Planning on passing through the Loire this summer. Any idea how many days is needed / recommended for a trip there? Any hidden gems you've found?
Make sure you have breakdown cover if you're going in your camper... or is that joke getting old now?
http://thelatebay.com/index.php?threads/camping-de-lile-d-or-amboise-loire-vally-france.377/ Some info there ^^^
Great area if you have the weather ! I did Noimoutier for a week, great next to beach campsite, then back through Loir. Samur, Ambois great......
Love the Loire.... As said above Amboise and Saumur are nice places to stop - they each have a Chateau to look at and camping on an island in the Loire. Good sparkling wine at Saumur and they do a good red wine as well- there's a wine cooperative that operates out of some caves that's worth a tour. The chateau at chenonceau is worth a look - probably the most photographed one. Gardens at chateau villandry are cool- but skip the inside tour as if you've seen the inside of one chateau they are very similar. Azey - le- rudeaux, surprisingly, has a chateau - but more importantly a great little restaurant in the town- not much else though. Camping on the banks of the river too. Further east and South is Sancerre that's a great little hilltop town. Not that I like wine or anything but white Sancerre is one of my favourites- and it's a stones throw from the pouilly fume vineyards... Way out west- ile de noirmoutier is good for cycling round but beware of the campsite that plays johnny Halliday every night, quite loudly. Hope to have a trip there this year too.
if you go to Amboise ,the caves are well worth a look... http://www.loirevalleyexperience.com/troglodyte-dwellings.htm We stayed at a campsite that looked over the river to the chateau, but I forgot which one... Along the river there is loads of bike tracks... A beautiful place...
All brilliant stuff thanks. Any idea how long we would need to, well lets say enjoy the area (I have 3 weeks holiday)