Since we are keeping our hotel in Paris our main luggage will be there. All we'll have will be a small backpack each.

There's nothing wrong with not renting a car, I often do not and have spent time in the Loire without one, also. People on Fodors are always telling others what to do for no good reason.

nothing wrong with renting a car or not - for 4-6 days cars are nice for a day or two trains or buses will take you to the major chateaus. But with several days you can drive say between Blois and Angers and easily see some chateaus hard to do without a car.

With car I would not base in Tours however as traffic can be horrendous and parking too. Amboise and Chinon would be splendid bases for cars though.

Amazing what a bit of tinkering will do.

Now I'm starting to go in a slightly different way.

We arrive in Tours around 11:30.

Day 1. Train to Chenonceau.

Day 2. Train to Blois and go to Chambord and Blois. This way we only depend on Navette timing for the first chateau. Blois is close to the train station. Well under a 10 minute walk. There are quite a few trains back to Tours so there would be no rush at these chateaux.

Day 3. Back to Blois to take the Navette to Cheverny. Then depending upon the time we can either go to Amboise for Clos Luce or Azay-le-Rideau.

Then take the train back to Paris.

we can either go to Amboise for Clos Luce>

Amboise also has a grand chateau - one of best- right on Loire looming high above it.

I'd go for Amboise because of Clos Luce and chateau - Azay-le-Rideau is my favorite chateau on outside and setting but inside is so-so as cheateaus go. There are winery tours in Azay-le-Rideau however but besides that just an ordinary nice Loire town (though on River Cher I believe).

Just for clarity, Amboise is on the Loire and Chenonceau is on the Cher. Also, the plural for château is châteaux. ;)

Palenq,

I keep reading the Chateau Amboise is really not worth the time other than the view from across the river.

"Amboise also has a grand chateau - one of best- right on Loire looming high above it."

Are you saying I should put it back into the mix?

plural for château is châteaux>

Well we're writing in English here and chateau(s) is what they say in English - you are giving French versions and French grammar.

I'm no expert on interiors of Loire chateaus many of which besides Chambord with its neat double-helix staircase and other oddities rather bore me. So I judge by overall looks and do remember the inside tour being OK though my memory on that is faded over the years since I visited several times.

The view of the chateau from the island opposite is awesome. There is a camping there too with full view of castle and a public swimming pool where I spent several days once with my young son -so I am partial to Amboise chateau - maybe too much.

And you do not seem to say when you are going but if in summer staying in Amboise is neat because of the Sound-and-Light show at nights in castle gardens - cast of hundreds of locals in old-time garb reneacting certain things from castle history with music, etc. English sessions are possible but headphones for English speakers all time.

IMO Amboise beats Tours hands-down for a nice but lively town center and situation on what I consider to be the most scenic stretch the Loire around here - a wide sandy riverbed through which usually snake rivulets of water except in spring and winter. There is a neat old-style outdoor market some days in the old quays extent from the time when the Loire here was navigable - eons ago when it was like just about every other river in France damned up by barrages creating a canal paralleling the dry river bed.

Anyway I love Amboise but the rap on it in mid-summer is that there are too many other tourists there and being such a small town it causes swarms of tourists in areas around the town center and chateau.

But Tours is a very large city with some neat areas but is all built-up and there are no real neat views of the Loire which courses thru the northern edge of the city center and has main roads running along it. Tours is nice for a big city but big cities can never offer the charm IMO of an Amboise, especially of the Loire itself which in Amboise to me is surrealistically gorgeous - watching sunset from the island opposite the chateau is surreal often.

Anyway Amboise hands-down for me. (And also very well siuated for car and train travelers both and the main chateaus.)

Sorry the words and names are French and the French version is the correct version. I have never heard of a English version. Quite frankly a bit silly if not stupid. My correction was meant to be helpful so one didn't look quite the fool in their responses. I alway appreciate being corrected. Will refrain from doing so in the future. Sorry guess trying to helpful is not the done thing.

Whether you are an anglophone or francophone, the plural of château is châteaux, not châteaus (that word is nonexistent).

PalenQ,

The main reason we are staying in Tours is because rule #1 is that we don't rent a car on these trips.

That's non-negotiable.

Right now I'm looking at various options. I'm trying to streamline things. That is reduce rushing and long waits for connections.

The chateaux selected are based on several things (in no particular order); 1) reputation or what others say, 2) which look of interest to us, 3) which can fit into the transportation schedules.

I'm considering a minivan tour to see Chambord and Cheverny but would like to not do that so as to not be rushed. I may have figured that out.

Myer understood. Was speaking in generalities.

Fodor's language cops:

Château | Definition of Château by Merriam-Webster
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/château
Definition of château. plural châteaus \-ˈtōz\ or châteaux \-ˈtō(z)\ 1 : a feudal castle or fortress in France. 2 : a large country house : mansion. 3 : a French vineyard estate.

Either one is acceptable to Merriam-Webster.

In future will use chateaux to placate everyone as it means little to me but to say one is right and one wrong is just plain wrong.

Though by rail Amboise is just a short train ride from St-Pierre-des-Corps where you have to go to from Tours too on most train trips and a lot closer to Blois and Chambord/Cheverny buses - maybe split 3 days with each?

Palenq,

About Chateaus and chateaux. Clearly one is English and one is French. On most boards you would use the English version. However, since this is the France board some/a few/many want to either practice their French or have you prepare for your trip.

I'm ok either way. I'm originally from Montreal (English speaking) but have lived in South Florida for that past 24 years. So either way is fine with me.

= = = = =
Every time I look at things I make a few switches. It's possible local train schedules may change as we get closer to summer. So far this is what I have;

Arrive in Tours around 11:20. We'll each have a small backpack so we'll make a quick stop at out hotel, which is very close to the train station, to drop some stuff off.

The current schedule to Chenonceau has trains leaving Tours at 11:57 and 13:17. Would be nice if there was something in between. Getting the earlier one probably won't happen but would be good.

There's a 4:35 train to Amboise arriving at 5:20 (since this is mid-July the days are long and Clos Luce is open until 8PM)

The above would be better if we got the earlier train from Tours to Chenonceau but no running.

Or if we ended up taking the later train from Tours to Chenonceau and we're not finished with Chenonceau, we could just stay there (it's open until 8PM) and take a later train back to Tours.

On the second day we'll go to Bois and go to Chambord and then the chateau in Blois. Depending on Navette scheduling and how we feel, we could go to Chaumont but Blois is easier. Maybe.

On our third day we'll go to which ever of Chaumont and Blois we didn't go to the previous day and Clos Luce if we didn't go there the first day.

Back to Paris in the evening.

I better write all that or I won't have a clue what I'm thinking in a month or so.

There's a 4:35 train to Amboise arriving at 5:20 (since this is mid-July the days are long and Clos Luce is open until 8PM)>

You could also take a taxi Chenonceau-Amboise not far - otherwise to get back to Pierre-des-Corps by 16:35 for train to Amboise not possible and no trains Chenonceau town to Amboise that do not go back to SPCorps and changing.

Weird Chenonceaux the chateau and Chenonceau the town Chenonceaux is in!

Tours itself is worth looking over - especially cathedral and Vieux Tours, kind of a Latin Quarter smorgasbord of restaurants and outdoor cafes.

Myer, I have read your posts and planning with GREAT interest, because I am thinking about adding a quick trip (1 night) to the Loire Valley in April at the beginning of our Paris visit. Have been several times to Paris but never to the Loire Valley, and we'll be traveling with another couple on their first trip to Paris so I can add the Loire Valley only if there is a streamlined way to do that that is worth the time away from Paris and expense/bother of adding another location.

Plagiarizing your trip plan, do you mind if I ask your thoughts about the best way to do this -- (also would LOVE others' input as well)?

We'd arrive around 7:30 or 8 a.m. at CDG. I'd like to then catch the train from CDG to Tours and check in with our luggage (or drop our bags, depending whether our room is ready), at a nice hotel in Tours, and then go see a chateau. Dinner somewhere close to the hotel then drop dead into bed. That will be the only night we'll spend in Tours. The next morning, leave bags at the hotel then take a tour of one or two other chateaux, before training back to Paris and checking into the Parisian hotel in which we'll stay for the remainder of our stay.

Based on your posts, I'm thinking Day 1 we should tour Chenonceau (what do you think is the quickest/best way?) and Day 2 see Chambord and Cheverny (a minivan tour as well?)
Did you get any feedback about your proposed hotel?
Anyone have advice about a great place to have lunch on Day 2, since it will be our main meal in the Loire Valley?

I'm not really thinking of renting a car, but IF we do, we'd rent in Tours and train from and to Paris.

I would appreciate your thoughts and advice!

Palenq, You may have something there about taking a taxi from Chenonceau to Amboise.

The train would probably cost about 20E for both of us, we'd be subject to the train schedule and we'd have to walk from the train station whereas the taxi would drop us off at Clos Luce.

I wonder what the taxi would cost? Especially since the driver would have to go back to Chenonceau without a passenger.

I've biked Amboise to Chenonceau so not that far but no idea what a taxi could charge but can't be too much more than two train fares?

Another angle - take taxi first to the odd Pagode de Chanteloup - only remains of a once lavish chateau which was pulled down long ago to sell off parts to repay some debt to some royal.

All that was left standing was the Chinese Pagoda, redolent of a Renaissance fatuation with things Chinese - and standing it stands as lonely sentinel to the old chateau whose lavish gardens, reflecting ponds and parks, etc remain - in a bucolic setting a few miles outside of Amboise kind of towards Chenonceau - could have taxi stop there for a short time if that sort of thing appeals to you. You can climb the pagoda I believe - I did but that was long ago:

https://www.google.com/search?q=pago...w=1920&bih=949

https://translate.google.com/transla...m/&prev=search

can only be reached by road so though it may add on charges could be neat seeing a 'chateau' so few visitors have ever heard about let along visited.

Cheers!

and yes I think Tours a perfect base for your plans since you have no car - perfect base.