Ideas for three days in France before Rick Steves Paris Tour

I would pick somewhere that you can get to via TGV, the fast train. Two of the places I've been and enjoyed were Bordeaux (about 2 hours on the train from Paris) and Colmar (might have been 2.5 hours). I'm not sure how Colmar would be in Feb but Bordeaux was more tropical so might be a touch warmer. I've only done the Loire Valley on a RS tour so no infor from me on accessing with public transport.

For Bordeaux, you could spend one day in the city and possibly take a wine tour on another day. I did NOT look to see if these are available in Feb! I could happily spend 2 full days/3 nights in Bordeaux.

I'd probably want to be back in Paris the night before the tour starts but I'm risk averse and want to avoid any issues with train strikes. As far as I know there are none called for February.

Thank you for the ideas! We visited Colmar this past summer as a day trip from Basel when the weather was the opposite- over 100 degrees F. We'll look into Bordeaux as a possibility too- that sounds like a good idea. We agree it makes sense to be back in Paris the night before the tour.

For the Loire area idea, as I've looked at trains from the CDG airport, I think I figured out how to get to Tours (gare Saint-Pierre-des-Corps) on the TGV easily, but local trains from there to some of the Rick Steves' recommended places to stay (like Amboise) seem to be more spotty mid-day. And then there is the issue of how to get around to the chateaus once we get to a base to stay for two nights. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Thanks again!

Several years ago during an extended stay in Paris we did an overnight trip to Tours. We stayed within walking distance of the train station and we did a small group van tour of several chateaux. Later that second day we went back to Paris. It gave us a decent amount of time to see some of the more famous chateaux.

I’m glad Claire posted her experience because I had it in my mind that Tours would be a good location and thought there were chateau day tours from that location. I just have no personal experience and I think in this instance that’s critical!

I’m planning an overnight in Tours in the Fall and have watched some of the France with Vero YouTube videos. If you’re not familiar with her, she is a RS guide.

Thank you Pam and Claire! I found that YouTube channel and will take a look at the videos about the region.
Claire- would you mind sharing what van tour you used, where you stayed in Tours, and what you thought of them?

RS, you are testing our memory! I’m always impressed with other Forum members who have such detailed replies about past itineraries:) Looking at Google maps street view, we remember staying at a hotel on Blvd Heurteloup and it was maybe 4-5 blocks from the Tours train station? But can’t recall from the map’s listed hotels which one it was. Looking at our old RS book from that trip, I believe we went with Acco-Dispo tour company and we did an all day tour that took us both east and west with a lunch break in Tours. We visited Chateau of Azay-Le-Rideau, Villandry, Chenonceau, Cheverny, and Chateau d’Amboise. The tour finished with a wine tasting. We were the only ones in the morning and there were a few others in the afternoon. We didn’t feel rushed even though we went to several chateaux.

Normandy is good for a short trip. You could do a tour of the beaches one day and on your second full day do a day trip to Mont St. Michel -- both from Bayeux.

Lyon would be great for a short trip. Fascinating place with distinctive cuisine.

For the Loire you could base in Tours which has lots of van tours of chateaux.

You could do Strasbourg and visit in the area by bus.

We once did a side trip to St. Malo and then to Auray for the neolithic sites around Carnac for which I hired a private guide with a car.

Just so many great things to do. Or you could stay in Paris and do some day trips -- there are literally a couple dozen in the area easily reached by train in an hour or so from Paris -- Auvers sur Oise, Senlis, Crecy la Chapelle, Maintenon, Malmaison etc etc. Many lovely chateaux reachable in day trips from Paris e.g. Versailles, Vaux le Vicomte, Fontainebleau, Malmaison, Maintenon, Sceux, Dourdan.

Thank you Pam, Claire, and Janet for the great ideas and helpful details!

As I'm looking at train schedules from CDG airport to these places when we arrive, any idea how long we need to allocate for getting through customs and to the TGV train after the flight arrival? Our flight arrives at 9:30 AM, and it looks like TGV requires reserved seats.

TGVs are like airplanes, reserved seats assigned when you book. You will have much better choices usually traveling from Paris than from CDG so don't limit yourself to CDG trains unless you find one that is very convenient. book trains from CDG 3 hours after arrival, from Paris the rule of thumb is 4 hours -- this absorbs the kind of common delays that occur in travel. (we were two hours through passport control last spring in Paris -- it took us 45 minutes this fall, but the plane itself was two hours late)

Thank you so much Janet- that is very helpful!

Bonjour. I am à Rick Steves tour guide and live in Tours, Loire Valley. Not only can you book day trips from here via the tourist office (minivans,) you also have access to several worthy towns, villages and chateaux by train, like Amboise, Blois, Langeais, Chenonceau and more. The hotel previously mentioned along boulevard Heurteloup is the Oceania Univers. A 5-minute walk from the Tours central train station it offers a great location. Brasseries and restaurants around place Jean Jaurès are nearby. Tours’ historic centers (we have two) are a 10-mn walk away. Hope this helps. Happy trip planning.

I echo the prior helpful post. I'd stay in Tours and book one day at the tourist office (across the square from train station) for a châteaux tour and the 2nd day to explore on your own. When we were there in Aug. 2022, intending to DIY, the trains were having track work done so it was advised that we book a minibus day tour at the tourist office. It was a good option, economical, and got us to 2-3 châteaux.
We then went to Blois, which had a dedicated tourist bus to 3-4 other chateaux, including Chambord. But I do not think it runs off-season. We stayed at a le grand hotel de tours at the train station and found it safe/good quality/convenient. The old town area was very quaint with timbered buildings. 15-20 minute walk from train station.

Hi Veroniques and Elaine- I just saw your posts. Thanks for the very helpful information! A couple follow-up questions if you don't mind as we're still trying to figure this out. Since it's off season, we're wondering about booking a minivan tour in advance. We read online that some of the companies reserve the right to cancel your tour slot if not enough people book. Is this a real concern with booking in advance? Alternatively, do you expect minivan tours would be readily available if we wait to book in person? We would arrive in Tours in the evening on our first day (Thursday) in France (after the Tours tourist office closes) and want to go on the minivan tour the next morning (Friday). We were thinking two nights in Tours, but could possibly extend to a third if that would be needed to make this plan feasible. Thanks again!