tailsock

I'll be in Paris for the tail end of a trip to Europe and strongly considering adding an extra day to see a little of Tours and 2 chateaux: Chambord and Chenonceau. You should know that I'm a travel photographer and this will be the purpose of my visit, not wine tastings or garden picnics. I'll be looking to take postcard-like photos that will be featured in travel guides, calendars, brochures, etc.

After doing some research my initial plan is to take a morning train from Paris to Tours. From here I'd like to see the half timbered buildings in Place Plumereau, the St. Gatien cathedral, and Hotel de Ville (on foot or bus perhaps?).

The next part is where I need your advice. Would renting a car to check out the 2 chateaux be a better idea than taking a tour from the tourist office? I would really only be shooting the outside of them as well as the gardens. However, if going through the time/trouble/expense of renting a car will be a time suck with paperwork, traffic, parking, navigation, gas, etc. I'd be open to taking a half day tour and getting to relax and see the inside of these places. I could only find limited info on half day tours, notably one offered by Touraine Evasion from 1PM - 6:45PM. This would give me time to see Tours in the morning and then the chateaux. Any other options I'm not aware of would be fantastic.

kerouac

If you're just taking a day trip to Tours, take the guided tour. Otherwise, it is always worthwhile to rent a car to see the area.

pariswat

A car is the best way to travel to see the chateaux imo. I'd do 2 days and seleep in Blois or ...

Sarastro

If your objective is Chambord and Chenonceau, take the train to Tours, stay at one of the hotels between Place Plumereau and the train station. All of the places you want to see in Tours are within a short walk of this area.

There is train service from Tours Centre directly to Chenonceaux, the station is now at the château entrance. To see Chambord, you can either take a minibus tour (they depart from the Office de Tourisme across from Tours Centre) or take the train to Blois from where there is bus service to Chambord (bus does not operate in winter months).

greg

Both chateaux are somewhat monochromatic. It is even more so if the sky is also flat and monochromatic. If you want to add color, you might consider early morning or late evening not necessarily matching the tour schedule. If you look at the orientation, Chanonceau lies north-south with the photogenic sides facing east and west providing both morning and evening shooting opportunities. Chambord front side faces NW so the morning shots will be silhouette unless you shoot the backside of the chateau while evening shots illuminate in red from the front. Both can have water in front for reflection opportunities if you can get there on a no wind day. Both chateaux are beautifully lit at night.

mjs

It is easy to drive in the Loire valley with a GPS. Parking at the Chateau's is quite easy. As greg points out, lighting may very well play a rather large role in what you are trying to capture so doing the trip by yourself probably makes the most sense.

tailsock

THANK YOU all for your replies. Greg, this is EXACTLY the kind of stuff I want to know ahead of time. most of the beautiful photos you see of these 2 place are bathed in warm light with the sun low in the sky (morning or late afternoon). An overcast day will absolutely kill this segment of the trip and I won't even bother leaving Paris if the weather outlook is gloomy on my app that morning.

If it's mostly cloudy a guided tour will stress me out wondering if I should be outside waiting for the sun to poke out instead of paying attention to the history of a winding double staircase.

tailsock

another question.... does it cost anything to park and shoot from the outside or will I have to pay a parking fee and admission to access the grounds and gardens?

BigRuss

In addition to Greg's info, be aware of the size difference. You could probably fit about 5 or 6 Chenonceaus in Chambord - it's bloody huge.

And considering its cultural importance as the inspiration for Marlinspike Hall for the Tintin comics, consider photo'ing Cheverny.

Christina

There are ten million pictures of those chateaux already available, I find it hard to believe any travel guide or calendar would find a lack of them to buy from existing sources.

tailsock

Christina
There are 500 million pictures of Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower too. So why would anyone license an image when so many existing ones exist? I'll leave that for you to ponder on your own. FYI My trips all over the US, the Caribbean, Canada, and Europe are funded entirely on profits from licensing agreements and royalties.

PalenQ

Trains to Tours - be sure to book way in advance to get nifty discounted fares at www.voyages-sncf.com - French railways site - check www.seat61.com for sage advice on doing that. Other sites for trains and Loire area check www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

check http://www.accodispo-tours.com/tours.html for half-day tours? Several leaving Tours t.o. daily 12:45 and a long-established company. One goes to Chenonceaux and Chambord - two of the most gorgeous facades but to get neat pictures you may have to get in the gates - these tours just provide transportation not admission or tours I believe.

IMO renting a car for a half-day would be hectic - but if you can stay an extra day yes it would be very easy.

tailsock

PalenQ Thanks for that info. This would be an all-in-one-day kind of side trip from Paris as I'll have plenty to shoot there as well. That means that staying the night in the Loire Valley isn't a possibility.

I don't know if anyone saw my above question but is parking or admission charged just to access the grounds of those two?

PalenQ

I don't know if anyone saw my above question but is parking or admission charged just to access the grounds of those two?>

Been a while since I've been to Chenonceaux but am fairly sure you have to pay to gain access to the grounds and Chambord too. Would be very surprised if not but hey anyone?

pariswat

don't remember but the cost would be hugely prohibitive. Probably 5€.

Sarastro

You must pay admission to see any of Chenonceau.

At Chambord, you must pay to park. They reconfigure access to the grounds from time to time but I think admission is only required to enter into the château.

kerouac

If you see Chenonceaux from the other side of the river it is free. You have to pay if you use their car park.

Chambord used to have free parking, but since it has been "renovated" they have probably added a parking fee as well. If so, it would be difficult to get around it, since it is isolated in the middle of the forest.

PalenQ

Not sure where mini-bus tours that do not include admission or chateau tours drop you but maybe inside the grounds near ticket window? Easy to e-mail and ask.

tailsock

thank you all. as I'm leaning towards the car at the moment can anyone recommend a remarkable (and preferably very old) town or village within the vicinity? Maybe one with half timbered buildings and a picturesque square?

PalenQ

Maybe one with half timbered buildings and a picturesque square?>

After biking several times around the part of Loire I think I've gone thru every little burg I recall no such town at least with half-timbered buildings rare here - Amboise' chateau is an imposing sight to capture on film perhaps when she from an island across the Loire and you may find the Pagoda de Chanteloup a nice photo opp - in rustic setting near Amboise:

https://www.google.com/search?q=pago...w=1745&bih=863