I'm traveling to the Loire Valley in June for three days with my wife and two children(10 and 13)--staying near Amboise and Blois. Planning on seeing Chambord and Chenonceaux, and we're interested in seeing quaint old towns, and eating some good food. What about the son-et-lumiere?

We were in that area summer of '96. Your kides will love Chambord. We did too! WE were disappointed in Blois, but loved Amboise. We found a wonderful place to stay near Chambord: a B&B outside south of Blois called La Rabouillere. Martine Thimonnier and
his wife are terrific host. A perfect French cottage for their house with room, but we had the only small cottage, individually set next to the big house. It would be perfect for a family. There is a bed and bath upstairs and a bedroom and bath down stairs, with a full kitchen and dining area. It was the cleanest, cutest French chalet you will ever see.
The price was most reasonable, not expensive at all.
It was rated $$ in the book we found it in, which was between 250 - 400 ff. We wished we had arranged to stay the whole week. It is a perfect location to see the whole Loire Valley. I know you seem to have a place to stay, but if it's not final, I highly recommend this place. Chemin de Marcon, 41700 Contres. Tel. 54-79-05-14. Chambres d'hotes in a typical farmhouse 10 KM (6 l/4 miles) south of Cheverny. Just off D102. It's West of Chambord only a few miles. (Room for the kids to play, without worry of traffic, and breakfast is served outside under an unberalla table, and a lovely breakfast it is. (I know I sound like an ad, but I just loved this place.) But little English is spoken. But they are patient and most helpful.

I attended school in Amboise, and it is a delightful town. Very quaint. Chateau Chenenceau is the most beautiful chateau, I think. There is a market in Amboise every Sunday morning--it's fun to catch a glimpse of real life there, plus you can buy some great fresh food for a picnic. The cathedral in Tours is also worth visiting.

Chateau de Chissay in Montrachard is WONDERFUL! We stayed in a turret room. Excellent restaurant!

Go to the Amazon books web site and look up the Michelin Green Guide to the Loire Valley. It confirms all of the excellent ideas posted by the other readers. We found a little inn next door to the Chateau Villandry. Our high spots were: Blois, Villandry, Cheverny, Chenonceaux, Chambord, Azay le Rideau -- and by then we were going into chateau overload and headed south. The entire valley is a veritable feast of magnificent places. Tip: go to the town chamber of commerce (syndicate d'initiatif) and they can help you find reasonable accommodations on farms, small inns, and private homes. We found some gorgeous places at very low prices, using this service. Also, the idea of B&Bs is spreading -- look at crossroads for little round signs or ask about such things when you are in the chambres de tourisme -- you'll be glad you did.

Although I visited several chateaux in the Loire valley, my favorite was Angers. If you are interested in English and French history, Angers would probably interest you. Henry II of England had a French father and through him inherited Angers, the ancestral home of the Counts of Anjou. Henry II and his son, Richard Coeur de Lion aften held court at Angers. The castle does not have the graceful architecture of Chenonceau, but it is lovely and I could almost feel the presence of the ghosts of some of my favorite historical characters. Next to Angers, I liked Amboise.

I agree with many of the above postings. As for food, try Le Medici in Blois. While we ate at many wonderful restaurants throughout the area (I found that the food quality in Loire was superior across the board than in Paris), Le Medici was one of the best meals I have ever had in my life (which is saying something because I live in New Orleans). Granted, this meal was several years ago and the restaurant is affiliated with a hotel (which I try to avoid so as to eat with the locals). Nonetheless, I would return in a heart beat.