Châteaux on the Loire—a must-see on your trip to France. But how? And which ones?

Some of the best chateaux can be visited easily on a day-trip excursion from Paris. Others require an overnight stay. Some can be reached easily by train and bus, others are best reached by private car, or on a guided tour.

Some châteaux have sound and light shows.

Here is our list of châteaux. Here is a map.

Groups of chateaux can be visited together to make the best use of your valuable time.

If you plan to tour the Loire Valley for more than a day, these are the towns that are best to use as bases for your excursions:

Amboise

The favorite residence of François I (1494-1547), this dramatic hilltop castle in a delightful town is among France's finest, and relatively easy to get to. A bonus: the last home and the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci. More...

Blois

Another favorite of François I, the Château de Blois is huge, grand, and right in the center of one of the Loire Valley's main cities, easily reached by train from Paris. More...

Chinon

The huge château dominates the hill on which the town is built, as it dominates the history of the town. Chinon is another suitable base for explorations of the Loire Valley. More...

Tours

Though it has no impressive château of its own, Tours is a prime base for your Loire excursion because it is served by TGV trains from Paris—in fact, even directly from Charles de Gaulle Airport. More...

For more towns and villages along the Loire, see Chateaux of the Loire.

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Chateaux of the Loire Groups of Chateaux Châteaux Map How to Visit Chateaux Sound & Light Shows Loire Valley Transport Paris