Loire Valley Outing
 

Rule #1. No car!!!!!!

The trip plan has changed drastically but the Loire Valley is still in.

I will be with my wife and we're trying to put together a short trip to the Loire Valley.

It gets a lot easier if we stay over 2 nights but we're trying to do it in 1 night.

We will be travelling from place to place by train.

I've looked at minivan tours. An all day tour makes for a very long day (9AM to about 6:30PM) and either starts too early to get there or too late to take a train back to Paris. So that would require 2 nights (which we may end up doing).

I alsi like the idea of doing part with a minivan tour and part on our own. If the minivan tour feels a bit rushed then we have the self-guided part.

This is what we could probably do.
1) Take the 10:24 train from Montparnasse to Saint Pierre Des Corps.

2) Take the local train from SPDC to Amboise and visit either Chateau Amboise or Du Clos Luce (#4)

3) Go to Tours for dinner and sleep

4) The next morning take a minivan tour to Chenonceau and either Amboise or du Clos Luce (whichever we didn't see the day before).

5) Take the local train to Blois Chambord and see Chateau Blois (Chambord is too far away unless we can somehow get some form of transportation from the train station to Chambord)

6) Take the 17:57 train from Blois Chambord to Paris.

First does any of this look reasonable?
Will we be running around to much and see nothing?
Which should we see on our own and which should we see as part of a minivan tour of Amboise and du Clos Luce?

Any other comments other than "rent a car"?

Thanks.

4) The next morning take a minivan tour to Chenonceau and either Amboise or du Clos Luce (whichever we didn't see the day before).>

direct trains Tour to Chenonceaux station opposite Chenonceau Chateau - no trains to Chambord but direct buses in tourist season from Blois.

I'd forego Blois and conentrates on Chenonceau and Amboise - you can take train/bus from Tours to azay-le-Rideau and or Chinon castles. Or mini-bus tour that includes Chambord, the most monumental and distinct castle IMO - then along with Blois if spending another day.

For lots on trains check www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com.

Palenq,

Great info!!

Now I have to redo my plan but if it works out better great!!!

Working on someone else's schedule make things tough. Trying to match it up with trains that don't run very late make it difficult.

I'd like to scrap the minivan tour altogether if I can get to the majors on my own. If I rush it's my doing and not theirs.

Thanks!!!

Palenq,

The bus from Blois to Chambord. Is it from the Blois Chambord train station or the Chateau du Blois?

I see Chenonceaux is on a different path than the others I've been looking at.

That might make it a candidate for the afternoon we arrive and then string the others together.

And I guess we can handle the 10 minute walk from the train station to Chateau Chenonceau.

Thanks!!!

There is a "navette" or shuttle from the plaza in front of the Blois train station to several other castles. It runs from the 1st of April to the 5th of November.

http://medias.tourism-system.com/3/e...loire_2017.pdf

We used this shuttle to visit Chambord and Cheverny, starting from Blois. It cost very little and included a discount on the entrance tickets.

Blois Chambord train station>

There is no Blois Chambord train station TMK - just Blois

Myer,

I visited the Loire many years ago and really loved visiting the chateaux (SP?). I drove, but I was going to suggest that the town of Ambroise itself is lovely and might be a nice place to stay. I visited both the Chateau and Clos Luce both of which were very beautiful and interesting. At that time, there was an excellent to scale display of Leonardo's inventions in the basement of the home.

I stayed at Chateau de Chissay which was an amazing treat! It was very close to Chennonceau. I would think you could get a taxi or something there if you wanted to stay for a memorable evening and dinner at the highly rated restaurant in the great hall! I love my dinner there.

I visited Chennonceau, Chambord, Azay le Rideau, and Cheverny. Each was interesting in its own way. Chambord is empty inside, but the double helix staircase is incredible. The grounds beautiful and just a tad on the humongous side, and be sure NOT to miss the roof and the multitude of chimneys! I have to say Chennonceau was my favorite. So beautiful and in such a gorgeous setting, again with beautiful gardens.

Hope this helps a little. I would definitely go back for more. Didn't make it to Chinon, but wanted to.

I think your general plans are okay except Chenonceau is easy to get to by train. Chambord is the one that is not possible by train, so I'd concentrate van tours on that one. Also, if you aren't sure about a 10 minute walk, the walk from Amboise train station to Clos Luce is long than that. The Blois chateau isn't that far from the train station, as I recall.

"3) Go to Tours for dinner and sleep"

We visited Amboise without a car. Why leave Amboise and return the next day? We stayed in Amboise (in a cave cottage, 3 nights), and rented a tandem bicycle and pedaled to Chenonceau. Took about 1.5 hours at slow pace, and we brought a picnic which we enjoyed on the grounds of the chateau.

P.S. We plotted out our journey with great help/encouragement from PalenQ - thanks again PalenQ!

Thanks -and yes Amboise makes a perfect nase - even for trains via St-Pierre-des-Corps to Chenonceaux

I’ll review the chateaux possibilities and see if Amboise works.
I want to make sure Chenonceau works.

I took a quick look at the link to the shuttle from Blois train station. Did I read correctly that during summer season it runs on Wed. And weekends only. That would be odd.

The walk to the Amboise train station is about 20 minutes.

I’m trying to compare the merits of staying in three places.
Amboise
Probably nicest setting
But train station is about a 20 minute walk.

Saint Pierre des Corps
Probably most convenient train base for the eastern chateaux.
What’s the area like near the train station? Gotels, restaurants, evening walk around ambiance etc.

Tours
Slighter longer train rides to eastern chateaux depending upon which.
What’s area like near train station compared to SPDC?

Thanks for input.

Saint Pierre des Corps
Probably most convenient train base for the eastern chateaux.> Tours has constant trains the 2-3 km between its dead-end in town station.

What’s the area like near the train station? Gotels, restaurants, evening walk around ambiance etc.>

a dud for tourists - suburban blah

Tours has a lively old town area and train station not far from town center.

Why not take a taxi from the Amboise station to center of town? When we rented the cave cottage, the owner came and picked us up and drove us to a nearby parking lot, then it was a 5 minute walk to apartment.

I am thinking that if a 20 minute walk poses a problem for you, you may not be able to enjoy the extensive grounds of Chenonceau - even the train station is a bit of a walk to the actual entrance...

The Amboise station is small so very unlikely that there'd be taxis. I never saw one in several trips to/from station.

It's a nice enough walk - crossing the Loire on a long bridge with the chateau rising high in front - great pictures from that area.

But you can arrange taxis in advance:

https://montransport.com/en/director...on/index2.html

http://www.amboise-valdeloire.co.uk/...ay/visit/taxis

Joan,

Historytraveler gave my answer.

I think you misunderstood what I meant.

We walk all day on our trips. But when you have to walk 20 minutes every time you arrive or want to take a train, which will be our mode of transportation, it becomes a pain.

I have to figure out how many times we'd be taking that walk.

Agree it is a nice walk if weather is fine considerably less so if it is not. Mr. H. was a bit put out with me when he did it and the day was perfect. He's pretty fit too for a senior. Think the problem was in not realizing how far it was to B&B ( about a mile ).