Centre-Val de Loire is the region south and south-west of Paris that follows the Loire from Gien to beyond Tours, and for most visitors it means one thing: the châteaux. Chambord, Chenonceau, Amboise, Blois and dozens more were built along the river and its tributaries when the French court lived here in the 15th and 16th centuries. The region also holds Chartres, whose cathedral keeps one of the most complete sets of medieval stained glass anywhere, and Orléans, Bourges and the forests and ponds of the Sologne.
must30 covers the heart of the valley on one page, the Loire Valley châteaux, built around three bases: Blois, Amboise and Tours. Cycling La Loire à Vélo and Chenonceau's gallery over the Cher are on the France page. This page adds two trips beyond the châteaux: Chartres and its cathedral, an easy stop between Paris and the Loire, and the ZooParc de Beauval in the Cher valley.
See the stained glass of Chartres cathedral and stay for the lights
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, Chartres
Half a day, plus the evening illuminationsFree
Most of the cathedral's early 13th-century glass survives, in deep Chartres blue, and after dark its portals light up for free.
What it is
Chartres cathedral was largely rebuilt within about 25 years of a fire in 1194, and most of its glass survives from that campaign: early 13th-century windows in the deep shade called Chartres blue, three great rose windows, and Notre-Dame de la Belle Verrière in the choir, whose Virgin dates from about 1180. The two west spires do not match, a plain Romanesque one and a Flamboyant one finished in 1513.
How to do it
The nave is free and open daily from 08:30 to 19:30. Trains from Paris Montparnasse take about an hour.
Good to know
On Fridays from Lent to 1 November, 10:30 to 17:00, you can walk the labyrinth laid in the nave floor around 1200. Then stay until dark: Chartres en Lumières lights 21 sites in town, the cathedral portals among them, every evening and free of charge, from 11 April 2026 to 3 January 2027.
Time needed
Half a day, plus the evening illuminations
Best time
A sunny day for the glass, then dusk for the light show
Giant pandas, a tropical dome and a cable car across the park, among some 35,000 animals on a hillside above the Cher.
What it is
Beauval opened in 1980 on a hillside above the Cher at Saint-Aignan and has grown to some 35,000 animals of about 800 species on 40 hectares. Its giant pandas are the best known, and the ticket also covers the Equatorial Dome, a huge tropical greenhouse, and Le Nuage de Beauval, a cable car across the park.
How to do it
In 2026 a one-day adult ticket costs €43 at the gate and from €39 online for a dated day; children aged 3 to 10 pay €36 at the gate. By car it is about 45 minutes from Blois and an hour from Tours. Without one, a shuttle runs from Blois station from March to November, and a train or Rémi ticket shown at the gate takes €2 off entry.
Good to know
It opens every day of the year from 09:00 until dusk, so last entry moves with the season; check the day's times on its opening-hours page.
Time needed
A full day, or two
Best time
From the 09:00 opening, on a weekday outside school holidays
Cycle the Loire à Vélo between Blois, Chambord and Amboise
Loire Valley
1 to 3 daysNo booking needed
Pedal along the Loire between Blois and Amboise, the stretch that packs the most châteaux into the fewest kilometres.
What it is
La Loire à Vélo is a signposted cycle route along the river. The route's official site suggests a weekend: day one from Blois to Cheverny through the park of Chambord (about 40 km), day two from Cheverny to Amboise past Chaumont-sur-Loire (about 56 km), and an optional third day from Amboise to Chenonceau, a 41 km leg or a 45 km loop.
How to do it
Blois and Amboise both have train stations, so you can arrive and leave by rail. The same site lists bike renters and depots along the way, and an electric bike takes the sting out of the longer Cheverny to Amboise day.
Good to know
Plan on two châteaux a day at most, because Chambord alone fills a long morning.
Cross the gallery of Château de Chenonceau over the Cher
Chenonceaux, Loire Valley
2 to 3 hoursBook ahead
Chenonceau is built across the River Cher, and its long gallery over the water is the room you come for.
What it is
The long two-storey gallery spans the water. Outside, the formal gardens of Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de' Medici flank the château, and there is a maze in the park.
How to do it
The château and gardens open every day of the year; in 2026 hours run 09:00 to 19:00 from 4 July to 23 August, 09:00 to 17:30 from 28 September to 1 November and 09:30 to 16:30 for most of the winter. An adult ticket costs €19 with a printed guide or €24 with an audioguide, sold online and at the gate. By bike, the Loire à Vélo site suggests a day out from Amboise: a 41 km leg, or a 45 km loop.
Good to know
Arrive at opening to cross the gallery before the coach groups.
For a first trip, the châteaux are the region: take three days from Amboise, Blois or Tours for Chambord, Chenonceau, Amboise, Villandry and the gardens of Chaumont. Add Chartres if you come from Paris, since it lies on the way. Add the ZooParc de Beauval if you travel with children, and give it a whole day. Orléans, Bourges and the Sologne suit a second visit.
How to combine them
Chartres takes half a day: stop there by car on the way from Paris to the Loire, or go by train from Paris Montparnasse and back, about an hour each way, and stay for the evening illuminations. Beauval, near Saint-Aignan in the Cher valley, is about 45 minutes by road from Blois and an hour from Tours, so it fits between the Blois châteaux and the Amboise ones; it opens at 09:00, so start early.
Getting around
Trains fan out from Paris: Austerlitz for Orléans, Blois and Amboise, Montparnasse for Chartres and the TGV to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps beside Tours. Inside the region a car is the simplest way to link the châteaux, the zoo and the villages. Without one, combine TER trains with Rémi coaches, such as the bus from Blois station to Chambord, take the seasonal shuttle from Blois station to Beauval, and rent a bike for La Loire à Vélo.
When to go
April to October is the main season: gardens in flower, the Chaumont garden festival from late April to early November, sound and light shows at Blois and balloon flights over the valley. Chartres en Lumières lights the city every evening from 11 April 2026 to 3 January 2027. Winter is quiet: the châteaux, the cathedral and the zoo stay open with shorter hours, and the gardens rest.
Questions travellers ask
What is the best base for the Loire Valley châteaux?
Amboise is the most central, with its royal château and the Clos Lucé on foot and Chenonceau a short drive away. Blois suits Chambord, Cheverny and Chaumont, and Tours has the most hotels, the TGV and the old town around Place Plumereau, with Villandry and Vouvray nearby.
How do I get from Paris to the Loire Valley?
TGVs from Paris Montparnasse reach Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, next to Tours, in about an hour, with TER connections to Tours, Amboise and Blois. Direct TER trains from Paris Austerlitz reach Blois in about 1 hour 25 minutes and continue to Amboise and Tours. By car, the A10 takes you there in a little over two hours.
Is Chartres worth a stop on the way to the Loire?
Yes. The cathedral is free to enter, its 13th-century stained glass is among the finest in Europe, and it is about an hour from Paris Montparnasse by train. By car it is a short detour on the way south, and from April to early January the Chartres en Lumières illuminations make it worth staying until dark.
How long do you need at the ZooParc de Beauval?
A full day, from the 09:00 opening to the last entry in the late afternoon, and many families take the two-day ticket. In 2026 a one-day adult ticket costs €43 at the gate and from €39 online for a dated day.
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