Villas in Loire Valley

Azay-le-Rideau and Chinon suit château-hoppers, Saumur suits wine lovers and Francueil suits Chenonceau; you will need a car. Our villas run from Anjou in the west to Blois in the east, mostly in villages a short drive from the river. Distances are bigger than they look: Saumur to Blois takes the best part of two hours.

Where

Villas: 34
From, per week: £246
Cheapest month: July
Nearest airports: Tours has Ryanair flights from London Stansted in summer, around an hour and a quarter. Nantes suits Saumur and Anjou. From Paris, TGVs reach Tours from Montparnasse in about an hour; Charles de Gaulle and Orly are two and a half to three hours by road. Driving from Calais takes around five hours.

Where to stay in Loire Valley

Azay-le-Rideau, Huismes and Beaumont-en-Véron (Touraine, west of Tours)

This is where we have the most villas. Azay-le-Rideau's château stands on an island in the Indre, and Villandry, known for its terraced vegetable gardens, is around 15 minutes away. Huismes and Beaumont-en-Véron are villages near Chinon, a royal fortress town above the Vienne with wine cellars dug into the rock, and Ussé, said to have inspired Sleeping Beauty, is close by. Tours airport is around 40 minutes from Azay.

Best for: First-timers who want several châteaux within half an hour

Not for you if: You want a big town: Azay is small and Tours is around half an hour away.

Saumur, Champtocé-sur-Loire and Thorigné-d'Anjou (Anjou)

Saumur has a château above the river, sparkling-wine houses in tunnels cut into the soft tuffeau stone, and the Cadre Noir, the national riding school, which gives public displays. The abbey of Fontevraud, where Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard the Lionheart are buried, is about 20 minutes away. Champtocé-sur-Loire is on the river west of Angers, and Thorigné-d'Anjou is north of the city. Nantes airport is around an hour and a half from Saumur.

Best for: Wine lovers and riders who want a riverside town

Not for you if: You plan to see Chenonceau and Chambord often: they are well over an hour east.

Chissay-en-Touraine and Francueil (Chenonceau and the Cher)

Francueil is a few minutes from Chenonceau, the château built on arches across the Cher, and Chissay-en-Touraine is a little upstream near Montrichard, with its keep and wine caves. Amboise, with its royal château and Clos Lucé, Leonardo da Vinci's last home, is about 20 minutes north. Beauval, one of France's biggest zoos, is around 30 minutes south. Tours airport is about 40 minutes away.

Best for: Families who want Chenonceau, Amboise and Beauval zoo within reach

Not for you if: You want to walk to restaurants: these are small villages.

Blois, Saint-Denis-sur-Loire, Mesland and Vallières-les-Grandes (between Amboise and Blois)

Blois has a royal château with an open spiral staircase on its facade and an old town that climbs steeply from the river. Saint-Denis-sur-Loire is just upstream. Mesland and Vallières-les-Grandes are villages in the Touraine-Mesland wine area, close to Chaumont-sur-Loire, which hosts an international garden festival from spring to autumn. Chambord is around 25 minutes from Blois and Cheverny about 20.

Best for: Château fans who want Chambord, Cheverny and Chaumont nearby

Not for you if: You want a short transfer: Tours airport is around 45 minutes away and Paris two hours or more.

Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire (Tours)

Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire sits on the north bank, across the bridge from Tours. Tours has a medieval quarter around Place Plumereau, a Gothic cathedral and Les Halles, the covered food market. TGVs from Saint-Pierre-des-Corps reach Paris in about an hour, and local trains run along the river to Amboise, Blois and Saumur. The airport is around 15 minutes away.

Best for: Couples who want a city on the doorstep and fast trains

Not for you if: You want fields and a pool in open countryside: this is a residential suburb.

Argenton-sur-Creuse and Lignac (the Indre, south of the Loire)

These are well south of the Loire in the Berry, though part of the same region. Argenton-sur-Creuse has old houses with wooden galleries hanging over the river. Lignac is a farming village to the south-west, and the Brenne, a nature park of thousands of ponds known for birdwatching, is within about half an hour. The A20 motorway passes Argenton, and Limoges airport is about an hour south.

Best for: Fishing, walking and quiet countryside in the Creuse valley

Not for you if: You want the Loire châteaux: Chenonceau is about an hour and a half north.

When to go to Loire Valley

May, June and September are the best months: long days, gardens at their peak and shorter queues at the big châteaux. July and August bring crowds to Chenonceau, Chambord and Villandry, along with evening light shows and summer events, so book tickets ahead. The Loire à Vélo cycle route is easiest from April to October. Most major châteaux open all year, but boat trips, smaller sights and some restaurants close in winter, and the river can flood in winter and spring.