Honeymoon Plan Ideas for Paris and Loire

Hi,
Congratulations!
If you want to relax and not feel rushed, then your plan is sound. 7 nights in Paris is comfortable but not that generous given the wealth of places to see in and around the city. As for 7 nights "in the Loire", it is a fairly large region so you might want to narrow down the location(s) a bit further ; you could also split those 7 nights between somewhere East of Tours and somewhere West of Tours, to reduce the length of daytrips to palaces and the likes, but you really don't have to. Also, I would have a car with me if spending a week in the Loire region.

I agree with Balso. A week can be spent in Paris and only hit the highlights. You could certainly spend your whole trip there. The Loire is lovely, and we definitely didn't have enough time there when we spent 3 nights in Amboise. Splitting your stays between 2 locations isn't a bad idea, and a car us a must. We picked ours up at the St Pierre des Corps train station after taking the train from Paris. There is a lot more to see in the Loire than just chateaux.

I would save the south of France for another trip. If you want another place to visit, I'd recomnend a night or 2 somewhere closer_ maybe Chartres?

Jim you can do Paris, Normandy, Loire Valley for 14 nights

Depends on the time you arrive in Paris, Train from CDG airport to Rouen France in Normandy

start your tour in Normandy - 5 days

Base yourself in Rouen

Visit - Caen, Bayeux, Mont St Michel, and Honfleur

Next Loire Valley - Base yourself in the town of Amboise 4 days

Visit - The Chateaux of the Loire

Finish the tour in Paris - 5 days

Base yourself in either the arrondissements of the Latin Quarters, Le Marais, or Montmartre.

7 days in the Loire Valley is a fine idea. I disagree with most things RS says about Amboise and would consider somewhere else to stay. Amboise is fine if you want to feel like a tourist surrounded by other tourists doing touristy things and eating second rate food (unless youre very lucky), but most of the rest of the Loire valley offers better value, food and accommodation.

For seven days I would rent a cottage in the countryside that has bikes available and spend your time between visiting chateaux, bike riding, and discovering the countryside, wine and food. I wouldn't split my time between two bases unless I wanted to spend all my time doing things and no time relaxing.

Honeymoon should be a time to relax, IMO, so I would not recommend trying to fit in Normandy too.

I adore the Loire and can highly recommend Hotel de Biencourt in Azay-le-Rideau. The village is charming; it's small but it has several high-end restaurants as well as more casual places to eat and to buy picnic food. The innkeepers are the nicest people you'd ever want to meet. The building is a former (19th-century) school for girls and there are still wall paintings with the names of some of the teachers. It's located on a pedestrians-only street (except you're allowed to pull you car in to wrangle your luggage) just a stone's throw from the chateau. https://hoteldebiencourt.fr/en/hotel/

After staying in Azay-le-Rideau and visiting Chinon, a day later we drove through Amboise and I have to say we were unfavorably impressed with how crowded it was (and not in the high tourist season) with bicyclists and not-so-polite drivers.

epltd: the problem with Amboise is not "not so polite drivers" per se - its the crazy application of the road laws that mean that cars diving out from little roads (that you can't see) sometimes have right of way. That and some of the most bizarre intersections known to mankind. You need to know to be prepared - the rude drivers were propbably saying the same about you :)

I drive Amboise most weeks during the season, but only when I have to. Like most locals who don't actually live in town I give the place quite a wide berth.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!!

I definitely like the idea of splitting your time between Paris and the Loire Valley. You’ll be able to have a nice, relaxed trip. So many lovely things to see and do in both places. I like the suggestion of having two bases for the LV; it’s a big enough place you’ll spend a good chunk of time driving around.

I have to drop a recommendation for the Rodin Museum. There’s a lot of romantic sculptures there and the setting itself is very lovely. It’s one of my favorite places to go in Paris with my husband.

Hope you have a wonderful trip!

I'll add my congratulations to you both! We are just back from the Loire, and I would put in a vote for Chateau du Pray - beautiful setting, sleeping in a lovely chateau with beautiful grounds (and a heated pool) is really quite nice. We were only there one night and one stop at Chateau Chenonceau for a tour (which was beautiful). Never really went into Amboise, so cannot comment on the driving difficulties. I drove, and had no problems in that area. I would give anything to spend more time a du Pray!

Congrats on your marriage! Best wishes to your fiancé.

I think your plan is perfect, don't change a thing. We spent a week in Loches a few weeks ago and it was wonderful. Loches is 18km south of Tours and in a perfect location to explore the region.

I could easily spend a month in Paris and only scratch the surface of one of my all time favorite cities. You'll find the French charming, especially if you greet them with a cheerful "Bonjour". Any small attempt to speak French will be appreciated, but not necessary.

I wish I could share a photo I took of a cute 14 year old girl standing in front of the Eiffel Tower way back in 1966. We were on a school trip at the time. That same cute girl was with me in Loches this May.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! They were very helpful. Any suggestions on what is the best neighborhood to stay in while in Paris?

Any suggestions on what is the best neighborhood to stay in while in Paris?

We stayed between the 13th and 14th arrondissement, a five minute walk from the Glaciere Metro Station and a 10 minute walk from the Catacombs. It was nice and quiet, away from the hubbub of the heart of Paris. If you want something in the middle of the action, look elsewhere, but be prepared to pay the price.

We found our lodging through Alcove and Agape and couldn't have been more pleased. Alcove and Agape is interesting, you search for lodging in different areas. After finding something that interests you, you fill out a form that describes you, including your interests and background. That, along with the dates you'd like to stay, are forwarded to the owner. They review it and decide if they will "accept" your offer.

If they do, you pay Alcove and Agape a fee, which is 20% of the cost of your accommodation. When you arrive, you pay the balance directly to the owner in cash.

We found a charming couple who lives in his grandfather's old home. His grandfather was an artist and the top floor of their house was his studio. We had a comfortable bedroom and bath. We had to walk up three flights of stairs, but that only added to the charm.

Our hosts were charming and we became fast friends. Our hostess is a physician and my wife is a nurse practitioner and college professor so they hit if off immediately. They shopped for fresh pastries every morning. They would have given us our privacy, but we insisted that if they had the time, they join us. We shared our experiences, travel stories, hopes and dreams. Their cat Boo Boo adopted us and would sit in either Deb's or my lap during breakfast (at our invitation).

This was such a great experience, far better than some hotel room.