We will be in Paris for a week and are considering renting a car in Paris on Monday, October 5th and taking our time and doing a scenic drive to the Loire Valley. We plan to spend the night and most of Tuesday before we drive back to Paris and catch a hotel close to the airport. We fly out of CDG mid-morning on Wednesday, October 7th. Looking for suggestions on routes that will take us by wineries that we can possibly just stop in and do some tastings along the way. Also looking for recommendations on where we should consider staying overnight. Any suggested wineries with lodging ? I have also seen a few places that have tree houses for lodging. Looking for something to really top off the end of our trip!!! Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, US
1005 posts
This sounds rather ambitious for a one-night stay in the Loire. To avoid driving in the Paris region, I'd take the TGV to St-Pierre-des-Corps (the TGV station for Tours) and rent a car there. The best wine region is near Chinon, but most of the best chateaux are near Blois or Amboise. If you are interested in the chateaux, I'd stay in Amboise and visit Chenonceau and Chambord. If wine is your thing, I'd stay in Chinon and visit wineries in Bourgueil. There are also lots of tasting rooms in Chinon itself. While the Chinon chateau is just a ruin, Villandry is close to Chinon and has spectacular gardens. Stay away from the chateau at Azay-le-Rideau--it is under renovation until 2018.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
Most people reporting in here seem to spend most of their time in the Loire Valley visiting chateaus.