The Western Loire is blessed with a fantastic coastline, along which are dotted some of France’s most popular resort towns; head to La Rochelle, Saint Jean De Monts, Pornic or particularly La Baule, whose terrific courses and hotels add a welcome edge to a beach holiday.
Further inland you may find fewer tourists, but you will find famous chateauxs, particularly at Blois, Chambord and Villandry, as well as the outstanding resort at Les Bordes, whose golf course has been ranked as the best in continental Europe.