Camping Rillé

The lake next to the site fab for messing about in boats, which you can hire on site from the collection of canoes, kayaks and pedaloes. A little further along the shoreline is a bird sanctuary that’s home to around 250 species; watch out for birdwatching events in the summer organised by the Ligue de Protection des Oiseaux. Just five minutes’ walk up the road from the site is the main station for the Rillé railway, where you can take a steam train tour through the surrounding forest. If you’d rather explore under your own steam, there are plenty of walking trails nearby, or you can hire bikes on site to pedal along the area’s many cycle routes. Châteaux are dotted about the locale – Langeais, Villandry and Saumur are all about a half-hour drive away and there are several more within an hour or so (enough garden wanderings, gorgeous interiors and kid-friendly activities to fill days on end should you wish).