Camping du Château de la Rolandière

You could easily turn your trip into an entirely castle-themed one if you so wished, such is the number within a 45-minute drive. Start at Château d’Ussé, inspiration for the story of Sleeping Beauty, or drive for 25 minutes to Château d’Azay-le-Rideau and its famed water mirror. Villandry, the big daddy of the area’s châteaux, is around 45 minutes’ drive away, and is a fab place to spend the day wandering around the building itself and its vast gardens including the recently restored Sun Garden. If your interest in châteaux veers more towards the produce of their estates, take a half-hour drive to Chinon or 40 minutes to Bourgueil, both of which function as the epicentres for ambling around vineyards and wineries. The big family attraction in these parts is Futuroscope theme park, 45 minutes away. Heaps of fun things will keep you occupied all day – rides, immersive shows, exhibitions, kids’ driving tracks and plenty more. For a somewhat calmer day out, the Aquarium du Val-de-Loire is also about 45 minutes away – walk through the shark tunnel and get your hands in the water at the touch pond, full of fish, frogs and unusual beasts like axolotls.