From Beaugency

25 km from the Château de Chambord

28 minutes by road, no motorway and no toll.

Photograph: Domaine national de Chambord

25 km, twenty-eight minutes, no motorway and no toll. Leave after breakfast and you are at the gates when they open.

What is not said often enough about Chambord

That the visit is a walk. 440 rooms, 80 staircases, a park of 5,000 hectares enclosed by a wall 32 kilometres long. Three hours at the very least, most of it in full sun in summer.

The double-helix staircase at the centre of the keep lets two people go up and down without meeting. It is the kind of detail people travel a long way to see.

Coming back, and swimming

This is where a pool heated to 27 °C earns its keep. We close it at 9.30pm, from 1 June to 30 September.

32 air-conditioned rooms are waiting on your return, and your car sleeps in our courtyard, which we shut at 11pm.

The pool, open until 9.30pm.

Opening times and admission prices change every season: see the official site of the Domaine national de Chambord.

Frequently asked questions

Where to stay near Chambord?

Beaugency is 25 km from Chambord, about 28 minutes by road with no motorway and no toll, at small-town prices and with parking in a gated courtyard.

How long does Chambord take?

Three hours at least. 440 rooms, 80 staircases, and a 5,000-hectare park.

Is the hotel suitable for a family?

We have interconnecting rooms: two rooms joined by an inner door, with two bathrooms.