Valley of the kings in Sept.

The only "Valley of the Kings" I've ever heard of is in Egypt. Where in France is this? I googled it and only Egypt came up.

Sorry thats what my travel book called it Chartres to Blois scenic back roads.

Thanks Gina - I've never heard it called that. It's normally referred to as the Loire Valley. I'd recommend at least two full days. Amboise makes a good base. RS France guide has lots of good info that would be helpful for you including hotels and top sights to see. My favorite chateau is Chenonceau. Leonardi de Vinci's home in Amboise is another very enjoyable sight to see. You can google for weather in France.

Great and is the weather ok in Sept. any thoughts on Provonce

The weather in France, generally speaking, is great in Sept. But you can get more detailed info by googling it and putting in specific areas/cities. I am not familiar enough with Provence to give any advice. I hope you have a fun trip!

Loire Chateux and Chartres. At least two days. If you are a fanatic (especially if you would enjoy their gardens) more. Provence- depends on what you enjoy. But if you have 13 days you could have a good trip from Loire down the west Coast (MSM, St Malo) via dordogne and Carcasonne to Nimes/Arles etc. However, this doesnt allow any time for Paris

We spent 4 days in the Loire Valley, and liked it a lot. We are big on palaces/chateaux/gardens and it was easy to fill those days. I recommend the Auberge de LAunay, an small hotel across the river from AMboise. It was a great base for car-touring the region. I found it on tripadvisor. It was great, nice meal option, easy access to area, well priced, friendly folks. Have fun.

13 days is plenty of time to see both Provence and the Loire valley, and you're going to love both. You should look into B&B's instead of hotels, especially in Provence. Meet the locals and a lot of interesting fellow travelers.

Thank you for the info any suggestions on where to base in provence

Will you be traveling by train or by car?
We stayed near Arles in a venere.com property that was a former Relais du Silence member- it was our vacation from the vacation stay and was in a field of flowers with a pool... not exactly the stone walls of Avignon, which was not far. City parking was easy in both Arles and Avignon in a small car. We enjoyed stopping in Carcassonne in the drive between the Loire/Dordogne/Provence.