Le Clos des Epinettes

Montrichard (10 minutes' drive) is your best bet if you're looking for a laidback local spot – here there's a river beach where you can swim as well as old half-timbered houses and a spooky castle dungeon to explore (gardens are on hand for calming strolls if you need a break from all those medieval atrocities). Larger châteaux can be seen close by in Montpoupon (15 minutes) and Chenonceau (20 minutes). Haven't the time for day-long drives spotting castles along the Loire? Try Parc des Mini-Châteaux (25 minutes), where you can tick off over 45 aristo abodes (the buildings may be miniature, but if you get your angles right peeps admiring subsequent holiday snaps will be none the wiser). After some animals? At ZooParc de Beauval (20 minutes) you can take your pick – this 40-hectare attraction has more than 35,000 of the things. Also recommended is the Grand Aquarium de Touraine (35 minutes), the highlight of which is a spine-chilling 15-metre shark tunnel.