Final-year school trip to the Loire Valley, Futuroscope and La Rochelle: Chenonceau, Chambord and Île de Ré (6 days)

Day 1: Departure from your school and arrival in the Loire Valley

• Departure from your school early in the morning, at the agreed time, and daytime drive to Touraine via Paris (about 6.5 hours from Brussels, excluding breaks).
• Our drivers drive for a maximum of 3 hours, then take a 30-minute break, day and night.
• Free lunch on the way.
• Arrival in the late afternoon and check-in at the accommodation, in or around Tours, for two nights; dinner and a quiet evening.

Day 2: Chenonceau, Amboise and Chambord

• Visit to the Château de Chenonceau, the “Ladies’ Château” built on arches across the Cher, and its gardens.
• Drive to Amboise (about 20 min), free lunch by the Loire and visit to the Clos Lucé, Leonardo da Vinci’s last home, with models of his inventions in the park (on request).
• On to Chambord (about 1 hour) and visit to François I’s château and its famous double-helix staircase.
• Return to the accommodation, dinner and a supervised evening.

Day 3: A day at Futuroscope

• Rooms vacated after breakfast and drive to Futuroscope, near Poitiers (about 1 hr 15 min).
• A full day at the park, with rides and immersive films: Objectif Mars, L’Extraordinaire Voyage, Chasseurs de Tornades and more.
• Free lunch in the park.
• Dinner, then the night-time show on the lake, depending on the park’s calendar; overnight at the accommodation near Futuroscope.

Day 4: Off to La Rochelle

• Drive to La Rochelle after breakfast (about 1 hr 45 min).
• Discovery of the Old Port guarded by the Saint-Nicolas and Chaîne towers, the Grosse Horloge clock gate and the arcaded streets.
• Climb up the towers of La Rochelle (on request).
• Free lunch, then visit to the Aquarium La Rochelle with its sharks, jellyfish and turtles (on request).
• Check-in at the accommodation for two nights, dinner and a supervised evening.

Day 5: The Île de Ré

• Drive to the Île de Ré across the bridge (about 30 min).
• Bike ride along the island’s cycle paths (on request).
• Saint-Martin-de-Ré, its harbour and Vauban’s UNESCO-listed fortifications.
• Free lunch, then the Phare des Baleines lighthouse and the beach at the tip of the island.
• Return to La Rochelle, dinner and a supervised evening.

Day 6: La Rochelle and return to your school

• Rooms vacated after breakfast, luggage loaded onto the coach.
• Departure early in the morning and daytime drive back to Belgium (about 8.5 hours to Brussels, excluding breaks), with two drivers on board.
• Free lunch on the way and regular breaks.
• Arrival at your school in the evening.