If you travel all the way to France, you must reserve some time to explore the famous Loire Valley. Here you will find over 1000 chateaus, some of which are even open to the public for tours. If that’s not enough of a reason, you can also visit a few local wineries and sip your way through the countryside as you take in the beautiful sights.
Transportation Options
If you want to venture out to Loire Valley, your transportation options are renting a car, or taking a tour that includes transportation. There is very little public transportation that would get you around the Loire Valley – one area we visited only has a train every few days! We decided not to rent a car for a few reasons: we didn’t want to drive, we didn’t know where to go, and we didn’t want to risk any car issues ruining our day. So, we booked a full day wine tour.
Our Guided Loire Valley Wine Tour
I booked our Guided Tour of the Loire Valley Chateaux and Wine Tasting from Paris with Paris City Vision through Expedia. The cost of the tour was approximately $200 per person and in total was just under 14 hours. The tour left from the entrance to the Catacombes in Paris and took us to the heart of France’s Loire Valley. My only complaint about this organized tour was how uncomfortable the bus was (a story for another post).
Travel tip: If you don’t want to pay the price of an organized tour, you can look up some of the itineraries for details and visit on your own. A car rental will be a must though, so make sure you research regulations for driving in France!
The drive to Loire Valley
From the Paris city centre you can expect approximately a 3-hour drive to the first chateau in the Loire Valley. At approximately the 2-hour mark we stopped at a gas station that had a cafe and restrooms before arriving at our first official stop of the tour. Along the drive our tour guides shared the history of the Loire Valley and some interesting stories and facts. I really enjoyed the history lesson, it made the drive entertaining and taught us about the places we were about to visit. We definitely wouldn’t have found this information out of we went on our own.
Travel tip: If you do make the drive to the Loire Valley on your own, visit the Loire Valley Tourism site to get more information before your trip.
Chateau de Chambord
The first stop of our Loire Valley tour was at Chateau de Chambord. This castle inspired Disney to create the Beauty and the Beast castle, and was definitely a sight to see! It was everything I hoped it would be – though much emptier than I had imagined. There are only a few furnishings throughout, as this castle was barely inhabited. It has a very interesting history and was originally built as a hunting lodge.
Once inside you can wander the castle at your own leisure and explore the lovely gardens. You can spend as much time as you want exploring, and taking photos or videos. When you’re done inside you can visit some of the shops located outside the chateau that sell souvenirs and snacks.
Travel tip: The ticket office has great resources on the chateau that will give you some history and interesting facts. But if you’re able to go on an official tour, it’s definitely worth it!
Chateau de Nitray
The next stop on our itinerary was at a family owned and run winery, the Chateau de Nitray. We had a delicious lunch here that was prepared and served by the family themselves. The owners led us through a wine tasting – and the wine free-flowed – as we enjoyed our delicious lunch of roasted chicken, potatoes, salad and grilled vegetables. Following lunch the owner took us on a tour of the property. This chateau had a famous pigeon coop, where pigeons would come and nest. Having a pigeon coop like this on your property was a sign of prestige as only wealthy families had these.
Travel tip: If you get the chance to stop for lunch at one of the wineries, take it! We had such a fantastic experience at this chateau and would love to go back one day.
Chateau de Chenoncheau
The final stop on our Loire Valley itinerary was at the Chateau de Chenoncheau. This was by far the busiest chateau stop of the day. We began with the wine tour in a cellar on the grounds. We were given 3 samples of wine and could purchase bottles before heading out to tour the chateau and grounds. This castle had beautiful furnishings and was located partially over a river, which made a fantastic photo opportunity. I really enjoyed looking around this chateau because it had more to see inside and historic decor in every room.
Travel tip: try to avoid mid-afternoon if you visit this chateau, and and even better idea would be visiting in the off-season to avoid the swarms of tourists we found ourselves in.
Getting back to Paris
The drive back to Paris was not nearly as entertaining as the drive to the Loire Valley. Our tour guides spoke for about 40 minutes but most people were napping on the bus. After about 2.5 hours of driving we arrived back at the Catacombes. From there we took the subway back to our hotel on the other side of Paris.
Travel tip: our subway experiences were fairly pleasant, though I did feel uncomfortable pretty much every time I rode the subway. There were signs everywhere saying to beware of pickpockets. Make sure you have your personal belongings where you can see them to avoid being a victim of theft.
Loire Valley Summary
As I mentioned, the Loire Valley should be on everyone’s France itinerary. There is so much interesting history in this region and lots of cheateaus to explore. I definitely plan to go back one day! Next time I”ll rent my own car to travel at my own pace. The tour was a great way to see the area and I’d definitely recommend it for anyone not keen on driving in France. Check out my full France itinerary for tips and planning inspiration.
