Athée-sur-Cher was another of those small French places that we probably would never have discovered without travelling through the country by motorhome. Situated in the Loire Valley, not far from Tours and the River Cher, it is a quiet rural commune rather than one of the famous tourist destinations of the region, and we arrived there on 9 September looking for somewhere to stop for the night. The motorhome area was small, with only three official spaces, and unfortunately all of them were already occupied when we arrived. The arrangement was slightly confusing, however, because there were also two additional spaces marked on the ground in front of the barn, and it was not immediately obvious whether these were actually intended for motorhomes or not. Fortunately, the overall parking area was fairly spacious, so despite the limited number of designated spaces the situation did not feel particularly cramped.
Once settled, the place proved much more pleasant than its rather functional appearance initially suggested. It was extremely quiet and peaceful, with very little happening around us, and both the parking and the available services were completely free of charge. Athée-sur-Cher itself is a small and calm place, surrounded by the countryside of the Cher valley, and there was none of the constant traffic or activity that can make overnight stops close to larger towns tiring. It was therefore a convenient place to break the journey and spend a peaceful evening in the motorhome. The only real drawback became apparent after sunset: there was virtually no lighting at all, and during the night the entire area became completely dark. Nothing actually happened and our stay remained quiet, but with the buildings around us disappearing into the darkness, the atmosphere became slightly spooky.
Despite that, our overall impression was positive. Athée-sur-Cher was not a spectacular destination and the motorhome area was certainly not one of the most scenic places where we had stayed, but it provided exactly what we needed: a quiet, spacious and completely free stop for the night in the Loire Valley. The limited number of official spaces and the uncertainty surrounding the additional marked bays could be inconvenient when the area is busy, but once parked we enjoyed a peaceful stay. It was another simple overnight stop that became part of the journey itself, and another reminder that travelling slowly through France often takes us to small places we would otherwise have had no reason to visit.