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FranceOrleansTravel

Campervan Holiday Orleans France

Campervan Holiday Orleans, France

Campsite Olivet Orleans
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 Maison de Jeanne d’Arc in the town centre, where Joan of Arc lived during her time in Orleans. Maison de Jeanne d’Arc is a reconstructed half-timbered house that today serves as a museum dedicated to the legendary Joan of Arc. Located in Orléans, it was once the home of Jacques Boucher, where Joan stayed during the siege of 1429.

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

This article is also featured on GPSmyCity

To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Orleans

Trams Orleans France

The 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 to Orleans ( République Station) 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 runs buses, trolleys, and trams in other parts of France.

The tramway has two lines: The A light rail (Hôpital De La Source) has 28 stations departing from Jules Verne and ending at Hôpital De La Source. Line B light rail (Ambert) has 19 stations departing from Georges Pompidou and ending at Ambert.

Olivet to Orleans Tram
Olivet to Orleans Tram

The tram system is fairly simple to use. You can buy tickets at each stop with cash or a 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 lineswith 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 Orléans and Aubrais stations.

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 runs 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 Orleans, France
Sainte-Croix Cathedral Orleans, France

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

The Sainte-Croix Cathedral is located in Orleans, France. It was built on the ruins of a Roman temple from 1278 to 1329. 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.

It has been 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 canonised as a Catholic saint in 1920

Joan or Arc Monument Orleans France
Joan or Arc Monument Orleans France

We came across this Statue of Joan of Arc in a square in Orléans, Place du Martroi, which 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 armour-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 Orleans
Parc-Floral-de-la-Source Orleans

The gardens Parc Floral de la Source

Our campsite was about 20 20-minute 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, and 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. You will find narrow winding streets filled with little shops.

A Day trip to Montlucon from Orleans.

Camping d’Olivet

Camping D'Olivet
Camping D’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 (5 km), 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

Accommodation Orleans France

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