8 days in Paris and the Loire Valley

2-3 nights in the Loire would be ideal. That would give you enough time to sample a few chateaux without them feeling too repetetive. Renting a car is also recommended, as public transportation to the chateaux is spotty, and navigating on your own couldn't be easier.

It probably depends on how many chateaux you want to visit in the Loire Valley. Two per day would seem about right and having a car is necessary unless you are planning to take an escorted tour. I would do 3 nights in the Loire Valley and the rest in Paris. I would take the train to St. Pierre des Corps (sp?) and rent a car there. The rental car places are across the street from the train station. Taking a GPS will also be helpful.
Have a great time!

We did something similar and I can tell you what I liked and what I didn't.

Paris for 4 nights then picked up car at train station and drove to Versailles. Toured Versailles all day and then left for Amboise. We arrived fairly late in Amboise (8 or 9pm) and we spent 2 nights in Amboise.

Paris for 4 nights was wonderful. I could have easily done one more day, but I have a good reason to go back now. We picked up our car at a train station that started with "M" somewhere in the area of the Napoleans tomb (sorry I don't know my Parisian districts). Finding the physical office that rents the car was a nightmare. We walked around that train station forever. But eventually found it. Driving out of the heart of Paris was hairy - but not completely awful. Thanks in large part to my husband's good sense of direction. Someone already suggested a good place to get a car and depart, you will probably want to follow that advice.

Versailles was on the way to Amboise and was a great place to visit and I am glad we saw it before leaving Paris. Then we drove to the Loire. The roads and tollways are very easy. You see all these signs for sooo many chateau's on the way - it is just so unique to realize how littered France is with gorgeous chateaus.

Since we arrived late in Amboise, we pretty much just had time to eat and go to bed. The next day was a busy day of seeing the Amboise chateau, DiVinci's home and Chinonseu (sp?). GREAT day. Exhausting, but great. Then we had to leave the next day. One more night there would have been better. But that has a lot to do with the fact that we didn't get there til late our first day. If you have two full days in the Loire, that would be ideal.

We visited Paris and the Loire valley in August, and we must have rented a car at the same place as Amy (Gare Montparnasse)-finding the rental office was as bad as she describes! We intended to take the train to Tours and rent a car there, but most rental car offices in France are apparently closed on Sunday, when we needed a car. We arrived late afternoon in Amboise and stayed three nights (two full days) in the Loire. One day we saw Chenonceau, Chateau d'Amboise, and Clos Luce, and the next day we went to Chamount, Chambord and Cheverny. Both were full days, but we didn't feel they were too busy. But I would recommend two full days at least, and there is more to see in the region, so I could happily spend more time there. Keep in mind that travel days do suck up time though, so we had two full days plus two travel days. On each of our travel days we spent about half a day in Paris.

Barbara,

Have you been to Paris before? I would recommend the museum pass. I did a 23 day tour of France last April/May and I started and ended in Paris like you. I spent three days in the Loire valley at the Chateau de Ormenaux and loved it. It is near Amboise, about a 10 min. drive. I saw two chateaus a day and I felt like that was enough for one day. I loved Chambord and Villandry for the gardens. I would for sure rent a car because the countryside is so beautiful and it is easy to drive the toll roads.

Just returned from a month in France. After visiting Paris, we took the TGV train to St. Pierre (Tours) and picked up our car just outside the train station. We found driving the large Citroen they upgraded us to very frustrating on the tiny roads of the Loire and Dordogne Valleys. We did not have a GPS and deeply regret that. Many, many roundabouts. Hotel personnel and others told us our Michelin directions were too complicated. We found the maps from the TI's were helpful. We found the France map from the Auto Club much better. Do some research on the chateaux and figure out what you want to see. Most of the popular ones are in the vicinty of Amboise. Check out the "tour" people RS recommends in his book. It is a bit pricey, but my husband and I would have certainly enjoyed the trip and driver commentary on the way to the chateaux instead of constantly looking at the map/road signs. Maybe it is easier in the fall after the late summer crowds are gone.