autodidact

We are spending 2 nights in Angers in the near future and will have a further 2 nights available to us before departing ex Nantes. Any suggestions as to what would be other great place(s) to visit in that window?

Obviously there are plenty of chateaux in the area but we are also looking for a historic/attractive town with a good hotel and restaurants (Michelin standard would be nice but not obligatory).

FrenchMystiqueTours

Will you have a rental car or are you relying on public transport?

autodidact

We will have a car.

FrenchMystiqueTours

Ok then. My favorite towns in the Loire area are Loches and Chinon. Both are wonderful medieval towns that are small enough to be charming and quaint and still large enough to have enough stores, restos, hotels etc. to make them feel lively and provide you with a variety of choice. If you want someplace a bit larger then Blois is nice too. Have a look at this thread and it will give you links to all the major tourist office websites for the Loire (including Loches and Chinon). Tourist office websites are one of your best resources for planning a vacation in France and they will list most, if not all, of the accommodation in their respective towns and environs, have restaurant info, info about what to see and do and more. Both Loches and Chinon will have very nice restaurants that you'll be pleased with.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-de-france.cfm

Dr_DoGood

Chinon - Hotel Diderot. If only for the home made jams at <i>petit dejeuner</i>.

But actually for so much more than that. Chinon's an excellent little town, well provided for with decent restaurant choices, ideally located and not without considerable charm in and of itself; it'd also make an intersting contrast to the bigger more bustling Angers.

The Hotel Did' is simply a wonderful, friendly family run hotel that delivers a high degree of comfort with a minimum of fuss and a good dollop of grace, good humour and quirkiness.

I have no hesitation - as you can tell - in thoroughly recommending both.

Dr D.

annhig

we've only stopped in Chinon for lunch, but it looked like a nice place to stay longer.

further west, we like Saumur as a place to stay, Amboise [further East] not so much.

do try to get to Villandry - the chateau isn't much, but the gardens are superb.

autodidact

Thanks everybody. A few good leads there to investigate further.

jamikins

We lived Loches! Lots of nice places to eat, very attractive town, and a great market!

autodidact

OK we have booked 2 nights in Saumur. We would welcome suggestions as to best use of time in that area - chateaux, museums, restuarants....

FrenchMystiqueTours

The villages of Montsoreau and Candes-Saint-Martin, Fontevraud Abbey, the town of Chinon, the châteaux of Azay-le-Rideau - Villandy - Langeais. Combined with Saumur itself that will be enough for two days. I'll leave the gastronomy to the foodies.

annhig

FMT got there before me. Saumur also has an interesting chateau, and there are troglodyte caves nearby that are worth exploring. Some have stalagtites and stalagmites, others are wine merchants, some are still lived in. there is also a tank museum and something to do with horses.

and don't forget Villandry.

ribeirasacra

Tours is also a very nice place to visit.
http://www.francetoday.com/articles/...ack_tours.html