Loire and South of France Questions

It's been a few years since we did this tour but I recall having plenty of free time. The tour visits several castles and I remember plenty of time to walk around the castle and grounds on our own.

You're paying for the tour and included activities so it's entirely your choice to decline to take part in anything you'd rather skip. But if you've looked over the itinerary and feel like there are a number that aren't for you then perhaps you'd save money & be better served by a RS My-Way tour or by another tour company (after reading the RS "tour bus company self defense" article at https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning/bus-tour-selfdefense )

Laundry is a frequent question and just about every RS tour will have a laundry opportunity. And when you're staying for 2 days in a town often the hotel either has a laundry service they can send out or can recommend someone in town.

Call the RS office and ask about the accomodations for this specific tour but many rooms we've been in while traveling in Europe are two single mattresses pushed together and topped by a single sheet. So shouldn't be a problem to have two beds in the room.

Is it reasonable to arrive at CDG at 9:30am and make it to Chartres by train same day?

I'll just say it. No. You're betting there are no delayed flights or trains that stop you from getting to Chartres by that afternoon. Usually it will work, sometimes not.

Pretty much everything on RS tours is optional. Just make sure your guide and tour buddies know that you will not be participating in that part of the tour. And set up a time and place to meet if you will join them later that day.

In terms of beds. Often you get separate mattresses but they are pushed together.

I can't help for the RS tour but regarding the CDG → Chartres train. yes it is currently possible (and I guess reasonable)

A TGV train at the airport goes to Chartres via a connection at Le Mans station.
The journey takes between 3 and 4 hours depending on the waiting time at Le Mans station

But looking at current possibilities and schedules for a trip in 2025 is useless.

You can get frequent trains to from Paris (Gare Montparnasse) to Chartres, takes about an hour, no pre-purchase or reservation needed. A taxi from CDG to Gare Montparnasse will cost around 60 euros (it's a flat rate but not sure just how much now). A 9:30 landing will give you plenty of time to get to Chartres in the afternoon.

I'm also sure you can book two singles in a room. RS will give you that option. There is usually at least one laundry opportunity, maybe more. Some hotels to it, sometimes you can do it in free time, worst case you can do it in the hotel room sink. My experience has been that hotels would rather take care of it themselves than deal with all those clothes hanging in their bathrooms, and they offer a good price for a bag.

You can opt out of any activity, but you mustn't miss, or be late for, any bus departures to other cities. And your guide and "buddy" must know if you won't be doing something.

You can exclude yourself from any planned activity. Just let the guide know that morning or even the day before. Also, each person has one person who they do a visual check to make sure they’re with the group at the beginning or ending, so let yours know ahead of time, also.

One comment about not doing a planned activity- my husband & I thought we would opt out of one during one of our first RS tours. Well, we decided to just go ahead and do it, and we ended up loving it! So unless you have something fun you would really like to do, instead, consider doing the activity.

I think when you sign up, there’s options for two single beds layout vs. the matrimonial setup. Both types are mentioned for European hotel rooms, and it’s just a matter of the sheets - same mattresses.

Yes, CDG to Chartres is easily done the same day.

A few years ago, we went to Chartres from CDG immediately upon arrival to France. We had plenty of time to visit the cathedral and walk around the charming town. We had dinner next to the cathedral and enjoyed the light show. One thing about the light show that we didn't expect was that many of the buildings in town were lit up, not just the cathedral.

I vote for arrival to Paris the day before the tour starts. While transport could be done the same day from CDG to Chartres, I’d give yourselves some flex time if you possibly can to allow for any travel hiccups.

You and your Mom will also have a tour buddy. This is a RS thing where each person has a buddy they are not traveling with. When the group is formed up and ready to go somewhere the guide calls “buddy check” and you make eye contact with your buddy as opposed to the guide having to continuously count heads. So…in addition to letting the guide know you are going to skip an activity you’d let both your buddies know too.

Have a wonderful time!!

To chime in about RST small group bus tours; the multi-location multi-night pacing is fairly labeled as 'brisk' and many folks adore the variety and diversity while others might chafe at the pacing and brief overview style of this kind of touring. Personally, for my time and money I think it works excellently. Over the course of 9 RSTs I've tremendously enjoyed, it is ideal for me to both ease into and exit out of the tour structure with my own time for personalized activities. Meaning it is a given I will include minimum 2 nights stay before and up to 3 nights after tour dates, for my own planned activities I will do on my time.

I choose a tour based on its itinerary and would not likely miss participating in any part unless something went (hopefully only slightly) awry. There are times in the tour schedule for making choices of my own choosing, which has always been quite satisfactory to me.

If you've not been previously to Paris, you must spend 2 nights in the Parisian arrondissement of your choosing and then train (from Gare Montparnasse) to Chartres. Considering the cost it takes in your time, money, physical (dis)comfort, and carbon energy expenditure to get from stateside to western Europe, there's something to be said about maximizing your pleasure for making the trek to a final destination a number of time zones away from home. Mother-daughter combos are frequent on RSTs and your accommodations will be plenty capable of providing separate beds for the two of you. Now, room size, layout, year of origin will definitely be varied but you WILL have decent spots to lay your heads.

Just about mid point of the 12 night (stops of 2-2-3-1-2-2 nights, that's 6 different stops) LSOF tour you'll have laundry offered at your overnight location. This is where you understand you won't be having colors separated or wash temps specially modified for your particular load and as long as you're OK with maybe an errant sock going AWOL, it will be easy, reasonably affordable and an efficient way to get your items laundered while on tour. I personally am prepared to do some sink laundering (mainly my unmentionables) in room while on tour and naturally pack a travel wardrobe that is lightweight and versatile.

Speaking of which, your camp, over or under? I thrill to packing a 'tight' carry on plus personal bag (packing cubes are my friends) with just the right amount of stuff. Everything goes with everything, nothing is ill fitting, heavy, or garishly 'out-of-towner' and all of it makes me happy, comfortable and feel at ease with my appearance. I use an exact packing list, pack for the best case scenario, and have flexibility / backups or solutions for the mishaps that inevitably happen along the way. I wear stylish comfort-forward clothing for the inflight experience and my best 'pulled-together' togs that travel smartly / sharply for all the other times. I don't sweat trying to not look like the tourist I am, but consider it a win to be seen as an interested, respectful visitor in appearance and demeanor. I've got no problem checking a bag on my return. Especially as I may have nestled a wine bottle or two within my soft goods.

Be sure to read tour reviews, there can be tidbits about specific experiences that might pique your interests and/or give you good ideas of what to expect or want to further explore. Your RST guide will be a pro and a great resource for more information on where you are, what more you can do. The local guides will be equally adept and fantastically well equipped to really give you an in-depth and informed experience of a site or locale. When you get it, read your guidebook and be OK with cannibalizing to bring only what you need.

Bus time is a part of the experience, informative and enjoyable. You never go much longer than 2.5 hours between stops and the whole point is to make the journey as much fun as the destination. Have a great time with your planning and a fabulous time on tour.

We took this tour last June and loved it. There was plenty of free time for us. The only time you can’t opt out and stay is if you are transiting between locations, but you can opt out at a particular spot as long as you let the guide and your tour buddies know and are at the designated spot for departure. Laundry was offered at the hotel in Sarlat for our tour and was done without issues.

Providing you get to Paris on time, you can make it to Chartres before the tour starts. However, should there be delays, you’ve cut it close and could potentially miss part of the orientation and tour time. The other thing to consider is jet lag. One of the highlights of Chartres is the nightly light show. You can check to see the schedule as to when and if it’s still going on during your dates, but it would be a shame to miss it. There are multiple sites around town besides the cathedral.

Laundry was offered in Sarlat and we didn’t have any issues with it.

I think on the forms you fill out they ask what kind of sleeping arrangements you want, but you can always email or call the RS office. I emailed them last week about an upcoming tour and got my response within 24 hours.

Finally, if you enter “Better Late than Never: Loire to the South of France” into the search bar, it should give an extensive tour report done by Jane from OK.