Rainy days in the Sologne: what to do under cover

On a wet day in Romorantin-Lanthenay, the easiest plan is to stay in town: the Musée de Sologne and the Matra car museum are a 15-minute walk from the cottage, and the swimming pool is 3 minutes by car. If you would rather drive, the Château de Cheverny, 31 minutes away, is open and heated all year. The other indoor outings are in Blois, in the Cher valley and in Nançay, between 36 and 52 minutes away.

In bad weather the trap is the calendar, not the distance: several places close in winter, on Tuesdays, or for lunch between 12 noon and 2 pm, which is common in France. This guide ranks outings by driving time and says when each one is open.

Every indoor outing, by driving time

Prices are for 2026. Visit times are those advised by each venue, except for the Musée de Sologne, Valençay and Chenonceau, where they are our own estimate.

What can you do in Romorantin itself when it rains?

The Musée de Sologne fills three former watermills on the river Sauldre. Admission is €6, €4 reduced, free under 6. A €16 family ticket covers 2 adults and 2 children. A lift serves every floor. The museum closes on Tuesdays, except in July and August, and for the whole of January. On winter Sundays it opens only at 2 pm.

A 5-minute walk away, the Espace Automobiles Matra is entirely indoors, over more than 3,000 m². Allow €8 per adult, €5 for ages 8 to 16, nothing under 8. It closes on Tuesdays outside the school holidays of French zone B, and from 12 noon to 2 pm every day. A joint ticket with the Musée de Sologne exists: ask at the first till.

• The Alain Calmat pool, 16 avenue de Paris, has a 25 m pool, a small pool, a slide and an inflatable course. Entry is €2.50 per adult, €1.60 for ages 3 to 17, €7 for 2 adults and 2 children. A swimming cap is compulsory, as in most French public pools. In term time it opens only at lunchtime and in the early evening on weekdays: Saturday, 9 am to 12.45 pm and 3 pm to 6 pm, is the widest slot.
• The ice rink in the same complex opens from September to May, on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons and on Sundays in term time.
• Sologne Escape Game, 1 place Jean-Moulin, next to the Musée de Sologne, has 3 rooms for 2 to 6 players aged 14 and over. A game lasts 60 minutes and costs €22 to €35 per player depending on group size. Open Tuesday to Saturday, online booking only. Ask about English-language games when you book.
• The Ciné Sologne cinema and the Jacques-Thyraud library, 20 faubourg Saint-Roch, round off a car-free afternoon. Films are usually dubbed into French; look for “VO” or “VOST” for the original version.

These places fit into day 1 of our two days in Romorantin-Lanthenay plan, which also lists where to eat in the centre.

A model rainy day: Cheverny and the chocolate factory

This is the most dependable outing in bad weather, winter included. It takes 1 hr 20 of driving in total and works from Monday to Saturday.

1. 9.40 amLeave the cottage for Cheverny

   A 31-minute drive (29 km). Free parking on site.

2. 10.15 amChâteau de Cheverny and the Tintin exhibition

   €20.50 per adult, €16 reduced, free under 7. Tickets at the gate only, no online sales. The château is heated in winter. Allow 2 hr 15 to 2 hr 30.

3. 12.45 pmLunch break

   The Tintin exhibition closes from 12.45 pm to 1.45 pm. There is a covered picnic area at the entrance to the Jardin de l'Amour.

4. 2.30 pmDrive to Bracieux

   17 minutes (10 km).

5. 3.00 pmMax Vauché chocolate factory

   A 1-hour guided tour with tasting, Monday to Saturday at 10.30 am, 3 pm and 4.30 pm. Tours in English run in July and August. Book your slot online.

6. 4.15 pmBack to the cottage

   32 minutes (33 km).

The Château de Cheverny inspired Marlinspike Hall in the Tintin books, hence the exhibition. It is open 365 days a year, including 25 December and 1 January. From October to March the ticket office opens from 10 am to 5 pm without a break. You enter the château up 10 steps with no ramp, and pushchairs stay at the door. Pets are not allowed on the estate.

What is there to do in Blois when it rains?

Blois, 45 minutes away, has four indoor sights within a 7-minute walk of each other. It is the best choice for a full day.

• The royal château is open all year except 1 January and 25 December. €16 per adult, €8 for ages 6 to 17, free under 6. No time slot to book. The visit involves many stairs.
• The Maison de la Magie, a museum of magic facing the château, opens for only part of the year. In 2026: daily from 4 April to 30 August, weekends in September, 17 October to 1 November, then 19 December to 3 January 2027. €16 per adult, €8 for ages 6 to 17, including a 30-minute show. Book online.
• The Fondation du doute, a contemporary art museum, opens Wednesday to Sunday from 2 pm to 6.30 pm until 20 December 2026. €7.50 per adult.
• The Maison de la BD, a comic-strip centre at 3 rue des Jacobins, is free, Tuesday to Saturday.

The combined ticket for the château and the Maison de la Magie costs €24 per adult and €12 for ages 6 to 17, which is €8 less than the two tickets bought separately.

What about the Cher valley, Valençay and Nançay?

In Bourré, near Montrichard, the Cave des Roches shows visitors a mushroom farm and a town carved underground. It stays at 12 °C (54 °F) all year, so bring a jumper. The guided tour lasts 1 hour and costs €12 per adult, €7.50 under 16. From 1 October to 11 November, tours leave at 11 am, 3 pm and 4 pm. Twenty-three minutes further on, the Château de Chenonceau is open every day of the year: €19 per adult with the leaflet, €15 for ages 7 to 18.

The Château de Valençay opens daily from 10 am to 6 pm until 3 January 2027, then closes until late March. Admission is €14.50, or €18 with the car museum next door. That museum shows more than 60 vehicles and closes from 12 November.

In Nançay, the Pôle des Étoiles space centre is recommended from age 5. Admission is €7, €5 under 16. Planetarium shows cost extra and seats are limited, so book online. The building closes from 12.30 pm to 1.30 pm, and mobile phones do not work on site because of the radio telescope next door.

For a full day in the water, the Aqua Mundo at Center Parcs Les Hauts de Bruyères, in Chaumont-sur-Tharonne, sells day tickets from 10 am. The price varies with the date, from €28 to €49 from age 12 and €20 to €35 for ages 3 to 11. Online booking is compulsory.

Can you go to the ZooParc de Beauval in the rain?

Yes, but it is not an indoor outing. The ZooParc de Beauval, 38 minutes away, is open every day of the year. Its website says that when it rains the four tropical greenhouses and the Equatorial Dome offer shelter. The rest of the park is outdoors. Keep Beauval for a showery day, not a day of steady rain, and pack waterproofs instead of an umbrella.

Does it rain a lot in the Sologne?

Often, but seldom hard. According to Météo-France's 1991-2020 averages, Romorantin gets 696 mm (27 inches) of rain a year, spread over 112 days. Only 20 days a year bring more than 10 mm. October is the wettest month, with 70 mm, ahead of May. July and August are the driest, with 7 rainy days each.

In other words, losing a whole day is rare. The cottage has a fireplace and table football for the slack hours, and our Loire châteaux in 3 days itinerary works under grey skies too, since most of each visit is indoors.