Tours vs ambois

You might check out the YouTube videos done by France With Vero. She lives in Tours and has posted walking visits of Tours which will give you an idea of the area and the surroundings as well.

Look at Veuzain-sur-Loire ( formerly called Onzain), a nice town a little way upriver from Ambois

Thanks, y’all, I’ll check those out.

Patty, Vero’s youtube channel is overwhelming. I’ll be digesting it for months and regretting our future trip is so short. France bucket list just got really long

Place Plumeareau Is a good landmark for the old center of Tours. I stayed in a small hotel nearby - Hotel L’Adresse.

Tours is quite a bit larger than Amboise. A city, rather than a town. The medieval part of the city is north of the Hotel de Ville, south of the Loire River and west of the Cathedral. #Jean is right that Place Plumereau is in the middle of the historic area.

As a base of operation, your choice may depend on your length of stay and where you choose to visit.

Go to https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/france/loire and then go to At a Glance for a list and map of the major chateaux west and east of Tours.

Our visit was by bike, so we had no real base of operation; we started in Blois and then cycled west to Saumur (west of Chinon and Montsoreau on Rick’s map) over the course of a week. I believe the RS map chateaux area shows about 70 or 75 miles from Blois to Abbaye Fontevraud. The only place we stayed a second night was Amboise, so we could take a loop ride to Chenonceau.

BTW the RS map shows more chateaux than are listed, e.g., Usse and Chinon that were enchanting (Usse) and historic (Chinon - which also had magnificent views)

I’ve just returned from the area. I stayed in Amboise, spent a day exploring Tours.

Both are very walkable. Amboise is small, but the historic area of Tours is not overwhelming either. I found this map when researching and used it as a general guide. This area is close to the train station. City is fairly flat, area is easily strolled.

https://www.gpsmycity.com/tours/tours-old-town-walk-4446.html

I’m not a foodie, but had a good meal in Amboise at Le Clos d’Amboise. Also the hotel where I stayed and can recommend. The restaurant caters to non-hotel guests.

When exploring Tours, I noticed interesting looking restaurants including Indian and other ethnic specialties. No time to try any, but several looked inviting. Next trip, I expect I will base in Tours,. I feel that I’ve “done” Amboise after 4 nights.

Another option is Blois. Close to all the action and a good middle ground choice, I think it’s about half the size of Tours. I stayed in Blois and loved it, had a great local vibe.

I actually did not like Amboise that much. Too touristy. Clos Lucé was a huge disappointment for me, way too crowded. No room to breathe in the small chateau and had to fight to see the rooms. This place needs timed tickets.

Tours was cool, I would have been happy staying there.

@patty: Merci beaucoup.
Tours is always a good idea (I may be biased.)

@rgblsu72: Since you will have a car I would select housing in Tours carefully. Like in many other French cities fewer and fewer cars are allowed to drive and park in the historic area (the best place to stay for a visitor.) There are public underground parking lots but fees add up. Free spaces by the Loire riverbanks can play hard to get. So if booking a rental apartment make sure parking is included or you could waste valuable time looking for a spot when you return each day.

Food-wise: You will not have enough time to enjoy some of the (excellent) restaurants in town.
;-)

Bonne visite.
Vero
Tours resident
France-based Rick Steves tour guide

I studied in Tours as a university student so the city is really dear to my heart. What's great about it is the train access, the many, many restaurants, and the beauty of the city. The tramway also makes the city really easy to access. As an adult I've gone and stayed at the historic Oceania Hôtel de l'Univers which is right near the town hall and about 5 min from the train station. They also have parking.

Place Plumereau, l'Hôtel de ville, and Cathédrale Saint-Gatiën are excellent landmarks.

Véro, vous êtes une inspiration! J'adore votre chaîne Youtube!

@Alexander: Merci beaucoup.
Happy to see Tours still brings back happy memories.

Thank you all for your valuable insights. I think we are going to split the baby and spend a couple of nights in each. Win win!