Chateaux in the Loire Valley

Just got back from there and traveled around at my own pace with a car for 9 days. Chenonceau was great and should be one of your two. My personal favorite was Villandry. The interior was nice, the garden was amazing, and we had almost the entire place to ourselves (unlike some of the others we visited). These two would be my VIP choices.

3 hours is a lot of time in one of these châteaux. I would take the early morning TGV from Gare Montparnasse, assuming you're coming from Paris, to Tours Centre (not St Pierre des Corps, but you might need to pass by there). The Office de Tourisme is across the street from where a variety of mini van tours operate. Here is one example but there are others:

https://www.tours-tourisme.fr/en/preparez-votre-sejour/excursions-a-la-journee/journee-chambord-chenonceau-&-dejeuner-au-chateau/

Spend the night in Tours near Place Plumereau where there are cafés, restaurants, and shopping. It's about a 10 to 15 minute walk from the train station.

Thank you - We are coming from Paris by TGV to Amboise and planning to rent a car. We are booked for two nights in Amboise and want to tour one or two castles while there. I'm thinking we will not pay for a tour as they all sound like more time than we want to spend.

Heather,
With a car, save your money and go on your own. The tours, in my opinion, limit your enjoyment by being too structured, not to mention expensive. Definitely see Chenonceau. I like Chambord and Azay-le-Rideau also, but there a so many interesting and lovely chateaux to see. With two full days you could visit four or five (2 a day and 3 a day, depending on the size and distance from each other.) What a treat for you! I am not sure about pre-purchasing tickets, especially in October. The websites for the chateaux should tell you, or someone on the forum may have the answer. You could bring a picnic lunch as well. We went to Chenonceau in the morning and had lunch in a pleasant, grassy picnic area near the parking lot afterward, before heading off to Chambord for an afternoon visit. (You can combine your visits however you want.)
I just reread your post. It looks like you may have a day and a half, not two full days. You can still see two or three on your full day and one on your arrival day. (As I say, depending on the size. Some are huge, like Chambord, some not so much.)
Have fun!

If you'll be in Amboise you can see its chateau, not one of the "stars" but perfectly fine with a great view over the river, and of course easy to get to. Chenonceau and Chambord are popular favorites not far from Amboise. A "sleeper" I liked a lot is Blois, with four different architectural styles around the courtyard and a lot of history (just ask the late Duke of Guise).

There's another cluster of chateaux on the west side of Tours, a drive that will take some time, including Azay le Rideau, Villandry, and others. With just two days I'd focus on those east of Tours for less driving. If you become addicted to chateaux you'll have to return for more anyway, and you can base yourself on that side.

I think two or three hours is plenty for any of these unless you're deeply interested in history or architecture. I don't think you'll need to buy tickets ahead (but check the websites). A tour isn't needed if you have a car. Enjoy this beautiful area.

When we visited the Loire area, we saw no need to take a tour to the Chateaus. We just walked around them on our own. We did have a rental car so traveling between them was easy.

Last year we pre-purchased timed tickets online for Chenonceau and the audio guides for a morning time which worked well. We also stayed in Amboise and really enjoyed visiting Chateau Royal d' Amboise and also Chateau du Clos Luce which was Leonardo Da Vinci's final home. They were very interesting!!!

I am with Kay…..have stayed in Amboise twice and love this charming town to rest in after a long touring day…..see Chambord, Cheverny, Chenonceau, Villandry, Azay Le Rideau…….they are all amazing…….we had a rental car and did them all on our own…..there are a couple of gorgeous chateaus in the area that now serve as hotels and you can indulge in a lovely dinner on their grounds……don’t miss that!

Thank you for all the responses! We are definitely renting a car and will tour a few chateau on our own as well as an evening wine tasting . Can’t wait!