Château de Chenonceau, Chenonceaux

Château de Chenonceau for me was the best of the châteaux that we saw. It is a magnificent chateau with its landscaped gardens, bien sûr, but moreover its well-restored and maintained interiors. It is awe-inspiring with its reach across the River Cher. The audio tour, which we always make use of, has a children's version that for the little visitors with shorter attention spans worked very well.
The tour lasts for an hour, but can be longer as it provides an extensive amount of additional information. I would love to return again, without my children, and do the tour at my leisure. We bought the tickets that also gave us access to the wax museum, with its elaborate costumes of that era. The gardens and the maze are wonderful for children to explore.
It was interesting to learn that the château is  privately-owned by the Menier family, considering its enormity I had assumed it was state-owned. The gift shop is extensively stocked.

More pictures here.