Domaine de l'Entrelacs

If kids are with you, you’ll get no peace until they get to Puy du Fou theme park (half an hour’s drive), famed for its alfresco historical shows with a cast of thousands of people and animals. Chances are the hair-raising waterslides at O’Gliss Park (an hour) will also go down a storm with families, along with the 4D odysseys and interactive shows at Terra Botanica (50 minutes). There are gorgeous Japanese gardens to be wandered at Parc Oriental de Maulévrier (10 minutes), and a brace of elegant local châteaux to visit too: 12th-century Tiffauges (half an hour) holds jousting and battle reenactments in summer, while the medieval castle at Clisson (45 minutes) has a pretty setting on the River Loire. The Maine-et-Loire region also has more than its fair share of beguiling cities, three of which are about an hour’s drive away. Day trips might take in the troglodyte houses and hilltop castle at Saumur, or the medieval architecture and fine Gothic cathedral in Angers. Head for Nantes to ride on the giant mechanical elephant at Les Machines de l’île – to avoid disappointment, book tickets well before your visit.