Loire Valley
 

We'll be in France in late Sept - early Oct and would like to spend a few days in the Loire Valley. We don't particularly like bus tours and don't want to rent a car. Has anyone used taxis or are there public buses or shuttles to some of the chateaux? Is Tours the most practical tour base if you don't have a car?

Good questions, I would love to know the answers too... :)

You will find many suggestions if you type "Loire Valley" into the search box at the top of the page.

You will maximize your time if you have a rental car, but there are other options if you don't care to drive.

Car will make it easiest and most enjoyable. There is public transit to some - but not all chateaux - and it often runs on a not too frequent schedule. You can get small tours from Tours to some of the major chateaux. Or you could stay in Blois or Amboise to see the chateaux there and hire a car and driver to do exactly the ones you want.

In addition to Tours, Amboise can make a nice base for the eastern Loire. Remember the Loire is a large area, and, after you pick a location, concentrate on the chateaux near where you are located. I have been to the Loire 4-5 times including one month long home exchange. I have still not been to Cheverny and Saumur, but I have seen the rest of the "must sees" and many of the not so important ones as well. Do not try to do more than 2 a day because you will want to walk the grounds and not just drive by.

Hi - I stayed in Blois and we took a bus to Chambord. There were also busses to Chenonceau. I think there were probably others we could have visited also. They were public busses, not tours. We also toured the chateau in Blois and found it very interesting. I would be surprised if there weren't similar public bus routes out of tours.

Maybe figure out which chateaux you want to see and then pick the town (or maybe you already did that and that's why you suggested Tours?).

Have fun, it should be beautiful in September.

Thanks. My hesitation with bus tours is sometimes you might want to stay longer than they've allowed time for. Glad to hear there is some public transportation.

I would check the bus schedule. Not sure what it would be for September. The buses mainly patronized by tourists tend to be more convenient in the high season.

As someone who has been to the Loire on a few times, I would recommend a car rental. The driving is really not that difficult.

There are some prior threads that discuss the bus schedules, I think. If you cannot find an appropriate thread here, check on slowtrav.com

Have you considered touring by bicycle? Depending on which specific chateaux you want to see, you might be able to find a suitable base (Amboise or Chenonceaux?) from which to comfortably visit. The countryside will be fabulously scenic in the fall, too.


However, as previous posters said, having a car makes everything much easier. We based ourselves between Tours and Loches when we were there last year, but we did have a car. For what it's worth, we enjoyed Villandry the most, but we are ardent gardeners.

We rented a car in Tours and it was the best way. Check out my site on the loire, it may be of some help.

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/91d62/1c/

Me too!

A car really is the best way to go. It is easy to drive especially along the river. Amboise and Blois are both exzcellent bases for chateux visiting. See my trip report at http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34895523 .

Thanks for the advice. I like the idea of bicycles if the weather is good; will look into that. I would like to get a car but will have to work on my husband to convince him. So far, no luck. Will check on the bus schedules --fortunately, if all else fails, there are the bus tours.
Does anyone have any recommendations of bus tours that don't rush your time too much?

There is no such thing as a day bus tour that doesn't rush you too much.

Some of the chateaux are connected by buses during the summer season. There are threads on that.

With bicycles, you could only visit a small area of the Loire. It is a big region. Remember when you get to Tours, you will need to figure out how you are going to get to the chateaux you want to visit because there are none within walking distance from the train station.

bookmarking

I would recommend a car for two reasons, one that the Chateaux are spread out over a large area, and the second, driving in the country roads, with vinyards on either sides and quaint little villages is a pleasure in itself.

I stayed near Tours, and yes its quite central, however I do not know about availability of bus tours.

If you interested in my trip report, please see www.sujablogs.blogspot.com