Is it practical to take a day trip to Loire area from Paris? I know there are fast trains, but am curious whether the schedules actually allow adequate time to see a couple of castles before returning. If not, then I'll either need to plan a couple of nights in the area or save Loire for another trip.
Posted by
Corsicana, Texas, USA
354 posts
I do believe there are trains that can zip you down to the Loire relatively quickly. You will still need to arrange local transportation among the chateau once you are in the area. And, visiting no more than two sites in a day will prevent chateau overload.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Doable, but not advisable. Much better to rent a car in the region and spend a few days exploring. As the previous poster noted, two chateaux per day is ideal.
Posted by
Palm Desert
126 posts
Be very careful when you look at train travel from Paris to Tours. I, too, was looking to get out of Paris early and take the TGV to get there as soon as possible. As far as I can tell, the TGV train leaves about 12;30. There were earlier trains, but they took twice as long.
I would save the Loire for a later time or spend a lot of money and take a 1-day excursion from Paris.
We are going to spend 5 nights there. I really like castles!!!
Posted by
Tinton Falls, NJ
792 posts
I had the same question, but I will have a car. Does that make a daytrip doable? How long is the drive to the area? Which two castles work well and are the closest to Paris? Or does anyone know of a great B&B to spend one night. Note: we have two children, 7 & 11, so it must be children friendly. Do you think kids this age would enjoy it?