Iahawk

Good morning,
We are planning a trip to Normandy and the Loire Valley in 2024 to honor the 80th anniversary of D-Day. It will be our first visit to the Loire Valley but our 4th visit to France.

At this point, our plan is to go to Bayeux and spend 4 nights, then drive to either Tours or Amboise as a base and spend 4 days touring up to 3 or 4 chateaux, visiting the Da Vinci Museum, possibly taking a hot air balloon ride, biking, etc. Our last overnight will be in Oradour before driving back to Paris to fly home.

We've spend a decent amount of time in Normandy so that itinerary is set; during the drive from Bayeux, we plan to stop in Caen and in Le Mans (husband is a huge race fan). Oradour has been on my list for decades.

We are the kind of travelers (late 60's, very active and adventurous) who will visit the 'top spots' but also love to find the lesser known, off the beaten path but still amazing places to visit so that is where my question about the Chateaux comes in - I think we can do at most places 2 in a day before getting fatigued with (as some have mentioned ) the repetitiveness of each place. we love wine so Villandry is on the must see list as is Chenonceau because, well, its Chenonceau.

Many thanks for your advice in advance.

Other suggestion, ideas, etc?

bilboburgler

I always recommend Fontevraud Abbey just because it is not a Chateau, but is a unique piece of large historic building. At one time it was the sort of Abbey where all the nuns were cast-off Royal women from around Europe and it houses a lot of Plantagenet royalty tombs.

youngtom2910

we did a Loire chateau trip before COVID. We did it in March. the interesting thing about that time of year is that they lit fires in some of the fireplaces in the various chateaus, something I had never experienced before. Amboise was particularly memorable. Also, you miss some of the crowds and it's a little less expensive.

In addition to the one you mention, Chambord is a must.

P_M

I was just there a couple of weeks ago. In Amboise there is the Chateau Amboise, which is a must do if you're staying in Amboise. Da Vinci is buried in the chapel of the Chateau but the chapel is closed for renovation until next year.

Also in Amboise you will find Chateau du Clos Luce which was the last home of Leonardo Da Vinci. That was impressive to me, mainly because I'm such a Da Vinci fan and the grounds are pretty There's also Chateau Gaillard in Amboise which has nice grounds but the Chateau itself is underwhelming.

I agree that Chambord is a must.

dugi_otok

<<either Tours or Amboise as a base>>
Choose Amboise for your base.

<<my question about the Chateaux comes in - I think we can do at most places 2 in a day before getting fatigued.
Villandry is on the must see list as is Chenonceau>>

Three days of Chateaux (2 hours or less driving per day):
Day 1 - Chenonceaux & Loches(my underated chateau)
Day 2 - Azay-le-Rideau & Villandry(Garden only)
Day 3 - Chambord & select Cheverny and/or Blois

<<Oradour has been on my list for decades.>>
Amboise to Oradour to Paris is a long drive, 600km and 7+ hours of driving. https://goo.gl/maps/raKU7f8TG68UAMHc9
Consider returning your car in Limoges and taking the train from Limoges to Paris.

aliced

Chenonceaux and Chambord are musts.

john183

In 2011 we visited Normandy with our granddaughter then went to the Loire Valley and stayed in Amboise which we liked a lot. We visited Chenonceau several times plus Chambord, Cheverny, Amboise and Clos Luce. Here is a link to the trip report I posted describing our adventures. Go to post #80 for the Loire portion of our trip.

Paris, Normandy & the Loire Valley with our Granddaughter

If I'm reading your screen name correctly I'm guessing like me, you were following the Women's NCAA basketball tournament this year. The Hawkeyes had a great run and Caitlin was unbelievable.

Christina

I don't find chateaux that interesting myself, so it depends why you are interested in them. I could see being interested in a place due to it being the home of someone you are particularly interested in.

I don't know about must-sees but I did think Blois was kind of interesting because it was so different from most others, it has different architectural styles within in and I enjoyed the town.

Chambord is the largest in France so probably a must-see, interesting staircase.

Villandry you usually hear about for the gardens, I thought, had no idea it had anything to do with wine.

kerouac

Off the top of my head, my first response is Chambord, Chenonceau, Azay-le-Rideau and Amboise. Amboise because it is interesting to see a château in a town setting and not just isolated in a rich private domain.

maitaitom

"Off the top of my head, my first response is Chambord, Chenonceau, Azay-le-Rideau and Amboise."

When we stayed in Amboise, we visited all four of those and liked them all. I would add if you go to Chambord, I would also try to see Chateau Cheverny, which is only about a 20-minute drive from Chambord. If you're lucky enough to be there at hound feeding time, it's something to behold (below). The chateau is beautiful inside, too. It's been owned by the same family for six centuries.

kerouac

Cheverny has the added attraction for fans of Tintin of being the model of Captain Haddock's château, Moulinsart in the original version or Marlinspike Hall in the English version.

TPAYT

So many good choices but after several trips to the area
Chambord and Chenonceau for the castles but Villandry is always our favorite for the gardens.
Tours is a bigger city, Amboise is a good location and the DiVinci museum is quite interesting.

We’ll be looking for your trip report, especially the hot air balloon ride.

Iahawk

Quick clarification: we'll drive from amboise to oradour, tour, stay overnight and then head back to paris the next day.

uktravelover

I would suggest staying in Saumur as your base. It’s a lovely town with nice shops and restaurants. Which chateau to visit? Everyone has their favourites so for me it would depend on what you like to see and do. Some of the chateau have super gardens, others are close to places for a degustation- wine tasting, or have some particular historical significance.

TPAYT

Saumur is way west of the popular chateau.. We stayed in a cottage in Thizay once which was 1/2 east of Saumur. Lovely area near Chinon. Visited Saumur and the fantastic horse arena. Loved Chinon but again, way west of the main chateau.
Again, just sayin’

uktravelover

We had no trouble visiting several chateau from Saumur, although we stopped at Blois was on route to Paris. For me it’s about the total experience. Amboise is nice but gets very congested. Tours is a lovely town if you want to stay somewhere larger.

bilboburgler

I'd not stay in Tour if I had access to Chinon or Saumur. Then again you can stay in the grounds of Fontevraud Abbey which is next door to Saumur.

You could do this tour by bicycle and train of course, rather than car. Very easy to do and far more pleasant enjoying contact with the locals and smelling the countryside

Iahawk

To John183,

yes, they had a fantastic run. Really looking forward to 23/24!

SemiMike

A few years ago, but here are 6, and lots of pictures: A week in the Loire Valley.

aggiegirl

I agree with the recommendations for Chambord and Chenonceau!