Hello, looking for feedback and tips for visiting France and exploring the upper Loire region with children in tow. We are renting a house for our base so we will have a car. I'm curious to hear from any others who have inside knowledge or experience in this region, especially any who've travelled with children.
Many thanks!

We stayed in Amboise and attended this event one of our evenings. I think your kids would enjoy it. It has it all: animals, jugglers, kids. It is set against the backdrop of the castle and was a fun evening.

http://www.renaissance-amboise.com/i...s=8&annee=2015

I would recommend the Chateau de Chenonceau. When I was there, I did not have children, but I do have them now, and I feel it is a very kid-friendly castle. Beautiful, sprawling grounds, with gardens and statues and a maze. It sits on a moat, I think. Great place to visit. Kids would love it.

Our kids loved the Loire castles. Buy a good guidebook at your first castle and tell the kids stories during the drives. Château d'Ussé is said to be the castle of Sleepimg Beauty and has displays of the fairy tale. Should be must-visit. Here is the list of our favourite castles:

- Azay-le-Rideau - it is simply beautiful.
- Chenonceau - small and romantic.
- Chambord - huge and impressive.
- Ussé - impressive location & Sleeping Beauty.
- Loches - a truly medieval castle.

Im Amboise make sure to visit Clos Luce - the mansion where Leonardo da Vinci lived and worked with many full-size replicas of his inventions. Also, go one evening to a son-et-lumiere show. Even if it is in French, it is an impressive experience with all the lights and the music.

Usse isn't that impressive.

It may have inspired Perrault, but it has little relation to the Disney cartoon or the castle at Disney World.

With a kid, you need to go to Chateau D'Amboise and take the carriageway exit. Have the hobbit look at the gargoyles.

>>> it has little relation to the Disney cartoon or the castle at Disney World <<<

What a shame that the world isn't shaped after Disney cartoons!

But you Americans will change that. Soon. I am sure.

Usse is called the Sleeping Beauty Castle and so is the castle at Disneyland I believe but that castle is modeled after Mad Ludwig's Neuschwanstein Castle near Fussen, Germany and not Usse or Segovia Spain's also often erroneously attributed to being clones of Disneys castles - they may have inspired him to build a fantasy castle but Neuschwanstein is the one he rather copied I understand.

My young son loved swimming in the open-air piscine (swimming pool) on an island in the Loire smack opposite the chateau - nice place to relax and soak up the visage of the awesome chateau facade while kids burn off energy.

Thank you all for the positive ideas, the mazes will be wonderful to explore I'm sure. My daughter is planning to pack her princess dresses and sword so we will surely need to see one of the reenactment evenings.

Chateau du Rivau is a great place to visit with children. They even have little prince or princess outfits for the kids to wear as they tour the gardens!

Oh and nearby, try a picnic in the vines at the Château du Petit Thouars. It is run by a family with young children as well!