Donna Painter

We are planning to take the TGV from Paris to Tours, rent a car and spend two days touring the chateaus. I have called 5 different car rental agencies and all of them have their offices in Tours and the surrounding cities closed on Sundays. Does anyone know of a rental agency, preferably in Tours that is open on a Sunday?
Thanks.

Cláudia

I'm planning to rent a car for two days to know the Loire Valley in the next Abpril too. At first I'm thinking to do the same you told but know I'm thinking to rent a car in Paris. I thing until Tours we spwnd 2 or tree hours. Why don't you do it either?

Lynn Rogers

I am going to the Loire Valley in November and would like to do the same thing. Can you give me the list of the car rental places you tried? This is a last minute trip and I am feeling rushed. I arrive on a Saturday and want to go to Tours by train and rent a car there on Saturday afternoon or I guess I can rent on Monday morning and tour Tours on Saturday afternoon and evening and Sunday before renting the car. I just don't know at this point if it's better to tour the chateaus by train, bus, or car. I've heard that it's hard to get everywhere if you don't have a car; that the train doesn't go to Chambord or to Chanteneau. Do you know? <BR>

Dayle

I just returned from France (my first time) and did 4 days on my own before meeting friends in Paris. I took the train to Chartres and picked up my rental car there - Avis, booked through Rail Europe. It was simple to arrange to pick up the car at the train station, or if you tell them where you are staying, they will deliver it to your hotel. I was by myself, so I found it a little hard in the cities to watch traffic and try to navigate at the same time. Spend a little time being a little lost, but not too bad. When you get out to the Loire Valley, the major chateaux and historical sites are pretty well marked, but I found the driving distances to be just a bit more than I expected. I also found I needed a more detailed map than what I had. There are MANY small local roads and many ways to reach the same destination. Some time planning was needed, because almost all the chateaux close for 2 or more hours during lunch. I went to Chateaudun, Ambroise, Clos du Luce, Chambord, Cheverny, Chenonceau, Villandry (gardens only), and Azy-le-Rideau all in 2 1/2 days. Particulary enjoyed the town of Ambroise. Rick Steves says there is 1 car rental agency there. If I had it to do over, I would have picked up a car there and stayed out of Tours. Too big of a city and I got lost trying to pass through. However, the TGV station is in a suburb (St. Paul de Corps) and is well marked and easy to get in and out of if you pick up there. If you want more details, let me know. I stayed at the Chateau de Chissay in Montrichard and loved it. <BR>

Kelly

Last time we drove the Loire, we drove down from Paris. It was only a few hours, we based out of Amboise. That was a great little town, in the middle of everything, and has an interesting castle. I think we only paid $50 a night for our room. The drive from Paris is really not bad if you prefer that. I would warn, there are no "North/South" directions on the roads, they tend to use a city along to way as a direction. The problem is if you don't know French geography inside and out you end up looking all over the map to find out where "Montrichard" is. <BR>

Vincent

Just a reply to the last post : it is funny, because for us Europeans, it is very confusing, when we are driving in the States, this "North/South" business : in this particular case, you need to know geography ; whereas, if you are going to Tours you just have to follow the sign tours, whereever the city is. Ah the joys of cultural shock !