dovima

If the gods smile on me this year, I will manage a vacation with Paris as the last stop before returning home. It would be the third time in Paris for me and I'd be there for 3 nights. Although I'd like to plan a future trip to explore the Loire, I'm thinking of a day trip to Angers to at least visit the Chateau and see the Tapestry of the Apocalypse. I understand that there's a TGV run which departs the Montparnasse station and takes about 1 and 1/2 hours to reach Angers. I've been using Angers-St.Laud as a destination when looking up trains on the bahn.de site. Please let me know if I'm in error.

Is the Chateau an easy destination from the train station (bus, taxi, walk)? I would probably be traveling in late autumn or early December - would this make a difference?

Any hints, opinions, etc. would be appreciated. Thanks so very much.

JEFF_

St. Laud is the right station. It's a pretty easy walk to the chateau. But of the chateaux I've seen in France, the one in Angers is probably my least favorite. I don't think it's a good sample of the Loire experience. I had just seen the tapestry in Bayeux, so I skipped the one in Angers.

Although it's an easy day trip from Paris, I think I'd wait until you have time to explore the Loire. Just a thought, but Chantilly has a great chateaux complete with moat and is an easy day trip from Paris.

Michael

The chateau in Angers is pretty much just the surrounding walls with half-razed towers. But it is within the town, and the town is pleasant, and the tapestries are a must. I've seen the five senses in the Musée Cluny, and other tapestries elsewhere, but the ones in Angers are in a class of their own. I would go.

Christina

I've done it as a day trip from Paris, it's easy enough. There is a lot that is walkable from the train station (assuming you don't mind walking a ways -- I like walking so it didn't bother me, but it could be a mile, I forget, at least I'm sure it probably was to some things.

They have one of those little tourist trains which I did for a break just to get a general overview of some areas -- that was kind of fun. It has one route around the old quarter. I think you can use that to get off at the chateau, maybe I did that and then walked back to the station, as where the tourist train starts isn't too far from it.

There is a lot to see in Angers other than the chateau, I didn't go just for that reason. It's a nice city, in general, to visit.

suec1

We did this day trip recently and it was a very pleasant experience. I'm sure the Angers Chateau is not a good example of the more refined chateaus (I haven't had the opportunity yet to see any of the others) but we enjoyed it very much. I think it is an older chateau than many of the others - being built for defense and then later made more of a residence. It was interesting to us to see the transition - there is a room of models showing the different stages. Also of interest were the plantings within the walls tho I would think in late Nov. they may be finsihed for the year. The tapestry is amazing! We had never seen anything like that. One reason we chose Angers was I thought some of the other chateaus would be very crowded with tourists - I doubt you would have that in late fall. Also it was very easy to get to there from the train station - some of the others were a ways out from the towns. One last note - for the train - get a PREM fare - otherwise you will pay twice as much! We debated whether to go on our own by train or take a daytrip by bus from Paris where you could see 3 of the major chateaus - I think it was about a 9 hour trip and one company offered it for maybe 100E - I think that would have been a good way to see alot but in the end we decided we wanted to go on our own.

StCirq

I love Angers! And the château there is a fortress, not some fanciful playland for royalty, so of course it's different.

And saying you skipped the tapestries in Angers because you'd seen the one in Bayeux makes about as much sens to me as saying you skipped Paris because you'd been to London. Apples and oranges....

If you can manage it, go see the tapestries at the château and then go see the Jean Lurçat tapestries inspired by them - amazing, though as I recall they're on the other side of town.

annhig

hi, dovima,

any reason why you want to by-pass all the other chateaux and towns nearer to Paris than angers?

tours and blois are closer and more interesting, IMO.

if you go to angers, don't miss the tapestry in the basement of the chateau.

regards, ann

dovima

Thank you all for the replies and information! I admit that during my first research of the place, I was surprised by the descriptions as a "chateau" since it looks so much more like the remains of a fortress castle originally built to withstand attack. So, I was not expecting room after room of gold-leafed furniture, etc. I'd like to see the Tapestry very much, since the Unicorn tapestries at the Cluny were such a highlight of an earlier trip to Paris.

I really wanted a short side trip which would not be too exhausting for the end of my trip, and this sounds very do-able.

Christina, I might take the little train you mentioned. I too am an avid walker, so I might do that one way and walk on the way back to the main station.

Thanks again.

JEFF_

Touché StCirq. It was a dumb thing to say. Interestingly enough, your love for Angers (from other posts) was one of the reasons I decided to go there.

BTilke

Yes, it's a very good day trip option. Angers makes a nice contrast to all the "jewel box" chateaux found throughout the Loire Valley.

The walk from the train station is easy. The city has an attractive medieval quarter (which Paris doesn't), lots of inexpensive and very good restaurants, as well as some handsome parks and gardens. It also has a few other museums. And there is a Maison du Vin across the street from the chateau in case you'd like to sample (for free) a variety of Anjou wines.

Angers is one of our favorite cities and we've stayed there several times over the past few years.

Christina

I'm pretty sure I just got the map and info at the train station or nearby tourist office when I arrived, and then sat down to figure out what I wanted to do or how to get there. I do think I took the train to the chateau and then walked back, as it might have been over a mile and I didn't think I had enough time to spend walking both ways. Plus I did kind of like seeing some parts of the old quarter that way where I might not have had the time to go.

Christina

FYI, I checked my records and the Angers map, and I had remembered a little wrong. The chateau isn't that far from the train station, probably around 300-400 meters. There is a tourist office just outside the train station, and then another right by the chateau. It's a fairly direct walk (basically forward) from the train station.

Then, I think I took the little tourist train whose main departure point is right near the tourist office next to the chateau. It has several routes, but I took the one around the old quarter and then across the river and got out to go to the museum over there. That is the thing that is probably about a mile from the statation or chateau, or close to it. There is a tapestry museum with some modern tapestries over there (I think that is the Jean Lurcat display), and the old hospital with granary, pharmacy, etc. That was one thing I wanted to see as I like that kind of thing. There is an old church over that way, also. Then I walked back along the river and across the bridge, visiting St Maurice cathedral, and then back to the train station. I didn't have time to visit the fine arts museum. It was that walk back from St Jean Hopital that was longer than I wanted to do twice in my time frame, and why I took the little train one direction. I actually have never done one of those things before so thought it would be fun for a bit, and it was.

dovima

Much obliged, Christina. I appreciate your taking the time to check your notes and memories. And many thanks to all the other responders too!