Page 121 - (DK Eyewitness) Back Roads Travel Guide - France

DRIVE 10: Valley of the Kings 119

PLAN YOUR DRIVE
CHARTRES
Start/finish: Chartres to Blois.
Sours Number of days: 4–5, allowing half a
Bailleau- day each for Chartres and Blois.
le-Pin Thivars
Le Breuil
Distance: 470 km (290 miles).
EURE-ET -
ILLIERS-COMBRAY Road conditions: The roads are
LOIR excellent and well signposted.
Voves
Luigny Saumeray
When to go: The weather is generally
Dangeau Loir
fine from April to October. Avoid the
Brou Sancheville
peak season of late July and August.
Bonneval
Logron Opening hours: Generally from 10am
Montmirail Marboué to 5pm. Most sights are closed on
Arrou Gaubert
Le Gault- Lanneray Varize Mondays and major public holidays.
Perche
CHÂTEAUDUN
Langey Patay Main market days: Chartres: Tue,
Droué
Thu, Sat; Châteaudun: Thu, Sat;
La Chapelle-du-Noyer
Cloyes-sur-le-Loir Vendôme: Fri; Montoire-sur-le-Loir:
Mondoubleau
Wed, Sat; Le Lude: Thu; Bourgueil:
Verdes
Forêt de Tue, Sat; Chinon: Thu, Sat, Sun;
Fréteval
St-Calais Loches: Wed, Sat; Blois: Tue, Thu, Sat.
Épuisay
La Ville-aux-Clercs
Binas
Savigny Danzé Major festivals: Chartres: Chartres
sur-Braye en Lumières, Apr–Sep; Vendôme:
Loir Oucques Marchenoir Summer Music Festival, Jul–Aug;
TRÔO Les Roches- Blois: Son-et-Lumière at the château,
I’Evêque VENDÔME Beaugency
Apr–Sep.
Lavardin LOIR-ET -
MONTOIRE- Villeromain CHER
SUR-LE-LOIR Mer DAYTRIP OPTIONS
Suèvres
Gombergean Montlivault St-Dyé-sur-Loire This area can be divided into separate
St-Laurent- Château- Herbault CHAMBORD day trips. History enthusiasts can
en-Gâtines Renault devote a day to the magnificent cathe-
BLOIS
dral in Chartres and to Châteaudun.
Loire Cheverny Bracieux Those looking for tranquillity will
Cour-
Monnaie Seur Chitenay enjoy the countryside of the Loir
Candé-sur-Beuvron CHEVERNY
Reugny Valley. Wine and food aficionados
Les Cormeray
Montils will love the vine yards of Bourgueil
CHAUMONT- and Chinon; lovers of architecture
AMBOISE SUR-LOIRE
Vouvray Forêt Contres will admire the châteaux along the
Loire d’Amboise Loire. For details, see p127.
Cher
Civray-de-Touraine MONTRICHARD Chémery
Below left Crop fields along the Loire Valley, see
CHENONCEAUX
p121 Below right Remarkable windows and
Cormery CHÂTEAU DE Cher ceiling in the château at Chambord, see p126
MONTPOUPON
Reignac- Le Liège
sur-Indre
Louans
Genillé
Le Louroux MONTRÉSOR
Manthelan Indrois
Beaulieu-
LOCHES les-Loches
KEY
Drive route