vik

Hi all,

Thanks to all fodorites and TripAdvisors, I have been able to plan our 8 day trip to Paris to a great detail.I have rented a car for one day in Paris and reserved a room at the Chateaux De Oermeaux that same night. The plan it to pick the car at 10:00am near Gare De Lyon, drive to the Loire valley, see at least Chambord,Chenonceaux(forgive the spelling), dine in Amboise and then leave for Paris the next morning.

That being said, could anyone point out a website/book that would show me maps to plan out the actual loire drive?Where to go first,where to go last etc?Also, any suggestions for dinner in Amboise?

Looking forward to your replies.

Merci!

Vik

gracejoan

Do you have hotel reservations in Amboise??

Are you aware that you could take a day trip from Paris and accomplish the same thing. There are many good ones...maximum of 7 people..A/C van, pick you up and deliver you to your hotel...includes lunch at a nice place. A long day, but enjoyable. Did it once a few years back. I have also spend several days in the Loire.

For maps eith mappy.com or viamichelin.com

Travelnut

1. use www.mappy.com or www.viamichelin.com - enter the first and last town, then the 'via' towns along the way

2. we used Michelin local maps #317 and 318 for Amboise - Cheverny, Chambord, and for Amboise - Azay-le-Rideau and Fontrevaud (Fontevraud?)

3. I used the written directions in step#1 and coordinated with the 2 Michelin maps

4. We ate dinner in Amboise at "La Florentine", which I recall had either Italian or French dishes, nothing fancy but reasonably priced and good food.
50 place Michel Debré
37400 Amboise - 02 47 57 49 49
(Located across from the Chateau)

kpilling

gracejoan,

What is the name of the day tour company you used for the day trip to Ambroise?

Thanks

karen

PalQ

A10 autoroute to exit (Sortie) 16 (town called Mer), thence go thru Mer hop on D112 crossing the Loire to Muides-s-Loire and follow D112 to Chambord.
Castle in town
Chambord-Chenonceaux (town) Chenonceau the castle has no x on the end
Lv Chambord D112 to Bracieux
D102 to Cour-Cheverny (pass by one of the most famous Loire castles in Cheverny
D52 Cheverny to Sambin
D764 to Montrichard
D176 along Cher River to Chenonceaux and Chenonceau.
(This back roads route Chambord-Chenonceaux should also be the fastest link - well paved untravelled roads.)
Chenonceaux-Amboise a short 15 mile drive.
From Amboise head north to rejoin A10 autoroute to paris.
Michelin maps clearly show this route - available everywhere in France and in US Borders, B-Noble, etc.
Easy to find - every intersection has signs to next towns.
If from Amboise you need not blast back to Paris, follow the Loire road to Blois, a fine regional town with its own neat Castle. Then hop back on the A10 at Blois- on this route just after Blois you'll pass one of the 20th-century chateaux - a huge nuclear power plant you can see for miles around!
Bon route!

gracejoan

Don't remember the one we used..here are 2:

http://www.pariserve.com/cityrama
go to France tours and click on the Loire Valley Castle

http://www.paris-france-tours.com
you will find it with hotel pick up and deliver..it said 8 maximum..

You might find this an easier way to do it

Enjoy............



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vik

wow..that was fast! Thanks all..esp palQ...after lookin at viamichelin, i feel that it would be best for me to go from paris to chambord,then from chambord to the chateaux oermeaux to check in and freshen up....then evening probably take a sound n light show at chenonceaux if they have one, wrapping it up with dinner in amboise. Does this sound doable,starting 10:00am in the morning?

Merci.

Vik

PalQ

Yes - and it's often unproductive to start earlier than 10 am at least Mon-Fri as 'bouchons' or bottlenecks are endemic on freeways in Paris area such as the Peripherique freeway you take from a few miles from the Gare de Lyon. I don't think you'll have any problems though it will be a long day.