By car to the Loire Valley

 Self drive with your car.

At 35mins.Eurotunnel provides the quickest cross-Channel crossing ; P&O, Sea France and Norfolk Line run ferry services between Dover and Calais and Dunkirk; Brittany Ferries and LD Lines provide good links to France to a number of different ports.              

See 'by ferry'  for more information on departure / arrival ports and journey times.

Once on French soil you can have a relatively carefree drive to your destination using either the autoroutes (tolls apply*), 'A' roads or the leisurely minor roads - as long as you prepare yourself this can be a very pleasurable experience.

From within Europe and beyond:

If you are driving to France and the Loire Valley from mainland Europe or beyond you should find the journey fairly straightforward as France like all major European countries has an excellent road network. Check out the website http://www.autoroutes.fr/en/homepage.html for great information.

 You can use the autoroutes to get to your destination quickly but when driving in France it is worth remembering that as a country it remains quintessentially rural and you only really begin to appreciate it once you leave them. In fact it’s often when you take a wrong turning that you really stumble on the true 'La Belle France'.