Sunset and aperitif on the Loire by traditional boat

Where can you watch the sunset on the Loire from a boat?

On the boatmen's boats, which schedule dusk outings in the warmer months. Four crews say so on their websites, 47 to 82 min from the cottage. For other outings on the Loire, see the Blois-Chambord tourist office.

• Les Marins du Port de Chambord in Saint-Dyé-sur-Loire (47 min): dusk trips and riverside picnic trips.
• Millière Raboton in Chaumont-sur-Loire (58 min): trips at dawn, at dusk, with a picnic or as a private outing.
• La Rabouilleuse, École de Loire in Rochecorbon (71 min): a 2 hour 30 sailing trip at dawn or dusk.
• Passeurs de Loire in Sigloy (82 min): a 3 hour « crépuscule » trip, leaving at 7 pm from 15 May to 31 July and earlier after that.

Can you have an aperitif on board?

It depends on the crew: ask when you book. The boatmen's picnic outings usually mean bringing your own basket. We only state here what the operators' websites say.

One aperitif option is clearly advertised on the Cher: Canoë Company in Civray-de-Touraine (52 min, 65 km) prepares aperitif baskets at its bistro (two glasses of wine and a terrine) to take in a Canadian canoe towards the Château de Chenonceau. Departures run into the evening in summer.

What is a toue cabanée?

A toue is a long, narrow, flat-bottomed Loire boat once used for fishing and transport. With a wooden cabin at the stern it is called a toue cabanée. La Rabouilleuse sails sand-dredging toues; the other crews use traditional boats of similar shapes.

How to plan the evening from the cottage?

• The easiest: Saint-Dyé-sur-Loire, 47 min away. You are back in Romorantin in under an hour after dark.
• With a day in Chaumont: the Garden Festival in the afternoon, the boat in the evening, 58 min back.
• With Vouvray: a cellar in the afternoon, sailing at dusk in Rochecorbon. Plan for a driver who does not drink: it is a 71 min drive back.

Bring a jumper, even in summer, and insect repellent. All boarding points are covered in our guide to boat trips on the Loire. Cottage prices (allow €130 a night for 4 guests, taxes and fees included) are on rates and booking.