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Independent guide

French chateaux, planned with the facts

Where the great chateaux are, what a chateau hotel is, when to go and how to get there from the UK. Every fact comes with its source, and we do not sell stays.

Explore the regionsWhat is a chateau hotel?
Photo by Colin Watts on Unsplash
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What are you after?

Chateaux and castles

Chambord, Chenonceau, Amboise and the Loire Valley.

Wine estates

Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne, and how the classifications work.

What a chateau hotel is

The definition, how many chateaux there are and the collections.

Getting married

What the UK and French governments say about marrying in France.

When to go

Weather by month for six regions, plus French public holidays.

Getting there

Entry rules, the Channel crossing and driving in France.
Regions

Six chateau regions

Each guide covers the chateaux, the history, the food and wine, and when to go.

The Château de Chambord seen across the water

Loire Valley

More than 300 chateaux along one river, built by kings and courtiers. This is the heartland of the French Renaissance.Vineyards near Saint-Émilion in the Bordeaux region

Bordeaux

In Bordeaux a chateau is usually a wine estate. Here is how the region works and what is worth knowing before you visit.The Dordogne river seen from the heights of a castle

Dordogne and Périgord

Cliff-top castles above a river, prehistoric caves and one of France's richest food traditions.Traditional townhouses on a street in Beaune, Burgundy

Burgundy

A region of vineyards, abbeys and Renaissance chateaux, with a UNESCO-listed wine landscape.Rows of vines leading up to a hilltop church

Champagne

About 160 km east of Paris, the only place that can call its sparkling wine champagne.Mont-Saint-Michel at sunset across the tidal flats

Normandy

A region of castles, abbeys and coast with a thousand years of history behind it.

All regions

What we do and do not do

  • We explain. What a chateau is, where they are, and what the official sources say about marrying, entering and driving in France.
  • We cite. Every page lists its sources, and anything we could not verify is left out and said so.
  • We do not sell. We are not a travel agent and do not take bookings. We do not rate or recommend individual hotels.
Planning a trip

Entry rules and driving

Passport rules, the Channel crossing, speed limits and Crit’Air, for travellers from the UK.

Plan your trip