In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
About 375 km along the Loire and its tributaries the Cher, Indre and Vienne: from Chambord via Amboise and Chenonceau to the troglodytes of Saumur – short stages, long evenings on island pitches and your bike always within reach.
The spirit of the route
The Loire is a river that takes its time, and this route is meant to be driven the same way. In the morning mist hangs over the sandbanks, herons stand in the shallows, and on the levee road you meet more cyclists than cars. Behind every bend in the river a white tuffeau château tower appears, with rows of poplars, asparagus fields and vine slopes where the Chenin blanc ripens in between. From your open sliding door on the island pitches at Amboise or Saumur you watch the water drift past, and in the evening the bells of the old town carry across. West of Tours the rock grows softer and more riddled with holes: homes, mushroom farms and wine cellars are dug into the hillsides, and the cellars stay cool even in August. This is not a route of passes and hairpins but one of detours – to a winery, to a market, to the next cycle path.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Orléans to Chambord (approx. 60 km)
- The drive
- From Orléans, follow the north bank downstream on the D2152 to Meung-sur-Loire and Beaugency, where you cross the old stone bridge to the south bank and continue through the woods and fields of the Sologne fringes via Saint-Dyé-sur-Loire to Chambord. Flat, well-surfaced road, about 1.25 hours of driving. If you start in Sully-sur-Loire, add a good 45 km via Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire and Germigny-des-Prés to Orléans (not included in the total length).
- Highlights & must-sees
- Orléans: Sainte-Croix Cathedral and the Maison de Jeanne d’Arc; explore the old town on foot or by tram.
- Beaugency: Romanesque keep, lanes above the river and the long medieval Loire bridge as a photo subject.
- Chambord: the double-helix staircase, the roof terrace with its forest of chimneys and the game park enclosed by a wall more than 30 km long; in September and October you can hear the deer rut from the observation hides.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: The Domaine national de Chambord directs motorhomes to the paid car park P2, about 750 m from the château (open around the clock, no reservations); the ticket is valid for 24 hours, there are no service facilities there, only dry toilets. Check the current rate at the machine or on the Domaine’s website. With electricity and sanitary facilities: Château des Marais in Muides-sur-Loire, a large holiday campsite about 6 km to the north; for a simpler option, the aire de service in Saint-Dyé-sur-Loire for filling and emptying.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Inside the walled Domaine the parking rules of the Domaine national apply – overnight stays only in car park P2, which is designated for motorhomes, and without setting up camp, not in forest car parks or on forestry tracks in the park. Wild camping in the Sologne forest is not allowed; the woods are mostly private or state forest with hunting in autumn.
- Insider tip for campers
- Do not drive your camper into the centre of Orléans: car parks have height limits and the old-town lanes are narrow. The aire de camping-cars in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin west of the city (tram to the centre) or in Saran to the north is a more practical starting point. At Chambord, be at the château early: from late morning the coaches arrive.
2Stage 2: Chambord to Cheverny via Blois (approx. 35 km)
- The drive
- Take the D33 through the forest to Huisseau-sur-Cosson and on to Blois, where you cross the Loire bridge into the town; then follow the D765 south to Cour-Cheverny and Cheverny. A short, quiet stretch; in Blois the old-town streets are steep and narrow, so explore the town on foot from the edge. Driving time under an hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Château royal de Blois with the Renaissance staircase tower in the François I wing and the living quarters of seven kings.
- Maison de la Magie Robert-Houdin opposite the château, with the dragon heads that peer out of the windows at regular intervals during the day.
- Château de Cheverny, still lived in today, with the kennels of the hunting pack and the Tintin exhibition on Marlinspike Hall (Moulinsart), which Cheverny inspired.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping Les Saules near Cheverny, a quiet site in the woods south of the château with electricity and sanitary facilities (seasonal, check opening times). Simpler: the aire de stationnement pour camping-cars in Cheverny or the aire with fill-and-empty facilities in Tour-en-Sologne. In Blois there is the aire de stationnement at the Parc des expositions in the south of the town.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The communes in this area consistently steer motorhomes to their aires; “interdit aux camping-cars” signs or height barriers at car parks on the Loire bank are common and legally binding by arrêté municipal. On ordinary car parks without such signs, parking overnight is allowed – as long as it stays “stationnement”.
- Insider tip for campers
- Cheverny is also the name of a wine: the AOC Cheverny and the small AOC Cour-Cheverny, made from the Romorantin grape, can be tasted at the growers around the village. The “La Loire à Vélo” cycle route links Blois and Chambord on quiet paths – a good alternative on day 1 or 2 if the camper stays parked.
3Stage 3: Cheverny to Amboise via Chaumont-sur-Loire (approx. 55 km)
- The drive
- Via Candé-sur-Beuvron back to the Loire at Chaumont-sur-Loire, then along the south bank on the D751 downstream via Rilly-sur-Loire and Mosnes to Amboise. The riverside road runs partly along the levee with views of the sandbanks, and slowly through the villages. About 1.25 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire: château above the river, stables and the Festival International des Jardins with themed gardens laid out anew every year; in 2026 under the motto “Le Jardin fait son cinéma” from 22 April to 1 November.
- Château du Clos Lucé in Amboise, Leonardo da Vinci’s last home, with the park full of reconstructed machines.
- Château royal d’Amboise above the Loire, with Leonardo’s tomb in the Saint-Hubert chapel; view of the bridge from the château rampart.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Amboise you find Camping de l’Île d’Or and next to it the aire de camping-cars on the Loire island, a few minutes’ walk across the bridge from the centre: electricity and sanitary facilities at the campsite, fill-and-empty at the aire. On the way, in Chaumont, the Camping municipal Grève de Loire (seasonal) or the aire of the Camping-Car Park network in Veuzain-sur-Loire (Onzain) on the opposite bank.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Loire islands and riverside meadows are largely under Natura 2000 protection, and the riverside paths belong to the cycle route. Overnighting on the sandbank beaches is neither allowed nor sensible: the Loire rises quickly after rain, and swimming is expressly forbidden in many places because of currents and shifting sandbanks.
- Insider tip for campers
- The pitches on the Île d’Or can be closed during floods – in spring and after heavy rain, ask beforehand. Amboise has a market on Sunday on the Loire bank, within easy walking distance. Some Loire bridges have weight or width restrictions; heed the signs with heavy motorhomes.
4Stage 4: Amboise to Tours via Chenonceau (approx. 50 km)
- The drive
- On minor roads through the Forêt d’Amboise south into the Cher valley to Chenonceaux, then along the Cher via Civray-de-Touraine and Bléré and on the D976 or D140 towards Tours. Quiet country roads, heavier traffic shortly before Tours. About one hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Château de Chenonceau, built on arches across the Cher, with the gardens of Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Médicis; the gallery on the upper floor spans the river.
- Pagode de Chanteloup south of Amboise: an 18th-century viewing tower with views over the forest and the Loire valley.
- Tours: old town around the Place Plumereau with half-timbered houses, Saint-Gatien Cathedral.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: For Tours, the campsite La Mignardière in Ballan-Miré on the southwestern edge of the city is a good choice: electricity, sanitary facilities, bus connection to the centre. If you want to stay overnight before visiting the château: the aire in Chenonceaux (Camping-Car Park network) lies close to the château, with electricity and fill-and-empty facilities.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Tours and the suburbs, many car parks have height barriers and camper bans; a quiet night on public land is hard to find here. The aire de services at the Parking Relais du Lac (Lac des Bretonnières, Joué-lès-Tours/Tours) serves mainly for filling and emptying at the park-and-ride; check the overnight rules on site.
- Insider tip for campers
- Tours Métropole has had a low-emission zone (ZFE-m) since 2025: so far it excludes only vehicles without a Crit’Air classification (cars first registered before 1997). With a Crit’Air sticker and a more recent vehicle, you are not affected as things stand – check the rules on the Métropole’s website before you travel. The most convenient approach: leave the camper at the park-and-ride and take the tram into the city.
5Stage 5: Tours to Azay-le-Rideau via Villandry (approx. 35 km)
- The drive
- West via Savonnières along the Cher to Villandry, then on the D7 and D39 south across the plateau into the Indre valley to Azay-le-Rideau. Flat, narrow country roads, hardly any traffic. Under an hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Château de Villandry with the Renaissance gardens on three levels; the belvedere above the vegetable garden gives the best overview of the pattern.
- Château d’Azay-le-Rideau, standing on an island in the Indre and reflected in the water – photograph it from the bank in the evening.
- Villaines-les-Rochers southeast of Azay: wickerwork cooperative and workshops in rock dwellings.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping Le Sabot in Azay-le-Rideau, on the Indre within walking distance of the château, with electricity and sanitary facilities (seasonal). In Villandry there is a larger aire of the Camping-Car Park network with electricity and fill-and-empty facilities; in Savonnières the campsite La Confluence on the Cher.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The banks of the Cher and Indre are partly private, partly flood zone. If you park away from the aires, you need a regular car park without a camper ban – and you stick to the difference between parking and camping: no chairs, no awning, no levelling jacks.
- Insider tip for campers
- Between Tours and Villandry the “La Loire à Vélo” route follows the Cher embankment; Tours–Villandry is a good 20 km of cycle path with no climbing, ideal as a day trip from La Mignardière or Savonnières. The Grottes pétrifiantes of Savonnières, with limestone sinter formations, lie right on the route.
6Stage 6: Azay-le-Rideau to Chinon via Ussé (approx. 30 km)
- The drive
- On the D17 and D7 down the Indre valley to Rigny-Ussé, then across the plateau of the Forêt de Chinon south to Chinon on the Vienne. Quiet and short, about 40 minutes; in Chinon do not drive the camper into the narrow old town beneath the fortress.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Château d’Ussé at the forest edge above the Indre, said to be the model for Perrault’s “Sleeping Beauty”.
- Forteresse royale de Chinon high above the Vienne, where Joan of Arc met Charles VII in 1429; wide view of the town from the rampart.
- Wine cellars in the rock beneath the fortress: Chinon is a red-wine AOC (Cabernet franc), and tasting rooms are found in the middle of the old town.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping de l’Île Auger on the south bank of the Vienne opposite the old town, a walk across the bridge, with electricity and sanitary facilities; right next to it the aire of the Camping-Car Park Chinon network with electricity and fill-and-empty facilities. Both lie in the Vienne’s flood zone – if the water level rises, ask beforehand.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Chinon the quays below the old town are popular but not intended for motorhomes overnight; use the aire. Networks such as France Passion arrange overnight spots for members at wineries and farms – around Chinon, Bourgueil and Saumur there are many participating wine estates; follow the network’s rules and call ahead.
- Insider tip for campers
- Make a detour to La Devinière near Seuilly, the birthplace of François Rabelais, about 10 km to the southwest. Fuel is usually cheaper at the supermarkets on the edge of town than on the motorway.
7Stage 7: Chinon to Saumur via Fontevraud and Montsoreau (approx. 40 km)
- The drive
- West on the D751 and then south through vineyards to Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, then down to the Loire at Montsoreau and Candes-Saint-Martin and downstream on the D947 at the foot of the tuffeau slopes via Turquant and Parnay to Saumur. The riverside road is partly narrow between rock face and river, and slow through the villages. About one hour without stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Abbaye royale de Fontevraud with the effigies of Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard the Lionheart and the octagonal abbey kitchen.
- Candes-Saint-Martin at the confluence of the Vienne and Loire with its collegiate church; Montsoreau with the château right on the water.
- Turquant: troglodyte houses, studios and cellars in the tuffeau hillside above the riverside road.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Saumur, Camping L’Île d’Offard lies on the Loire island opposite the château, with electricity, sanitary facilities and fill-and-empty; next to it the aire of the Camping-Car Park Saumur network. On the way there is an aire de camping-cars in Turquant and a motorhome car park in the village in Fontevraud.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The tuffeau slopes are full of private cellars and cave dwellings; access tracks into the hillsides are mostly private land and a dead end for large vehicles. Overnight on aires and at wineries, not on cave access tracks.
- Insider tip for campers
- Saumur is the centre of Loire sparkling wine: cellars such as Ackerman, Bouvet-Ladubay and Langlois-Château in Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent offer tours through kilometres of tuffeau cellars. Right next door is the Musée du Champignon in a former quarry cave. For troglodytes on the plain: the village of Rochemenier near Doué-en-Anjou, about 20 km to the southwest, shows an underground farm complete with a rock chapel.
8Stage 8: Saumur to Angers (approx. 70 km)
- The drive
- Along the south bank on the D751 via Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent, Chênehutte and Trèves-Cunault to Gennes, then inland to Brissac-Loire-Aubance and through the vineyards of the Coteaux de l’Aubance to Angers. Quiet riverside road with some narrow village streets, wider from Brissac. About 1.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Romanesque church of Notre-Dame in Cunault with more than 200 carved capitals.
- Château de Brissac, with seven storeys one of the tallest châteaux in France, set in the middle of a wine estate.
- Château d’Angers with the Apocalypse Tapestry, the largest surviving tapestry of the Middle Ages; in the city also Jean Lurçat’s “Chant du Monde”.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping d’Angers Lac de Maine in the southwest of the city by the lake, with electricity and sanitary facilities and a bus connection to the centre; check the motorhome service and the season in advance. The site lies close to the Loire à Vélo route.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Angers steers motorhomes to campsites and designated pitches; in the city centre there are hardly any parking spaces without height barriers. At the Lac de Maine the car parks are leisure car parks, not intended for overnight stays.
- Insider tip for campers
- The city of Angers has had a low-emission zone (ZFE) since 2025, which so far excludes only vehicles without a Crit’Air classification. Check the rules before driving into the city. For the journey home: the A11 (Angers–Le Mans–Paris) is a toll road, while the N roads are the slower, toll-free alternative.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- In France a motorhome is legally a vehicle: where a car may park, a camper may stand too – including sleeping in the vehicle (“stationnement”). As soon as an awning, table, chairs, levelling jacks or wedges are outside, or grey water is discharged, it counts as camping, and that is mostly forbidden outside campsites and aires.
- Mayors can ban motorhome parking on certain areas or at certain times by local ordinance (arrêté municipal); there are also height barriers at riverside car parks. Such signs are common in the Loire Valley and are enforced – a fine and an order to move on are the result.
- Under planning law, wild camping is prohibited in, among other places, protected landscapes (sites classés/inscrits) and in the surroundings of listed monuments – in château country this applies to many places. The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the banks are largely Natura 2000 areas.
- You can stay overnight legally on campsites, on the municipal “aires de camping-car” (often free or cheap, sometimes with a pay machine), on sites run by networks such as Camping-Car Park (with an access card), and, if you are a member of networks such as France Passion, at wineries and farms. Useful apps: park4night, Campercontact, the Camping-Car Park app.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Fill-and-empty facilities are called “aire de services” or “borne”; units from Euro-Relais, Flot Bleu and Aire Services are widespread. You pay with coins, tokens from the town hall or tobacconist, or by card; many communes and supermarkets (Super U, Intermarché, E.Leclerc) offer the station free of charge.
- Empty grey water and the cassette only at the borne. Island sites such as those in Amboise, Chinon or Saumur lie in flood zones and can close in spring or after heavy rain.
- Water from bornes is usually drinking water; heed the notices “eau potable” and “eau non potable”. At some units the tap for toilet flushing is separate from the fresh-water tap.
- Gas: German exchange cylinders are not swapped in France; French cylinders (Butagaz, Antargaz, Primagaz) are available against a deposit at petrol stations and supermarkets, and they need their own connectors. You fill refillable cylinders and gas tanks at petrol stations with GPL or GPLc using the dish adapter common in France.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits for motorhomes up to 3.5 t: motorway 130 km/h (110 in rain), expressways with separated carriageways 110 km/h (100 in rain), other rural roads 80 km/h – some départements have raised sections back to 90 km/h, so heed the signs –, built-up areas 50 km/h or less. Motorhomes over 3.5 t: motorway 110 km/h, expressways with separated carriageways 100 km/h, other rural roads 80 km/h (even where cars may drive 90 km/h), built-up areas 50 km/h; speed discs are mandatory on the rear. Combinations up to 3.5 t permitted gross train weight drive like cars; for combinations above that, the limits for heavy vehicles apply (rural roads 80 km/h) – check the exact values on service-public.fr before you travel.
- Since 2021, vehicles over 3.5 t must carry “Angles morts” stickers (warning about the blind spot) on both sides and at the rear in the prescribed position, foreign motorhomes included; violations cost €135.
- Low-emission zones (ZFE): after the Conseil constitutionnel overturned the abolition of the ZFEs on procedural grounds in May 2026, they remain in place. Tours and Angers so far exclude only vehicles without a Crit’Air classification; Orléans Métropole has, as things stand, introduced no driving bans – check before you travel. Order the Crit’Air sticker only through the official site certificat-air.gouv.fr; it is sent by post.
- Tolls: the A10, A11 and A85 motorways are toll roads (Vinci Autoroutes). Motorhomes up to 3.5 t with a height between 2 and 3 m travel in class 2, taller or heavier two-axle vehicles in class 3, three-axle vehicles over 3.5 t in class 4. Pay in cash, by card or with a télépéage tag; at card machines, choose the right lane beforehand.
- If bikes on a rear carrier cover the number plate or lights, a light board with a repeated number plate is mandatory. The alcohol limit is 0.5 (novice drivers 0.2); using a phone at the wheel is forbidden even with headphones or earphones, and radar detectors are illegal. A warning triangle and high-visibility vest must be within reach on board. The winter-tyre requirement under the Loi Montagne does not apply in the Loire départements.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Crit’Air sticker, ordered in good time via certificat-air.gouv.fr – the post takes a while, and fake ordering sites charge many times the price.
- Bikes with a rear carrier and light board: the “La Loire à Vélo” cycle route links almost all the stages on flat, well-signed paths, and you can reach many châteaux more easily with it than with the camper.
- Dish adapter for GPL petrol stations and a second full gas cylinder when you enter the country.
- Fleece jacket for the cellars: in the tuffeau cellars of Saumur, Chinon and Vouvray it stays cool all year, even when it is 30 °C outside.
- Insect repellent and mosquito nets for the windows – on the oxbows and island pitches on the Loire, Cher and Vienne, summer evenings are lively.
- For vehicles over 3.5 t: approved “Angles morts” stickers, correctly fitted before you cross the border.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
