Help.
Our tour operator for our tour to Chambord and Chenonceau just cancelled the tour last minute. We have two days in Tours France reserved and train tickets purchased and need a way to see the chateaus. How can we get to the chateaux on our own? Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you.
We did this on our own with a car and were based in Amboise…..it was delightful.
Thanks for getting back to me. Did you make other stops besides those castles?
We had a Yellowstone guide do the same thing to us - it was infuriating.
If it wasn't Acco Dispo that cancelled, I would check with them. Also, check with your hotel for their suggestions.
Using public transport it's about 2.5 hours to Chambord from Tours, even longer from Chambord to Chenonceaux. Either rent a car for the day, use expensive taxi rides, or change your plans.
Chenonceaux is about half an hour from Tours by train, Amboise about half an hour from Chenonceaux by taxi (bus service is very limited). About half an hour from Amboise back to Tours by train.
There's more than one tour operator doing chateau tours from Tours, have you done a google search and checked out some other tour companies? I'm sure there are some others that do Chambord and Chenonceau.
Hi, I had a similar situation in Tours, but was able to take a different tour. Here’s the details I wrote in my trip report. Check in with a Tourist Office. They had several options.
“ I had reserved a chateau tour with Acco-Dispo, but they needed more participants, so I switched to a tour with A La Francaise. For this tour, a couple from Ireland & I went to see the outstanding gardens at Villandry. Our guide walked us through the chateau to see the rooms and see the garden views. Afterwards, she provided a relaxing picnic on the grounds of Chateau L'Iselette. The first tour I had planned to take was going to be intense, covering four chateaus during an entire day. This half-day tour turned out to be the opposite - very relaxing, and I really enjoyed the chance to relax in the country setting and hear much more about living in France from our young guide. Villandry had been my top priority, and we had plenty of time there to enjoy the setting, arriving before it was crowded. (I had seen some of the other chateaus years ago.)”
Rent a car if driving is OK with you. Auto Europe is a good way to do this. Otherwise look for another tour company. Chambord and Chenonceau are great choices, but you might find a tour that takes you to other chateaux, which would be fine also, either east or west of Tours. Although our host doesn't include Tours in his guidebooks, you could spend a good day sightseeing there if you can't get out of town.
Another place that I loved that is close to you is Angers. I took the train there. The fortress is amazing, plus the Apocalypse medieval huge tapestries in a special room of the fortress. I also enjoyed the city in general.
Thank you to all who have responded. I think we have things figured out. Acco Dispo has something arranged for us.
Thanks.
Good outcome! We went with Acco Dispo in the last couple of years for a day tour and had a fine time with them.
