After reading all the great posts about the Loire, I will be heading down there for 3 nights at the end of September. The thing is that I will be arriving there on a Sunday(after 4 days in Paris). From what I can see most things are closed that day. I plan on renting a car but I have to pick it up at around 3PM because only the Avis at St.Pierre des Corps is open from 3PM-7PM on Sunday. What would you recommend I do for this day? Will any of the chateau be opened that day or late, or should I just check in to my hotel and wander the local town area. I have yet to book my hotel as well, I have read great recommendations on this forum, but wonder as well, if any one can recommend which town to stay in if I am arriving late afternoon, what might be a good area to wander around for that day before seeing the chateau on Monday.

Pretty sure that many chateaux will be open on Sunday, as the Tours tourist office lists a bunch of excursions to chateaux on Sunday. I've actually just booked one for this Sunday for Chenonceau. A lot of the chateaux have websites so you can check hours that way. Otherwise, for a quick overview, go to ligeris.com and see which excursions are available for Sundays (that should tell you that those chateaux, at least, will be open).

Of course whether you decide you want to visit them is another story. You may not have enough time. I've never been to Tours so I can't be of more help.

Basically a good map of the Loire Valley is good, and I'm sure that someone can help more.

Blois: Nearby chateaux are Chambord and Cheverny

Tours: Nearby chateaux are Amboise, Villandry, Azay-le-Rideau

Chenonceau is about equidistant between Blois and Tours, I believe.

If you've a car, it shouldn't matter too much.

I hope you get lots of replies to this post ... I just bought myself the Eyewitness Guide to the Loire and am trying to talk myself into doing the driving. For me it will be probably the week of the US Thanksgiving.

I don't think you'll have much of that day left if you're not leaving Paris till after 3pm so I wouldn't worry about visiting a chateaux or major attraction.

What kind of hotel are you looking for? I have stayed in 3 chateaux in the region - I go for the comfortable but not exhorbitant variety rather than the relais and chateaux level.

I'm confused. Is there some reason you're arriving in the Loire so late? All of the major chateaux are open are sunday - but you need to be there earlier - by noon or so to see a couple of them. Why not just go much earlier in the day?

If the problem is that the Avis office is not open earlier - just rent the car somewhere else - either in Paris - or at the airport - those ofices wil be open in the AM and you won;t lose a day of your vacartion.

I guess the original poster mentioned that Avis is open between 3 and 7. Maybe that's why. It seems weird, though, that the car rental place wouldn't be open in the morning, but maybe the original poster has other plans.

A quick check of the Eyewitness Guide to the Loire shows that most of the major châteaux are open daily, so you'll have no problem getting to see one if you arrive at the train station at 3 pm (surely there are other car rental outfits with more flexible Sunday pickup hours in the Loire - have you tried AutoEurope?).

I'd suggest you base yourself in Amboise. There are a number of good-value hotels there, it's a bustling little town with lots of attractions (including a château), and it's pretty central for visiting the area. If you didn't want to go farther afield, you could certainly just drive to your hotel in Amboise, visit the chateau there, and enjoy the rest of the evening in town.

Thank you for the responses. Yes the only reason I'm arriving so late is because of the rental car company hours. I've never driven in France and from my readings thru this board, most recommend just renting the car when I get to Tours. I just checked Autoreurope and they are closed Sunday(Tours location) as well. I did want to avoid the drive in and out of Paris because this would be my first time, but maybe that is my best bet to not waste a day(yes, both Avis and Autoeurope have locations on Sunday early which I can pick up). Oh no! After reading some more posts and doing a little more research, I realize all the cars are manual and I can't drive a manual! Automatics are like 2x the price and the other thread says even reserving automatics are not a guarantee that they will be there when I arrive! I think I need to rethink my plans about this now. I'd still like to stay in the Loire for 2-3 days, but without a car, I don't know how much I'd be able to do. I'll have to check on the day tours with ligeris/acco dispo again. Thanks again to everyone for the help!

I arrived in Tours on a Sunday afternoon last May, and spent 2 nights there. I stayed at a nice 2-star hotel walking distance from the Tours train station (easy to get to from the St. Pierre des Corps station). It was very quiet that Sunday afternoon in Tours, but I enjoyed the cathedral (which has gorgeous stained glass), and just enjoyed walking around the town and having dinner at a nice restaurant. The next day I did an Acco-Dispo excursion to some chateaux. I rented a car the next day and toured around the Loire for about a week. However, you could do what I did for 2 or 3 days without a car. Amboise would be a lovely base, and the Acco-Dispo tours also leave from there. I think you should do it - you don't need a car to see the chateaux! Of course, I loved having the car, but I drove all around, staying in Amboise, Chinon, and Saumur.

I wouldn;t be discouraged about renting an automatic - we always do so - and have never had a problem getting one (in at least 40 rentals). And while they always cost more - its usually not double. How big a car are you renting? What if you go for a smaller model? You will really need a car to do the Loire properly.

If the OP is only staying in the area for 3 days, I would think there is more than enough to see without a car. There's the above-mentioned tour company to get OP out to a couple of famous chateaux, and then time can be spent in Amboise, Blois, Angers by train. Of course, there are many chateaux, caves, etc to see with a car but surely OP could have a nice visit just seeing places accessible by train or bus.

Thanks again. Sue4, would you happen to remember the place you stayed at? I think with staying close by and using the trains like travelnut says, I can find enough to do for my stay.

Hi, check this thread re Loire Valley without a car. I did the research recently:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...p;tid=34519959

I've e-mailed both the Tours and Blois tourist offices and found them to be very helpful.

I'm planning to do a very abbreviated tour this Sunday morning (TGV to Tours and back to Paris) to see Amboise and Chenonceau.

Have fun!

Be sure to plot out your train itineraries using www.sncf.com, especially for Sunday travel.

Notice whether it is a train, or if the route only uses a bus.

Can't speak for the original poster, but my plan this Sunday is to take the 6:52 train from Montparnasse to Tours. It arrives around 8 and the tour starts at 9.

The tour ends at 12:30 and I'm supposed to take a train around 12:50 which will put me in Paris at 2.

Although my stay is limited, when I did the research, I gathered that the whole area is really well served by minivan tours. No need to worry. I'd have been interested in biking, but I just simply don't have the time. Next visit!

(I've the same problem -- I can't drive a stick shift either and my driving skills are actually bad.)

By the way, not to hijack this thread, can someone point me to a good map of Tours online? I've not tried very hard, and that's one thing I need to do before leaving.

Thanks!

111op, thanks for the thread link, I was reading that earlier as well after I realized I wouldn't be driving. Does anyone know of a hotel which is relatively close to the train station in Tours so I won't have to walk too far. I figure I will be walking there a few times during my stay. Thanks again.

Or a hotel near Amboise station. Thanks again.

Sue4, it was YOUR report that encouraged/inspired me that I could do it too...
My plan will be TGV to Tours, rent a car, 2 days, then back to Tours...
All my heart really wants to see is Chanenceau... I want to stay at the Rosaraier ... I realize my spelling is off but its all "book marked".
What I cannot figure out is point-to-point tickets and indendent rental car or the France Eurail pass 2 days train and 2 days car...