Château parking

As long as the hatchback has a cover for the luggage compartment (and all the new ones do) and you keep everything out of sight, you should not have any problem. I don't think their parking lots are patrolled or anything like that but they are relatively safe. I parked at 3 of them and had no problem, but one person's experience is not particularly helpful. Make sure you have everything out of sight BEFORE you park the car so anybody watching won't see you putting stuff in there. And back in to a parking place along a wall or line of hedges/trees, etc if at all possible.

When you pick up your rental, check that it has a sliding cover in the back. When you're approaching a chateau (or any other place), make sure you have all your stuff that you want to take with you so you don't have to open the hatchback in the parking lot. If necessary, pull over 1/4 mile away to get your belongings sorted out.

NOTE: Some of the parking lots have dual areas, one for cars with a horizontal bar preventing taller vehicles like buses from entering, and another for buses. Do not park in the bus parking lot. The bus drivers hate cars taking up their spaces and they may intentionally block you in and refuse to let you out until they're ready to leave.

Very sage advice thank you

Toured a number of chateaus a few years back and never had a problem. Actually, I’ve never had a problem anywhere I’ve travelled, but always follow the advice others already gave; back in, keep everything out of sight (GPS cords, maps, brochures, loose change, etc.), and don’t park in a secluded part of the lot.

A friendly mention... plural of château is châteaux... : )

We have toured a fair number of the Loire Chateaus, always with a rental car and never have had a problem. When I think back, we always have "stuff" in the back seat that we should have perhaps put in the trunk but have never had a problem. Many of them had their own parking. We typically arrive at opening time so we end up parking pretty close to the entrance. I would guess that might be a safer spot. I would just make sure anything that looks interesting is not visible. We always put away the GPS for example.

But everyone gets credit for the circumflex! Those babies can be hard to find on a keyboard, unless you have a Mac. Bravo troops!

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One or two people going somewhere and not having a problem is not really a strong indicator that no problem exists. I haven´t heard of park car thefts in the Loire Valley being as prevalent as they are in and around Paris or in Provence but I would still be very careful about leaving valuables in a car, concealed or otherwise.

Car break-ins are not uncommon.

Throughout the years I have visited numerous places in the countryside in France, where many châteaux are and usually don’t worry much parking my car there. But in 2010 after visiting Château d’Anet (35km south of Giverny), a fellow Dutchman warned me about some local youngsters hanging around my car, had not directly an idea about their plans but it looked suspicious. My car was just one year old and with Dutch numberplates likely that's what caught their attention, the man who warned me noticed that they had hanging around his car too. All my belongings were inside, but nothing of value for them as usually I take money, ID-card, camera etc. with me. Luckely nothing happened besides driving away with an uneasy feeling, some steam came out of my ears.......

I blame Siri for the mis spellings. 😊 Thanks again for the advice. Five weeks till our trip begins.

Many of the Chateaux are isolated so thieves would have to go out of their way to get there. I haven't had any problem. I think the bigger issue is at public parking in cities and larger towns (especially in Italy).

Like Christmas shopping, keep your bags out of sight and don't get into your cargo when you park. Do that either before you leave or somewhere else. If there are thieves in the area you don't want to show them what's there right before you walk away from your car.

All good advice. I would add that you should remove any easily-removable stickers that brand you as a rental car customer.
We've parked at many chateaux and have never had a problem.
By the way, our favorite visit to Chenonceau was when we walked in from a nearby hotel and were first in line. Behind us was a large Japanese tour group. They took a while getting organized at the entry point, then chose to look at the gardens before the chateau. We were alone (except for staff) in the chateau for 15 minutes or so - like it was our own private admission. It was wonderful.