LOIRE Valley

Can't help with the Loire, but about the apartment: Are you thinking of renting in Paris? I can't tell from your posting history whether you're aware that Paris is really cracking down on short-term apartment rentals. You need to be sure that the place you choose is properly registered. From others' posts, it seems that airbnb (and possibly other websites as well) is still listing properties that are not yet registered, which is required as of some date in December.

The risk to you is that you might make arrangements, pay part or all of the rent in advance, and then find out between now and March that your apartment is off the rental market. You'd be left scrambling to get your refund and find a replacement property.

The Loire is rather spread out, and if visiting the Chateaux is your aim, you'll have to limit your expectations on a day trip. The best you could hope for is 2 or maybe 3 (if you only spent a minimal time at each). TGV Trains between Paris (Gare Montparnasse) and Tours (St. Pierre Des Corps) are frequent. But how to get around once you're there? Bus/minivan day tours are available (book in advance), but you are on THEIR schedule.

Rental cars are available at the train station. You would need an IDL to legally drive in France. Spend a little time before you leave for France to learn the European traffic signs. DONT SPEED! They use photo radar, and you don't want to get a nasty surprise in the mail months after you return home. And have some cash for the autoroute toll booths if you will need to drive on one. Aside from that, driving in France is not that different than driving at home. We spent 3 1/2 days in the Loire last month with a rental car, and it was a wonderful way to get around. And it cost less than $100 CDN including gas.

But, if at all possible, I'd recommend staying for 1-2 nights. Experiencing Amboise in the evenings after all the tour buses left was amazing. And there are some very, very good restaurants with prices that are much less than in Paris.

In Paris, all you need to know if there is a 13-digit registration number on the website - including AirBnB.
If you do not see that number, it is an illegal rental.

I'd stay overnight in Amboise and take it easy. However, if you want to visit on a day trip and don't want to drive, there are shuttle services listed in the book who will pick you up at the train station and take you to a chateau--usually Chambord or Chenonceau. They won't cost as much as a guided tour from Paris, since they don't offer a guide at the chateau and usually have several sets of travelers sharing their minivan.

Googling "Loire chateau tours" or some such will get you to companies that offer van tours from Tours (no, that's not why the city is called that), to see several chateaux in a day. Googling "Loire chateau tours from Paris" will get you some options where they bring you from there and return. But my best advice would be to do what our friend the other poster did -- take the train from Paris, rent a car, and spend at least a couple of days. You'll be able to set your own schedule, spend the time you want in each place, and experience a town like Amboise in the evening. Driving isn't difficult but does require preparation. This website has good advice and links under "Travel Tips."

There are very fine chateaux both east and west of Tours. Probably those on the east are better known, like Chambord, Chenonceau, Amboise and others, and closer to Paris. But the west side has Azay-Le-Rideau, Villandry, and Chinon (mostly in ruins but very historic). With your timeframe I'd pick a side and stick to it. If you fall in love with the Loire you can come back to see the other side and more.

That said, you and your daughter could easily spend that whole week in Paris with maybe a day trip to Versailles or Fontainebleau or Vaux-le-Vicomte to get your house-touring fix.

Merritt,

My daughter and I visited the Loire Valley in June of last year. We spent three nights in Amboise in a small b&b and visited some of the chateaux via public transportation.
One day we took the public bus from Amboise to Chateau Chenonceau then back to Amboise.
We also took the train to Blois and visited the Blois Castle. The following day, a Wednesday, we took the train back to Blois then took the bus (Navette 41 ) from the parking lot in front of the train station to Chambord and Cheverny chateaux.

If you stay in Amboise, you can visit the Amboise Castle as well.

You'll find detailed information about the above mentioned buses in RS France book under, "Amboise Connections" and "Blois Connections"( my book (2015) lists it as "Navette Chateaux , line #18" but don't know if they have updated this information)

Enjoy!

P.S. Unfortunately the Navette 41 bus from Blois to Chambord, Cheverny and Beauregard castles only runs from April 1st to November 5th, and only on Wednesdays, weekends and school holidays.

Please note: If you and your daughter plan to go up the Eiffel Tower, make sure you book your tickets 3 months in advance.

Here's a non-driving possibility for you, from either Paris or Tours: Loire Valley Time Travel.
That would be a great way to visit some of the chateaux in style - in a vintage Citroen!
Could include wine tasting, if you wished.
If that still left you with a day spare, I'm sure they could advise how best to spend it on your own.

Two nights in Loire will give you one full day plus some extra time on your travel days. You can train to your base then back to Paris afterward.

It's probably best to look at a list of chateaux and find them on Google Maps. Then pick your favorites, understanding that the closer they are to each other, the easier they will be to tour in one day. Once you have a group of favorites, pick a base. For me Chenonceau seemed to be a favorite of everyone who had been there, so Amboise made sense as a base. In one day, I was able to tour Chenonceau, Chateau Amboise and Clos Luce by bike. Villandry is also biking distance from Amboise, not on the same day, but you have to navigate Tours (which might be easier than the route my GPS took me through).

I could have saved a couple hours using a car and maybe added Chaumont but there is a limit to how much you can take in in one day. If you rent, pick it up at your base. It's much more comfortable training in and out of Paris, then driving in the country. I use a GPS app (Co-Pilot) with my phone and it works fine. Download the app and maps at home before your trip. Google Maps also works but it gives less information and is a data and power hog. Both will work with data turned off as long as your phone has GPS capability.