Loire Valley Itinerary Ideas?

Seeing chateaux in the Loire w/o a car takes some planning. We've been there several times with a car, but one time took a niece and skipped a car. We wound up having to hire a cab for the day to see several chateaux, because we were too late to sign up for a tour leaving from the town we stayed in. But if you plan well, you can find out about various tours. Train and bus service is not very good to smaller towns, but I think the 3 towns you mention all have good train service. I know I've seen people on this forum recommend Tours to those who aren't renting a car. Tours has the advantage of being in the middle of chateau land; Nantes is further west and Orleans is further east.

You are going to love the Loire Valley! I based in Amboise when I was there in April and stayed at La Porte Bleue. This place was amazing! http://www.laportebleueamboise.fr/visit-in-english/ I had the ground floor apartment and it was awesome - right outside the door is the Loire river with the Amboise Chateau on the other side. What a sight to wake up to each morning.

Chenonceau was one of my favorites, and close behind was Chambord. There is very little on the inside of Chambord, but all of the chimneys and the grandeur of the place is jaw dropping. Blois is also a nice town and chateau to visit. I didn't rent a car either, and was able to get around using the chateaux bus, but unfortunately it doesn't start running until April 1 so you won't be able to take advantage of this great deal (On Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday the bus leaves from Blois and makes a loop stopping at Chambord and Cheverny before heading back to Blois. The ticket is €6 and you buy it from the bus driver).

Someone here had recommended Ina Caro's two books "Paris to the Past" and "The Road From the Past", and they were great to read as I was planning my Loire Valley adventures.

Have a great trip!

I cannot comment from experience yet, but I too have a trip to the Loire Valley around the same time as you and have done a lot of reasearch.

We will be based in Tours and are taking a guided tour one day through Loire Valley Tours that will provide transportation to/from the Tours tourist office with stops at 3 castles included in the tour. These are castles I found would not be very easily accessible by train i.e. Chambord, Blois, and Cheverny. The tour also includes lunch and wine tasting.

The 2nd day, we will be visiting Chenonceau on our own as there is a train that goes from Tours to right outside the castle entrance.

Hope that helps. Enjoy your trip!

If you stay a night or two in Nantes you'll be at the western end of the Loire region, less visited by tourists since it's too far from Paris for a day trip. The RS guidebook for France helpfully divides the region into eastern & western.

I can personally recommend the Fortress of Chinon, which has been thoroughly restored with interactive videos, sound effects, etc. It may sound a little corny, but all of the restoration stuff makes it very informative. It also has a sizeable gift shop and is right next to the Tourist Info office (which, however, we found closed on a Saturday). We didn't have time to walk through the old town, down near the river, but it looked very inviting. Chinon is in the midst of lovely vineyards and there's a nice wine shop right next to the public parking lot.

Azay-le-Rideau is also beautiful.

We didn't get to Saumur, but someday would love to see the "Cadre Noir" performing horses there.

I used a bike through Loire, good exercise.

I wanted a mix so started by driving into the area:

1. Fontevraud Abbey
2. Chinon Fortress (traded the car for a bike in Chinon)
3. Villandry Gardens
4. Chenonceau
5. Clos Luce
6. Amboise Chateau

Without some transportation, it will be time consuming to get around. I'd ask at the TI for organized bus trips that will take you to a few Chateaux in a day.

If you stay in Amboise, the chateau there is right in the middle of the old town, so easy to walk to. You can also walk to the house/museum where Leonardo da Vinci lived for a time, Clos Luce' which is worth a visit.

++ for all the advice so far. Note that without a car, you are likely making an "East Loire" or "West Loire" decision, in advance. (As a history buff, you certainly should see Fontevraud, but it's way West. We saw it on the way to Brittany in a car. I would also observe that this beautiful area is not likely at its best in March. Gardens, like at Villandry, will look drab, if huge and carefully laid out. I liked the grounds of Azay le Rideau as much as the interior, and it's not as refined a garden.

Because you mentioned old towns, I also second Chinon. I wonder if there are enough real towns left to satisfy a walker? Do you have Rick's book?

Another vote for Villandry. When we were in the LV I liked the idea of visiting one of the largest and most famous (Chenonceau), Villandry for the gardens, a smaller chateau (les Azay le Rideau) and a fortress type chateau (Chinon).

I do want to second another posters comment about le cafe de Voltaire near Chateau de Chinon. If you enjoy Chinon wines or wish to learn more, stop there and talk to Patrice. We was absolutely wonderful in helping us gain more insight in Chinon wines. He does not have a formal tasting or class, but we told him our likes and he set us up very well.

We stayed in Amboise during the summer without a car. The TI in Amboise has information/reservations for shuttles to nearby chateaux and they can also help you with local bus schedules. We took the local city bus to Chenonceau which is a very easy direct bus that drops you off right at Chenonceau. Another day, we used the Navette Chateaux excursion bus that leaves from the Blois train station: 6 euros for a day pass that stops at 4 chateaux plus you receive admission discounts to the chateaux. We loved the Loire Valley.

This is a good overview of the most popular chateaux with their relative locations.

http://frenchmoments.eu/top-10-most-beautiful-chateaux-of-the-loire-valley/

Chenonceau and Chambord are 'must dos', but beyond them just go with whatever personally appeals. March may not be a great time for the Villandry gardens.