Hi,
We are visiting Loire valley for 2 days in the month of may. Unfortunately we are not having any International Driving License hence won't be able to rent cars. Could you please share some alternative transportation option available in Loire valley for visiting the famous Chauteux's. Would public transport like buses/trains be available. Or some kind of hired taxi with driver be available. Which would be a budget friendly option ?
Regards
Sreedevi
Where specifically are you staying in the Loire Valley? Knowing that will reveal your options. For example I stayed in Blois and visited Chateaux Chambord by taking a bus and both Chateaux Chenonceaux and Amboise by taking the train. You can also rent a bike to visit castles. Any of the major towns in the Loire more than likely have Tourist Information centers selling day tours of chateaux for sure.
We have booked our accomodation at Amboise.
IDPs are very easy and inexpensive to obtain. You can also obtain a list of government approved translators and have one make a translation of your license. Thirdly, there are many visitors who rent cars without an IDP.
However, without a car, you might consider staying in Tours, the transportation center of the region. There are a number of very satisfactory hotels located around the train station, Tours Centre. The Office de Toursime, from where many mini bus tours depart, is just across the street from Tours Centre.
I believe there are several tours from Amboise that take you in a van. If you Google "Loire chateau tours from Amboise" (in quotation marks) several of the tour operators will come up. You can choose among them according to which chateaux they visit, cost, and other factors.
Be aware that Viator.com is a 3rd-party aggregator, so if you find a tour through the Viator site that you want to book, you may get a slightly better price by booking directly.
