Loire Valley - what to do?

The only Chateau that a drive by will let you see something is Chambord. Its isolated in the middle of its own park. But I do not recommend that approach. If you are short of time, be ive in what you see. The top chateaux (rightly so) are Chambord and Chenanceaux . Others which are very different which i really liked are Azay-Le-Rideau and Langeais. The other hot chateaux would inlcude Blois and Amboise
( Amboise is very close- a few blocks- from Clos Luce, former home of Leonardo da Vinci, now a "museum" showing some models of his inventions. other stuff to see would be wineries

With a 5yo son, the only thing I would say you HAVE To see is Clos Lucé, which is Leonardo da Vinci's last residence. The grounds are really nice and they have large size models of his inventions which kids can play with. My kids really liked it. The chateaus aren't really drive-by IMO. Our family's favorite is Chambord. Chenonceau is pretty, and there's a hedge maze you can let your son go through. We did a tour at Cave de Producteurs that went through a labyrinth of underground caves that was pretty cool (literally and figuratively). The wines weren't the greatest, but they had a sparkling grape juice that my kids got to taste alongside us. Sorry I don't have any restaurant recommendations for you as no place we ate at sticks out in my mind. We did really enjoy going through the huge outdoor market in Amboise and having a picnic at our hotel. The chevre (goat's cheese) of the area is yummy!

Chateau Ussé is one of the most beautiful ones to look at; was supposedly what the author of Sleeping Beauty had in mind and also was an inspiration to Disney. You can get very close to it from the highway and I consider it a 'drive-by' because when I visited it the interior was on the shabby side & not worth the price of admission.

Google "Zoo de Doue" near Saumar in the Loire Valley. This is a large private family zoo located in a former quarry so the setting is spectacular. The quarry forms natural walls and areas for the animals instead of fences or cages. It also does research and works with other zoos. From ground level, you can see the heads of the giraffes. Very fun. Also, you might visit ROCHEMENIER, west of Saumur, where an underground village housed a small farming community with its own underground chapel and was only abandoned in the 1930s. Includes a typical troglodyte dwelling, along with a museum of domestic items, including wine and oil presses. Check out this link for a more info www.france-for-visitors.com/loire/saumur/troglodyte-dwellings.html. If you can possibly find a mini chateau/mansion in the Loire to stay for a night or 2, it woul be wonderful for him. We visited this area with my 3 boys (6,9, and 12) and they loved all of the above. However, surprisingly they didn't like the castles especially the interiors which often have very little in them.

Near Amboise, there is a "Mini Chateaux Park" which we, and my son when he was young, enjoyed. www.france-valdeloire.com/minichateaux/index.html It's in French but it has the address, a map, and photos. Chenonceau was our favorite chateau.

For your son (and you) check out Langais Chateau. It is in the middle of the town and is built like an old fighting castle with very thick walls, leaded glass windows. while walking through it is very easy to get the impression wyou are in a real "castle' rather than a "chateau"

Referencing "Zoo de Doue la Fontaine " near Saumur above. See link to a great YouTube video on the zoo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygO8Y5MhKeo&feature=related It's in French but this video best shows the setting which is lush vegetation and trees for some animal habitats and desert for others.

Before we went, several people warned us about getting "chateaued out!" by trying to see too many. So we focused on 3. Blois was a great town, very charming to walk around, and the we went to see the chateau (Chateau de Blois). We then focused on the 2 that seem to get the most attention- Chenonceau and Chambord. Chenonceau is especially pretty, the part of the castle that goes over water makes for a great photo op. And the grounds are beautiful, too. Then we went to the behemoth Chambord. It's HUGE! The tour inside is fascinating (highlight, the "helix" set of stairs, it's said that an entire army batalion was able to up/down at same time), and walking up near the roof, where you can see the intricate carvings, was great. Walking away from the chateau (from either front or back), you can also get in some great pics. These were my personnal favorites. So, I would suggest reading about some of them, and then making your selection of the, say, 2, 3, maybe 4 tops, that you'll visit, based on your tastes/preferences. I was thrilled w/ Chenonceau and Chambord, as I think most visitors are, so these are 2 that would def get my vote. You are off to a spectacular part of France; enjoy!

Visited Loire valley a few years ago on a camping trip with a friend. Definitely a fantastic area with loads to see and do. The most stunning castles are (imho) Chambord, Chenonceau and Ussé. Cheverny and Azay-le-Rideau are nice too, as is Villanry. Take your time and explore, especially with the little fella. Take strolls, take breaks, take your time. A fantastic alternative if castles out is Fontevraud abbey with the graves of Richard Lionheart, Eleanor of Aquitaine. It has been nicely restored. There are roman ruins at Cherre and close to Tours. But always be open to the things you encounter. We went to a free choir concert in the church Azay-le-Rideau and they put up a cinema screen on a village square near Chambord and showed an Kaurismäki silent movie "Juha".
If you plan to stay for 1 week or more you may consider renting an appartment, good bang for your weakling dollars. Useful websites are gite de france and homelidays.com (I used the latter in for Venice and Vienna and was very happy). Ballpark price 400 Euro a week for an appartment sleeping four. Maybe position yourself near Tours and all the area will be in easy driving distance.

I know Rick's not a fan of the city of Tours, but I am a huge fan. It makes a perfect place for your home base on the Loire Valley and it's a beautiful city with fantastic churches, architecture, shopping, and restaurants. In the Gare SNCF there is a tour group that takes a van load of people to many of the chateaux. I took one that took us to 4 in one day. It was a TIRING day, but it was one of the best days of my life. I can scan the brochure for you if you like.

I vote for Amboise. Beautiful little town that is centrally located, a great Chateau and it has fun activitites for children.

I second Amboise. It's very centrally located, and you can do a lot from there. You can travel to lots of chateaux from there, and there are a few nice towns nearby ( Blois is one of them - well worth a day trip ). If you can somehow bike with yopur 5 year old in tow, I highly recommend biking the area. As vegetarians, you can check out the giant ( and I mean GIANT ) market that Amboise has along the river ( I forget which day of the week it is ). You'll find plenty of produce, cheese and bread, as well as fish ( don't know if you eat fish, being a vegetarian ). Regardless, Amboise is a great town that I'd go to in a heartbeat, anytime.

Loire Valley - what to do? Drink wine and plenty of it.

I second Jerry's suggestion, as well. It's my favorite wine region in France. And there's a great little wine shop in Amboise on the street that runs parallel ( and behind ) the main drag along the river. They speak English there and are very helpful. My wife and I got an awesome Chinon, and other great ( and cheap ) wine there. And wineries abound!

Chenonceau and Villandry were our two favorites by far. Cheverny, Chambord, Chateau de Blois, and Amboise were ok. A great place to stay and have dinner is La Roseraie. Look at tripadvisor.com for testimonials. Located very close to Chenonceau. Very convenient to see the chateau at night as well as the day.