We are traveling from Paris by train to the Loire Valley in mid October. We are not driving, and will have to arrange private tours or a driver to see the sights. We plan on staying at a hotel in the area.
Asking forum folks for advice on tours, private drivers, and what main sights to see in the area.
Thanks!
Cam
I would suggest starting on this site to review tours in the Loire for your dates in October.
There is a wealth of information right here on the RS web site:
https://search.ricksteves.com/?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=Loire+valley&button=
There was recently a reference on this travel forum to the following company - the name rang a bell - I used them twenty years ago to visit chateaux while staying in Amboise:
https://www.accodispo-tours.com/
Amboise makes a convenient base for visiting the area.
Chambord, Chenonceaux
I'd stay well away from Viator, tour operators would much rather you book direct with them. Not only will you get much better customer service, you will get a much better tour. Viator take 20% of anything you pay, but still insist on being cheaper than anyone else - I think you can see the problem :)
Check reviews on TripAdvisor by all means, but contact the tour operator directly. You may have to hunt for a link to operators website, but it will be on their review page. Don't be put off if there are no post COVID reviews, a number of companies no longer solicit reviews for TripAdvisor. Don't be put off if the review page says a company can't be booked online, either. What they are saying is that it can't be booked on Viator.
My must sees are Chenonceau, Cheverny, and Loches. Any two of those and a good lunch and a winery visit makes for a good (but long) day.
We stayed in Amboise and it was perfect. We had a rental car and saw Chenonceau (our favorite), Cheverny, Azay Le Rideau, Chambord and Villandry (the gardens are incredible) and Chateau du Clos Luce. . Amboise was a wonderful place to be after a long day touring……lovely village-like atmosphere and a good meal on a patio in the center of town every night.
Just talked to someone today who booked a private tour via Viator, which is just a reseller. Communication breakdown, and the tour didn't get word of these people, tour never happened. The money had stayed with Viator. Waste of a day for them and dealing with a refund from Viator.
If a tour interests you, go directly to the person or company offering it. Copy and paste the description; it should pop up.
Yes, don't go through Viator. Find something local.
I don't know that I would recommend Villandry in mid-October. The huge draw at Villandry are the gardens, which won't be so interesting at that time.
I'd stay well away from Viator, tour operators would much rather you book direct with them. Not only will you get much better customer service, you will get a much better tour. Viator take 20% of anything you pay, but still insist on being cheaper than anyone else - I think you can see the problem :)
This is inaccurate to say you get a much better tour. I know for a fact that people who book on Viator are on the same exact tour as those who book direct with the operator. I have found the cost is not always greater on Viator. While it is true Viator may take a commission from the operator, that is the operator's cost of doing business. They engage Viator to be on the site for more exposure. I have never been treated differently and have used Viator at least 7 times with no problems.
It seems odd Booking.com is routinely recommended on this forum for lodging and they are a consolidating website, but Viator gets trashed. Just like using any consolidator, it saves you a lot of research time finding a tour. It is a personal choice where you book, but by no means is Viator a poor place to start or book through.
It seems odd Booking.com is routinely recommended on this forum for lodging and they are a consolidating website, but Viator gets trashed.
Booking.com is not really a consolidator in the way Viator is. Most people who list their apartments on booking.com do not have their own independent distribution options. You do not pay more than what you might otherwise pay using booking.com and booking.com only lists legally registered apartments (unlike Airbnb). For these reasons, booking.com is often recommend for those researching accommodations.
Costco travel and Autoeurope are consolidators similar to Viator, but they offer prices which are generally much better than you can otherwise obtain. Viator offers no discounts, you simply pay more for a service than you need to pay, and using a third party often makes refunds or tickets adjustments even more complicated.
Obviously, some people do not mind paying more for a service, but many find it just as easy to avoid middlemen and book directly with the operator.
Bets: we've had a number of last minute clients who have arrived at a tour booked on Viator to be told the tour company has never heard of them. Apparently getting a refund takes ages, too.
We list on Viator just to stop them saying (on our review page) our tours can't be booked and advertising the competition. We resent being told that our tours on Viator aren't allowed to be advertised anywhere for cheaper (including on our own website) and then having to hand over 20% of an already uneconomic amount.
That's why we no longer ask clients to leave a TripAdvisor review, and only advertise a tour that we dont offer anywhere else.
I've heard similar from other tour guides. Then hearing my friend's experience with the non-existent tour.
I heard the same about Trip Advisor from a widow trying to run a Bed& Breakfast on the Chesapeake Bay. According to TA her town had no hotels or B and B. I found her beautiful home on the town website.
But she and the others in her poverty stricken area couldn't afford paying the Trip Advisor ransom. Remember back when these were non-profit services instead of ads for the highest payer?
Thank you all for the information. I checked out the tour operator Accodispo and it is perfect for our needs. We will now be staying in Amboise and use the day trips with Accodispo to see the local sights.
