Welcome to the Loire Valley, where there are so many treasures to discover. Just 1 hour from Paris and close to Normandy and Brittany, it’s the ideal place for a family holiday. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Centre-Val de Loire is easily accessible by various means of transport.
THE LOIRE VALLEY: CLOSE AND ACCESSIBLE
To help you find your way around the Loire Valley on a map of France, you’ll find below some useful information for your visit to the heart of the châteaux of the Loire. Châteaux, gourmet cuisine, family activities, the Loire as a royal river… we’ve got it all covered!
How do I get to the Loire Valley?
There are several ways of getting to France, and more specifically to the Val de Loire: you can take the train. From London, the Eurostar makes the journey in less than 2 hours and drops you off at Paris Gare du Nord. A few minutes by metro and you’re at Gare d’Austerlitz, where you can also reach the Loire Valley in less than 2 hours. It’s easy to get to Orléans, Blois or Tours from Gare d’Austerlitz. Journey times are fairly short, so you can easily get to the city centre of your destination.
If you’re already in France, you can also reach the Loire Valley by train from Nantes, Caen, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Rouen… it’s up to you!
Loire Valley by train
Would you like to use your car to get around afterwards? No problem. You can take Le Shuttle. Embark at Folkestone and, 35 minutes later, you’ll be in Calais.
The ferry is another option for travelling with your car. Board at Dover to arrive in Calais. Then, from Calais, travel through Normandy, towards Paris, then the Loire Valley.
Is your ferry arriving in Brittany? From Roscoff or Saint-Malo, you’ll reach the Loire Valley via Rennes, then Angers or Le Mans – you can’t go wrong! You’ll enjoy some magnificent scenery along the way.
Still by ferry, you’ve arrived in Normandy from Portsmouth. From Cherbourg or Ouistreham, near the town of Caen, head for Paris and then Orléans. These two cities are only an hour’s drive away! You can also go straight to Chartres to admire its cathedral!
And finally by plane. You can choose to arrive at Paris Orly or Charles de Gaulle and then take a train to Orléans, Tours or Blois. But you can also arrive directly in the heart of the Loire Valley, at Tours airport. With three weekly flights between London and Tours, a short break is now a real possibility!
Getting around the Loire Valley
For an ideal stay and easy, smooth travel between the various châteaux, monuments, accommodation and activities, don’t hesitate to take the train!
Orléans, Tours, Blois, Bourges, Chartres and Châteauroux have excellent transport links. Buses can also take you to the foot of the châteaux if you wish.
To do this, you can search the regional Rémi transport website. Rémi trains (TER) serve most towns and cities in the region. The JVMalin.fr website, meanwhile, is a route planner that looks for journeys using public transport.
The Loire Valley is easy to get to and a great place to live. It’s easy to get around. Come and discover the Loire Valley, it’s waiting for you!
