Loire Valley Itinerary: 1, 2 and 3 Days for the Chateaux

Day 1: The Blois Cluster

Blois is 1h30 from Paris by train and 2 hours by car, and Blois-Chambord station sits 500 metres from the chateau with a bus station opposite. Start at the Chateau de Blois, then use the Rémi line 2 bus, which runs year-round from the station to Chambord since 30 March 2024. It departs Blois station at 9:20 and 12:20 and returns from Chambord at 13:10 and 17:00, takes about 35 minutes and costs €3.40 single or €6.80 return per the Rémi site. A ticket also gives a discount on Chambord entry.

If a third stop fits, Cheverny is next: Blois chateau to Cheverny is about 15.4 km, roughly 24 minutes by car, and a seasonal shuttle with one morning departure runs from Blois. The Blois tourist office sells more than 20 Pass'Chateaux packages of 3, 4 or 5 castles delivered by email, including a Blois-Chambord-Cheverny pass. Passes exclude guided tours, audioguides and Histopad, and are not recommended for children, students or seniors, who pay less with individual tickets.

See the castle in detail in the Chateau de Blois guide, Chambord in the Chateau de Chambord guide and Cheverny in the Chateau de Cheverny guide.

Day 2: Amboise and Chenonceau

Amboise is 27 km east of Tours and 20 km from the Saint-Pierre-des-Corps high-speed station, with a regional station of its own and a municipal bus from the station to the old centre. Spend the morning at the Chateau d'Amboise and nearby Clos Lucé, where Leonardo da Vinci lived from 1516, then drive to Chenonceau, about 20 km and 27 minutes by road. A regional train also connects the area, and the Chenonceaux station is a 400 metre walk from the chateau.

For a guided version of this loop, the Loire Valley Castles Tour from Tours and Amboise covers Chenonceau and Chambord in 9 hours with guided entry to both and 2.5 hours of free time in Amboise, at $231 per person in a group of 8 at most, leaving Tours at 9:00 AM or Amboise at 9:30 AM. Meals and train tickets are not included.

The Amboise France guide, the Chateau d'Amboise page, the Clos Luce page and the Chateau de Chenonceau guide cover each stop in detail.

Getting Between the Two Bases

Amboise chateau to Blois chateau is about 35.2 km, roughly 39 minutes by car. By train, the TER Centre-Val de Loire line through Tours, Blois and Orleans links both towns. Tours station is on the Nantes, Angers, Tours, Blois, Orleans regional line, and all Rémi regional trains accept bicycles.

For the full timetable picture, read Paris to Loire Valley by train, and for hotels, where to stay in the Loire Valley.

Day 3: Villandry, Azay-le-Rideau and the Vienne

From Tours station, Villandry is about 16.6 km, roughly 26 minutes by car, and only 15 km away by bicycle on the Loire a Velo. Villandry to Azay-le-Rideau is about 11.2 km, roughly 15 minutes by car, so the pair makes a compact loop. From Tours, Azay-le-Rideau is 25 minutes by train plus 25 minutes on foot.

The easiest way in is the Villandry and Azay-le-Rideau Half-Day Tour, a 4-hour morning from Tours with entrance fees to the Villandry gardens and Azay-le-Rideau included, guided visits and a group of 8 at most, at $131 per person. It leaves from in front of the Tours tourist office. Hotel pickup and lunch are not included.

Villandry has quirks to plan around. The chateau is closed in parts of January, February and November, while the gardens stay open every day except 25 December. In March the gardens open 9:00 to 18:00 and the chateau 9:00 to 17:30, and the chateau closes earlier in late October and in December. The estate may change hours during heatwaves.

Details are in the Chateau de Villandry guide and the Azay-le-Rideau guide.

Making It a Third Day with Slack

If you finish early, add one more short hop. Villandry to Langeais is about 10.2 km, roughly 12 minutes by car, and Azay-le-Rideau to Ussé is about 15.6 km, roughly 23 minutes, with Ussé to Chinon about 12.4 km further. From Tours, Chinon is 48 minutes by train plus 25 minutes on foot, and its Royal Fortress shows the Royal Treasures exhibition from late May to early November. Rail passes help too: the Rémi Discovery pass costs €45 for 2 days or €60 for 3 days for up to 5 people, and the Tours tourist office lists unlimited train passes from Paris from €95 for 2 days for 1 to 5 people.

For more days beyond three, read the Loire Valley map and the Loire Valley bike tour guide. Wine lovers can swap a castle afternoon for the Vouvray Morning Wine Tour from Tours, a 3.5-hour tasting of at least ten wines for $143 per person.

Climate and Events Month by Month

Tours gets about 677.8 mm of rain a year and 1,884.8 hours of sunshine, with July the sunniest month at 247.1 hours and December the dullest at 64.6 hours. The records show what is possible at the extremes: a record high of 40.8 C and a record low of minus 18.5 C. Here is how each month pairs weather with what is on.

Which Season Suits You

Summer is the events season. The Tours tourist office names the Night of a Thousand Fires at Villandry, wine tasting at Chenonceau and evening strolls at Clos Luce as the draws, and the weather backs it up: August averages a high of 26.0 C and July and August are the driest months, with only 6.6 to 6.7 rain days each. The trade-off is heat, and Villandry warns it may change opening hours during heatwaves.

Spring suits garden trips. March already brings Villandry's gardens open 9:00 to 18:00, and by May the mean high reaches 19.6 C with the Loches exhibition opening in mid May and the Chinon one in late May.

Autumn is quieter and still mild at 17.0 C mean high in October, when the Ar(t)chipel festival at Azay-le-Rideau celebrates Calder. Rain climbs, with October at 66.0 mm and November at 69.3 mm.

Winter is the Christmas season. A 5-Castle Christmas Pass covers Villandry, Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Chenonceau, Langeais, Chinon and Loches with one-night evening openings, and Chenonceau's floral display runs from Saint Nicholas Day in early December to Epiphany in early January. Expect short days, with a mean high of 8.1 C in December and about 10.6 snowy days a year across the cold months.

Tickets and Prices

The table lists the entry ticket for each chateau with its starting price and the rating travellers gave it on the booking page. Prices change by date and option, so the final figure shows at checkout.