My husband and I are going to be flying into CDG and getting in on a Wednesday afternoon. The plan is to rent a car and drive to the Loire Valley, likely staying in Tours. We'll have flexibility on the way, but may be doing a tour for the next two days. We'll have flexibility on that Sunday, when we head back to Paris for a couple days before going home. Looking for suggestions for fun places to stop or see between Paris and Tours. We enjoy walking around towns, being near locals, looking at local art, etc. TIA
Posted by
Paris
7304 posts
Hi,
Between Tours and Paris you could stop in Chartres, which has a stunning cathedral and old town worthy of a few hours' stroll (at least! there's enough there for a day or two). Closer to Paris, and less of a detour from the main A10 highway, is Rambouillet, but its main attraction is...a chateau and its park, so you might have had your fair share already, coming from the Loire.
Posted by
Loire Valley
824 posts
I know it's not a small town but le Mans is fascinating and missed by most tourists.
Small towns on a Sunday are likely to be very very quiet.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you for these great suggestions. We've just been looking at a 3 day/2 night tour that would mean no car for us. I liked the idea of exploring on our own, but the tour will give us a good chance to see much of what we'd like to and we can drink as much as we'd like! It will mean staying in Blois instead of in Tours. If we will still have some time to explore on our own in Tours, is staying in Blois very different?
Posted by
Loire Valley
824 posts
Tours is by far bigger than Blois, with many more restaurants and bars. It also has two universities, so there's a bit of nightlife happening. It's a transportation hub, so much easier to get to places.
Posted by
Paris
10207 posts
Please be careful when considering driving on the day of your arrival from the U.S. or Canada, if that is what you are considering. Driving while jet-lagged has safety implications for both your party and others on the road.