Loire châteaux by hot-air balloon: 8 companies compared

Yes, you can fly over the Loire châteaux in a hot-air balloon from Romorantin-Lanthenay, and it is simple to arrange. This guide compares 8 companies that fly from April to October around Chambord, Cheverny, Chaumont-sur-Loire, Chenonceau and Amboise. The nearest to L'Instant Tranquille cottage, Au Gré des Vents, meets its passengers in Contres, a 29-minute drive away. Allow €185 to €229 per adult in a shared basket and 3 hr to 3 hr 30 on site, with about 1 hour in the air.

Two things to know before you get your hopes up. No company guarantees a flight over a particular château: the balloon goes where the wind takes it. And the weather postpones flights, sometimes at the last minute on the field, so you need fallback dates. Every price in this guide was taken on 6 October 2026 from each company's own website. We have not flown with any of them.

Which company should you choose from Romorantin?

The meeting point matters most, because a morning flight starts before sunrise. Here are the 8 companies, sorted by drive time from the cottage.

The table has 9 rows because Art Montgolfières runs two different departures. The drives to Saint-Georges-sur-Cher and Amboise use the A85 motorway for 32 to 61 km. The drive to Contres is on ordinary roads. For Touraine Montgolfière, which does not publish an exact address, we give the drive time to the château of Amboise. Six of the eight have an English version of their website; Au Gré des Vents and Compagnons du Vent do not, though the tourist board lists both as English-speaking.

• For the shortest drive, Au Gré des Vents. It is the only one with a fixed meeting point less than 30 minutes away, with a car park. You leave the car there and the crew drives you by 4x4 to the field chosen by the pilot.
• For Chenonceau at the lowest price, Art Montgolfières or Loire et Montgolfière, in Saint-Georges-sur-Cher, 42 minutes away.
• For a basket for two, Aérocom at €799, Au Gré des Vents at €850, Art Montgolfières at Cheverny from €789 on weekdays.
• For a passenger with reduced mobility, Aérocom, the only one with an accessible basket fitted with a seat, from €839 for the passenger and one companion.

Two more companies are left out of the table. France Montgolfières meets in Francueil, near Chenonceaux: €199 on weekdays, €249 any day. Sologne en Montgolfière takes off from the château of Mézières-lez-Cléry, in the Loiret, too far from Romorantin for a dawn flight. We found no pilot based in Romorantin itself.

Will you actually see a château?

Probably, but with no guarantee. A balloon cannot be steered: the pilot chooses the launch field according to the day's wind, then the balloon drifts. Every company says so, each in its own way.

• Aérocom, it is not possible to fly a route from château to château, as they can be thirty kilometres apart.
• Touraine Montgolfière, you will very probably see one of the châteaux, sometimes two, but not every time.
• Art Montgolfières, it is not possible to predict or guarantee flying over a château.
• Au Gré des Vents, the website promises at least one château, but its terms state that it guarantees neither the route nor the sights flown over.

For Chambord, Au Gré des Vents (in French) says it takes off “from the gates of Chambord” and describes itself as the estate's partner since 2001. The Chambord estate publishes nothing about balloons, so this comes from the company alone. Its other launch fields are at Cheverny, Chenonceau, Chaumont-sur-Loire, Blois, Fougères-sur-Bièvre and Saint-Aignan. Contres is 13 minutes from Cheverny and 33 minutes from Chambord.

How much does a flight cost, children included?

Heights are in metres: 1.20 m is about 3 ft 11 in, and 1.30 m about 4 ft 3 in. Compagnons du Vent has a family ticket at €730 for 2 adults and 2 children. Tickets are generally non-refundable. Two companies let you pay only if the flight goes ahead, which suits a visitor passing through: the “Sérénité” option at Au Gré des Vents and the “Liberté” option at Aérocom. Touraine Montgolfière and Loire et Montgolfière sell a refund option for €25 per ticket, Air Touraine from €15.

Read the terms before you buy a ticket as a gift. Extending an expired ticket costs €50 at Aérocom, Au Gré des Vents and Art Montgolfières, and €100 at Touraine Montgolfière. Air Touraine also postpones a flight when the basket is not full.

What happens on a flight?

All the companies follow the same routine: meeting point, a 4x4 ride to the field, inflating the balloon with the passengers' help, about 1 hour of flying, landing in a field, packing up, then the balloonists' toast and a certificate. The vehicle takes you back to where you started. The whole outing lasts 3 hours at Aérocom, Touraine Montgolfière, Balloon Revolution and Air Touraine, and 3 hr 30 at Au Gré des Vents and Compagnons du Vent.

You stand throughout, with no seats, in a basket that holds up to 18 people depending on the company. Compagnons du Vent caps its basket at 8 passengers. Wear trousers and flat, closed shoes: heels and sandals are refused. Bags are not allowed on board at Au Gré des Vents and Art Montgolfières.

Morning or evening, and in which season?

The season runs from early April to late October. Au Gré des Vents also flies from November to February if 4 passengers have signed up. Balloons take off at dawn or in the late afternoon, when the air is still. Au Gré des Vents sets its meeting time about 1 hour before sunrise, or 3 hours before sunset. The times given by Aérocom show what that means in practice (French time, one hour ahead of the UK):

In June, a 5.15 am meeting in Amboise means leaving Romorantin at about 4 am. From Contres, 29 minutes is enough. Touraine Montgolfière writes that the balance tips clearly in favour of the morning, when the air is steadier. The evening is easier on the alarm clock and leaves the day free.

What if the weather cancels the flight?

The pilot alone decides, sometimes on the field at the last minute. The flight is then postponed, not refunded. Au Gré des Vents and Touraine Montgolfière give one limit: a ground wind of 20 km/h (12 mph).

• When do you find out? At Aérocom, by text message at about 6 pm the day before a morning flight, or between 11 am and 12 noon on the day of an evening flight. At Touraine Montgolfière, before 12 noon the day before. At Art Montgolfières, by email half a day ahead. Give a mobile number that works in France.
• How do you reduce the risk? Book for the first or second day of your stay: if the flight is postponed, other slots remain. Compagnons du Vent asks you to ring about 3 weeks before the date you want. Weekends fill up fast.
• And if you cancel yourself? The ticket is lost less than 72 hours before the flight at Aérocom, and 48 hours at Au Gré des Vents. Touraine Montgolfière requires 96 hours' notice to move a flight.

Who can fly?

• Children, from age 6 at most companies and 7 at Compagnons du Vent, with a minimum height of 1.20 m or 1.30 m. They need to see over the edge of the basket.
• Pregnant women, not accepted anywhere.
• Health, you must be able to stand for 1 hour and climb over the side of the basket. Au Gré des Vents asks for medical advice over the age of 70.
• Dogs, animals are banned on flights by the 4 companies that mention them. The others say nothing.
• Weight, no company publishes a maximum weight. Several ask for it when you book, to balance the basket.

Any company selling flights to the public must be declared to the French civil aviation authority, as the French transport ministry explains (in French). Art Montgolfières, Balloon Revolution, Loire et Montgolfière and Air Touraine display their approval number on their websites.

An evening flight from Romorantin, hour by hour

This outline is for mid-September, with Au Gré des Vents, when the sun sets at about 8.08 pm. The times after the meeting point are our own estimate, based on the duration the company gives.

1. 4.30 pmLeave the cottage

   A 29-minute drive (27 km), with no motorway. Trousers, closed shoes and a jacket: it is cooler when you land.

2. 5.00 pmMeet at the office in Contres

   8 rue du Grand Mont. The company confirms the exact time. The car stays in its car park and you carry on by 4x4.

3. About 5.45 pmInflating the balloon at the day's field

   The pilot picks the site according to the wind: Cheverny is 13 minutes from Contres, Chambord 33 minutes. Passengers help to spread out the envelope.

4. About 6.30 pmAbout 1 hour in the air

   Standing in the basket, between 150 and 1,500 m (500 to 4,900 ft) up according to the company. The route depends on the wind.

5. About 7.45 pmLanding and toast

   The balloon is packed away, then comes a glass of local sparkling wine and the flight certificate.

6. About 8.30 pmBack to Contres, then the cottage

   You reach Romorantin at about 9 pm.

What about the rest of the day?

A morning flight leaves you free at about 9 or 10 am, close to a château. Our Loire châteaux in 3 days itinerary gives the opening hours and prices for Chambord, Cheverny, Chenonceau and Amboise. After a flight from Saint-Georges-sur-Cher, the river cruise under the château of Chenonceau leaves from Chisseaux, the next village. If the flight is postponed, our guide to what to do in the Sologne when it rains is the plan B.

The cottage is a house of 115 m² for 6 guests, 29 minutes from the meeting point in Contres: you drive back to sleep after an evening flight, or set off at dawn. Availability is on the rates and booking page.