★ 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 · Loire Valley
Where to stay
Where to stay
5 minutes from Chenonceau Castle
Two independent contemporary houses, 4 bedrooms and up to 10 guests each, with large enclosed gardens — a few minutes from the most beautiful château in the Cher valley.
Where to stay
A house of your own, five minutes from the château
Staying within minutes of Chenonceau without the crowds of the village — and with a kitchen, a garden and room to breathe.
Les Rives de Chenonceaux is a small estate of two independent contemporary houses in Civray-de-Touraine, the village next to Chenonceaux, in France's Loire Valley. Chenonceau Castle is about 5 minutes away by car, and the rest of the region's great sights are within half an hour: Amboise and Leonardo da Vinci's Clos Lucé in 15 minutes, Beauval Zoo in 30, Chambord and Cheverny in under an hour.
Each house has 4 bedrooms, two bathrooms and sleeps up to 10 guests. They sit side by side on the same grounds, so they can also be rented together for a group of up to 20 — a popular choice for family reunions and multi-generation trips. Each has its own fully enclosed garden (700 m² and 1,000 m²), a terrace for long summer evenings, table football, table tennis and pétanque, and beds made up ready for your arrival.
For most visitors coming from abroad, self-catering beats a hotel here: the Loire Valley is a driving destination, evenings are spent around a table rather than in a restaurant every night, and having a kitchen and a garden makes a real difference with children or over a longer stay.
Chenonceau Castle
What to know before you go
The Ladies' Castle
Chenonceau owes its nickname to the women who shaped it. Diane de Poitiers, mistress of King Henri II, built the bridge spanning the River Cher and laid out the garden that still bears her name. When the king died, Catherine de' Medici drove her out, moved in, and added the great two-storey gallery on top of the bridge — the silhouette resting on the water, unique in France, that you see on every photograph. The castle then passed through history untouched: its gallery served as a military hospital in the First World War, and during the Second it straddled the demarcation line, the Cher separating occupied France from the free zone.
How long to allow
Allow about 2 hours for the castle itself, closer to 3 hours including the gardens — Diane's garden, Catherine's garden, the cutting garden and the maze all deserve the walk. Chenonceau is also famous for its floral arrangements, renewed every week in the castle rooms from its own flower garden, and different in every season.
When to arrive
From June to August the castle is busiest between 11am and 4pm. Staying five minutes away gives you a decisive advantage: you can arrive at opening time, see the interiors in peace, then move out to the gardens as the coach groups arrive. Late afternoon is the other good window, when low light rakes across the arches — the best time for photographs. Outside high season, the question barely arises. Opening hours and ticket prices change with the season, so check the official Chenonceau website before you set off.
Getting here from Paris or the airports
The Loire Valley is an easy first or last stop on a French itinerary. By car, Civray-de-Touraine is roughly 2 hours 30 from Paris and about 3 hours from Charles de Gaulle airport. By train, take the TGV from Paris Montparnasse to Tours or Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (around 1 hour), then pick up a hire car — you will want one, as the châteaux are spread across the countryside and public transport between them is limited.
Around the houses
Everything within thirty minutes
Sitting between the Cher and the Loire means a different landscape every day without ever spending your holiday in the car.
5 min
Chenonceau Castle
France's most visited château after Versailles
15 min
Amboise
Royal Castle, Clos Lucé & old town
30 min
Beauval Zoo
Giant pandas, gorillas, koalas, white lions
40–60 min
Chambord & Cheverny
The grandest châteaux of the Loire
Wine and markets
You are in the heart of the Touraine wine appellations, with the Montlouis-sur-Loire and Vouvray vineyards twenty minutes west — cellars carved into the soft tuffeau limestone, tastings straight with the growers, and plenty to fill the boot of the car before heading home. The valley's markets, notably Amboise on Sunday morning, are the place to put together a proper local dinner to cook back at the house: rillettes, Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine goat's cheese, strawberries in season.
A three-day itinerary
- Day 1 — Chenonceau at opening time, lunch by the Cher, then an afternoon in the garden or cycling the valley.
- Day 2 — Amboise: the Royal Castle and Leonardo da Vinci's tomb in the morning, Clos Lucé and its grounds in the afternoon.
- Day 3 — A full day at Beauval Zoo, thirty minutes up the Cher valley.
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 Chenonceau
Where is the best place to stay for visiting Chenonceau Castle?
Either the village of Chenonceaux itself or one of the neighbouring villages along the Cher valley. In Civray-de-Touraine, 5 minutes from the castle by car, Les Rives de Chenonceaux offers two contemporary 4-bedroom houses sleeping up to 10 guests each, with enclosed gardens and direct booking.
How far are the houses from the castle?
About 5 minutes by car. The Cher valley is flat and has cycle paths, so the ride is pleasant in good weather too.
How long should I allow to visit Chenonceau?
Around 2 hours for the castle itself, or 3 hours including the gardens of Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de' Medici.
Do I need a car in the Loire Valley?
Yes, in practice. The châteaux are spread across the countryside and public transport between them is limited. The nearest TGV stations are Tours and Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, about an hour from Paris, where you can hire a car.
Are the houses suitable for families?
Yes: fully enclosed gardens, table football, table tennis and pétanque on site, 4 bedrooms per house and family equipment. Pets are welcome.
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.