Very Brief Loire Stop: Chinon vs Tours
 

Hi everyone, my name is Donna and I could use some help :)

Four of us (2 couples from Key West) are doing the Viking River Cruise in Bordeaux this October. When we disembark on Saturday morning, we plan on taking a train to either Tours or Chinon (a side trip planned by us, not Viking) and staying for 2 nights (Sat & Sun).

A little about us....we are red wine drinkers, primarily. We love Cab Franc, which is why we chose Chinon. However, nobody in our group wants to drive so we're not renting a car. I realize that we can't walk to any of the wineries in Chinon and we have no problem paying a driver. We've also learned that many wineries are not open on the weekends, but enough are (we really only have time for 3 total). We have no plans as of yet to go to a chateau, but who knows? We may change our minds and want to do one.

So as much as we want to go to Chinon, I'm not finding any drivers for hire to transport us to wineries. I'm wondering if we should stay in Tours and maybe we can find a car & driver for hire who could take us to Chinon from there.

Any thoughts or advice appreciated,
Donna

Tours is a fairly large city that it can take quite a while to get in and out of - and is not particularly charming. Chinon, on the other hand, is much more typical of the Loire - and I would definitely prefer to stay here if possible.

BUT,making your way without a car is going to be difficult. You hotel should be able to get you a driver if you really can;t bring yourself to drive.

Can't help with wineries, we went primarily for chateaux (for 6 nights) and just stopped at a couple on the way from one place to another.

There's no contest as far as I'm concerned. I love Chinon. I agree that your hotel should be able to make arrangements for a driver.

Also, I just did a quick google search on "chinon private winery tours" and there are, not surprisingly, a number.

Hello, and thank you for the responses already! :)

We don't really need help with finding wineries or "winery tours" per se. We know a lot of wine reps and wine bar owners here who can help us in that respect. It's mainly "chauffeur service" that we desire. I asked the owner of Hotel Diderot in Chinon (where we're thinking of staying) and he said that we could find chauffeur service, but it has to be booked in advance. Perhaps when we actually make our reservation, they will be a bit more specific.

Thank you again for confirming that I really want to be in Chinon, which is where I want to be as well :)

There is a vineyard and winery right in Chinon on the northern outskirts of town, though I didn't visit. I've eaten lunch and dinner at Hotel Diderot and the owners are super nice and I'd recommend staying there. Check the tourist office websites for both places:

http://www.chinon-loirevalley.com/

http://www.tours-tourism.co.uk/

As for getting between Bordeaux and Chinon/Tours by train, be sure to book your tickets about 3 months in advance when they go on sale for the cheapest prices at www.captaintrain.com. Looking at the train schedule right now it's going to take 4 or 4-1/2 hours by train (either 9:25 or 11:30 departure) to get from Bordeaux to Chinon with two transfers and advance purchased tickets should be about 30€. I'm sure finding a chauffeur won't be a problem. You can do some advanced research just by googling "private driver chinon" or "guide chauffeur chinon" but the hotel can probably assist too.

Another vote to avoid Tours (though it has a nice market building). I too love CF and visit every other year or so, for me I'd stay in Saumur and taste there, but if you want Chinon then ....,

bilboburgler, I'd love to hear the reasons that you prefer Saumur to Chinon. I've not made the Loire reservations yet ��

I have two reasons

I prefer a number of CF wine to Chinon, the Bourgeuil (and some of the other mini-ACs nearby) type and the Saumur/Saumur-Champigne (I think my spelling is off there a bit) type, I find Chinon too dry and dusty when young and older versions less fruity than other regions, but I understand that Chinon is marketed heavily in the USA and many people there like it. Depending on your time available I also think Savennières (a chinon white) is exceptional but it needs a few years, and of course http://www.baumard.fr/ who offer some of the greatest wines on the Loire.

Saumur is a more pretty town, faces the river more and has more to do it in the town and the nearby Fontevraud Abbey to do. The Abbey was one of the top 5 christian sites in medieval europe, the abbess was often a retired queen/duchess, from memory the bodies buried in the tomb are something like bad King John of England and Richard the lionheart's wife. I'll let you read up http://www.fontevraud.fr/en/

You can taste Saumur on the dock front at TI. But you can also visit others.

I hope that helps, not every place will work out for you and travel time will get in the way. Have a lovely time.

I love bilboburgler and obviously they know more about wine than I do but just a couple of points. I've never been to Saumur so can't do the comparison they've done but Chinon has excellent river frontage and both towns are equidistant from Fontevraud Abbey. And the people "buried" at Fontevraud are Eleanor of Aquitaine, King Henry II, Richard the Lionheart and some other person whose name I've forgotten. And I believe that only part of Richard is buried there and parts of him are buried elsewhere. The fortress ruin in Chinon was the favorite chateau of Henry II. Other than that, bilbo has been to both places and I've only been to Chinon but I love Chinon:

http://www.fontevraud.fr/en/

http://www.ot-saumur.fr/

FMT :-)

^^ :)

You all have been wonderful, thank you! There's a particular amount of stress on a Type A personality to suggest the best option for all of us and I want everyone to be happy. Bilboburgler, it looks like we're going to Saumur! Do you have suggestions on quaint hotels? ����

I normally stay in the monastery, but some friends went last year and loved the Plessis, but it might be too far out. If you want cheaper you may have to dig through tripadvisor which is normally pretty straight talking.

After my stay in Chinon I, too, stayed at Fontevraud and loved it. Check the website provided above. The village is small but it's close to other towns, as bilboburgler implies. The abbey is a unique and historical place and the restaurant in the hotel was very good. If you have any interest in European history it's a more than worthwhile stop, even if you don't stay. Watch "The Lion in Winter'.

By the way, the Plantagenets (and others) buried at the abbey are:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catego...ntevraud_Abbey
King John, having outlived his older brother, Richard, inherited the throne of England and is buried in Worcester Cathedral. He was an unpleasant fellow but his tomb effigy near the alter is beautiful.

I stayed at the lovely Hotel Anne d'Anjou in Saumur. It's definitely not quaint, but is centrally located and is in a beautiful historic building with very nice, well appointed rooms and a great restaurant attached. The hotel was so nice I wanted to stay longer! However, I preferred Chinon to Saumur, but I wasn't there for wineries, mainly to visit chateaux. In Chinon I stayed at the Diderot, which I liked but doesn't compare to the Anne d'Anjou, which is way more luxurious.

I also would highly recommend visiting the Abbaye Fontevraud while you're in the area. It's wonderful.

Thank you Sue,

Hotel Anne is being considered for proximity, as are Le Patio and Hotel Saint Pierre. Hotel Anne is my favorite.

Update: After much research, we decided upon Chateau de Beaulieu. Mary said that she could book a car to drive us to wine chateaus. For evening dinner, we'll get a taxi. Thank you all very much!

Hopefully not the famous one near Lille?

but maybe this one http://www.chateaudebeaulieu37.com/uk/index.php

Yes Chinon is to me the loveliest city in the middle Loire - if time take the tourist steam train thru the countryside to Richelieu - a very unique place:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ire-valley.cfm

and check out Chinon's old chateau which is now a Jean of Arc Museum I think- there are some wineries right in town too.

Book that train ticket Bordeaux to St-Pierre-des-Corps or Tours at www.voyages-sncf.com - save a lot by booking far in advance - for general info on French trains and booking check www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Bourgeuil, not far from Chinon has the Loire's largest grouping of vineyards it seems to me after visiting them all - vineyards swirl around the town:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bour...w=1745&bih=868

Usse, the Sleeping Beauty Castle, and Villandry, known for its gardens, are both a short drive or even bike ride from Chinon.

a Fodors thread from 2011 talked about this topic.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ing-around.cfm