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Where to stay in Loire Valley, France?

What is the best town to use as a home base when visiting the Loire Valley in France?

  • My family (2 adults, 2 grammar school aged very well behaved girls) is visiting the Loire Valley in France in the spring or early summer of this year.  We have been to France a number of times, but never the Loire Valley.  We are looking to rent an apartment/house/villa/etc. there for about 2-3 weeks.  We're wondering what the best spot to rent might be.  Looking for a geographic center or a really nice village.  (Specific places would be welcome, but not necessary to assist.)  Thank you in advance. Side note: We are conversant in French.

  • Answer:

    What a fantastic idea! There are so many beautiful villages in the Loire valley, let me just mention some of my favorites places here. First off some slightly bigger cities which while beautiful might also be very practical ( I would definitely not advise Orleans or Tours which are just too big to be enjoyable or qualify as a village) Amboise Saumur Chinon Blois Secondly, please find here some beautiful villages in the area, this is not exhaustive of course but hopefully this can give you some ideas about where to stay, everything is easily reachable in the Loire valley with a car and I deliberately chose villages not too far from the river and its bigger cities for convenience. Cheverny Bracieux Chaumont sur Loire Saint Dyé sur Loire Lavardin Dhuizon Souvigny-en-Sologne Sully-sur-Loire Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire Montsoreau Let us know if you need more help!

Julien Vaché at Quora Visit the source

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Take 's advice! I'd add Montoire-sur-le-Loir (near Lavardin) : it's slightly bigger and there are possibilities around + it doesn't really have any touristic highlight, so you won't have to fight your way through hordes of tourists! The region is known to have some of the most spectacular troglodytic houses in France (see on the road to Vendôme), and some of the most beautiful romanesque frescoes and churches. (In Montoire do see la chapelle saint Gilles: frescoes showing the progressive influence of Byzantine art in the local style; XIth-XIVth century). And they have a folkloric festival every year in AUG with troupes coming from around the world. Plus food and wine are great (Bourgueil &Vouvray are a stone throw away).

Yves Granger

If you stay for diner near Saumur, i hardly suggest you to experience La Grange à Dîme, in Montreuil-Bellay ( charming little village with a castle too ). The restaurant is in a building of the fifteenth century and serve an original medieval cuisine. It's truly a culinary experience i had last summer in this place, one of the best one. You have to make a reservation before because it's often full and surprisingly, most of the customers in there are not speaking french :-)

Franck James

Tours is the biggest town around. Orleans is smaller and more North, but more closed to Paris. Enjoy your stay in my country ;-)

Phil Jeudy

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