A family weekend among the Loire Valley châteaux, with children who are never bored for a second? That is exactly what the area around our holiday home in Cour-Cheverny does best: lived-in châteaux, one of the world’s finest zoos, and distances so short that nobody asks “are we there yet”.
The secret of a successful weekend with children comes down to two rules: keep car time short and alternate the pleasures. From Cour-Cheverny everything happens within a 30-minute radius – here is the programme we recommend to our family guests.
Day 1 – Cheverny, Tintin’s château (on foot from the house)
Start without the car: the Château de Cheverny is a 10-minute walk from the house. It inspired Marlinspike Hall, Captain Haddock’s home – the Tintin exhibition delights children, while parents discover one of the most elegantly furnished châteaux of the Loire, still lived in by the same family.
Don’t miss the pack of around a hundred hounds, a highlight for little ones, and the gardens where they can run free. In the afternoon, wander the village: bakery, ice-cream shop and stores are a few steps away, and you walk back to the house – children in the garden, parents on the terrace.
Day 2 – Beauval Zoo, the day they will remember
Thirty minutes by car from the house, Beauval Zoo is regularly ranked among the most beautiful zoos in the world – and it is the only place in France where you can see giant pandas. White lions, manatees, koalas, a free-flight bird show: allow the whole day, there are more than 35,000 animals.
Our tips: book tickets online to skip the queue, arrive at opening time, and check the animation times as you enter. With toddlers, a pushchair is essential – the park is large and hilly. In the evening, the drive back is short enough to have dinner at the house without exhausting everyone.
Day 3 – Chambord, the giant that impresses even the children
Twenty minutes from the house, Chambord is the largest of the Loire châteaux, set in an immense forested estate. The famous double-helix staircase attributed to Leonardo da Vinci fascinates children: two people can climb it on opposite sides without ever meeting. Go up to the terraces for the forest of sculpted chimneys and the view over the estate.
If you have time and energy left, Blois is 20 minutes away: opposite the royal château, the Maison de la Magie with its window dragons provides a finale the children will still be talking about in the car home.
In the evening: why a large holiday home changes everything with a family
With children, the accommodation is half the holiday. A large house means separate bedrooms for early bedtimes, a kitchen for meals without restaurants, a garden to burn off energy before dinner and a living room for the parents’ evening. Le Clos Amarante was designed for exactly that: 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 180 m², baby-ready – and the first château a 10-minute walk away.
To plan the rest of your stay, see our full 3-day château itinerary and our 10 must-sees near Cheverny.
Where to stay to explore the region?
Le Clos Amarante is a large 4-star character holiday home for 8 to 10 guests, in the heart of Cour-Cheverny — right at the centre of château country.
