Orléans travel guide
Joan of Arc's city on a wide bend of the Loire
Orléans is the prefecture of Loiret, an hour from Paris by train and the nearest Loire Valley city to the capital. Come for the cathedral, the Joan of Arc sites and the quays, ideally in May or September; one full day covers the centre, two if you add the Parc Floral or a château. Prices are high, and Schengen rules apply.
An hour south of Paris Austerlitz by train, Orléans sits on a broad bend of the Loire and is the closest of the valley's cities to the capital. Most visitors come for Joan of Arc, who broke the English siege here in 1429. The town still thanks her at every turn: she rides a bronze horse in Place du Martroi, her rebuilt house is a small museum, and the Fêtes johanniques take over the streets each May.
Start with the Gothic Cathédrale Sainte-Croix, whose twin towers show above the rooftops from almost anywhere in town. Facing it is the Musée des Beaux-Arts. Round the corner, the Renaissance Hôtel Groslot was the town hall until the early 1980s, and its gilded, wood-panelled rooms with their original furniture are open to visitors unless a wedding is under way.
Leave the car at home. The historic centre is small and flat, and the tram mostly matters for the railway stations and the Parc Floral to the south. Evenings centre on Rue de Bourgogne, the main bar street, while summer concerts pull people down to the Loire banks.
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Top things to do in Orléans
A Gothic cathedral, Joan of Arc sites, two good museums and the Loire quays fill one unhurried day.
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Best time to visit Orléans
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Highs of 20 to 23C, the Joan of Arc festival in the first week of May and, in odd-numbered years, the Festival de Loire in late September.
Highs around 26C, open-air concerts on the Loire banks and the Parc Floral at its fullest; much of the city leaves on holiday in August.
The Fêtes johanniques run from 29 April to 8 May with parades, a medieval market and sound-and-light shows; 8 May, the anniversary of the lifted siege, is the big day, so book rooms early.
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Getting there
Austerlitz trains and the Les Aubrais tram
Orléans has no passenger airport of its own, so international arrivals land in Paris and finish by rail. The train is the easy part: direct services from Gare d'Austerlitz take about an hour. Crossing Paris to Austerlitz takes longer. From Orly, ride Métro line 14 to Gare de Lyon and walk across the Seine to Austerlitz, about ten minutes on foot; allow roughly an hour door to door. From Charles de Gaulle, take RER B to Gare du Nord and then Métro line 5, which runs straight to Austerlitz; budget an hour and a quarter. Check your ticket: many trains stop only at Les Aubrais, on the northern edge of town.
- Paris Austerlitz
- About 1 hour by direct train
- Les Aubrais
- Main stop for long-distance trains; tram A runs into the centre in a few minutes
- Gare d'Orléans
- Central station beside Place d'Arc, served by regional and some Paris trains
- A10 motorway
- About an hour and a half from Paris; the toll-free N20 runs through villages and is slower
- If your train calls at both stations, stay on to Gare d'Orléans; it is a short walk from the Martroi.
- Drivers should use a park-and-ride on the tram line, as the old streets are narrow.
Where to stay
Sainte-Croix, Bourgogne or the quays
Everything a visitor needs sits within a 15-minute walk of Place du Martroi, so pick a street by mood. Light sleepers should avoid the bar strip.
- Cathedral quarter
- Quiet streets by Sainte-Croix and the Hôtel Groslot; best for couples and museum days, with few late bars
- Rue de Bourgogne
- Bars and small restaurants on the doorstep; noisy until late on Thursday to Saturday nights
- Châtelet and the quays
- Near Les Halles and the river, good for summer evenings on the Loire banks
- Around Gare d'Orléans
- Practical for an early train and the shopping streets, but plainer and busier with traffic
- Rooms fill fast around 8 May; book months ahead if you want to see the Joan of Arc parade.
Getting around
Tram A across Pont George V
Walking is the default inside the old town: the cathedral, the Martroi and the river are all close together. Local transport is run by TAO, which operates two tram lines, the buses and the Vélo+ bike-share. Tram A is the one most visitors use. It runs north to south from Les Aubrais station through the centre, crosses the Loire on the Pont George V and continues to La Source, where the Parc Floral is a ride of under half an hour from the Martroi. Tram B crosses the city east to west and meets line A at the De Gaulle stop. One ticket covers tram and bus; buy it from the machine at any tram stop, which takes cards and cash, and validate it when you board.
- Tram A
- Les Aubrais, city centre, Pont George V, La Source and the Parc Floral
- Tram B
- East-west line, changes with A at De Gaulle
- Vélo+ bike-share
- Docking stations across the centre; the Loire towpath is flat and easy riding
- Bus drivers have often taken cash only, so buy tickets at a tram-stop machine first.
Know before you go
What makes Orléans worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- Place du Martroi after dark, when Joan's equestrian statue is lit and the café terraces stay busy.
- The Hôtel Groslot, a Renaissance mansion of carved wood and gold leaf where couples still marry.
- The Loire quays on a summer evening, with free concerts and a drink by the water.
Good to know
- Most TGV and Intercités trains stop at Les Aubrais, north of town, not at the central station; the tram covers the last stretch.
- Some Hôtel Groslot rooms close for weddings, usually on Saturdays, so visit on a weekday if you want to see the council chamber.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Orléans, month by month
Orléans monthly averages are below; in summer the Loire here runs wide, shallow and full of sandbanks.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Orléans (Meteociel, via Wikipedia).
Following Joan of Arc through Orléans, from Sainte-Croix to the Loire
One day covers central Orléans. Spend the morning at Sainte-Croix cathedral, the Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Hôtel Groslot, then follow Joan of Arc to her house and Place du Martroi in the afternoon. End on the Loire quays and the Pont George V, and keep a second day for the Parc Floral.
Sainte-Croix was rebuilt in Gothic style long after the Middle Ages, and the nave windows tell Joan's story panel by panel. The Musée des Beaux-Arts is strong on French painting. At the Hôtel Groslot, ask which rooms are open; the gilded council chamber, used until 1981, closes during weddings. Lunch near Les Halles on Place du Châtelet, then visit Joan's house, rebuilt after wartime damage and now a small museum, and the Martroi, where her statue rides above the café tables. The Hôtel Cabu history museum is a short detour.
In summer the Loire runs wide and shallow between sandbanks. From the south bank of the Pont George V you get the classic view back at the cathedral towers. At the Parc Floral the Loiret river rises from a spring inside the park.
Cotignac quince paste, Orléans vinegar and Loire pastries
The two truly local foods of Orléans are cotignac, a clear quince jelly sold in small round wooden boxes, and Orléans vinegar, aged in oak barrels. Nearby towns add pithiviers and tarte Tatin, and the Orléans and Orléans-Cléry appellations make light reds and rosés. Rue de Bourgogne holds most of the bistros.
The rest of the table is Loire cooking: river fish and, in autumn, game from the Sologne forests. Cotignac has been made here for centuries, traditionally with Joan of Arc on the box lid, and is the best souvenir in town. Orléans vinegar began when wine shipped up the river arrived soured. The pithiviers is an almond-cream puff pastry from the town of that name; the tarte Tatin was first served at Lamotte-Beuvron in Sologne. Local wine includes the pale gris meunier. Les Halles Châtelet, the covered market by the river, sells picnic supplies, and Rue Sainte-Catherine has more bistros.
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How we research our Orléans travel guide
Joan of Arc festival dates and the tram details are confirmed on orleans.fr when they change. General facts come from France.fr, entry rules from the EU's Entry/Exit System and ETIAS pages.
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Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of OrléansFrance.frEU Entry/Exit System and ETIAS
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Orléans.
General
Orly is usually quicker. Métro line 14 takes you to Gare de Lyon, a short walk from Gare d'Austerlitz, while from Charles de Gaulle you need RER B and Métro line 5 first.
Most long-distance trains stop only at Les Aubrais, north of the centre, where tram A takes over. Regional trains and some direct Paris services continue to the central station, within walking distance of the old town.
One day covers the cathedral, the Hôtel Groslot, the Joan of Arc house and the quays. The Parc Floral at La Source needs a separate half day by tram.
Easily. They are all within about ten minutes of each other on flat streets, so the tram is only needed for the stations and the Parc Floral.
Rue de Bourgogne has most of the bars and pubs all year. In summer the riverbanks fill up on weekend evenings, with outdoor concerts along the quays.
A river festival held on the Orléans quays in late September of odd-numbered years, when traditional Loire boats and crews from other rivers gather for several days of sailing, music and stalls.
Walking is the default inside the old town: the cathedral, the Martroi and the river are all close together. Local transport is run by TAO, which operates two tram lines, the buses and the Vélo+ bike-share. Tram A is the one most visitors use.
Timing & weather
The Fêtes johanniques run from 29 April to 8 May, a tradition kept since the early 1430s, with parades, a medieval market and sound-and-light shows. 8 May, when the siege was lifted in 1429, is the main day.
The best time to visit Orléans is May to Jun, Sep. The Joan of Arc festival in early May, then mild days for walking the quays.
- Best overall: May - June, September (Highs of 20 to 23C, the Joan of Arc festival in the first week of May and, in odd-numbered years, the Festival de Loire in late September)
- Summer: July - August (Highs around 26C, open-air concerts on the Loire banks and the Parc Floral at its fullest; much of the city leaves on holiday in August)
Stay & facilities
Buy cotignac, the local quince jelly in round wooden boxes, and a bottle of Orléans vinegar. In the bakeries, look for pithiviers and tarte Tatin.
Booking
Yes. One TAO ticket covers the tram and bus network, day tickets are available, and you validate at the start of each trip.
Getting there
Blois and its royal château are a direct regional train ride down the river. Chambord and Sully-sur-Loire are easier by car or on a tour, each roughly an hour away.
Orléans has no passenger airport of its own, so international arrivals land in Paris and finish by rail. The train is the easy part: direct services from Gare d'Austerlitz take about an hour. Crossing Paris to Austerlitz takes longer.
Visa & documents
France belongs to the Schengen area. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Crime against visitors to France is mostly petty. Pickpocketing is common in Paris on the Metro, especially line 1, and around the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre and Gare du Nord. Rail and air strikes and street demonstrations can disrupt transport, so check before travel days and keep away from protests.
