lucé and the viewpoint, in addition to a walk through its historic center, full of charm to end the day in Tours, where you can stay.

Chanonceau Castle

The next day in the morning you can dedicate to know Tours, a busy city, known for its large university population and its medieval center, one of the most beautiful in this area of ​​France, where you can not miss the Plumereau Square, known colloquially like Place Plum, the old town, St. Gatien Cathedral and St. Martin Basilica.
After a few hours, the route when traveling to the Loire Valley will take you to visit the Villandry Castle, known above all for its impressive gardens that they say, are one of the most beautiful in France.
The next stop of the day will be the Castle d'Azay-le-Rideau, built on a small island on the Indre River, which stands out for its French Renaissance architecture and we have to confess, it is of spectacular beauty.

The sixth day of the trip through the Loire Valley, will take you to the Castle of Langeais, then visit the Castle of Ussé, 16 kilometers from Langeais, where in addition to the visit, you can not miss the views that are from the bridge, in front to the castle, from where you have the best perspectives and you will have the idyllic of a fairytale castle.
The next stop of the day will be Chinon, 16 kilometers from the Castle of Ussé, which is one of the most beautiful places in France and the place where we recommend you to spend the night. Here we recommend you not to miss the Royal Fortress, the Medieval City, the Rue Haute St. Maurice, the Rue Voltaire, the Chapelle Ste. Radegonde and the Chinon Elevator, which will take you to the city center from the fortress.

Rue Haute St. Maurice in Chinon

The next day will take you to the Abbey of Fontevraud, to the town Candes-St.Martin, Montsoreau, Turquant, Saumur Castle and finally, to visit Angers Castle, an incredible and imposing castle, owned by the counts and Dukes of Anjou, which is one of the visits, at least outwardly, that you can not miss in the lively city of Angers, where you will sleep tonight.

In case you have chosen to travel to the Loire Valley by car from Spain, on your return route, we recommend you spend a day visiting the Royal Citadel of Loches, make a route through the places to see in Montrésor and sleep in Bourges , before finalizing the route.

As you can see, the route through the Loire Castles follow the course of the Loire River and all points are very close to each other. In our case we choose to go to sleep every day in a different place, although the distances are minimal. In case you do not want to change your hotel so much, it is perfectly feasible to make a base in 2-3 cities and make visits to the castles and localities during the day on round trips.

6. Best Loire Castles

One of the questions we receive most is about which are the best Castles of the Loire and which ones you should not miss travel to the Loire Valley. Although it is said that in this area you can find up to 2500 castles, the list is greatly reduced if we take into account that most travelers visit the best known, tourist and famous.
Taking into account our experience and the post we wrote about the 10 essential Loire Castles, we leave you a list of those we believe are the most recommended, especially if it is your first visit to the area.

Sully-sur-Loire Castle

Built in the late fourteenth century, this relatively small castle was an ancient defensive fortress, which is surrounded by a water moat and is one of the few that did not have the function of residence or palace.
Whenever you can, it is interesting to visit it in the afternoon, before they close and see the lighting, which we believe is a real wonder.

Chambord Castle

This is one of the best known and most famous castles, besides being the largest and we would dare to say, prettier. Located in a unique area, surrounded by trees and next to the Loire River, this place was the favorite of King Francisco I and was designed by famous Italian architects, among which Leonardo da Vinci, of which it is said, was the person who He designed his impressive interior staircase.

Chambord Castle

Chenonceau Castle

Built in the 16th century, with a unique architecture, which highlights a gallery that crosses the Cher River, Chanonceau next to the Chanonceau Castle, are the two most famous and visited castles in the Loire Valley.
You can book this ticket in advance to avoid queues.

Azay-le-Rideau Castle

Declared a historical monument, the castle Azay-le-Rideau is for us, one of the most beautiful in the Loire Valley, which highlights its French architecture and its location, on an island in the Indre River.
You can book this ticket in advance to avoid queues at this castle when traveling to the Loire Valley.

Cheverny Castle

Known for Tintin comic lovers, since it was one of the places that inspired its creator Hergé, this castle is considered one of the most elegant in the Loire Valley. In addition to its interior, we recommend you not to miss the museum, the gardens and take a walk through the incredible forest that surrounds it, with more than 100 hectares.

Langeais Castle

The Castle of Langeais is known for being one of the least restored and at the same time, better preserved, so it has become one of the most visited in the area. Although it is not the most beautifulYes, we believe it is one of the essentials, through which you can understand and get an idea of ​​the stage that was lived in France at this time.

Saumur Castle

Built in the eleventh century, to be rebuilt in the Gothic style in the twelfth century, Saumur Castle is the perfect example of a fairytale castle, which any of us has in mind when thinking about traveling to the Loire Valley.
In addition to its incredible history and its interior, this castle highlights the impressive views of the town and its surroundings.

Chaumont-sur-Loire Castle

For us, this is another of the most beautiful and of course, one of the essentials that you cannot miss on your trip to the Loire Valley. Built between the 15th and 16th centuries, it belonged to Catalina de Médicis and in addition to its interesting interior, we recommend you not to miss the views from its terrace and the views of the castle itself from its gardens.

Chaumont-sur-Loire Castle

Villandry Castle

Villandry Castle is the last one built and we can say that it has become one of the most visited thanks to its gardens spread over three levels, which are considered as one of the most incredible in France and even in the world.
In this case, although its interior is also recommended, the entrance is more than justified if only to see the gardens.

Ussé Castle

Known for being the castle that inspired the French writer Charles Perrault to write his famous story "Sleeping Beauty", the Castle of Ussé was rebuilt during the Renaissance era and is one of the royal residences that stand out for both its furniture and gardens and a beautiful chapel, which we are sure, will be the most beautiful you can see when traveling to the Loire Valley.

In addition to these brief reviews, we leave you an annotation of which ones can be seen from the outside and which not, since many travelers think that many of the Loire Castles can be seen from the outside, without paying the entrance fee and this is not the case , If not the opposite. Most of them cannot be seen from the outside without paying the corresponding entry, so you will have to pay even if you want to take the picture of the outside.

Castles of the Loire that you can see outside without paying the entrance fee:
Sully-sur-Loire Castle
Château de Blois
Château Royal d'Amboise
Langeais Castle
Ussé Castle
Royal Fortress of Chinon
Angers Castle
Saumur Castle
Royal Citadel of Loches
Montresor Castle

Castles of the Loire that you can see outside and inside only paying the entrance fee:
Chambord Castle
Cheverny Castle
Chaumont-sur-Loire Castle
Chanonceau Castle
Villandry Castle
Castle d'Azay-le-Rideau

7. Cities to visit on a route through the Loire Valley

In addition to the route through the Loire Castles that we have talked about previously, traveling to the Loire Valley, is also synonymous with knowing some of the most beautiful cities in France, such as Orléans, Blois, Chinon or Tours, which we are sure, you they will surprise and will be the perfect option to rest from the visits to the castles, that although impressive, in the end, after visiting several a day, they can end up exhausting.

Orleans

Located only 100 kilometers from Paris, Orléans is a well-known city both historically and for its impressive medieval pedestrian district, which you can travel from Rue Jeanne d'Arc to the Loire River, from where you have beautiful views of the city.
We recommend you to make this visit in half a day and not to miss the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, the Rue, Jeanne d'Arc, the Place du Martroi, the House of Joan of Arc, the Rue Royale and Halles Châtelet, in addition to enjoying a walk through the charming streets of the medieval center, which we are sure, will make you go back in time.

Orléans Cathedral

Blois

Blois is another one of the Cities to visit on a trip to the Loire Valley. Rebuilt practically in its entirety, after destroying it during World War II, today you can enjoy a beautiful historic center in which its cobbled streets stand out, which are home to endless boutique shops.
Within all the places to visit, you can not miss the Château Royal de Blois, the old town with the Cathedral of San Luis, the Maison des Acrobates and the Jardines de l'Évêché, in addition to walking through its medieval streets, which will become In an unforgettable moment.

Chinon

Located on the bank of the River Vienne is Chinon, which they say is one of the most beautiful places in France that you can enjoy when traveling to the Loire Valley and where its impressive castle stands out, which stands out above its medieval center.
Although it is relatively small, whenever you can we recommend you to spend a morning or an afternoon, since it is a surprising place and, in addition, we are sure, it will become one of your favorites in the Loire Valley.
In addition to those walks, do not forget to visit the Royal Fortress, the Medieval City, the Rue Haute St. Maurice, the Rue Voltaire, the Chapelle Ste. Radegonde and use the elevator, to go from the fortress to the historic center.

Medieval City of Chinon

Tours

Known in this area of ​​France for being one of the most famous university cities and for its beautiful medieval center, Tours is another city that you can not miss on a tour of the Loire Valley.
Like the previous ones, with half a day you will be able to know its most tourist places, among which you cannot miss the Plumereau Square, colloquially known as Place Plum, the old town, St. Gatien Cathedral and St. Martin Basilica, in addition to stroll through the most central and commercial area of ​​the city, Boulevard Béranger.

8. Tour of the Loire Valley Castles

Although this route through the Loire Castles It can be done perfectly by free rental car, another of the most recommended options is to opt for a trip of one or several days, with a guide in Spanish, to know this incredible area of ​​France.

We leave you a selection of the most recommended by travelers:

Villandry Castle in the Loire Valley

9. Gastronomy in the Loire Valley

Although we know that it is impossible to summarize in just a few lines all the gastronomy of the Loire Valley, we do want to leave you a selection of options and dishes so that you can enjoy the maximum of the experience and that traveling to the Loire Valley is something unforgettable also for the palate.

Andouillettes: pork or veal sausage.
Géline de Touraine: It is a variety of chicken that is cooked in multiple ways and is exquisite.
Asparagus cream: one of the star ingredients of this area and that is also cooked in multiple ways, including this cream that is delicious.
Gâteau Nantais or Pastel de Nantes: early century dessert made with sugar, almonds, butter and rum.
Tatin cake: one of our favorites. Apple pie that is a pleasure for the senses.

Tarte Tatin

Recommended restaurants in the Loire Valley

Although there are also hundreds of options, we leave you a list of some of the ones we tried during our route through the Loire Castles so you can have a reference in addition to some tips.

The first refers to breakfast. In most hotels in the Loire Valley, breakfast is not included, but it is served every morning for prices that are usually between 7-10 euros, are very complete and include coffee / tea, juice, toast, butter, jam , cereals, milk, yogurt and pastries.
This is a perfect option since most places in the Loire Valley are small, without too many coffee shops and also usually open from 8: 30-9 in the morning.

- Le Café des Ars Restaurant: With unique views of the Sully-sur-Loire Castle, we order a pizza and grilled salmon, more beer and water for 28.50 euros, which besides being very good, we enjoy them with some Incredible views.
- Chez Dionysios: Located in Orléans, this restaurant is one of the most recommended in the city, where they serve traditional food and one of those we recommend you try when traveling to the Loire Valley.
The menu is based on two menus, one that is starter plus main course or main course plus dessert for 20.50 euros per person or the Grand Menu that includes an entree, a main course and a dessert for 26.50 euros per person.
- La Coeur aux Crêpes: Located on the main street of Cheverny, this creperie is perfect for stopping along the route.
We decided on salted crêpe (galette) of salmon, another cheese and honey and a sweet caramel and ice cream plus soda, glass of wine and two express for 41 euros.

La Coeur aux Crêpes

- L'Epicerie Restaurant: Located in Amboise, this restaurant is another of the most recommended in the area. We ordered a couple of noon formulas, menus, which include two dishes, dessert and coffee for 16.50 euros per person and we loved it.
- Le Plazza: In Tours this Italian restaurant is an excellent option if you want to change a little gastronomy.
We ordered a pasta dish, plus beef tartare, dessert, water and wine for 41 euros and we have to say it was absolutely delicious!
- La Doulce Terrasse: Located next to Villandry Castle, this restaurant is a real treat. We ordered a salad, a plate of salmon, glass of wine, soda and two desserts for 45 euros and although we have to say that they are simple dishes, they were great and with fresh and quality products.
- Le Boudoir: Located in Azay-le-Rideau, this little crepes place is perfect to satisfy your appetite at noon or at night.
We ordered a cheese cookie, a sweet crepe, coffee and glass of wine for 23 euros.
- Le Bistroglo: restaurant in Turquant, located in a troglodyte house, where we ask for a summer menu, plus a complete one, with water and coffees for 47 euros. Spectacular!
- Café de la Ville: located in Montrésor, one of the most beautiful villages in France, this restaurant is also one of the most recommended. We decided on a menu and a meat tartare, more beer and water and two coffees for 41 euros.

10. More tips for traveling to the Loire Valley

Other of the best tips for traveling to the Loire Valley They are:

  • If you are going to do this route by car, do not forget the GPS. Although the indications are quite good in all areas and cities, there are some castles that are on the outskirts of the city and having a GPS is, by experience, a time saver and headaches. If you don't have one from home, one option may be the Maps.me application, which you can use online and offline.
  • In addition to this, keep in mind that on French highways, service areas and rest areas are very frequent, so you will not have problems in resting from driving every few kilometers.
  • Something curious is that in most locations and Loire Castle, parkings are free, except for some places like Orléans, where a private parking can cost you about 6 euros a half day.
  • Although the euro is used in France, we recommend using the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot. You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.

Do you want to travel to the Loire Valley for free?
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The best offers of Flights to Paris to travel to the Loire Valley here

The best offers of Flights to Nantes here

The best hotels at the best prices in The Loire Valley here

Get € 35 for your reservation with AirBnb here

Book the best tours and excursions in / from the Loire Valley in Spanish here

Book your Airport⇆París transfer here

Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here

The 10 essential Loire Castles

10 essential tips for traveling to France

Rent your car in France to travel to the Loire Valley at the best price here

If you feel like helping us complete the list of the 10 tips to travel to the Loire Valley essential, add yours in the comments.

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Video: Visit Loire Valley - What to Know Before Your Visit The Loire Valley, France (March 2024).