The Loire Valley has always been one of the major hubs of France.

Over the centuries the Loire river has played it’s part either as a natural boundary, or indeed as a defensive line, or in more peaceful times, as a very important crossroads from south to north for the Romans, then from east to west in the case of the early invasions of the Germanic tribes or nowadays, for the English and Scandinavian tourists pouring out of their rain soaked countries to drive like lemmings to the warmer climes of the Mediterranean.

It has also played its part during war times such as the Hundred Year wars between the Plantagenets and the Valois kings.

It was a major reassembly point for the pilgrims making their way down the trail of Compostella stopping off in Tours to worship on the miraculous tomb of St Martin and to cross the river at one of the few passing places

As its present day political name "Le Centre" indicates, the area still has great influence in our modern way of life: a staging post between Paris and the west coast, Bordeaux and Spain further south.

Situated as it is at the heart of an European network, of easy and modern communications (A10 motorway the TGV high-speed train, Tours and Nantes airports) it is at the forefront of many a new development in light industrial industries.

Departure from Tours Paris: 240km Autoroute: 2h10 SNCF/TGV : 55mn Bordeaux: 330 km Autoroute: 3h15 SNCF/TGV: 2h30 By Air: Lyon: 1h55 Toulouse: 1h55 Marseille: 3h20 Nice: 3h20 Strasbourg: 3h45 Nantes: 196 km Autoroute: 1h45 SNCF: 1h30 Lyon: 432 km Autoroute: 4h SNCF/TGV: 3h30