Amboise as a base

That works.

We didn't self cater, but there are rentals there, as well as hotels. It's MUCH easier to explore the region if you have a car. We organized our explorations by area, visiting areas east of Tours on different days than those to the west.

I like Amboise as a hub, done it by train (harder), by car (easy) and by bicycle (much more fun). J

Self-catering there is nice -- especially if you time your visit to be there for the Sunday morning market !

I haven’t used Amboise but twice at Onzain - now known as Veuzain-sur-Loire. Worked out well

Donc, merci beaucoup mes amis. I appreciate your taking the time.
I am done. The end.

Btw, those who may be Loire-bound should check out the excellent guidebook from the Paris publishers Gallimard. Really outstanding.
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• I remember you from Lonely Planet! Amboise makes a great base in the Loire. Arrival by TGV train at St. Pierre des Corps station from Paris.

Seeing several chateaux in a day is best done with a car rental ( the Peugeot dealer in Amboise rented cars by the day when I was there) or with a tour group. Acco-Dispo tours is one of the best.
If you want a completely intact chateau with its centuries-old interior—-visit Cheverny. It’s been in the same family since before the French Revolution and was spared being ransacked— a rarity among the chateaux. Chenonceau is another titan among the chateaux.

Have a great trip!
-Ken

We stayed in Amboise for 3 nights in August 2021. It was a good experience. More info is in our trip report (part 2): https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-france-28-days-aug-sep-loire-dordogne-languedoc-roussillon-lyon-burgundy-honfleur

Merci Geoff--what a great itinerary and TR! We are actually looking into renting right next to the Amboise chateau too.

Yo Ken, un autre merci pour vous! I wazzam (was and still am) 'zebec' on Thorn Tree and also Fodors. Thorn Tree has been resurrected in a smaller form on Reddit. Former TT posters Lucapal (Palermo), Giora (Japan) and Nutrax (Cali) are the mods. Ian from Melbourne, Dave from Sydney, Friendly Check-in Girl (Chermoony) are but a few of the old TT crowd who still post there, as do I.
My photo-dense TRs appear mostly over on Fodors. Just posted one on the French Pyrenees.

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Those names are all familiar! Thanks for the update on the whereabouts of those prolific writers.
-Ken

Amboise is an excellent base for a Loire Valley tour - whether DIY or a group tour.

We have based in both Amboise (3 nights) and Tours (4 nights) on different trips. We stayed in apartments and had a car both times. We were happy with both of those locations, but without a car I would choose Tours.

We stayed in Amboise for a couple of nights and liked it very much . We stayed in a hotel near the center and most of what we wanted to see was walkable. We had a car and visited Chenonceaux, which was beautiful. We also visited the Chateau du Clos Luce, which is Leonardo da Vinci's home. I highly recommend it.

but without a car I would choose Tours...
Andrea, that is precisely what we have chosen to do after all. Non-drivers like us require the transit hub benefits of a small city such as Tours. First week will be in Loches, then Tours. Amboise will be a daytrip, almost certainly multiple times.

Guys, just to give us all some added value here we have a few things to share from our copious research. We've found a killer splurge house rental in Tours--happy to advise.
Secondly, just be aware that one may visit Chenonceau by traditional 'gabarre' boat from nearby Chissaux. Same outfit offers a lunch-meal option on a larger, more touristy boat.
In Amboise just a 10 minute walk from Davinci's Clos de Luce, there exists a B-league chateau called Gaillard. Apparently the King hired an Italian gardener to create the grounds 400 years ago and the result is a lovely peaceful place with 60 citrus varieties plus an adjoined park. We plan to have lunch at their cafe.

Thanks all.
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