The romantic Loire Valley road trip

Imagine a river flowing through a picturesque green valley. Imagine countless aromatic vineyards, orchards, and fields, idyllic historic towns, charming European architecture, and many fairytale châteaux. Imagine drinking fine French wine, the taste of exquisite French cuisine, and the sound of French music. Does it sound too good to be true? Well, that’s Loire Valley, also known as the Garden of France or for us, the perfect honeymoon destination.

Loire Valley road trip

When we were in high school, we went on a 5-day student exchange to Loches, a lovely medieval riverside town in the Loire Valley. We visited some of the valley’s most popular attractions, but back then we were simply too young to appreciate them. Therefore, in 2016, we decided to do it all over again.

On April 2nd, we flew from Venice to Paris.

Paris Eiffel tower view

After two days of amazing sights in the city of love, we rented a car in Beauvais Airport and headed to the Loire Valley. We spent the next three days cruising through the beautiful valley.

Our three-day Loire Valley honeymoon itinerary (things to see and things to do)

DAY 1

After waking up in Tours – the largest city in the Centre-Val de Loire region, where we had arrived the previous afternoon, we went to a bakery, bought some delicious French baguettes and pastries, and started our epic Loire Valley road trip. We visited Château du Plessis-Bourré, Château d’Angers, Château de Saumur, Château d’Ussé, Château d’Azay-le-Rideau, the town of Azay-le-Rideau, and Château de Villandry. We loved the fairytale castles, stunning French architecture, cute small towns, and the peaceful green valley itself. <3

1 Château du Plessis-Bourré

Château du Plessis-Bourré

Château d'Angers

Château d’Angers

Château dAngers

Château d’Angers

Château de Saumur

Château de Saumur

Château d'Ussé

Château d’Ussé

Château d'Azay-le-Rideau

Château d’Azay-le-Rideau

Azay-le-Rideau

Azay-le-Rideau

Château de Villandry

Château de Villandry

DAY 2

On our second day, we decided to visit Château de Chambord, Château de Beauregard, Château de Chaumont, Château d’Amboise, the idyllic town of Amboise, Château de Chenonceau, and Loches – perhaps one of the most picturesque towns in Central France. In the evening, we enjoyed a delicious French dinner in Tours.

Château de Chambord

Château de Chambord

Château de Beauregard

Château de Beauregard

Château de Chaumont

Château de Chaumont

Château d'Amboise

Château d’Amboise

town of Amboise

Amboise

Loches view

Loches

Loches castle

Loches castle

Tours France

Tours

DAY 3

We relaxed on the banks of the Loire river, ate French baked goods, and enjoyed the beautiful day. In the afternoon, we returned to Paris.

Loire Valley honeymoon

♥ Top romantic experience

This time we weren’t looking for adventures, instead, we enjoyed the romantic sights, tastes, and sounds. We found everything about Loire Valley to be insanely romantic. Some of our favorite sights, however, include the lovely town of Amboise and the breathtaking Château d’Ussé – the castle that inspired ‘Sleeping Beauty’.

Loire Valley castles

Are you wondering about the daily budget, the best time to go, visa and immunization requirements, local customs, currency, electricity standards, safety tips and where to stay? Here you can find out all you need to know before visiting France (coming soon).

Have you already been to the Loire Valley? We invite you to share your top romantic experience and top adventure in the comment section below. 😉