A boat or barge sounds heavenly to me, but every time I’ve looked into it, it was prohibitively expensive. I would think a train would work out okay, but I don’t know for sure.
Clos-Luce looks like a fascinating place to visit.

Well, then it seems that a barge is out of the question. I think it would be best tp travel by bike or train from one town to the next.

enjoy

i visited probably more chateaux than i should have

my itinerary was

Paris to Blois
2 nights at the hostel way out in the west end
rented a bike for 24 hours so that I could visit both Chambord and Cheverny – it was May so the bus that goes to both in 1 day wasn’t running yet – nice social atmosphere at the hostel

train from Blois to Amboise – originally was going to base out of Tours but decided to jump off the train at Amboise
stayed at the hostel on the island
visited Chenonceau – my favourite Loire chateau
also went to 2 wine collectives – tried 15 wines
sneaked into the Da Vinci house and saw his crazy inventions

It seems you had a lot of fun. That’s good. I am really looking forward to going. Was the biking alright? Was it long? Do you recommend any chateaux in particular? At this moment I think that biking may be the best way to get from one place to another and see the area.

I think we are going to Amboise for sure—we’ll be there in late April/early May.
Biking sounds good, we will probably have a car though, we’ll be coming from down south, dipping into the Loire Valley.
I am hoping to see Fontrevraud Abbey as well.

Hey , you seem to be just the person we have been trying to run into here – need some info on Loire valley – plan to do 3 nights here
Is it OK if we can ask some stupid questions ?
Thanks for your help in advance !

Personally I would rent a car…while some Chateau are in town (Blois, Amboise) others are a bit off the beaten track (i.e. Chambord…my fav) and a car would be handy. If you go to Chenonceaux, be sure to rent a row boat

hey many thanks for the tip – just wanted to check if we only want to do lets say 2-3 château visits and also want out check out some vineyards then what would you recommend ? Also is hiring a bike a possibility ?

To do the above , where in loire would you recommend we make out base ? Blois or Amboise or Tours ?

Many thanks for your views

Tours was a very big city.
We ended up basing in Chenonceau, which was lovely but probably be too small for you.
Amboise is attractive but extremely touristy, Blois might be a very nice compromise.
Two chateaux a day is about right. Those visits are very cool but can take a lot out of you.

Are there some vineyards near Blois / Amboise that we can have a look at / sample some good produce ?Besides the Château we would also like to sample some cool local produce and have a feel of the entire process – can you recommend some good areas near Blois for the same ?

Also as you recommend Blois to make a base , whats there to do when you are done with the the days trip …Also can you hire a bike and cycle around to the nearby areas ? By the way whats the best Chateau to visit which is near from Bloise ?

Thanks once more !

Cheers

Yes, click here:

http://www.loireradw…

Chateau Chambord is close to Blois…it really is beautiful. Was the King of France’s hunting lodge. Chenonceaux is also close to Blois. It is small but really unique as it spans a river (you can rent a row boat to go under the chateau…also has an outstandig formal garden. Would highly recommend both

I took this pic at Villandry a couple weeks ago. Chenonceau was magnificent as well.

Wow , that sounds like fun ! So just to recap – do we hire a car / or do without it if we want to be based in Blois – Do we have options to go and check out some vineyards in / near Blois ?

Thirdly , how does one get to Blois from Paris ? Any any tips on where to stay in Blois ?

Thanks a lot !

Blois also has its own chateau. If I were you, I’d get a guidebook, one that suits you, and choosing lodging from there.
Let’s Go has several selections ranging from cheap to higher-priced. (We splurged in Chenonceau because it was our anniversary). Another destination you might consider is Saumur. We liked that town quite a bit.
I think the best way to see the Loire Valley is to hire a car. And have a map!
We took the TGV from Paris to Angouleme, and rented a car there—it was very easy (but we did this ahead of time, through AutoEurope, it was all paid for in advance.)
With a car, you’ll have the freedom to come and go and see the smaller places that are difficult to reach by train.
We visited a mom-and-pop vineyard outside of Amboise—they are all over the place. We tasted and bought some of the Touraine cremant (sparkling) that is so prevalent there. You’ll see them if you just drive around a bit.

The mansion of Clos-Luce (Leonardo Da Vinci’s final home) at Amboise turned out to be somewhat of a tourist trap. However, the Da Vinci museum is worthwhile, and there is a little garden/park there with many of Da Vinci’s inventions, built and operational.

Thanks Cil and Finnegan for the great tips !
So I guess that kind of finalises our intentions – make Blois our base , try and rent a car and move around !
I am sure there will be rail connections between Paris and Blois
We will try and and take it easy with the château bit – not push in too much , at the same time , figure out a way to explore all nearby areas !
Any other input is most welcome

Cheers

ONE MORE QUESTION HERE …
Can someone recommend a cool place to stay at Blois ( place needs to be neat and clean and affordable ) . Will be a big plus if its in beautiful surroundings ( close to the river )

Inputs are welcome !

Let’s Go recommends this place:
La Pavillon
It’s on the Loire. I don’t think it’s anything fancy, but the guidebook says it’s recently renovated, bright and comfortable.

Any idea if there is a website for the hotel ( as I dont have Lets Go ! )
Thanks !

I was in Blois several years ago and we stayed at the Hotel de France et de Guise. Nothing fancy, but clean and reasonably priced. About a 5 minute walk to the chateau. Looks like the hotel is even has an Avis car rental location. Google Avis coupon codes to find some savings and then book your car online

http://www.hotel-fra…

DH, it looks like Finnegan’s link is to the same mother site that my hotel linked to (not sure why my link does not work).
You might want to break down and purchase a Let’s Go or any other guidebook that appeals to you.
Believe me, you won’t regret it. They are nice to have before and during the trip.

Great coincidence! I am planning to keep rough guides for each big city that we are planning to cover – also planning one guide on europe !

Would you recommend Lets Go over Rough Guides ?

I am gonna check out the link provided by finnegan and will give you my views on the same

Thanks once again !

I really like Rough Guides, but it was Let’s Go that we brought with us, and it served us well.

NEAT ! I also checked the link out – looks pretty good ( the hotel in Bloise )
I am in the process of procuring the rough guides for big cities ( Madrid / Barca / Paris / Amsterdam ) and one for Europe !

Hope this should suffice …

Hey , am back with another query – can anyone recommend a cheap car hire place to book a car while in Blois ? What would be the estimate rent per day for the cheapest A/C car ? Also are there any pointers that you would like to give to ensure before and while renting cars ( like insurance / theft of belongings / left hand – right hand drive etc. )

Thanks !

I found these through a Google search

http://www.europcar….

http://www.autoeurop…

Pointers:

Get an International Driver’s Permit. They’re real easy to obtain. (Are you from the USA or Canada?) Some countries don’t require it, but it’s a good idea to have one.

When your car is parked, make sure nothing is within view from the windows. Don’t put things in the trunk after you’ve parked; put things away in the trunk before you take off.

If you cannot drive manual transmission, it’s best to reserve an automoatic transmission car in advance, since they can be hard to come by sometimes.

The car rental agency should provide insurance.

Thanks Luv – am from India so I do have a drivers license , however , I am used to right hand drive – is Europe on the same or on left hand drive ?

Thanks and Regards

DHIR,

An International Driving Permit is not the same as your driver’s license. An IDP is a permit to drive outside your home country, and is recognized by several countries who signed a 1949 agreement on the matter. France may require Indian driver’s license-holders to have an IDP when driving in France, so I highly suggest getting one. It’s extremely easy to obtain one in the USA and Canada, hopefully it’s just as easy in India. I found this link about obtaining an IDP in India: http://www.carinsura…

Only 4 countries have right-hand drive (left side of the road): Britain, Ireland, Cyprus, and Malta (Basically, the island-nations). All the other countries have left-hand drive or right side of the road (all the continental countries, including their island territories).

Thanks Luv – Will see if we really need to rent a car – am sure there would be other ways of exploring the Loire valley from Blois -we have in our agenda to explore a few châteaus and check out some vineyards

Would appreciate if you could advise if there are alternate ways of transportation – bus / taxi and how expensive are they from around Blois to some of the must see places in Loire ?

Thanks and Appreciate your views !

DHIR:

I’m sorry I cant help you with prices; they increase every year, and require more research than I have the time for right now. I would assume that taxis are not cheap. There are buses from Blois to various nearby chateaux, including a pass you can buy for seeing several of them (I think this pass is 30 euros, which ain’t too bad, IMO). Just inquire at the local tourism office in Blois when you arrive. Address: 23 Place du Château. If you’re interested, there’s also 2- or 3-day tours from Paris. You can search in Google and you’ll find several tour agencies, but if you’d like I also know a specific agency in the 6th arrondissement.