Lost in France

On one previous trip, the city of Tours became a series of never-ending detours, while another ended in a three-hour hunt for our apartment close to midnight. So this time I am doubly scrupulous about getting there without incident. The directions are perfect, but I still manage to drive right past our destination without realising it.

I could be forgiven, though. For part of the charm of our abode for the next week is just that - how well hidden it is. From the road it looks like just another thicket of trees in the endless beauty of the Loire Valley. And once within its walls it is an oasis of tranquillity - and the perfect setting for a week of discovery and relaxation.

For anyone with an interest in architecture and history this must be one of the best places in France. The Loire Valley has more historic sites per square mile than anywhere else in the country. Known as the Valley of the Kings, it was the playground for the French royals who would escape into the idyllic countryside from the hurly-burly of Paris.

Camping Le Chateau de la Grenouillare, just a few miles from Blois, is in the middle of it all. My two are not ones for traipsing through "boring old buildings" and we soon reach a happy compromise. One of the beauties of staying at this site is there is plenty for them to do. Old enough to look after themselves, they are perfectly happy in the pool and leave me to my devices to escape for short daily forays.

You are truly spoilt for choice here and chateaux fatigue can become a real danger. There are over 1,000, with about 120 open to the public. And most of the best are within easy striking distance.

So I set off first to the closest and best. The Chambord, about ten minutes away, is an enormous pile by any standards. Boasting a facade 470ft wide, the building was started as a "little hunting lodge" by Francois I. He set out with intent to outdo the Holy Roman Emperor of the time - and succeeded. The resulting monument to his aspirations is quite awe-inspiring. The building, designed by Italians and built by the French, contains more than 400 rooms. A good two hours is needed just to get a decent ramble through the building.

Its central feature is a double spiral staircase, apparently designed by Leonardo da Vinci. It was devised so that those courtiers going down would not meet those going up. The chateau is surrounded by parkland the size of Paris, roamed by wild boar and deer.

After taking in some of the smaller villages strung along the lazy Loire River it is back to the creature comforts of camp.

The mobile homes of Vaconsoleil at Camping Le Chateau de la Grenouillare may not be anywhere near as enormous as Chambord, but are perfectly comfortable. Fully equipped with everything you could need, including a microwave, and in immaculate condition, there is enough space for a sizeable family.

On-site facilities include two heated outdoor pools, a heated indoor pool, children's indoor and outdoor pools, waterslides, sauna, jacuzzi, tennis, table tennis, playground, games room, cycle hire, as well as a restaurant and takeaway. And the staff are always on hand and eager to help.

Day two is spent in the nearby city of Blois, which was once the second location for the royal court of France. Snarling traffic encircles the imposing Chateau of Blois at the heart of the city, but once inside its cool confines you are transported back in time to a blood-soaked era filled with intrigue and scheming.

It was here that Henry III dispatched the Duc de Guise and his brother, the Cardinal of Lorraine, who were responsible for the bloody murders of the Huguenots. A few days after the murders in 1589, Catherine Medici died within these walls. The most famous suite in the chateau is the study where, according to Alexander Dumas, she kept poison hidden in secret caches.

The following morning I take a break from the chateaux circuit and we all head to Orleans. This was a city liberated by Joan of Arc in 1429 and its residents have made sure she is not forgotten. There are statues and reminders everywhere. Despite the belief in some quarters that her life was a myth, she still manages to capture the imagination. Recently it was revealed skin and bone believed to belong to the maiden warrior will undergo tests to discover more about her.

Day four takes us down to Amboise with its dominating hilltop Chateau Royal d'Amboise - the courtly centre for French kings from the mid 15th to 16th centuries. Charles VIII was born here and died on his way to watch tennis, knocking his head fatally on a door lintel. It was here, too, that 1,200 conspirators were hung from hooks following the ill-fated Huguenot plot.

Leonardo da Vinci spent his final days in Amboise. Apparently he travelled from Italy to the Loire Valley on a donkey, carrying one of his favourite paintings - the Mona Lisa. If he travelled humbly he went on to live with style. Francois I had an underground tunnel built to the artist's home in the nearby Le Slos-Luce so they could see each other without mingling with the commoners. The house has been transformed into a fascinating museum featuring models of da Vinci's inventions.

By now chateaux saturation is starting to set in, but there is just one more.

Chateau de Cheverny, with its pristine exterior and symmetrical design, is a stunning sight. Each room open to the public is lavishly decorated in with period furniture, tapestries and toys.

This chateau is the inspiration behind Captain Haddock's Chateaux on Moulinsart. Naturally, the grounds feature a Tintin museum, cleverly laid out like a storyline, complete with sound effects.

And apart from the chateaux, this is magnificent motoring country with a string of lovely villages along the Loire, not least Meung-sur-Loire and Beaugency.

After stocking up with the compulsory wine and cheeses, it is time for the long drive home, a transition made all the easier with a seamless crossing via the Channel Tunnel. Camping Le Chateau de la Grenouillare is a place I could happily return to - and I wouldn't miss it next time round.