The handy Passeport Val de Loire (130F/¬19.82) contains ten entrance vouchers which allow you to visit ten national monuments in the Loire Valley over the course of a year. At some monuments, you may use the vouchers to admit friends or family, and, since the passport is not personal, you can lend it to another person. You may purchase the passport at any participating site, including the châteaux at Angers, Azay-le-Rideau, Chambord and Chaumont, George Sand's residence at Nohant-Vic and the Abbaye de Fontevraud: a full list of sites is available at www.monuments-france.fr .