Loire Valley in September

I suggest staying in the center of it all in Tours, at the Grand Hotel. Then you can take excursions from the train station. Rick doesn't like Tours, but I LOVE it.

I like staying in Amboise, a charming town, very good location for touring the area. Can't recommend a hotel, wasn't crazy about the two we've stayed in. Don't miss the chateau Chenonceau, my favorite one. Also, Clos de Luce in Amboise, the home of Leonardo de Vinci. Have fun!

Jackie - I think it's a good time and there should be lots of flowers in bloom. I like the town of Chinon in the Loire Valley area and recommend the Hotel Diderot. My favorite chateaux are Chenonceau and Villandry. In Provence, I like Vaison la Romaine and the Hotel le Beffroi. Also Lourmarin and Cassis are favorite towns. Lourmarin has a wonderful Friday market. Don't miss Pont du Gard, the Luberon hill towns, and the Rothschild mansion on Cap Ferrat.

I vote for Ambroise as well. We stayed at the Manoir St Thomas and loved it. It is centrally located with a very friendly staff.

We liked the village of Azay-le-rideau and stayed at the Grand Monarque Hotel. Just a couple of blocks from the chateau.

I vote for Amboise too. I stayed at the Chateau Des Ormaneaux and loved it. It is a small B&B with beautiful rooms in the country side of Amboise. It is a 10 min drive into town. I have been in Europe in Sept and it is my favorite time to travel to Europe. I have not been in Amboise that time of year but Paris and it was nice. Have a great trip. Must see is Chambord. The largest of the castles and Villandry for the gardens. I only paid to see the gardens and not the Chateau. Beautiful!

I agree with Alexander! I didn't know that Rick doesn't like Tours (why, Rick?) but I love it. It's central, the train station is nice-sized and simple to navigate, and it's just a nice, pretty, homey college town. Very down-to-earth and welcoming. There will still be things in bloom in Tours and environs in September. It's nice and warm at that time of year, too, with cooler evenings. Lovely!

We really enjoyed our time at the Auberge des Launay for our stay in the Loire Valley 2 years ago. Across the river from Amboise, just off the road but very quiet..no need to navigate city traffic in and out each day. Lovely couple runs the place, modern rooms, spotless. Great meal plan option offered then; breakfast in conservatory, multicourse dinner in the garden, all less than our(shabby) room alone in Paris. TGV'd from Paris to Tours, rented from Avis at St Pierre stop, dropped car there upon return and continued or travels by train. Very easy. Spent 4 days driving the valley, this Auberge was optimally sited to cover the region by car. We concentrated on the area's breathtaking chateaux and historic towns. Our short stay remains among my best memories of many trips to Europe.

Jackie - I agree with Grier and her recommendation for Chinon. It is a charming place and was one of the highlights of my trip last year. Take a walk up to the Royal Fortress for some great views of the countryside. I also enjoyed staying at the Hotel Diderot - don't miss the owner's homemade jams and jellies at breakfast. There are also several nice wineries in the area. Sep/Oct is my favorite time to travel - I hope you have a great time!

Even in September, many of the chateaux will still have TONS of beautiful plants (not sure about the flowers, but the beauty is still there!). If you LOVE gardens, make sure you check out Chateau Villandry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chateau_Villandry for links and pictures). We stayed in the countryside about five minutes outside of Amboise. The downside is that you aren't in a position to really do any nightcap-walks in town. On the other hand, the hotel is beautiful, with excellent service, English-speaking staff, and a good restaurant on site if you need it. The ONLY downside we experienced was that the bathrooms were a bit small, even by European standards (the showers were barely the size of linen closets). The plus is a delightfully idyllic country setting. The hotel is called Le Fleuray and is recommended by Frommers (as well as by me!). Their site is at http://www.lefleurayhotel.com/.

Chinon is very scenic and enjoyed visiting on a day trip, but IMO it is a bit far from the other main attractions to make it a hub for visiting the Loire Valley. Amboise and Blois are better suited.