Chambord or Villandry?

Chambord is quicker. You ride there, look at it, and ride back. At Villandry you'll be tempted to go in and look at the gardens, which are well worthwhile.

Three towers at Chambord still had scaffolding on our last visit.

Although they are more formal than most US estate gardens, the Villandry gardens are world-famous, and thus essential for garden fans. We did not go to Chambord, because we made a conscious choice to focus on chateaux right beside and WEST of Tours. It was for time and driving reasons. Slept three nights in a chateau-hotel in Chinon. That is not the right decision for everyone. Also, we then drove west to Brittany and Normandy.

My input is similar to Tim's...we chose Villandry over Chambord mostly because of Villandry's spectacular gardens, but yes, also time constraints and our personal interest level. As you know, Chambord is known for its hulking size, but as it is mostly empty inside and there is not much to the surrounding grounds, didn't seem as interesting overall as other chateaux we saw.

Also, they are in opposite directions, as was noted.

It's cool you are going by bikes! We had a car, and although we are pretty avid bike riders ourselves, I don't think I (I'm also 59!) I would combine both on one day by bike. Your daughter may want to spend some time at Villandry--in addition to the gardens the inside of the chateau was worth spending time to see too, IMO.

You will love Cheneceau ( if you haven't seen it already)...it was our favorite, both for its beauty and interesting history.

Hope this helps...have a wonderful--and safe--trip!

For what it's worth, the latest Trip Advisor review (dated June 2023) says the scaffolding is still up...but they had a wonderful time.

I would vote for Villandry; it is not too far from Tours, and in mid-June the gardens should be in beautiful condition.

Chambord is more in the orbit of Paris day trips, so if your daughter is in France some time in the future it would be relatively easy to visit there. As others have commented, there's not as much to see at Chambord.

I'll echo the applause for Chenonceaux. It has lots to see, inside and out. The White Queen's room gave me goosebumps. The gardens were lovely. Who would have thought they would preserve part of the WWI hospital on the premises? Not to mention the little zoo.... Is the boat La Belandre still running? We took the 1-hour cruise in 2015 which went under the chateau's iconic arched bridge (which, they mentioned, marked the boundary between occupied and unoccupied France during the early part of the WWII German occupation). The tour guide was very good, and the cruise was inexpensive and very relaxing. Truly an experience to remember!

We were so enchanted by the chateau itself, its river setting, and the adjacent gardens and accompanying history. We didn't even get to the WWI hospital/farm part of it. Just fascinating!

Hi Laura, another vote for Villandry’s gardens. It rained the day we were there but it was by far the most impressive garden I’ve ever seen. Beautiful. Chambord is interesting for it’s history but no furnishings which may be a let down after visiting Chenonceau.

Thank you all for your input! I will happily share these with my daughter and let her decide where she would most like to go. I remember being a bit disappointed by Chambord, but at the same time, I recall it was just so massive that it really struck me. Loved the gardens of Villandry, but did all this with my husband when we were only 23 so we were able to bicycle all over the place. We also managed to hitchhike and ride trains. There were more trains back then I think, so it was a bit easier to manage a ridiculous amount of traveling. But, since I have seen all of these, it really will come down to my daughter and her preferences. I am excited to explore the old town of Tours some and enjoy the apero scene along the Loire. Can you tell I am now older?

Thank you very much for your perspectives! They are very helpful. Keep them coming!

We found a certain intimacy in the “smaller” chateaux that Chambord, in all its grandeur, really lacks. It was still amazing, but felt more like visiting Versailles (crowds included.) Imo Chambord would be far, but you know your capabilities.

Villandry was in competition with Chenonceaux as our favorite. For all the praise given to its gardens, I enjoyed its interior as well. (We also came across a workman hanging a freshly painted, rather grand portrait of the chateau’s owner.) There’s also a nice little picnic area across from Villandry. Assembling our picnic goodies among various shops in town before enjoying in front of a lovely chateau was a real highlight.

Not to far from Villandry (a 40 min bike ride according to Google) is the chateau Azay-le-Rideau. Another chateau famous for its outside, but with a sumptuous interior. This would be a good add-on depending on how you’re feeling. Azay is right in the town, and is a cute little place for a quick rest break.

Sounds like a lovely trip either way you go!

Yes to Azay as well, and it's in proximity to Villandry.

For chateaux west of Tours, I loved visiting both the picturesque Azay-le-Rideau and the fantastic gardens at Villandry. However, heading east, my favourite will always be Chenonceau. As I am planning a trip to the Loire region next year, I'm hoping to visit the International Garden Festival which is held yearly at Chaumont. Something to consider, perhaps?

Off topic, but ljwarren, I heartily recommend the International Garden Festival at Chaumont sur Loire. Very interesting and quite extensive.
And on topic I join the chorus in favor of Villandry. The gardens are amazing on all three levels.

Villandry is a much shorter bike ride