Loire Valley best place to linger

Old Aug 8th, 2017, 06:52 PM
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Loire Valley best place to linger

My husband and I will be visiting the LV for the first time this October. We will base in Tours with a rental car and spend a couple days seeing Chateaux - Chenonceau, Chambord, Chaumont-sur-Loire. Our last day, a Monday, we wish to visit Azay-le-Rideau. To contrast all the sight-seeing, we wish to visit a LV small city/town/village after Azay where we can have a leisurely lunch and explore, soak up some scenery and maybe do a little shopping...just want to enjoy some nice, interesting atmosphere and relax. Of course Chinon is on my list; Loches and Montresor both look lovely as well. Does anyone have any favorite locations to suggest? Would love to hear your ideas. We will depart the next morning so will have the rest of the day to spend at our discretion.
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Old Aug 8th, 2017, 07:48 PM
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We spend 2 months in France every year, moving around & spending time in various regions. IMO, the villages & cities in the Loire are not nearly as interesting as other regions we've spent time in. Except for Chinon & Angers. Chinon would be fine for you on a Tuesday through Saturday. But unfortunately, you'll be there on a Monday when lots of stuff is closed. L'Oceanic is our favorite restaurant there, and it is closed on Mondays. So are 2 of the three other places recommended in the Michelin Red Guide. We were there on a Monday 3 years ago in mid September, and almost all shops were closed. Instead, I would visit Chenonceau on a Monday, and have lunch at the chateau - which is what we did. Or, if you feel like a splurge - have lunch at Bon Laboureur.

Stu Dudley
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Old Aug 8th, 2017, 09:26 PM
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I love Loches. Angers us already a city.
If you want to soak in ask to see the society of the fathers.

L'association pour la promotion des pères de Loches in French.

... I could not resist...
But honest Loches is great.
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Old Aug 9th, 2017, 04:51 AM
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Chinon for me - lovely city on languid Cher River and an old chateau of its own - associated with Joan of Arc I believe. Lots of restaurants and some wine houses. There should be ample restaurants open on Monday for casual dining I think - any French city of that size for sure IME.
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Old Aug 9th, 2017, 05:29 AM
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>>There should be ample restaurants open on Monday for casual dining I think
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Old Aug 9th, 2017, 05:37 AM
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https://www.google.com/search?q=chin...f_ui:9&rldoc=1

Some nicer restaurants in Chinon open on Mondays but yeh many are closed.
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Old Aug 9th, 2017, 06:19 AM
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Amboise is a possibility.
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Old Aug 9th, 2017, 07:22 AM
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It's a foolish idea to go to a small town in the Loire to go shopping, anyway.
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Old Aug 9th, 2017, 07:47 AM
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Foolish for who??? You, my wife, me, candj83?? There were some nice shops in Chinon. Perhaps the one that looked best from the street was about the only one that was open on Monday. It was a kitchenware/home decorating place. My wife spent about 20 mins "lingering" inside the shop.

We stayed in a gite near Blois for 2 weeks in 2014, and visited many, many chateaux between Chinon & Chambord. A few years earlier, we stayed in a gite near Saumur & visited many Chateaux between Chinon & Angers at that time. We also stayed for 2 weeks in a gite between Loches & Cnenonceau - and about 3 weeks in the Loire Valley on trips prior to 2000. We love chateaux. "Lingering" and shopping in the Loire, however, was a welcome change from chateaux visiting.

Stu Dudley
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Old Aug 9th, 2017, 03:17 PM
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After we arrive Tours on Saturday morning and pick up our rental car, we plan to head directly to Chenonceau. It is number one on our list. This day is the last day of September so it is supposed to be open a full hour later than if we'd go the other following days. I do not want to feel rushed there so I wanted as much time as I could give it and strategically it made sense to visit on arrival day, since our other sights are within proximity to each other.

So, we could swap our Chambord/Chaumont day (Sunday) to Monday but I'm guessing that won't gain us much since won't many places again be closed that day? With a little research, I'm sure we can find a nice place to eat in the general area. It looks like Chinon has nice views, with or without shopping, and would make for pleasant walking and exploring. Maybe everyone's idea of shopping varies...I was expecting a few cute shops and browsing and enjoying looking at the local goods more than anything else. Not looking for some shopping extravaganza nor is it a priority, just a plus.

If we find ourselves bored on Monday in Chinon due to things being closed up, at least we can go visit the Chateau and possibly go on to Fontevraud if time/energy allows. PalenQ, thanks for the idea of visiting wine shops. I will research to see if any will be open on a Monday as we do enjoy wine. We are ok if we can't do everything on this trip; we are young and plan to return. France is wonderful and we are incredibly excited to go back.

As I understand that Amboise is fairly touristy, would it be any more "open" than Chinon on a Monday or mostly the same?
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Old Aug 9th, 2017, 07:00 PM
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I think Amboise is no more "touristy" than other towns on the Loire with a chateau actually in the town. Have a look at the many Google or Tripadvisor images and judge for yourself.

We used to drive a couple times a year from south of Toulouse to the ferry at Caen and break our trip in Amboise. I wish I could advise you about what it's like on a Monday, things do quiet down in October but it's large enough that it wouldn't be completely shuttered. It has a very large market on Sundays, 8 am to 2 pm.
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Old Aug 9th, 2017, 07:52 PM
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Don't visit Chinon on Monday. When shops are closed, they turn off the lights, often pull steal bars or aluminum shutters over their storefront windows - so you can't even look inside and "window shop". The shopping street in Chinon looks quite drab on Monday morning.

Chenonceau - don't go there mid day - especially on a Saturday or Sunday. We were first in line at 9am on a weekday when they opened. We hurried around to take photographs of the east side of the exterior and the gardens. We entered the Chateau around 10:00 - and already all the tour buses had arrived and unloaded hundreds of "fast paced" tourists that wanted to pack in as many Chateaux as they could that day. We struggled out of the interior around 11:00 and wandered around the grounds before having a wonderful lunch there (sit-down lunches are unusual for us). After lunch, we photographed Chenonceau on the west side - after the sun had shifted & illuminated the west side. Fantastic experience.

We have been vacationing annually in Europe since 1977. Since we retired early in 1999, we spend 2 months in Europe every year - about 85% in France. One of the first things we learned was to get to popular sites first thing in the morning - as soon as they open. Around 11:30 the tour buses arrive along with many other Europeans who seem to want to visit places in the afternoon.

Visit Chinon on Saturday and Chenonceau on Monday!!!!! Chambord or Vezelay gardens on Sunday (Chambord handles the crowds better than Chenonceau).

Stu Dudley
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Old Aug 10th, 2017, 02:31 AM
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I really liked Amboise. Cute town, nice shops and restaurants. You can walk over the river and see the castle from everywhere.
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Old Aug 18th, 2017, 01:25 PM
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Stu, we are taking your advice and have rearranged our itinerary to visit Chinon on a Saturday. It will be nice to take in a smaller city in the Loire Valley while it is "awake" on a Saturday.

Itinerary as follows:

Saturday: Azay-le-Rideau Chateau and town of Chinon and fortress

Sunday: Chateaux Chambord and Chaumont-sur-Loire. Has anyone rented bicycles or taken a carriage ride at Chambord? Wondering the best way to get around the grounds as they look vast. Asking from previous experience from when we visited Versailles we fatigued walking around the grounds all day long.

Monday: Chateau Chenonceau. I'm guessing we will spend a good amount of our day here. If we have time left after visiting Chenonceau, would it be advisable to visit Montrésor and possibly Loches in the afternoon? Even if it is just for a stroll to look around - they look lovely.
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Old Aug 18th, 2017, 01:43 PM
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Chinon is actually one of the larger towns along this stretch of Loire -maybe after Tours and Blois - but really neat.

Consider visiting Chevery along with Chambord if only to see the famous Soupe des Chiens - feeding of the kept-hungry until then hunting hounds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xUgdgsjcdA

As chateaus go Cheverny is ordinaire. But the dog thing rather interesting. 11:30 every day.

https://translate.google.com/transla...ml&prev=search
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Old Aug 18th, 2017, 01:46 PM
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Chinon also offers a steam train ride to Richelieu - a very unique planned new town built by Cardinal Richelieu centuries ago - a one of a kind- if time take the train or drive by.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...valley.cfm#top

Very few foreign tourists stumble on this to me at least rather amazing town!
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Old Aug 18th, 2017, 02:56 PM
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Chenonceau certainly won't take all day. We got there when it opened, had lunch, and took more photos after lunch. If someone restricted me to 3 sites in the Loire to visit - it would be Chenonceau, Chambord, and the gardens of Villandry. Visit Villandry after Chenonceau.

Stu Dudley
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Old Aug 18th, 2017, 03:39 PM
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it would be Chenonceau, Chambord, and the gardens of Villandry.>

Mine would be Azay-le-Rideau, Chenonceau and Chambord - Usse close runner-up. I'm judging more on outside and things surrounding the cheatau an secondary to what's inside them -- with Chambord, perhaps, with its famed double-helix staircase, a possible exception:

https://www.google.com/search?q=chat...w=1745&bih=864

And of course each town's Cheateau d'Eaux!
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Old Aug 18th, 2017, 04:20 PM
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IMO, Azay le Rideau is very interesting on the outside - we took dozens of photographs. But disappointing on the inside. An old guide book I have even "warned" about the inside. When we were there 3 years ago - we only visited the exterior. We've visited the inside twice on prior trips. Usse was a little disappointing also - especially the interior (visited it 3 times). We liked Chaumont Sur Loire with the gardens, and the attic which stored all the leftover chateau "parts" that could not be incorporated into the renovation.

I believe Saturday is market day in Chinon.

Stu Dudley
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Old Aug 19th, 2017, 06:46 AM
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"If someone restricted me to 3 sites in the Loire to visit - it would be Chenonceau, Chambord, and the gardens of Villandry."

I would agree completely! If I was allowed a 4th, it would be Angers, I think - something about those massive walls that was very compelling.
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