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-   -   Loire Valley Day Tour (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/loire-valley-day-tour-1733604/)

RuntheCoast Nov 17th, 2025 05:26 AM

Loire Valley Day Tour
 
Can anyone recommend a tour company for a day tour to Chambord & Chenonceau? I know the recommendation is to rent a car and DIY but we're only there for 2 nights and will have done a lot of driving through Provence shortly before this visit. I've contacted an operator that came well recommended and after two queries have still not had a response. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

bilboburgler Nov 17th, 2025 06:22 AM

Where will you be starting from Run?

RuntheCoast Nov 17th, 2025 06:46 AM

Amboise, bilboburgler.

bilboburgler Nov 17th, 2025 07:09 AM

The second is easy by bus the first is much harder, I'd ask your hotel

or these guys

https://amboise-valdeloire.com/visit...x-de-la-loire/

Reading54 Nov 17th, 2025 09:00 AM

Ten years ago, I took a van tour from Amboise to visit the two châteaux you are interested in. However, the tour company I used, Quart de Tours, is no longer in operation; I believe the owner has retired.

But two other companies that I remember from back then appear to still be operating. They are

Touraine Evasion: https://www.tourevasion.com/
and
ACCO-DISPO: https://www.accodispo-tours.com/amboise.html

Check their recent reviews online to see how they are doing.

zebec Nov 17th, 2025 09:07 AM

Hi RTC,
I understand that you want to see both. We were just there and chose to skip Chambord to focus instead on Chenonceau.
We took the Belandre company's boat cruise tour from nearby Chisseaux. Seeing it from the water was fun. They have three options: meal included, or just the cruise or a brief 50 min. quickie.
Just a warning. Apparently, there exists a French law that demands local minivan tour companies have a certain minimum number of clients before they may depart. Whether that issue is flalse BS or not, some posters on the Net claim to have recently been disappointed to learn from their reserved tour companies that the intended chateaux visit that day was not after all going to happen---'too few folks reserved' was the supposed excuse. Sounds odd to our ears, but...

Don't miss Azay. Outstanding chateau. We found the town itself underwhelming.
Loches and Montresor were both excellent. Ditto lunch at chateau Gaillard (close to Close de Luce).

I am done. the castles

hetismij2 Nov 17th, 2025 09:14 AM

The reason to cancel for too few customers is more likely financial than legal zebec.

RuntheCoast Nov 17th, 2025 09:19 AM

Thanks all for the responses. I saw online posts about last minute cancellations also and was concerned. It being due to French law seems unlikely but who knows. More logical is it's not cost effective for the operator.


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