Loire Chateau's, walk around w/o tkt?

C'mon, treat yourself and your travel companion. If you went all that way, pay the ticket price. Have some fun, it's why you went, right?

Some you can.. and some you cant.. Chenouceau you can't gated.. ( and its one of the best for sure) .. Chambord you can..

Admission is not expensive.. come on.. its a two starbucks coffees at most.. lol

Some of the chateaux are stunning on the inside. I love looking from the windows at the garden. I agree with the others, you made it all that way. Why not go inside?

I've always done this at Chambord, on the basis that I don't want to overdose! At some point I'm going to have to go in there. . .

Also at Villandry, they have separate tickets for the garden and the interior, so you can see the gardens (which is why most people visit there) without having to go into the chateau.

Not seeing the interiors makes more sense at Villandry.

I agree Kent, that's what I did. I just bought the cheaper ticket for the gardens only and was happy. Maybe the OP doesn't want to see the interior of more than 1 (or maybe 2) chateaux. I can totally understand that. Sometimes you just want to wander around the grounds and take photos. I know you can do it at Chambord and at Villandry (with the garden ticket). Hope he gets some suggestions on others that you can just view from the outside without paying.

Nancy,
Yes. As you know, some of them you can't see from the public roads, because of trees.
Also, at some of them, getting on the roof level, outside, is spectacular.

Some of the chateaux are unfurnished, unlike most of the castles and stately homes in England. So it is a little dismaying to see enormous empty halls and rooms with just a few banners and coats of arms to decorate and perhaps one table and a chair. I believe the French government is furnishing some, at great expense, which makes it more worthwhile to enter.