We will be in Amboise from 8/28-8/31. We will have a rental car. Would it make sense to buy tickets ahead of time for the Chateaus that we want to tour, or just buy them there? We don't really like the guided tours, but would like to walk inside the buildings. Thanks.
Posted by
Chicago
7837 posts
Either way will work but if you can buy online it is one less thing to do; when I went in 2008 I just showed up at those place and there was no line. Chenonceaux was crowded.
Posted by
Paris
9567 posts
I would just check the websites to see if they offer any discount for pre-purchase or purchase online. Probably not, but it only takes a few minutes to look.
I don’t feel like you run the risk of being turned away if you haven’t pre-purchased though (although I should also note I have not been to the Loire in late August, either).
Posted by
Loire Valley
757 posts
You generally don't get discounts for pre-booking, but depending on when the tourist buses from Paris arrive you could save a lot of time at some chateaux.
Some places you still can't buy tickets on line, but that is becoming increasingly less common
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
4856 posts
We were in the Loire in late Sept and didn't prepurchase any tickets. Since we were staying near Amboise we had originally planned to buy them all at once at the TI there. But our hotel had them for sale, so that saved us time. We arrived at Chambord and Chenenceau when they opened in the morning ( different days, obviously) so no crowds. The chateaux that we saw in the afternoons were of course more crowded, but we didn't encounter any long entry lines.
Posted by
San Francisco/Marin County
9420 posts
Chenonceau is sometimes crowded, sometimes not (even in summer). It’s my favorite chateau. If you can buy tickets ahead, or do as CJean did, i’d get them for the other chateaux you’re interested in. Can’t hurt, can only help.
Posted by
California 🦋
5211 posts
John,
When we stayed in Amboise, we purchased our chateaux tickets at the Tourist Information office in town. They had a combination ticket which included 3 chateaux, if I recall correctly.
BTW, do consider eating at Chez Bruno where we enjoyed two delicious dinners!
(Reservations required)
Enjoy your trip!
Posted by
Portland, Maine
2916 posts
when I went in 2008 I just showed up at those place and there was no line.
Those were the days! And not just for Loire chateaux. We had gone to several museums in Paris a number of times over the years, especially Musee d'Orsay, by just showing up. As a result, when we were last in Paris a few years ago we took a long walk to visit Orsay, only to be confronted by thousands of people in line. Needless to say, we left.