Loire Valley or Other Day Trips From Paris

Before my itinerary was drastically changed (we are now flying into LHR). At the suggestion of several on this board, we were going to land at CDG, take a 2 o'clock train to Tours, pick up a car and continue on to Amboise. You could probably do the reverse on the return.

Happy Travels,
Laura

I think that your plan sounds reasonable. I would just be prepared to rent a car at CDG in case there is a rail strike that day.

We’re planning a trip to the Loire this fall. You can get the TGV to Tours. Assuming you want to visit some chateaux, the Tourist Office in Tours (and Amboise, but fewer options) organizes chateau tours. Given your extremely short timeframe (and assuming no rail strike) I’d stay in Tours for your 2 nights to avoid additional transit time to Amboise. Both tour offices organize the chateau tours so you can compare.
http://www.accodispo-tours.com/tours.html
Bon chance!

dina, because you haven't included your home country in your Rick Steves profile, we can't tell if you are making a transatlantic flight on the 4th of June, or visiting from, say, the EU. It makes a difference in answering your OP question. I certainly would not spend that much time on the train (even the TGV) for such a short visit. Have you already visited Versailles, Chambord, Vernon, Fontainbleu, Rouen, and other lovely places closer to Paris?

I believe we've taken the TGV directly to St. Pierre des Corps from the CDG rail station. The car rental hours in St. P d C can be a problem, however. Unless you're from California, I can't imagine why you would want to drive that far on such a short visit.