Friday, September 13, 2024
Orleans France
FranceOrleansTravel

Campervan Holiday Orleans France

John

Campervan Holiday Orleans France

Camping Olivet
Campsite Olivet Orleans

Orleans is the capital of Loiret, a department in France. It’s also the hometown of Joan of Arc, who fought in Orleans during the Hundred Years War.

The town itself dates back to Roman times and has been home to many important figures throughout history, including Louis XIV and Napoleon III.

After leaving Tours we travelled up the Loire Valley on our way to Olivet just outside Orleans. We headed for a campsite named Camping d’Olivet.

Orleans is home to a beautiful cathedral and plenty of other historical sites. Wine production in the area dates back to Roman times when Orleans was called Aurelianum. You can visit the Château de Caylus in the town centre, where Joan of Arc lived during her teenage years.

Explore Orleans and the Loire Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Trams Orleans France

tram orleans
The Tram Orleans

We chose our campsite because it was close to the tramline. The tickets are quite cheap at around €1.50 per journey. We walked from the site (10 minutes) and caught a tram from Lorette. This then took us into Orleans in 30 minutes. Tram Orleans is a public transport system that runs throughout the city of Orleans. Société des Transports d’Orléans Métropole (STOM) also run buses, trolleys and trams in other parts of France.

The tramway has two lines: Line 1 runs from Place de la Nation eastwards through Place d’Armes towards downtown; while Line 2 travels westwards along Rue Royale and reaches Boulevard Saint-Martin before turning south towards Porte Maillot via Rue Lafayette.

Olivet Orleans France Tram
Olivet to Orleans Tram

The tram system is fairly simple to use. You can buy tickets at each stop with cash or credit card. You will need to have a ticket before boarding the tram and must validate it in the yellow machine on board. Tickets are valid for 30 minutes (if you don’t have a ticket then you will need to pay an on-the-spot fine).

Two fully-accessible tram lines with trams every five minutes at peak times:

Line A: north <> south

Line B: east <> west

The tram line connects the towns of Fleury-les-Aubrais to Orléans-La-Source via Orléans centre. It serves the stations of Orléans and Aubrais. 

Frequency and days of circulation:

Monday to Friday, a tram every 5 to 8 minutes,

on Saturday, a tram every 7 minutes,

on Sundays, a tram every 15 minutes.

Orleans is one of the best-preserved Renaissance cities in Europe

Sainte-Croix Cathedral Orleans France
Sainte-Croix Cathedral Orleans France

Orleans is one of the best-preserved Renaissance cities in Europe. The city’s architecture is a mix of Gothic and Renaissance, with many churches, palaces and public squares built during this period. One of its most notable features is its main square: Place Royale (the name means “King’s Square”). It’s a lively square full of people either eating or just relaxing in the sun. It seems like a good meeting point for local people.

Sainte-Croix Cathedral Orleans

Sainte-Croix Cathedral in Orleans
Sainte-Croix Cathedral Orleans France

A visit to Orleans isn’t complete without making time in your schedule to admire Sainte-Croix Cathedral! The building is massive, I don’t know how they could have built these Cathedrals so tall 100’s years ago. You get neck ache just looking up.

The Sainte-Croix Cathedral is located in Orleans, France. Built between 1820 and 1840 by architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc. Many statues, gargoyles and spires adorn the domed roof.

The main building has an octagonal shape with seven galleries around it; each gallery has two rows of columns supporting arches or vaults which support large stained glass windows (18 m). There are also small chapels on both sides of the nave where priests can pray privately while they’re away from the main body of worshipers who gather during mass times. There are also many chapels on both sides of the nave where priests can pray privately while they’re away from the main body of worshipers who gather during mass times.

Listed as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites since 1979. It represents an important part of French culture and history when compared to many other Renaissance cities around Europe like Florence Italy or Venice Italy.

Joan of Arc was canonized as a Catholic saint in 1920

Joan of Arc Orleans
Joan or Arc Monument Orleans France

We came across this Statue of Joan of Arc in a square in Orléans, Place du Martroi it is home to a statue of Joan on horseback, produced in 1855. Joan of Arc was born in 1412 to a French peasant family. As a teenager, she became involved in armor-making and horseback riding, which led to her becoming the army’s commander by age 19.

She helped lead the French army against their English enemies during the Hundred Years War (1337-1453). At one point Joan was captured by Burgundians who sold her to English forces for ransom. However, she escaped and returned home with messages from God telling her to continue fighting on behalf of France against their common enemy–the English! She even convinced some people in authority in her home town that they should follow her lead as well so they could help bring peace back into France after centuries of warring between kingdoms.[1]

Parc Floral de la Source

Parc-Floral-de-la-Source
Parc-Floral-de-la-Source

The gardens Parc Floral de la Source

Our campsite was about 20 minutes walk from here which was good news. We went on a nice sunny day and early in the morning which meant it was very quiet. We had a beautiful walk through the park, the grounds are stunning it’s very relaxing. The Parc Floral de La Source (45) has 35 hectares dedicated to nature, plants and animals. Open to garden enthusiasts and walkers, the Parc Floral de La Source, Orléans-Loiret is a place of relaxation and discovery. Changing according to the seasons.

The Butterfly House

The Butterfly House
The Butterfly House

So many butterflies in this house. Flying around everywhere!
The butterfly greenhouse recreates the climatic conditions of a tropical garden (temperatures between 25 and 30°C, humidity rate above 80%).

Top Things to Do in Orleans

The Joan of Arc statue at Place du Martroi

The Parc Floral de La Source Olivet (on the tram line from Orleans)

The cathedral, Sainte-Croix Cathedral The Gothic cathedral associated with Joan of Arc offers guided tours & views of Byzantine enamels.

Visit the Joan of Arc museum and house. This is a very interesting museum with lots of information about her life and accomplishments.

Walk around medieval Orleans where you can see beautiful buildings such as castles, churches and cathedrals dating back centuries ago. You will find narrow winding streets filled with little shops.

A Day trip to Montlucon from Orleans.

Camping d’Olivet

camping olivet
Camping Olivet

This was a lovely campsite, extremely well kept and very clean. Camping d’Olivet is a three-star campsite with 1 hectare of land on the edge of the Loiret and Dhuy rivers. It includes 46 pitches, 42 of which are deluxe. They are located on the Loiret River near Orleans(5kms), in the beautiful town of Olivet.

With the whole family, friends or as a couple, you will find peace and tranquillity in a natural environment at the campsite. It is an ideal starting point to discover the exceptional area

Address details Camping d’Olivet Rue Du Pont Bouchet 45160 Olivet

For the Love of Travel – More Campervan Holiday Reviews France

For The Love of Campervan Travel France

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