I am travelling to the Loire in July and would like to stay in a medium sized town with some good restaurants and bars to go to in the evening, and a 3 or 4* friendly and relaxed hotel to stay in. Any recommendations? Many thanks.

I have always thought Amboise was the perfect base for touring the Loire, assuming it's a first visit and you're focusing on the châteaux. It's a lovely-size town with plenty of restaurants and cafés, a lively Saturday market, its own fascinating château, and the Clos Lucé, where Leonardo da Vinci spent his last days. It's small enough to get around on foot, but large enough to have anything you're looking for. If you can afford it, stay at Le Choiseul. If not, there are plenty of other nice hotels, including the Lion d'Or.

I was in the Loire Valley late last May and early June spring.<BR><BR>I found Blois to be a good medium sized town pop. around 50k. The town sits on a crest and works it's way down to the Loire River. It's still easy to get around walking.<BR><BR>Blois' chateau is beautiful and filled with history, especially around Catherine de Medici's. The "Son et Lumiere" ("Sound & Light") show was pretty spectacular. I enjoyed it even though I wasn't able to see it on an English language night. Blois has a great little museum of WWII Resistance and a funky museum devoted to magic. They even have live magic acts every day.<BR> <BR>The town I really fell in love with was Saumur pop. 30k. The castle sits on a crest overlooking the town and has a Cinderella look to it. It had been dreary in Paris for 5 days and when I arrived in Saumur the skies cleared, the sun came out and the temperatures hit almost 80 in the afternoons and the 60's in the mornings. <BR><BR>Several interesting museums: Army tanks, mushrooms and their production, the largest Dolmen still standing in France. (A dolmen is a pre-historic stone slab burial hut.) By chance I happened to stay there when they had their music festival. Several stages set up throughout the city with different style bands playing. Like the weather, another happenstance that endeared me to the town. <BR><BR>Tours was also pleasant. It has a large university and is a bigger city at 135k. More restaurants, more bars, more night life than the other places. Their chateau isn't much, in fact it houses an aquarium now which I didn't bother to see. Their fine art museum was good too. Another plus for Tours is that it's a rail hub. If you aren't driving, it makes it easy to get from Tours out to other Loire Valley towns. <BR><BR>I completely agree with StCirq. Amboise was very nice. If you stay there or make it there, try to find the quirky toy museum that's a little west and south of the chateau. It seems to be a family-run collection of antique toys set up in fantastically over-stuffed displays. <BR><BR>Unfortunately I don't have any hotel recommendations for you. I'm a 1 & 2 star hotel traveler. Although I wished I'd had the budget to stay at the Ann d'Anjou in Saumur: http://www.chateauxhotels.com/public..._hotel_chf=385

I agree that both Blois and Amboise are good choices, in Blois there is a<BR>Mercury hotel with a pool too, inside, i I think is probably 3 to 4 stars but it is not expensive. Good luck<BR>PS I food however food at the hotel rest not good.

Amboise is good base. If you stay here check out the Manior Les Minimes for a wonderful 4* hotel. An old manor house completely redone and now a hotel, serving only breakfast. Ideal location at base of castle, easy access to all of town, great rooms and baths. Highly recommend it. Good food at Hotel Blazon and at neat little bar on island in river called le Shaker. Have fun

I agree that blois or Amboise is a great base upon which to see the whole valley.

Will a chateau be too formal? we are both in our 20's and don't want to have to wear formal attire to dinner every night!

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