★ 4.9
Contemporary house · Civray-de-Touraine
Rive Gauche House
4 bedrooms · sleeps up to 10 · 2 bathrooms
View the house & book
Civray-de-Touraine · 30 minutes from Beauval
Where to stay
Where to stay
30 minutes from Beauval Zoo
Two independent contemporary houses, 4 bedrooms and up to 10 guests each, with large enclosed gardens — the practical base for visiting Beauval with children.
Where to stay for Beauval
A whole house beats a hotel room
Beauval is a full day on your feet, tired children by evening, and often two days to see everything. Where you sleep matters more than you would think.
Les Rives de Chenonceaux is a small estate of two independent contemporary houses in Civray-de-Touraine, in France's Loire Valley, about 30 minutes' drive from ZooParc de Beauval. Each house has 4 bedrooms, two bathrooms and sleeps up to 10 guests. They stand side by side on the same grounds, so they can also be booked together for a group of up to 20 — convenient when two families visit Beauval together.
Compared with a hotel room in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, you get a full kitchen, a living room to gather in at the end of the day, and above all a fully enclosed garden (700 m² for the Rive Gauche House, 1,000 m² for the Rive Droite House) where children can run before and after the zoo. Table football, table tennis and pétanque on site, beds made on arrival, and fresh bread and pastries delivered each morning on request — so you can leave early without stopping at a bakery.
Planning your visit
Getting to Beauval from the houses
The drive, following the Cher valley
The route is simple and scenic: from Civray-de-Touraine you follow the Cher valley eastwards on the D976, through Chissay-en-Touraine and Montrichard, to Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher where the park sits. Allow about 30 minutes, with no motorway and no tolls. Montrichard, with its medieval keep above the river, makes a pleasant stop on the way back — if the children are still awake.
Arrive early, genuinely early
This is the one piece of advice that changes a day at Beauval. The park is huge and very busy from April to September: arriving at opening time lets you see the most popular enclosures — giant pandas, koalas, gorillas — before the crowds, leaving the quieter areas for the middle of the day. Leaving the houses around 8:30am is enough to be there for opening. Book your tickets online in advance: it is cheaper and saves queueing at the gates.
One day or two?
Beauval is one of the largest zoological parks in Europe: a full day covers it at a decent pace, but two days is far more comfortable if you want to enjoy the shows without rushing. The two big set pieces — the free-flight bird display and the sea lion show — run at fixed times posted at the entrance, and you need to sit down a little ahead to get a seat. Opening hours, prices and the show schedule change each season, so check the official ZooParc de Beauval website before you go.
Practical tips
- Comfortable shoes: you will easily walk 8 to 10 km in a day.
- A pushchair is worth taking for small children, even ones who normally walk.
- Pack a picnic: the food outlets are mobbed between noon and 2pm. Making lunch at the house saves both time and money.
- If you are staying two days, break them up with a château day so the children do not tire of animals.
Suggested itinerary
Three days from the houses
Beauval alone justifies the trip, but the location lets you string together the region's great sights without ever driving more than half an hour.
Day 1
Beauval Zoo
Leave at 8:30am, full day at the park, unhurried return via Montrichard.
Day 2
Chenonceau & the Cher
The castle in the morning (5 min away), kayaking or a riverside walk after lunch.
Day 3
Amboise & Clos Lucé
The Royal Castle, Leonardo da Vinci's tomb, then the grounds of Clos Lucé.
Extra
Chambord & Cheverny
40 to 60 minutes — ideal for an extra day.
In the evening you come back to the house, the garden and the terrace. After a day on your feet at Beauval, being able to start a game of table football, light the barbecue and put the children to bed in separate rooms is worth the half-hour drive several times over.
Our houses
Choose your house
Two independent houses on the same estate, each with its own enclosed garden. Available separately or together for groups of up to 20 guests.
Contemporary house · Civray-de-Touraine
Rive Droite House
4 bedrooms · sleeps up to 10 · 2 bathrooms
View the house & bookBook direct with the owner
No agency, no platform fees. Live availability and secure payment.
Frequently asked
Staying near Beauval Zoo
How far are the houses from Beauval Zoo?
The two houses are in Civray-de-Touraine, about 30 minutes' drive from ZooParc de Beauval, following the Cher valley on the D976 via Montrichard and Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher.
How many people can stay?
Each house has 4 bedrooms and sleeps up to 10 guests. As the two houses sit side by side on the same estate, they can be booked together for a group of up to 20.
Should I plan one day or two at Beauval?
A full day covers the park at a decent pace. Two days are more comfortable if you want to enjoy the shows and the large enclosures without rushing — many families alternate with a château day in between.
Are the houses suitable for young children?
Yes. Each house has a fully enclosed garden, games on site (table football, table tennis, pétanque) and separate bedrooms, so children can go to bed early after a long day at the zoo.
Can breakfast be delivered?
Yes, fresh bread and pastries can be delivered each morning on request — handy for an early start to the park.
Can I book without going through Airbnb or Booking.com?
Yes. You can book directly on this site, with secure payment and no platform fees. We reply in English.