My wife and I are travelling by car from Paris through the Loire valley soon and wanted some advice on accomodation in any of the villages. Maybe Montesor, Amboise Blois, Beugency even Chartres. Do you know of any interesting, charming and reasonablby priced places to stay along the way?

We're going to stay at le Manoir les Minimes (www.manoirlesminimes.com/) in Amboise in October. It is below the Chateau and has guest parking. Many, many good comments about it on Fodors and TripAdvisor. Peak room rates range from 105E to 230E; we booked a 'Tradition' room for 120E.

We're also going to stay at Hotel Diderot in Chinon - twin/dbl for about 60E. http://www.hoteldiderot.com/

The Domaine de la Tortinière is very nice, a lovely château above a river. There's a restaurant as well. It's in Les Gués de Veigné.

One place I have tried (but only for dinner; didn't stay the night) - - Chateau d'Artigny (quite expensive but gorgeous) - - and two ideas for places that I have not stayed, but are on my wanna-try-someday list:

1. www.chateaudejonvilliers.com - - see a "testimonial" from someone who took this suggestion from me at http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34449490 - - only 60 euro per night, in 2003.

or

2. from a somewhat older (2001) post titled "Loire valley" - - http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...mp;tid=1295942 - -

<<...though I have been to the Loire... I have never actually been to ... a number of places that look attractive to me on the website http://www.bienvenue-au-chateau.com - - and "La Maison" (number 98 on their web site) - - http://www.bienvenue-au-chateau.com/la-maison-gb.html - - happens to sound like the combination of a neat property, situated right IN a town (most of their properties are NOT actually IN towns) that has been classified as a "historical monument".>>

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Best wishes,

Rex

For a truly unique experience I suggest staying in one of the private chateaux in the area. We did this several years ago - near Chinon - and the experience was incredible. Imagine sleeping in a 15th centruy moated castle and having dinner with the owners. Many of the family run ones are quite inexpensive (vs the very high prices of the few 5* resort sort of ones.)

I visited the Loire Valley for 10 days 2 years ago, so I stayed in several different towns. I absolutely loved the Manoir les Minimes in Amboise, a really beautiful place to stay. Amboise is a great town to wonder around in, and the Chateau well worth visiting - much history involved with it. Also interesting is Leonardo da Vinci's last home, the Clos du Luce (sp?). Had a marvelous dinner at L'Epicerie in Amboise.

I also loved Chinon, a really charming, historic town with a fascinating chateau. I stayed at Hotel Diderot. It was fine, convenient for walking around the town.
Nothing like the Manoir les Minimes, but then again, much less expensive! I also began the trip in Tours (renting my car there), and spent 2 nights, since I had the time. Tours has a beautiful cathedral and some interesting museums, and I was very glad I stayed there for 2 nights, but it's a city, not a town. I also stayed in Saumur at the Hotel Anne d'Anjou (lovely!), and liked Saumur, but prefered Amboise and Chinon.
I'm sure you'll enjoy any place you stay in the Loire Valley.

We were in the Loire Valley in June and the man who arranged our bicycle trip booked us into some very nice and reasonably priced places at about E60 a night. Two that stand out are le Patio which is a familly run small hotel right on the river in Saumur and les Fontaines near Doue les Fontaines (http://www.onecallestates.com/bandb-BB49001.html). If you stay here be sure to go with the option for dinner if it is available. Hosts and food and wine were great!

We are "foodies", so my recommendation for people like us is Le Choiseul in Amboise and, as already suggested, Domaine de la Tortiniere. I don't recall what town the latter is in, but recall that is was very much chateau-like. Both had wonderful restaurants. We enjoyed our stay thoroughly.

I can wholeheartedly recommend Chateau de la Poiteviniere, in Huismes, near Chinon. The woman who owns and runs this lovely chateau on 12 acres in very charming, the place is beautifully decorated, and it make a nice home base for seeing the Chateau and wineries in the area. We chose it initially because it was less thank places like the Tortiniere and other larger establishments, but I'd dfinitely go back!
http://perso.club-internet.fr/pesquet/Indexe.htm

Restaurants in Chinon they recommended were great, including Les Annees Trentes and Au Plaisir Gourmand. (For foodies, I think Au Plaisir Gourmand was and may still be a Michelin 1 star restaurant. VERY VERY GOOD.)

~kat

and someday I'm going to stay at La Roseraie at Chenonceau

We stayed at the IBIS hotel in Chartres which had safe parking and then walked up to the cathedral through a wonderful avenue of (we think) oak trees until you join up with all the other tourists going in the same direction past the square in front of the church.
Moving on, we spent a night in Saumur at the Hotel Anne d'Anjou, 32-34 Quai Mayaud, PH; 0241673030. We just rolled up on the doorstep at about 4pm and got the only room with a balcony overlooking the Loire river! Above and towering behind us was the beautiful Chateau de Loire. Unfortunately you won't see much of it as it is under renovation. The hotel has a wonderful restaurant but advanced booking is absolutely necessary. We had to eat in town.
Do not miss Azay-le-Rideau (where I have stayed before on a previous trip)at le Grand Monarque, a stones throw away from the Chateau, which we thought was the best.
To go back, if you stay in Tours you may want to try the Holiday Inn which is right next to the train station and very convenient. We loved Tours.
If you visit the mushroom farms in the troglytite caves near Saumur, go for the one that has a restaurant deep inside. The other one which advertises extentsively with a little boy on the brochure is a sad second choice. No real mushroom tasting or snail observation.

We recently stayed at a private chateau outside Tours - Chateau de l'Aubriere. It was a wonderful place and the woman who runs it was great. We were travelling with two kids and she really made us feel welcome. We had our best French meal there.