Experience the Loire Valley Home Page

 Loire Valley by car

Self drive with your car.

From the UK:

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 https://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'.

 

Listed are the distances from the major ports to a variety of destinations within the Loire Valley:

Driving distance from ferry port:

 To Angers Miles  Km

To Orleans Miles  Km

To Saumur Miles  Km

To Tours Miles  Km

Caen

157

258

192

318

173

278

164

264

Calais

371

511

270

420

333

537

334

522

Cherbourg

231

371

267

440

247

397

224

368

Dieppe

216

359

164

280

239

385

202

370

Le Harve

192

329

170

280

354

240

211

340

Roscoff

212

341

322

509

252

406

261

428

St. Malo

127

204

230

366

167

269

175

287

 

By car from Orly airport

By car from CDG airport

 

 

Practical info. on driving in France

Travel to Loire Valley

 

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