The Loire châteaux in 3 days
3 days · 9 châteaux · 153 km
Blois to Chinon, the classic route in nine stops — with the real distances between them.
The Loire Valley holds more visitable châteaux than any other part of France, which is exactly what makes the trip hard to plan: you either try to see too many, or cross the same valley twice. This route chains them geographically rather than by fame, three a day, which leaves time to visit instead of drive.
Day 1
65 km on the road
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Domaine de Chambord
Chambord · Loir-et-Cher
17 km from the previous stop1ère moitié 16e siècle63,814 reviews
Day 2
54 km on the road
Domaine de Chenonceau
Chenonceaux · Indre-et-Loire
12 km from the previous stop15e siècle50,417 reviews
Day 3
23 km on the road
The order of stops is chained nearest-first from the starting town, and distances are as the crow flies — allow a third more by road. Only châteaux whose opening to the public we know are included.