(Last Update: 02.12.2024) If you have already been to Paris and are looking for interesting places to visit around Paris, then Loire Valley Castles Tour Doing it will give you an unforgettable experience. Considering that I have written 15 articles about the Loire Valley Castles on Pariste.Net so far., I wanted this article to have a tidy content. The ideal way to visit the Loire Valley Chateaus Let me give you information about it, share with you what you should pay attention to and some tips when visiting this region. Those who are curious more can access all the details by clicking on the links in this article.
The Loire Valley arcs south of Paris and flows into the Atlantic Ocean, ca. 1.000 km of Loire RiverIt covers a very wide area, but our travel program will include the part of this valley in the southwest of Paris. There are 80 castles worth visiting in the Loire Valley and we of these Chambord Castle, Cheverny Castle, Blois Castle, Chaumont sur Loire Castle, Amboise Castle, Leonardo da Vinci's House – Clos Lucé Castle, Chenonceau Castle, Montresor Castle, Chinon Castle ve Saumur Castle We will visit 10 of them as a priority.
In addition, it is a wonderful park where you can see the models of the Loire Valley Castles and Amboiselocated in Mini Châteaux Park and a magnificent monastery Fontevraud Monastery Interesting places such as will also be included in our tour program, but of course you can shorten or extend this program depending on your time, money and availability.
When to go to the Loire Valley? Always… I love this region, the first one December 2008in, the second June 2014in, third August 2017I visited three times, including in , and enjoyed it each time. Both summer and winter have their own advantages and disadvantages. Of course, it is much more comfortable to travel in summer, spring and autumn, but this time it can be crowded due to intense interest.
Even though it is thought that it would not be nice to go in winter Winter has a different atmosphere. Especially Christmas ve New Year Beforehand, these castles were decorated so beautifully that you wouldn't believe it. Moreover, as the leaves fall, the view of the castles from a distance becomes much more magnificent; In summer, when the trees are leafy, castles may not be visible from the trees. 🙂 In winter, it is quieter than in the busy season, you can travel in peace, but let me tell you from the beginning that it is also cold. Let it not rain 😉 You may see that it snows, and then these beautiful castles take on a completely different magical atmosphere.
We preferred to visit the Loire Valley Chateaus by car every time. The first time we came to Paris, we were tourists and rented a car; We used our own vehicle on our subsequent trips. In order to be free, I will recommend you to visit this region with your own car or rent a car.. When renting a car, do not forget to choose a vehicle with navigation or bring a navigation device with you. If you have an international internet package, using the map application you are used to on your mobile phone will also be a life saver. Because The roads in France are incredibly complicated; especially the highways… Also, driving from the center of Paris is a bit painful. On the way out of Paris If you get caught in traffic, you may encounter scenes that are as good as bridge traffic in Istanbul.; And on top of that, messy roads :) driving in paris It's a pain, but it turns into a great joy when you manage to get out of Paris. You may come across people driving their classic cars on the roads just for fun.
Highways are all well and good, but they get dark at night; also highways are expensive, and it is very expensive. Of course, I don't know by heart how much it costs from where to where, but sometimes in France it is as far away as Istanbul-Ankara. 20-30 euro I know I give :) If you have time, I recommend you avoid the toll highways and go on the state highway. In this way, you will pass through many settlements, beautiful villages and roads with magnificent views. The only problem is that the speed limit can drop frequently; You may need to go even 20 km from time to time. Oh don't exceed the speed limitThere is a serious penalty. Once I was given an "excessive speeding" ticket because I was driving 20 in a village where I was supposed to go 28.; Let me say okay 😉
Of course, for those who want to tour the Loire Valley Castles by public transportation rather than by car. Train and bus options available. Of course, depending on where you will visit, which cities or stations you need to reach varies. I explained each of them in separate articles; After determining the castles you want to visit, read the relevant articles. your train tickets TCDD of France one SNCFFrom the official website of It is possible to get it.
A little more adventurous and Nature lovers can tour the Loire Valley by bike. Of course, the distances are not very close, but this region is extremely flat and it is very easy to reach by bike. While traveling on the roads, you can often see people cycling alone or in groups. Sometimes you even come across small groups consisting of fathers, mothers and children. The little one at the back is trying to catch up with his parents, holding on to the pedal, and the child's parents continue on their way without looking back :)
'Loire Valley'If you wish, you can read this article You can travel on your own, if you wish with a professional tour company You can make an agreement and ask them to show you around. If you travel on your own, you will be free but you need to learn everything thoroughly; if you travel with a tour company, you will pay a service fee but your mind will be at ease 😉 If you are in Paris, A tour company where you can get service in Turkish if you want, I can recommend Classe Tour. About Classe Tour You can find detailed information in my article on this link can read, Instagram pages in this link You can examine, +33 6 69 10 67 87 Whatsapp line number You can contact them via . If you tell them that you reached us through Pariste.Net, they will give you a discount at varying rates depending on the type of service you will receive..
Since I visit the Loire Valley Castles by car every time, I will try to give you a description like this. Because I have never tried alternative options such as public transportation and cycling. I do not prefer to write and make suggestions on subjects I do not know. By the way, another thing you should pay attention to when driving in the region is Watch out for cyclists and treat them with respect on the road. When overtaking, you need to change lanes completely, you should never pass close to them or approach them. I'm sure you will be careful anyway...
How many days should you allocate to the Loire Valley Chateaus? This is entirely up to you. We spent a weekend on our first visit, and stayed for a week on our second and third visits. According to me For the most ideal Loire Valley Castles Tour Program, you need to spare at least one week. But for those who do not have time, a 2-3 day program may be sufficient. So come first must-haves Let's start our tour as follows; Those who have the time and opportunity should extend the tour as much as they can and revise it according to their own taste.
as a matter of fact It is necessary to reserve one castle for each day, but those who do not have time and of course have plenty of energy can fit two castles into one day. I think the issue is not just physical fatigue, you face more mental fatigue. Because the castles you will visit are so magnificent. The feeling of admiration turns into serious fatigue after a while.. For this reason, I do not recommend that you fit two castles into one day unless absolutely necessary.
Of course, the first castle you should see when you set out from Paris to the Loire Valley legendary Chambord Castle It will happen. When you go to the terrace of this magnificent castle, you cannot understand how big it is when you look from a distance. My most important advice for you as you start your castle tour:, go to the information desk next to the toll booths without getting stuck in the queue at the entrance. Museum Pass like combined ticket you get it. There is no pass that covers all castles, they made different combinations.. Pass prices vary depending on the castle combinations you will visit. You not only gain a discount, but this ticket also allows you to bypass long queues. Depending on where you'll be visiting, you'll have to figure out the math yourself.. If you want to buy the combination ticket online, you can find the official website link at the end of the article.
Generally, tour companies organize Loire Valley Castles Tours. Chambord Castle, Cheverny Castle ve Chenonceau CastleThey show 'as a priority' and they are right, because they are all beautiful. Although, compared to the others, Cheverny Castle is a bit simple However, it is still worth seeing as it is one of the castles with the best preserved interior decoration and is famous for its wines. Therefore Chambord CastleYour next stop after Cheverny Castle it could be; should even be…
It gets a little complicated from now on :) Cheverny Castle comply with general expectations after beautiful beautiful Chenonceau CastleOf course, you can go to , but you will miss many castles in the surrounding area. Therefore, I suggest the order as follows: First Chambord Castle, Then Cheverny Castle, next Bloislocated in Blois Castle and after Chaumont sur Loire Castleseeing and Amboise If you proceed by going to the side, you will see wonderful places.
Amboisewhen you switch to Amboise CastleIt's impossible without seeing, and it's here Leonardo da Vinci's grave There is also. Even A Week in Paris As I gave the clue in a single line in my book, the house where this famous artist and inventor spent the last period of his life and passed away Clos Lucé de AmboiseIt is located in. Here is also castle model park one Mini Châteaux there is that too families with children A place that should be seen by those who always keep the child inside them alive. After that my beautiful Chenonceau CastleIt's time to…
In fact, by visiting these castles Loire Valley Chateaus must-haves In a sense, you are finished. Of course, as I said, there are tons of other places to see, but by visiting these castles, you get the chance to see the most important castles of France in this region. I think 3-4 days will be enough for the tour up to here. Blois Amboise You can complete your trip by staying somewhere between and going to one or two places every day. Chambord Castle ve Cheverny Castle There may be two castles that can be visited in the same day before leaving Paris on the first day and reaching your first accommodation; I don't know, this It totally depends on your performance.
On the first stop of our recent week-long Loire Valley trip, we decided to visit this part of the region. hotel as Blois between Orléans, the photo of which you see above. Le Havre de Marie We stayed at a wonderful B&B called, but I guess they don't accept guests anymore. Take a look at the place, if not, choose another place to stay nearby. It wouldn't be right to recommend a place I haven't stayed in. There is definitely a place to suit every budget in the region. If you wish, find and stay in a small hostel, or stay in a castle and enjoy yourself; the choice is yours. And you know, if you make your reservation booking.com If you are one of those who prefer to make a reservation through the links on this blog or via the banner below, you can contact me. destek you become 😉
If you wish, you can see the Loire Valley Castles up to here and return to Paris, but The rest of our trip is for those who want to go beyond the clichés and see slightly different places.. "We are already outside Paris, we have seen a lot of castles, how much longer will we go beyond the clichés?For those who ask, "The continuation of our tour program is coming, sir :)
Saving the most beautiful castle for last Chenonceau CastleAfter seeing , go down a little further and visit the castle, which is a small but very beautiful castle. Montresor CastleYou can see . A little further down from here loach that a wonderful medieval town There is a magnificent castle at the top of the town. Loche Castle. We even stayed in a cave in this area once, yes, in a cave: The Troglos de Beaulieu.
As you move west along the Loire River, you will find one of the largest cities in the region. Tours Emerges. Even though I went to Tours three times, I didn't come across it in the right place, I don't know why, I could never visit it properly, and I never liked it as much as I visited it. I'm sure it's a beautiful city, but he didn't treat me warmly :) That's why I don't know Tours very well, I don't have much to tell you about this place. Still, Tours is important because it is in a central location for accommodation. Moreover, if you move towards the west of Tours, there are a few more places that I think you will like; Come on then, follow me 😉
The two most important places I want you to see when you get to the west of Tours are the magical medieval castle Chinon Castle and a magnificent monastery Fontevraud Monastery will be. west of there Saumur There is a city on top of Saumur. Saumur Castle there is. If you go further west Angers city, in this city Angers Castle There is, further west Nantes And there, a magnificent castle welcomes you. Nantes is also a very beautiful city, Birthplace of Jules Verne… Unfortunately, it's been a few years since I went there, I don't have enough information to write a separate article. Instead of Amiens'On Jules Verne's HouseI had visited but I could not visit or write about this place. You can go to my place and tour in detail; If you can't get your speed right here Atlantic OceanYou are pouring into 🙂
If you are convinced to move west of Tours, The place I would recommend to stay in this area, the photo of which you see above, is an extremely delightful castle. Château du Vau It will happen. Even though it seems like it's a bit out of the way - if you have a car - I think you'll enjoy it very much. It has a wonderful garden. Horses roam his land. One evening, while returning to the castle, we even made eye contact with one of the horses and stared at each other for a long time :) There has been a spiritual connection between me and horses in recent years, but I haven't figured out the secret yet.
I think one week will be enough for this part of your trip. Because we Paris - Saumur We did our last tour in a week between. Of course, your schedule may be different due to personal reasons. Please do not ask me for a special tour program or expect me to evaluate the tour program you created yourself. I would like to help everyone individually, but It contains details that require hours of study on such issues.. I am writing all this article so that you can create your own tour program; Otherwise, there are many tour companies that will guide you and take you by the hand and take you from castle to castle. If you do not want to create a tour program and travel on your own, let the tour companies get paid for their services 😉
Lastly, another piece of information I would like to add is that this region (like many parts of France) is famous for its wines. Many chateaux produce their own wineYou can buy them from the sales shops of the castles or from the tin shops nearby. What I like most is especially Blois Amboise encountered on the road between cave caves happened. In these fields wine tasting And choosing wine is a separate pleasure. I'm not going to recommend a specific place, just dive into the one you come across. They love to inform you in detail about wines... My Loire Valley Wines My personal preference among Chinon in red wine, Cheverny in white wine But believe me, there are many wines that I have not tried or come across, trust your own taste...
Eating and drinking Have peace of mind about it. I think everything will be fine except for you missing the lunch and dinner service hours. Even when you go off the road and go to a restaurant in a random village, it is possible to see that rum is served in melon on the menu. The prices are not that cheap either. In general, we can say that it is around the Paris average; Believe me, so is the taste... And also What Will Happen to You in Cafes and Restaurants? It would be beneficial for you to make preliminary preparations by reading my article :)
Yes, with this article, I am completing my program proposal for the Loire Valley Castles Tour with this 15th article, which compiles and collects the 16 articles I have previously written about the Loire Valley Castles. As I said, there are 80 castles worth seeing in the region, but neither I can write about them all, nor can you visit them :) That's why I wanted to make such a summary. No matter how much we visit and see, it is profitable.
Of course, there is much more to tell, but you can examine the details one by one in the list below. If you have visited Paris before and are looking for interesting things to see around, I am sure you will have a great holiday even if you do some of the things in this article. You'll see one day, A Week in Paris comic A Week in the Loire Valley He writes a book like, describes the region with a different story, With a guide like a novel I will tell you…
Hope you have many nice trips,
Pleasant trips, pleasant discoveries.
Combined ticket purchase link: boutique.bloischambord.com/pass-chateaux
Some of the Places to See in the Loire Valley:
- Chambord Castle – Château de Chambord
- Cheverny Castle – Château de Cheverny
- Blois Castle – Château Royal de Blois
- Chaumont sur Loire Castle – Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire
- Amboise Castle – Château Royal d'Amboise
- Leonardo da Vinci's House – Le Clos Lucé
- Chenonceau Castle – Château de Chenonceau
- Montresor Castle – Château de Montrésor
- Chinon Castle – Forteresse Royale de Chinon
- Saumur Castle – Château de Saumur
- Castle Models Park – Mini Château
- Fontevraud Monastery
- Blois
- Amboise
- Saumur
2 Comments
It's a nice, illuminating and informative article. Thank you for your efforts. I would also like to walk around the garden of the castle where the horses roam. The horses are very sensitive and noble, and don't they look at you from bottom to top? They make you fall in love with them, as if they want to read your mind :)) I wish you continued success in your travels, I wish you many travels and articles, stay in good health and love.
In recent years, there has been a secret communication between me and the horses, the mystery of which I cannot solve :)
Thank you very much for your nice comment.