Cheverny by public bus vs taxi

Would you consider a mini-van tour instead? I used them years ago - it was a very efficient way to get around without a car. The driver, who may now be the owner, was pleasant and knowledgeable:

https://www.accodispo-tours.com/amboise.html

I also rented a bike the first afternoon to see the chateau closest to Amboise.

The Accodispo tour mentioned by markcw is an excellent one. They have one tour that hits the Big 3: Cheverny, Chenonceau and Chambord. Book it early as it does sell out.

That sounds very promising. It would save me having to switch hotels from Tours to Blois like I had set up.
My only minor reservation is that I'm 6'4" and a 3XLT, so some poor person sitting next to me may have an uncomfortable experience if the van is full.

I did take a minivan tour in Normandy about fifteen years ago that was excellent.

As a solo traveler, I have been informed by several day tour companies (including Acco-Dispo) that French law requires a minimum of two tour participants. As a result, I have been waitlisted until other travelers have booked the tour I tried to reserve. In some cases, the tour ran, in others it did not.

Nick, I don't know if you are traveling solo, but thought I would mention this. There are several companies with well reviewed day tours; you might also look into A la Francaise. I would also be prepared to DIY as you have planned in case the numbers work against you.

Thank you all for your help. I did see the note about a minimum tour size of 2. I requested the three castle all day tour from Tours for my preferred date and got a reply about an hour later indicating that I was on the wait-list and they would contact me if I cleared it. It was not evident if it was because they had 0 so far, they had 8 so far, or they weren't willing to take a single until they got another single or an odd number.

I did respond back and gave them a range of three days (Monday-Wednesday) as well as being able to take the train over to Amboise and do the afternoon two castle tour, but I have not heard back.

It appears to have all worked out perfectly. They were able to pair me up with a couple for an all day tour out of Amboise on the Tuesday morning. Now I just have to cancel my Blois hotel and extend my Tours hotel by those two nights, and just do a day trip to Blois to see the in-town castle, weather permitting.

I was also able to land a Loire Valley Greeters meetup for Tours on Monday afternoon. So I have Tours on Monday, the Chenonceau/Cheverny/Chambord on Tuesday, Amboise on Wednesday and a quick day trip to Blois on Thursday before leaving for Nantes on Friday morning. Now I just need the weather to cooperate!!

Thank you all for your help!

Wonderful!

Chambord, Cheverny and Chenonceau are very different from one another. Chambord is huge yet empty of any
contents. Since the Kings moved their furnishings whenever they changed residence, the curators must have decided going commando with furnishings was the most historically accurate way to go.
Cheverny is a rare example of a Chateau that is an intact time capsule.from the 1600’s The architecture inside displays the best craftsmanship of ceilings and walls from that time. And the reason Cheverny’s public rooms look lmuch as they did centuries ago is the family who has owned Cheverny was so widely respected that when the French Revolution came, the town’s people guarded the family’s estate from looting and vandalism
Chenonceau is the chateau spanning the River Cher. When Diane de Poitier decided which chateau she liked best— she sold off Cheverny and moved into Chenonceau— both of which were gifts of the King. Chenonceau marked the WW2 border between Occupied France and Vichy France. The chateau was built in 1525 and is furnished in the style of the day.
Blois castle is another great chateau in the Loire.
Have a great trip!