Chateau Chambord and Chenonceau

I have been to both, twice. Once on our own with a rental car, and once on a bus tour ( which also included Cheverny).

Three and a half hours is a bit long, and I would give the nod to Chenonceau for deserving a bit more time then Chambord.

Neither time did we encounter long lines, both visits were in summer, but both were more then a few years ago.

I would venture a guess any lines or crowds would be less after four, as bus tours usually are all on their way by then.

Public transport between chateaus is not great, have you considered taking train to Tours then taking tours from there, Acco Dispo seems well reviewed.

I think Pat has a good suggestion in looking for day tours. I was really lucky the first time I went to the Loire Valley. I was 19, a student and had met up with a group of other students from a community college in South Carolina in Paris. When I met up with them again, their "chaperone" invited me to travel on their bus to see the chateaus. I'm sure that there is no way I would have seen as much as I did without her invitation. (It was really humorous. She spoke French with the most amazing southern accent you ever heard. And, she invited me on the bus, as "Ah, don't have as many girlals as Ah do do boys...." :) Trying very hard to represent that southern accent!)

Pam

Thanks for all your reply.

Yes, I've looked into all the tour buses leaving from Tours, Amboise, and Blois. But all of them will only stay at each chateau for 1-1.5 hours (Chambord 1.5 hrs and Chenonceau 1 hr). Is 1 hr for Chenonceau too little?

I've already figured out on the public transportation and time. But just wondering if 2 hours is enough for Chambord, or does it need more time? Unfortunately, Chenonceau will only get 2-2.5 hr the most because of the bus/train schedule....

Chenonceau is beautifully furnished in the period with lovely gardens and art. There is a train station right at the parking lot. Chambord is larger with a longer distance from parking and more grounds. It is very grand but there are only one or two furnished rooms. I guess it depends on your interests. I loved the art and rich fabrics at Chenonceau.

To enjoy the visit to one of these chateaux becomes to my opinion more interesting if you know more about the background and history. So reading some articles, or a biographie about the key persons like François I / Henry II / Catherine de Medici / Dianne de Poitiers makes you I think more involved about what you're going to see.

Having taken a day tour in a van last year, doing Villandry and Azy-le-Rideau in the morning and Chambord and Chenonceaux in the afternoon, I'd say the time provided by the tour guide was quite reasonable. And I take a lot of photos of everything so had plenty of time to wander around.

I so agree with Wil... knowing some of the history of the key players will make it so much more enjoyable. Chenonceau is my favorite and needs as much time as you can spare... I've spent all day there and hated to leave. There's more than just the chateau to see... there's the area where all the workers lived and some have become shops, there are many wonderful places to walk, there's a nice little museum and a good cafe where you can sit outside, right outside the chateau and have a nice meal.

I liked Chambord a lot too, but it doesn't need as much time as Chenonceau imo. Maybe 2 hrs?

Glad you agree Susan. Even if someone is not so interested in history, the lifes of these persons are intriguing anyway. If someone likes soap operas, I think a good reason to start reading as series like The Bold and the Beautiful are child’s-play compaired what these persons had to go through. In this respect is Chenonceau the dramatic symbol of the unavoidable rivalship between the two ladies.

For me personally it's more the history that attracts, but knowing more how they lived interests me too, as it played an important role how history evolved.

I visited Chenonceau last month and 'rented' the audio tour in English. It comes on an ipod. It was of good audio quality and included period music, added a lot of value to the visit and wasn't very expensive (I don't remember the amount). As someone else said, the rooms are all furnished in period style so there is more to linger over and it really adds to the enjoyment to understand the amazing history of the place. The gardens are nice but not outstanding, at least for me. We had visited Villandry on the morning of the same day which perhaps explains some of the last sentence.

I visited both of them in May. It is very important that you arrive at Chenonceau as soon as it opens. The place gets packed as soon as tour buses arrive. Keep in mind that it's about a 10-15 minute walk from the gates to the chateau. So if you are planning to do in via public transportation--get there early. Because Chambord is so massive, and there is not a one-way suggested tour, you won't feel as crammed. I think 2.5 hours is probably overkill for Chenonceau, because once it gets crowded, you will want to leave.

Do you have to choose in advance between Plan A and Plan B, or can this decision be made on the fly? Although you might want more than 2 hours at Chambord, you will certainly get the feel of the place and be glad that you saw it.

Thanks for everyone's suggestion! I'll definitely read the history behind the chateau before I go!

As for our plan, I've tried to see if we can visit Chenonceau in the morning, but because of limited bus/train schedule, I can only put Chenonceau in the afternoon....

Another question, has anyone taken the Navette Chateaux bus that runs in Blois? http://www.tlcinfo.net/download.php?f=4349b40667bd24f14476527ee4dd3e3c

Is it 6 Euro per ride? or is it a day pass that can go between Blois, Chambord, Cheverny and Beauregard castles for 6 euros.

Thanks!

For what it's worth, my wife and I had planned on taking a tour but missed the bus. We ended up renting a car and it was the best "accident" that happened on our trip. The drive is easy and pleasant you can set your own pace. We did Chambord, Chenonceau and Cheverny in one day after getting a late start. We rented a car at the train station in Tours and returned it that night. We're doing the same thing for our next trip this fall.

We used the handy Navette Chateaux excursion bus that leaves from the Blois train station. 6 euros for a day pass that stops at 4 chateaux plus you receive admission discounts to the chateaux. Great deal! http://www.tlcinfo.net/download.php?f=4349b40667bd24f14476527ee4dd3e3c