How many days for a leisurely visit to the Loire? We don;t want to rush and drive big distances each day and don%26#39;t feel we need to visit every chateau (!) mthere is. Also - would Chinon be a good base? We will have a car.
One more question: How long does it take to drive from Paris to Chinon (approx)? I really look forward to repleis. Jeanette (Australia)
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You can spend as many days as you like in the Loire valley as there is a lot to see. As you are obviously aware there are enough chateaux alone to keep you going for a year. Would Chinon be a good Base? Hard to say. It%26#39;s a lovely old town, but if you%26#39;re planning on taking in some chateaux, you will probably want to see some of the better ones, most of which are to the east, and Tours-Blois, especially Amboise, is a more common base point. I can only suggest you do some internet research and have an idea of what you want to see before you get there. Travelling time is 3 hours Paris-Chinon according to Viamichelin. Realistically 4 hours + with breaks.
PS Saumur chateau is I believe still closed for renovation.
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Thanks very much, I will do some research about Amboise. I had only picked out Chinon as I had heard some Austrlaians owned a little cottage there. We don%26#39;t want to be driving huge distances each day, so maybe Amboise would be more central. Thanks for your help. Jeanette (AUstralia)
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jeanette,
I really agree that Chinon is so islated if you want to visit many chateaux. I also suggest you Amboise or Loches which are good bases and more %26quot;central%26quot; than Chinon. But I think Chinon is a good town to visit. I also suggest you to visit Tours which is a very good place.
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I am so glad I checked! I%26#39;ve now doen a bit of research on Amboise. Is it a very %26quot;spread out%26quot; town (geographically) or quite compact? as I note it has a population of around 11,000 people. Any hotels of charm that you would suggest? We like central places (not out of town) and oens with charm, but not expensive, ie.. we would prefer 2 star with charm, than 5 star and soulless! I look forward to any responses about this town. Also, would it be feasible/easy to get a train from Paris, and then hire a car in Amboise for the time there? How much time would be good in Amboise - a week or less, with day trips out and about? I really appreciate the responses. Where would I be without Tripadvisor - everytime we go overseas I value the wonderful input and help through the forums. Jeanette
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hello,
I%26#39;ve visited the web site touraine.com and I have found some hotels, bed and break. With 2 stars, you have many hotels like: L%26#39;Abrelle (seems to be very good), Novotel of Amboise (with 3 stars), Manoir de la maison blanche (the station is at 2 kilometers). You also have the auberge de Launay (2 stars).
Moreover, I also suggest you to rent a car in order to visit the region and the chateaux. I think you should stay around 1 week, but it depends what you want to visit (because you can also visit wine caves).
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Also i found Tours to be quite central. They also have many tour companies that drive you around for about 20 euros per half day, entrance fee not includes but a guide drives you around and it saves you the hassle of hiring a car.
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These are all very exciting and helpful ideas. Does anyone know of car hire in Amboise, so we could catch the train from paris and then hire a car in Amboise? Thanks again. Jeanette
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Jeanette,
Another option is to do what we are planning, split your time between 2 bases--one east and one west of Tours. We will spend 3 nights at either Amboise or Loches and 3 nights in Chinon. This allow us easy access to the Chateaux east of Tours, but also shorter drives to the western sights such as Azay le Rideau, Usse, the tapestries in Angees, Fontevraud Abbey, the gardens of Villandry, and Chinon itself. We also noticed that there is a winery with tasting near our hotel in Chinon.
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Another option for places to stay is to use the %26quot;Logis de France%26quot;, they list Auberges and their ratings are based on %26quot;Chimneys%26quot; instead of star ratings. They also have a web site that has maps and listings for all areas (I%26#39;ve used it several times now as I drive from UK to Spain and use the National and %26quot;D%26quot; roads). You can get some very comfortable and reasonably priced Hotels that are only one chimney not necessary to choose ones with a high number. Other places to visit, and I%26#39;m not sure if it is too far over for you, is Chartres and its Cathedral it is lovely.
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You can spend a lifetime in the Loire and never get tired of all the chateaux....Most tourists only skim the surface...IMO, Amboise is a little to the east and esp if you are interested in the ones you mentioned...not to mention the very worthy Saumur and Angers...I hope Saumurs is not STILL closed..We were there while they were repairing damage from heavy rains in %26#39;01...The chateau in Chinon is very historic if in a bit of a ruined state....worth seeing...I%26#39;d take a map and locate the chateaux that interest you and also the inns and hotels where you might want to stay...I bet you could make your decision that way....Chinon is probably a couple of hours from Angers on the western side of the Loire...Tours is certainly central..The Loire river is very very long and the valley itself literally stretches from the mountains...Orleans can be considered to be in the Loire valley and the river runs all the way to the sea...This is a very historic part of France as well as a wonderful place to eat and drink wine...Enjoy your wonderful vacation...I think you%26#39;ll find the people of the Loire to be wonderful and friendly hosts...Bon Voyage...
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