Loire châteaux in 3 days from Romorantin: a day-by-day itinerary

From Romorantin-Lanthenay, 3 days are enough to see 7 of the great Loire châteaux without changing accommodation: Chambord and Cheverny on day 1, Chenonceau, Amboise and Clos Lucé on day 2, Blois and Chaumont-sur-Loire on day 3. You set off from the cottage each morning, and the longest drive of the whole stay is the 61 minutes back from Amboise.

Opening times in this guide are those for October 2026, read on the official websites on 6 October 2026. Driving times are door to door from 23 rue de Loreux. Visit lengths are the ones the châteaux publish. Where they publish none, we say so and give our own estimate.

Three things to know if this is your first trip to France. Lunch is served from 12 noon to about 2 pm and kitchens rarely take orders later. Some sights close for an hour or two at midday in winter. And since 2026 Chambord charges two prices: €21 for residents of the European Economic Area with proof, €31 for everyone else, which includes visitors from the United Kingdom and the United States.

Which château on which day?

The châteaux fall into three areas. One day to the north, around the forest of Chambord. One day to the west, in the Cher valley and then on the Loire at Amboise. One day to the north-west, between Blois and Chaumont.

With a single day, keep day 1: it has the least driving for two very different châteaux. With two days, add day 2, which is the fullest. Save it for a day when you feel fresh, not the morning after you arrive.

Day 1: Chambord in the morning, Cheverny in the afternoon

Chambord opens at 9 am and Cheverny serves lunch without a booking, which sets the order of the day. In October Cheverny closes at 5 pm, so the reverse order does not work.

1. 8.45 amLeave the cottage for Chambord

   A 43-minute drive (40 km), no motorway.

2. 9.30 amChâteau de Chambord

   Use car park P0, 600 m from the château: €8 a day, paid by card at the machines when you arrive. Admission €31, or €21 for EEA residents with proof, free under 18. Chambord publishes no suggested visit length. Our estimate: 2 hr 30 including the roof terraces.

3. 12.15 pmDrive to Cheverny

   28 minutes (18 km). The village of Bracieux is on the way, 13 minutes from Chambord, if you would rather eat there.

4. 12.45 pmLunch at the Orangerie, Cheverny

   The estate restaurant serves lunch from 12 noon to 2.30 pm every day, no booking needed. All 3 car parks are free. Tickets are sold at the gate only, not online.

5. 2.00 pmChâteau de Cheverny

   €15.50 per adult, €11.50 for ages 7 to 14, free under 7. The château suggests 1 hr 30 to 1 hr 45 for the interior and gardens, 2 hr 15 to 2 hr 30 with the Tintin exhibition (€20.50 combined). Closes at 5 pm from October to March, 6 pm from April to September.

6. 4.30 pmBack to the cottage

   30 minutes (29 km).

What can you see at Chambord in a morning?

The double-helix staircase, the apartments and the roof terraces, where you walk among the chimneys and look out over the park. François I ordered the building of Chambord in 1519. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981 and received 1,218,055 visitors in 2025, its record. The Domaine national de Chambord opens from 9 am to 6 pm until 25 October 2026, then 9 am to 5 pm until 18 December. The horse show in the stables returns from 17 October to 1 November 2026 (€18 per adult, €14.50 for ages 3 to 17). It lengthens the morning: if you add it, have lunch on site.

Why Cheverny after Chambord?

Because it is the opposite. Chambord is vast and almost bare of furniture. The Château de Cheverny is fully furnished and has belonged to the same family for more than 6 centuries. Hergé based Marlinspike Hall, Captain Haddock's home in the Tintin books, on its central section, hence the Tintin exhibition. The château is heated and open 365 days a year, which also makes it the best choice for a wet day.

Where to have lunch between Chambord and Cheverny?

• At Chambord, the Café d'Orléans inside the château, the kiosks on the village square and picnic areas. Le Grand Saint-Michel, the restaurant of the Relais de Chambord hotel, faces the château.
• In Bracieux, Le Rendez-vous des Gourmets, 20 rue Roger-Brun: traditional cooking with game in season, a Michelin Bib Gourmand, closed on Wednesdays. Book ahead.
• At Cheverny, the château's Orangerie, from 12 noon to 2.30 pm, no booking.

Day 2: Chenonceau, Amboise and Clos Lucé

This is the longest day: 166 km (103 miles) and three visits. It works because the two sights in Amboise are a 12-minute walk apart (881 m) and Clos Lucé stays open until 7 pm in September and October. If it looks too much, drop the royal château of Amboise or Clos Lucé, not Chenonceau.

1. 8.30 amLeave the cottage for Chenonceau

   52 minutes (62 km), 32 km of it on the A85. The A85 is a toll motorway. We could not confirm the 2026 toll for this stretch: expect to pay once on the way out and once on the way back.

2. 9.30 amChâteau de Chenonceau

   The ticket office opens at 9 am until 1 November 2026. €19 per adult with the leaflet, €24 with the audio guide, €15 for ages 7 to 18, free under 7. Buy online and choose a time slot. Chenonceau publishes no suggested visit length. Our estimate: 2 hr 15 with the gardens.

3. 11.45 amLunch on site

   The crêperie near the ticket office opens every day. The Orangerie serves brunch from 12 noon to 3 pm. The estate also has a picnic area.

4. 1.00 pmDrive to Amboise

   27 minutes (20 km). In town, paid parking spaces give you 1 free hour a day and the council lists more than 1,600 free spaces.

5. 1.45 pmChâteau royal d'Amboise

   €17.30 per adult, €11 for ages 7 to 18, free under 7, HistoPad tablet included. A 1-hour guided tour is included in the ticket. Leonardo da Vinci is buried in the Saint-Hubert chapel. Open 9 am to 5.30 pm in October. Allow 1 hr 30, our estimate.

6. 3.30 pmWalk to Clos Lucé

   A 12-minute walk (881 m). Leave the car where it is.

7. 3.45 pmChâteau du Clos Lucé

   Leonardo da Vinci's last home, with a park where his machines have been rebuilt. €20 per adult, €15 for ages 7 to 18, €60 family ticket. The site suggests 1 hr 30. Open 9 am to 7 pm in September and October, 6 pm in November and December.

8. 5.30 pmBack to the cottage

   A 12-minute walk back to the car, then a 61-minute drive (84 km), 61 km of it on the A85.

Do you need to book Chenonceau?

Yes, online, to choose your entry slot. Booking is compulsory on French bank holiday weekends in 2026. The Château de Chenonceau was built between 1513 and 1517, and Catherine de' Medici added the galleries that span the River Cher. It opens every day of the year. From 2 November to 4 December 2026 the ticket office opens only from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm, so bring the whole Amboise day forward. On 17, 24 and 31 October 2026 there is an evening visit at 7 pm.

Royal château of Amboise or Clos Lucé, if you must choose?

The royal château for the view over the Loire and Leonardo's tomb. Clos Lucé for children and for the working models in the park, which you can handle. Clos Lucé tickets are dated and cannot be moved, so buy them only once the day is certain. In November the Château royal d'Amboise closes from 12.30 pm to 2 pm. For a sit-down lunch in Amboise, Les Arpents, 5 rue d'Orange, serves from 12 noon to 2 pm, Tuesday to Saturday (Michelin Bib Gourmand). Our guide to Amboise and Clos Lucé from Romorantin covers the town in more detail.

Day 3: Blois in the morning, Chaumont-sur-Loire in the afternoon

The château of Blois takes 1 hr to 1 hr 30. Chaumont needs half a day while the International Garden Festival is on. So the afternoon goes to Chaumont.

1. 9.15 amLeave the cottage for Blois

   45 minutes (45 km), no motorway.

2. 10.00 amChâteau royal de Blois

   The Château car park is 200 m away: €3.80 for 3 hours. Admission €16 per adult, €8 for ages 6 to 17, free under 6. The château suggests 1 hr to 1 hr 30. Open 9 am to 6 pm from 1 to 16 October 2026, 10 am to 5 pm from 2 November to 18 December.

3. 11.45 amLunch in Blois

   The château has no restaurant. In town, Bro's, 36 rue de la Foulerie, is a bistro listed in the Michelin Guide, closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays according to the guide. Book ahead.

4. 1.30 pmDrive to Chaumont-sur-Loire

   21 minutes (18 km) along the Loire. Free parking at the south entrance, rue des Argillons.

5. 2.00 pmDomaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire

   €21 per adult, €13 for ages 12 to 18, €6 for ages 6 to 11, €42 family ticket, covering the château, the park and the Garden Festival. The estate suggests 3 hours. Open 10 am to 7 pm until 25 October 2026, 10 am to 5.30 pm from 2 November.

6. 5.15 pmBack to the cottage

   58 minutes (56 km).

How long does the Chaumont Garden Festival run?

The 2026 International Garden Festival, on the theme of gardens and cinema, runs from 22 April to 1 November 2026. The estate advises arriving at opening time in high season. If the gardens are your main reason for coming, reverse the day: Chaumont at 10 am, Blois from 3 pm.

What is there to see at the château of Blois?

Four wings from four periods around a single courtyard, which makes it a summary of the architecture of every other château on this trip. Until 31 October 2026 the Château royal de Blois puts on a sound and light show at 7.15 pm (€13). Bags are checked at the entrance: avoid large rucksacks.

How much do the 7 châteaux cost?

€139.80 per adult at the 2026 prices published on the official websites, or €129.80 for a resident of the European Economic Area, who pays €21 instead of €31 at Chambord.

Is the Pass'Châteaux worth buying?

For a European resident it saves about €6 per adult, no more. The Blois Chambord tourist office sells bundled tickets valid in 2026. Two of them cover 5 of the 7 châteaux in this itinerary.

The comparison uses Chambord at €21. The tourist office does not say whether the pass price depends on where you live, so check before buying if you would otherwise pay €31. The pass is pointless for under-18s, who get into Chambord free, and it covers neither the Tintin exhibition at Cheverny nor audio guides.

What if you would rather see a quieter château?

The Château de Valençay is 36 minutes south of the cottage (29 km), away from the main tourist routes. Admission is €14.50 per adult, €11.50 reduced, and the car parks are free. It opens every day from 10 am to 6 pm until 3 January 2027. On the way back, Selles-sur-Cher is 19 minutes from Valençay (15 km). Closer still, our plan for two days in Romorantin takes in the Château de Selles-sur-Cher and the Château du Moulin.

With a dog, a pushchair or young children?

A baby carrier solves the problem everywhere. For children under 7, four of the seven châteaux are free, and Chambord is free up to 18.

What changes in winter?

• Shorter hours, Chenonceau's ticket office closes at 4.30 pm from 2 November to 4 December 2026, Blois opens from 10 am to 5 pm and Chambord closes at 5 pm. Plan one château a day, two at most.
• Midday closure, the royal château of Amboise shuts from 12.30 pm to 2 pm in November.
• Always open, Cheverny opens 365 days a year. Amboise closes only on 25 December and 1 January.
• Christmas, Chambord is decorated from 28 November 2026 to 3 January 2027.

If it rains, our guide to what to do in the Sologne when it rains ranks indoor visits by driving time. The cottage is a whole house of 115 m² for 6 guests, with 3 bedrooms and private parking: you come back to it every evening without repacking. Prices and availability are on the rates and booking page.