Loire Valley.

The Loire Valley sits two hours from Paris, and the drive itself is part of the day. Leave the capital early in the comfort of your private vehicle and reach Chambord before the coaches arrive, while the double-helix staircase and the roof terraces still belong to the morning light.

Chenonceau follows in the afternoon, its gallery stretching across the River Cher on five arches. Built, extended and defended almost entirely by women, it reads less like a fortress than a residence, and the gardens on either bank reward a slow walk rather than a guided march.

Between the two estates we arrange lunch, either at a table in Amboise or as a picnic laid out on the grounds. Your chauffeur repositions the car to meet you at the exit of each château, so the only walking you do is the walking you chose.